Arranged rum has enjoyed immense success in recent years, to the point of becoming one of the best ambassadors of cane brandy. Coming from a Creole and tropical culture, it can nevertheless be made at any latitude. Despite everything, when it comes to making it at home, several questions may arise. The possibilities are endless, but there are still a few principles to know. Here they are summarized in 10 commandments.
1. You will choose a good rum
A very good rum?
Which rum to use to make an arranged rum? The question of choosing the rum is the one that comes up most often. First, you have to choose a rum that you like when you taste it pure. If it has a taste of boiler or alcohol, you will have to add tons of sugar to catch up, and you will lose all the subtlety that fruits or spices can bring. It is therefore advisable to avoid the very first price rums which often have notable defects, or no taste at all. You can also rule out high-end rums, because their most interesting aromas will disappear with maceration.
Molasses or agricultural?
You can use a molasses rum , as is most often done in Reunion , or an agricultural rum (pure cane juice) if you want a type of arranged rum with a more Caribbean inspiration. It is always better to stay in the original tradition of arranged rum, and to prefer a "French" rum. The type of light rum from the Latin tradition does not lend itself well to arranged rum, just like that of the English tradition which is often too full-bodied.
To what degree?
The classic degree of 50% is the most common and often ensures a good balance. You should know that this degree will significantly decrease in the final product, with the addition of sugar, but especially because the fruits will give off a lot of water and dilute the rum. If you like to have a little more power, or if you choose fruits that contain a lot of water (melon, strawberry, peach, etc.), 55% is also very suitable.
If you like very sweet rums, or if your arrangement will be based solely on spices, you can also go for a 40% rum . However, we do not recommend using a 40% with fruit, the end result will be completely flat in the mouth.
White or amber rum?
White rum is used in most cases, sometimes with a portion of amber rum (sometimes called "dark rum") to add a spicy and woody touch. Only vanilla rum is better with 100% amber rum. It would be a waste to use an old rum , especially since most of them have a low alcohol content. Let's not talk about using an old cask strength rum, it would make no sense and the cellar master concerned could have an attack if he were to come across your crime.
2. You will have the right container
This is something that seems trivial, but it is worth thinking about before you start. If you use spices, chili pepper, coffee or citrus fruits, you will probably have to remove these ingredients during the maceration of the arranged rum. Orange peel or bird's eye chili peppers can cause quite a bit of damage over a 6-month period. In this case, it is best to avoid making an arranged rum directly in the bottle, because it will be very complicated to remove them. The fruits will also swell and the same problem will arise if you want to remove them at the end.
Also, unless you have empty bottles in advance, you will end up with half a bottle of rum on your hands. In fact, the ingredients generally take up half the volume of the bottle.
For all these reasons, we advise you to opt for an airtight jar with a wide neck. Simply keep the original bottle if you want to transfer your arranged rum into it once it has been filtered. The intermediate solution, for those who want to keep their fruit in the bottle, can also be the glass fruit juice bottle, with a wide neck.
3. You will use good ingredients
As in cooking, good products make good recipes for arranged rums! Choose very ripe fruits (not too ripe either, because the rotten taste will not disappear with alcohol, quite the contrary) and organic if you can. Fruits that are too green will not be suitable, because they will not yet be full of aromas and will be too bitter. Treat yourself to the latest harvest from the garden (strawberries, plums, blackberries, raspberries, but also basil, rosemary, etc.), it's not only exotic fruits that have the right to their rum bath!
Dried fruits (banana, dates, etc.) also work very well, and in this case there is almost no need to sweeten your rum.
For the quantity of fruit to use, we generally follow the 50/50 rule with rum.
For spices, as for herbs, prefer them whole. In powder form, they will not really flavor the preparation, and above all it will be quite unpleasant to taste because they will not melt. To spice things up a little, you can also roast your spices in a pan, they will gain in aroma. A good solution for measuring spices is to make a homemade syrup, which you can add as you wish.
