Instructions: Rum is a spirit for all seasons-a favorite in tall, chilled summer drinks and a traditional ingredient of winter holiday cheer. It is the drink of romantics and adventurers. It was the pirates drink: "Yo, ho, ho and a bottle of rum."

While the simple Rum and Cola has long been among Americas top ten favorite drinks, rums are also the base for many tropical cocktails, including the Daquiri, Zombie, Mai Tai, and Pina Colada. Often mixed with a popourri of fruit juices, these drinks are usually distinguished by exotic garnishes such as orchids. Paper parasols and plastic monkeys also often decorate these drinks, which adventurous bartenders sometimes serve in unusual containers, such as hollowed-out coconut shells.

Rum is made from sugar cane boiled down to a rich residue called molasses, which is then fermented and distilled. Light rums are clear to pale gold in color; dark rums are amber to a rich mahogany in color. Both light and dark versions are normally 80 proof.

Light rums are traditionally produced in the southern Caribbean Islands like puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Barbados. They do not require extensive aging, with six months in oak casks often being long enough, although a years aging is more common.

Dark rum results from aging the spirit from 3 to 12 years and, in some cases, from the addition of caramel. It is very aromatic and has a heavier, richer flavor than light rum. Dark rum is produced in the tropics: Jamaica, Haiti, or Martinique. While supplying the punch in Planters Punch and the rich flavor in a variety of tropical and hot drinks, the best dark rums can also be savored like a fine brandy.

There are also 151-proof rums, which are excellent in drinks and desserts that call for flaming.

In recent years, a number of specialty rums have been introduced, flavored with coconut, spices, or fruit. These flavored rums can give mainstream rum drinks a different twist.

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