What is white rum?

What is white rum made from?

White rum is rum, and U.S. federal rules define rum by its raw material. The spirit must be distilled from the fermented juice of sugar cane, sugar cane syrup, sugar cane molasses or other sugar cane by-products. So when people ask what white rum is made of, the answer is sugar cane, usually as molasses or juice.

The same rule says the spirit must have the flavor and character generally attributed to rum and must be distilled to less than 95 percent alcohol by volume (190 proof).

Is white rum alcoholic and how strong is it?

Yes. The rule says rum must be bottled at not less than 40 percent alcohol by volume (80 proof). That is the legal minimum for rum sold in the United States, so a white rum is not a low-alcohol drink. Some older web pages claim white rum is 20 to 37 percent alcohol; that does not match this rule.

How is white rum made?

The rule covers the raw material and the distillation limit. In short: sugar cane material is fermented, then distilled, then bottled at 40 percent alcohol by volume or more. The rule does not describe yeast, still type or filtering steps.

Is white rum aged, and how does it taste?

We found no official source that sets a color, an aging time or a flavor for white rum. The U.S. rum standard has no separate white or light category, so words such as white, silver, light or gold are label choices by each producer. To know how a bottle was aged or filtered, read the producer’s own product page.

What is white rum used for?

We found no official source that ranks cocktail uses, so we do not list recipes here. Ask the maker or a bartender if you want a specific drink.

This is general information about drinks, not advice. Drink responsibly.