Finally, on the vanilla side, don't hesitate to use the one we sell on our site , not (only) because it's us, but because it's as fleshy as you want, very fresh in its vacuum protection, large (17 cm long per pod which is a good size) and also has an excellent quality/price ratio. In fact, we import it ourselves from Madagascar and therefore free ourselves from expensive intermediaries.
4. You will be careful with sugar
An arranged rum should be a little sweet, but not too much, otherwise you end up with a syrup that is too sickening. To keep it well balanced, it is best to stick to the equivalent of 2 tablespoons for 1 liter of preparation at first.
Of course, we use cane sugar, in powder or syrup form (be careful with syrup, which has a higher sweetening power and adds a lot of fat to the texture). We can start with classic brown sugar, but also with whole sugar such as muscovado or demerara. Battery syrup also works, but it will add a fairly strong aroma of molasses, so it is better not to sweeten 100% with it.
Honey is also a very good ally, with its delicate and subtle flavors. You can even have fun varying the honeys, choosing for example a light acacia honey or a full-bodied chestnut honey.
By being light on the sugar in your arranged rum at the start, you will be able to adjust it without any problem at the end of maceration.
5. You will show patience
What is annoying with arranged rum , and what also makes it so beautiful, is that time is important and incompressible. For the fruits to deliver their flavors, and for all their juices to marry with the rum, you will have to wait at least 3 months. The ideal is even rather between 3 and 6 months.
For arrangements made only with spices, it can be very quick, however, and sometimes even too quick. You have to watch these arrangements like milk on the stove. Most of the time, you combine the two (fruits and spices), so you will have to taste very often during the first two weeks. In general, coffee, chili, cinnamon or even citrus peels should be removed quickly.
To better manage citrus fruits and their bitterness, we recommend using their peel by removing the zist (white skin). This will keep all the essential oil of the peel, with much less bitterness.
Some fruits require a longer maceration, such as pineapple for example. This is also the case for vanilla, which unlike other spices, will be perfect after a year. Conversely, dried fruits can be ready after a month.
Fresh fruits release their flavor more quickly if they are cooked a little, but this requires a bit of technique. The example of flambéed banana works very well and gives a very gourmet and caramelized rum. The challenge, however, is to avoid the deposit of fat on the surface.
Here is a table of times for macerating rum, for information purposes. These are not strict limits, but a summary of optimal maceration times.
6. You will be creative
With a little experience, you will want to explore new and original flavors. The advantage of arranged rum is that it can work with almost anything. There are salty arranged rums, as well as floral ones. Only the limits of your greed will stop you.
Aging in barrels is very interesting, it can bring a nice color and subtlety. A barrel can be new, but it can also have already contained another alcohol. We can therefore imagine a lot of different combinations. There are still 2-3 things to know about barrel-aged rum:
– On a new barrel the transfer of tannins can be extremely fast. You risk having a wood juice without any fruit having had time to transpire. It is better to rinse your new barrels several times with water before putting your rum in them.
– You will probably not be able to remove the fruits, and especially the spices during the maceration of your arranged rum. Simply provide vanilla, or a homemade spice syrup. The barrel will therefore not be able to serve you indefinitely, even if the fruits are often reusable with the addition of a few new fresh fruits to each batch.
– Fruit deposits at the bottom of the barrel may clog the tap. Remember to shake the barrel regularly and draw off a few drops to keep the line open.
For those who have contacts in distilleries, or for those who are ready to invest in their arranged rum, the use of raw column rum is very interesting. This gives a very powerful rum, which gourmets can sweeten at will without it being sickening.
Let your creativity run free, but let those around you taste it, they will sometimes bring you back to reason if necessary 😉
7. You will respect tradition
To help you get started, you can go back to the origins of arranged rum, also called punch in the Antilles (not to be confused with the punch planter made with fruit juice). Originally, punch comes from the Sanskrit (Hindu) "panch" which means five. Five ingredients are used: rum, sugar, fruit, spice and tea. If tea is not very common today, aromatics also work very well, especially in Reunion-inspired arrangements (rosemary, lemongrass, lime leaves, faham, cinnamon leaf, etc.).
