How is rum made?

When most people think of rum they can’t help but associate it with treasure-seeking pirates, of aged-oak barrels swilling on the high seas, of ocean outlaws ‘on the drink’. Either that, or, cabanas in Havana, beautiful tropical cocktails to match beautifully warm climates, served by beautiful people. 

This well-worn depiction of the spirit, although apt for a long time, is not so prevalent any longer. Everyone has got a taste for that sweet sugarcane now. 

Our experimental six-spiced rum can be enjoyed on it’s own, or partnered with a vast array of flavourful ingredients to create delicious cocktails for every mood and season (see our recipes for some inspiration). 

At Honest we are committed to making our rum process a carbon zero one. We are proud of our design development and of our final product as it uses as many sustainable methods as possible. This is inline with our ethos and our plans for a no waste system.

Here's how our rum is made:

Harvesting and extracting sugar cane -

Sugar cane is grown in hot climates and can take anywhere between 10 months and two years to mature before it can be harvested. Sugar cane consists of 75% water, about 15% sugar and 15% fibre. The cane is then pressed to extract the sugar. This sugar ‘juice’ is more commonly known as molasses.

Fermentation -

The fermentation process begins when yeast and water, as well as a few other secret ingredients, are slowly introduced to the ‘juice’. The yeast consumes the sugar and turns the syrup into alcohol which can take anywhere from 24 hours to two weeks. This process generates the base flavour of  the rum.

Distilling -

The fermented liquid is then boiled. The vapours are collected and then liquified again, it is cooled and condensed to form clear drops of the distilled spirit. 

Ageing and mixing - 

The ageing process determines the colour, base flavour and aroma of the rum. This is where we have experimented with flavours and infused our spices and botanicals. The 6 flavours of Honest Rum are introduced to create the distinct flavour you know and love. It is then left to macerate for 10 days. 

Final Cut and Blend - 

The infused rum is then distilled one final time at 50% alcohol concentrate, also known as ‘Alcohol By Volume’. The distillate is cut to 40% ‘ABV’ replacing some of the water with molasses and left to settle before bottling. Once bottled it is distributed up and down the country (See our Stockists to find a bottle near you).  

So, as you can see, there’s a bit more that goes into the process than the ‘grog’ the pirates used to drink. We can only assume it tastes a lot better now too. Though, the idea of sitting on a sun-soaked beach in Cuba with an Honest on the rocks still sits pretty damn well with us.