T HE R U M HI S T ORI A N by M arc o Pi er ini I w a s b o r n i n 19 5 4 i n a l i t t l e t o w n i n Tu s c a ny (I t a l y) w h e r e I s t i l l l i ve. I n my y o u t h , I g o t a d e g r e e i n P h i l o s o p hy i n F l o r e n c e a n d I s t u d i e d Po l i t i c a l S c i e n c e i n M a d r i d , b u t my r e a l p a s s i o n h a s a l w ay s b e e n H i s t o r y a n d t h r o u g h H i s t o r y I h ave a l w ay s t r i e d t o understand the world, and men. L i f e b r o u g h t m e t o w o r k i n t o u r i s m , eve n t o r g a n i z a t i o n a n d vo c a t i o n a l t r a i n i n g . T h e n , a l r e a d y i n my f i f t i e s I d i s c ove r e d r u m a n d I f e l l i n l ove w i t h i t . I was one of the founders of the firm La Casa d e l R u m. We b e g a n by r u n n i n g a b e a c h b a r i n my h o m e t o w n , b u t s o o n o u r p a s s i o n f o r rum led us to select, bottle and sell Premium R u m s a l l ove r I t a l y. I h ave v i s i t e d d i s t i l l e r i e s , m e t r u m p e o p l e, a t t e n d e d r u m Fe s t i va l s a n d j o i n e d t h e R u m Fa m i l y : t h e n e t o f d i s t i l l e r s , p r o f e s s i o n a l s , ex p e r t s , b l o g g e r s , j o u r n a l i s t s a n d a f i c i o n a d o s t h a t i s a l i ve eve r y d ay o n t h e Internet and on social media and, before C ov i d -19 , m e t u p eve r y n o w a n d t h e n a t t h e va r i o u s r u m eve n t s a l l ove r t h e w o r l d . A n d I h ave s t u d i e d t o o, b e c a u s e R u m i s n o t o n l y a g r e a t d i s t i l l a t e, i t ’s a w o r l d . P r o d u c e d i n s c o r e s o f c o u n t r i e s , by t h o u s a n d s o f c o m p a n i e s , w i t h a n ex t r a o r d i n a r y va r i e t y o f a r o m a s a n d f l avo r s , i t i s a f a s c i n a t i n g f i e l d of studies. I began to understand something a b o u t s u g a r c a n e, f e r m e n t a t i o n , d i s t i l l a t i o n , ageing and so on. S o o n , I d i s c ove r e d t h a t r u m h a s a l s o a t e r r i b l e a n d r i c h H i s t o r y, m a d e o f voy a g e s and conquests, blood and sweat, imperial f l e e t s a n d r evo l u t i o n s . I s o o n r e a l i z e d t h a t t h i s H i s t o r y d e s e r ve d t o b e r e s e a r c h e d p r o p e r l y a n d I d e c i d e d t o d evo t e my s e l f t o i t w i t h a l l my p a s s i o n a n d w i t h t h e h e l p o f t h e b a s i c s c h o l a r l y t o o l s I h a d l e a r n t d u r i n g my o l d u n i ve r s i t y ye a r s . S i n c e 2 013 , I h ave b e e n r u n n i n g t h i s c o l u m n . I n 2 017 I p u b l i s h e d t h e b o o k “A MERI C A N RUM – A S h o r t H i s t o r y o f R u m i n E a r l y A m e r i c a” S i n c e 2 018 , I h ave a l s o b e e n c o n t r i b u t i n g t o t h e M a d r i d b a s e d m a g a z i n e R u m p o r t e r.e s , t h e S p a n i s h e d i t i o n o f t h e Fr e n c h m a g a z i n e R u m p o r t e r. I n 2 019 I b e g a n t o r u n a B l o g: w w w.t h e r u m h i s t o r i a n .c o m a n d d e c i d e d t o l e ave L a C a s a d e l R u m. I n 2 0 2 0 , w i t h my s o n C l a u d i o, I h ave p u b l i s h e d a n e w b o o k “ F REN C H RUM – A H i s t o r y 16 3 9 -19 0 2 ”. I am currently doing new research on the Histor y of Cuban Rum.
G ot Rum ? A u g u st 2022 - 2 4 Got
HISTORY O F C U B A N RUM 2. 1739 T HE FIRST RUM WA R Fo r t h e s ake of c l a r i t y, a g ua r d i ente d e c a ña (su g a r c a n e b ur ni n g wate r), i s w h at i n Cuba t h ey c a ll e d t h e s p i r i t m ad e f r o m su g a r c a n e, o ur Rum. I t i s o n e of t h e m a ny n a m e s t h at r um h as h ad (a n d st i ll h as, we’ll g et bac k to t hi s) i n i t s l o n g, c o m p l ex hi sto r y. T h e Fi r st Rum Wa r i n Cuba was a b o ut t h e i m p o r te d, ex p e ns i ve, g r a p e s p i r i t , a s o r t of b r a n dy, p r o du c e d i n S p ai n a n d t h e C a n a r y I s l a n ds, ve r sus t h e l o c a lly p r o du c e d, c h e a p, a g ua r d i ente d e c a ña. M o r e ove r, i n Cuba t h ey usu a lly c a ll e d t h e C a n a r y I s l a n ds las I s las (t h e I s l a n ds) a n d I s l eñ o s (I s l a n d e r s) t h e i r i nh a b i t a nt s, a n d t h e I s l a n d e r s we r e t h e l a r g e st sup p li e r s of g r a p e s p i r i t i n Cuba. A l s o f o r t hi s a r t i c l e, I r e ly m o st ly o n t h e e s s ay by M a nu e l H e r n á n d ez G o nz á l e s “L a p o l ém i c a s o b r e la fa b r i c ac i ó n d e a g ua r d i ente d e c a ña entr e las e l i tes c a r i b eñas y e l c o m er c i o c a na r i o en e l s i g l o X V I I I ”. W h e n n ot ot h e r w i s e s p e c i f i e d, t h e qu ote s a r e f r o m t hi s e s s ay ; t h e t r a ns l at i o n i s m i n e, w i t h a li t t l e h e lp f r o m my f a m i ly. O n 5t h J un e 173 9 a n ew l aw r e i te r ate d t h e p r o hi b i t i o n a g ai nst t h e p r o du c t i o n of r um i n