In Réunion , we mainly use molasses rum such as Isautier rum , while agricultural rum (pure cane juice) is more naturally used in the Antilles.
Finally, for the pleasure of a real arranged rum patiently elaborated, avoid candy-type macerations. This amounts to adding colored and chemical syrup, which is far from the original spirit.
8. You will make many attempts
To find the combination that you like best, you will have to try several types of rums, several ingredients and different maceration times. There is a solution to launch several arrangements at the same time, or to risk perilous combinations without taking too many risks: the jam jar. You can do tests on small volumes, on a small scale by buying a bottle of rum, or on a larger scale with a cubi .
9. You will not take the head
Don't be afraid to make a mistake, there is still a 90% chance that your arranged rum will be successful no matter what. It is therefore advisable to approach the exercise without too much rigor.
There are many versions of where to do the maceration. Inside, outside, warm, dry, in the shade… Everything is possible in reality, as long as you know that:
– In full sunlight, the maceration of the arranged rum will be faster but the jar will be less pretty. The fruits will blacken a little and the liquid will be cloudier.
– In the shade in a cupboard, maceration will be slower but the preparation will remain prettier.
10. You will trust the artisans
If you are still hesitant to get started, or if you want a quick and controlled final result, there are preparations for arranged rums in sachets. The maceration time is short and everything is already measured out. You will just have to add rum and sugar.
You can also take inspiration from the masters of arranged rum, who have studied their recipes for years and bottled them.
Memorable arrangements can be found at Les Rhums de Ced , Arawak , Les frères pirates , Breiz'île, Malo Rhum, and at the great houses of the Indian Ocean such as Chatel , Dzama or Isautier .
The images in this article were taken by rum lovers. They were selected during a photo contest on Facebook, after which we chose our favorites. A big thank you to them!
Some unmissable rum recipes:
Pineapple / Passion
1 Victoria pineapple with skin, sliced
The pulp of 3 passion fruits
2 tbsp cane sugar
1 vanilla pod, split
1 liter of white agricultural rum
4 months of maceration minimum
Strawberry / Basil
400g hulled strawberries
10 basil leaves
2 tbsp cane sugar
1 liter of white agricultural rum
3 months of maceration
Vanilla / Honey
1/2 liter of traditional white molasses rum
1/2 liter of amber agricultural rum
4 vanilla pods, split
3 tbsp honey
6 months of maceration minimum
Cover photo (c)Séverine Delevoye
Very informative article, if you want to find lots of other recipes take a look at the Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rhumarrange/?ref=share
Thanks to Rhumattitude
Kind regards, Yann
very interesting
I will try Vanilla/Honey
Thanks for this good idea
Good evening,
Has anyone tried this with cherries?
THANKS
Hello Tony, yes and it's even a very good idea! I advise you to remove the stems, split them with a knife blade so that they soak up the rum well, but not to remove the stones which bring a little extra taste.
Keep us posted on your trials!
I made a cherry weed. It was killer.
Be careful with passion fruit! You have to remove the seeds, which go mouldy and give a very unpleasant bitterness that the sugar will not be able to recover. Press the pulp, but do not pour the fruit directly into the mixture.
Hello, can you tell me if there is a maximum recommended duration of maceration with spices? And with fruits? (dried/fresh) I tasted this year a rum arranged with pear tapée forgotten since 2013. It was good but maybe just because the pear was dried and sweet in taste. Apart from the bitterness of citrus fruits, what are the risks of trying a maceration for too long?
Hello Eduardo, thank you for your message.
There are no real rules for macerating spices, except for whole spices like cinnamon sticks which must be monitored regularly. In general, a week is enough for this one. For other whole spices, we invite you to monitor them as well, in order to remove them if they take over the rest too much. The notable exception is vanilla, which can remain in the maceration indefinitely.
As for fruit (dried or fresh), there is no maximum deadline at all.
For the pear it is probably due to the fact that it is a fruit with rather delicate flavors, which deserve another ingredient to “boost” them.
Apart from citrus fruits and their bitterness, I don't see any fruit that is "dangerous" to macerate for too long, but I admit I haven't tried all the possible combinations! 😉
I made a RA with dried lychees. Is there the same risk of oxidation as with fresh ones?
THANKS
Hello Erwan, I think the risk of oxidation is much more limited with dried lychees.
I read and reread this article without getting tired of it….
Frankly, thank you for this 10 commandments
Thank you! Have you prepared any nice arranged rums?
Good morning;
I would like to make a Rhum arrangé. My question will be about sugar.
Liquid cane sugar has fat in it and I'm not a fan of it!
Other sugars tend to color the preparations and that also causes me this little problem.
Is it possible, or even conceivable, to allow taking freshly squeezed fruit juice and reducing it to make a syrup and thus be able to add this reduction to my Arranged?
Thank you for your reply.
Have a nice day.
Hello Alain, of course, it seems to me to be an excellent idea!
I love your 10 commandments and the idea of the syrup is very interesting but... my question: would you put the same amount of raw fruit used to make a RA, to make the syrup?
Hello Séverine, thank you very much! Yes I think I would use the same quantity, or even a little more, because the juice will reduce during cooking, so in the end you will have less material, compared to a maceration. The ideal would be for Alain to tell us what his experience gave, if he reads us 🙂
Hello! Tell me how many grams of dried bananas would you put in a liter of rum?
I would like to know about pineapple too...does it differ depending on the fruit?
Hello Geoffrey, usually 5 or 6 dried bananas are enough to start with. You have to monitor this kind of arrangement quite often, because a certain bitterness can set in. If you ever find that the taste is too weak, you can add a few more!
For the pineapple, when it's a small Victoria I put a whole one, otherwise half. It also works with half as much fruit, it's a question of taste. For my part I like it when the fruit dilutes the rum a little.
Good morning,
perfect this article. Thank you
I just finished a bottle of store-bought rum.
The fruit is still in the bottle. Can I refill it and expect roughly the same flavor?
If so, how much rum/cane sugar should I put in?
Hello Aymeric, and thank you. Of course, you can refill your bottle, however the fruits will give less taste than the first time. I would advise you to fill the bottle entirely with rum, sweeten slightly with 2 tablespoons of powdered or liquid sugar (liquid sugar has a greater sweetening power). You can always re-sweeten at the end if you do not find it sweet enough.
Good morning,
Thank you for this information. I have to prepare a rum arrangement for a friend's wedding that will go in a closed surprise box, and which will not be opened for 5 years.
Do you think the 3 recipes you mentioned above are suitable for this purpose? If not, do you have a more suitable recipe?
Hello, yes no problem, except perhaps for the basil which you would do better to remove from the recipe just in case.
Good morning,
What recipes could you suggest using fresh Fahame? Thanks in advance 😉
Hello, plan on 1 liter of rum for 60 grams of faham, with one or two split vanilla pods and sugar to your liking. Allow about 2 months of maceration. Enjoy!
Hello Nico I appreciate your work
Sincerely
ME
Hello, I would like to make a rum arrangement with peaches and verbena, what do you think?
Hello, I think this is a great idea and you will enjoy it! Apricot/thyme, strawberry/basil or even mango/coriander are recipes that also work very well.
Hello and thank you for this comprehensive article! I still have a question: is it strongly recommended to put sugar in the preparation of RA? I say that because I like to sweeten my glass with liquid cane sugar in ti punch mode.
Hello, and thank you! No problem, you can indeed sweeten whenever you want! Enjoy your tasting!
Hello 🙂 how many bananas do you need for a 1 liter rum with flambéed bananas?
Hello! I would say 3 or 4 depending on the size 🙂
Personally I have already tried several arranged rums, but the best I have made is with passion fruit, I prick them with a trussing needle and it has not caused me any problems, in alcohol the risk of mold is zero, moreover, I have never failed any of my arranged rums
Hello Nico,
Thank you for this site first of all and for your advice!!!
Being a big wine lover, I'm turning a little towards rum.
I just launched my first arranged rum this evening.
1L of 40% Reunion rum
Banana flambé (homemade caramel with brown sugar, flambéed with calvados from the venerable Groult, then a small reduction with homemade orange juice), added vanilla pods that a friend brought me back from Madagascar (straight from the plantation), and I added 5 lightly roasted coffee beans.
How long do you think I should leave the coffee beans (I read that it can quickly take over the rest).
Best regards and thank you
Hello, your recipe is mouthwatering! As for the coffee, you really have to taste it very regularly. You were right to add only 5 beans, so you can better control the maceration. I think you should already evaluate what it gives after 5 to 7 days.
Enjoy your tasting!
Good morning
What is better?
Fresh or dried fruit?
Hello, I would say that it is according to your preferences. A rum arranged with dried fruits is quicker to make, but be careful with the sugar. It is better not to put anything at the beginning, even if you adjust at the end. The rum arranged with fresh fruits highlights more the natural side of the fruit, it is really a question of taste, because the same fruit, dry or fresh, will not have the same flavors.
Hello Nicolas, thank you for your advice.
I have been making arranged rum for a long time and recently I tasted one and it was spicy!
There were lychees, banana, passion fruit and pineapple.
Do you have a tip to recover it?
THANKS
Hello Sabine, it's a pleasure, thank you! If your rum stings, maybe you need to add sugar, I think I'll try that first.
Hello, I am going to make my first arranged rum and I wanted to thank you for the quality of your article! It is very complete and pleasant to read.
Hello Elie, thank you very much! Keep us posted on the rest!
Hello, I made a strawberry, black cherry and timut pepper rum with a Bologna rum.
I have some rum that “disappears” and no I haven’t tasted it yet 😁
I always add a top-up to the bottleneck.
How does it happen?
And what would be the best waiting time for this RA please?
Kind regards, Michel
Hello Michel, is your container airtight? If not, there may be evaporation. If not, it is probably the fruit that absorbs the rum. I must say that I have never observed a loss of more than 2-3 cl per liter, so I don't really have an answer.
For the maceration time, I would go for 3 months, while still monitoring from time to time that the pepper does not take over too much (this timut tends to numb the taste buds rather than sting, so in this case there is little risk).
Enjoy your tasting!
Hello Michel, wouldn't it be possible for a gourmand or gourmand to live with you?
Good morning,
I plan on making a Basil/Strawberry style RA, but with cherries….!!!!
What do you think of this alliance, and do you have any idea of the proportions?
Thank you in advance for your advice, and congratulations on this article!
Francois
Thanks François! This recipe idea seems great to me! I think the cherries should take up between 1/3 and half of your container (you should split them or cut them in half). You can leave the pits in for a typical cherry brandy taste. For the basil, I would say that 8 to 10 leaves per liter are enough, after that there is a risk of bitterness. Keep us informed of the result!
Good morning,
I have the idea of making rum with a local saffron syrup. What combination do you think would be suitable with this very special spice?
THANKS
Hello, I think I would go for vanilla, something simple to leave room for this delicate spice. I would also use why not an amber rum, and a light honey to sweeten.
Hello, I had two questions. I made a rum arrangement: apple kiwi cinnamon. How does the kiwi behave during maceration and how long does it take?
I made another lime and ginger rum. I found that after 3 weeks the lime (which I left with the peel) had completely taken over the ginger in terms of taste. Should I just leave the lime pulp?
Hello Hugues, for kiwi it can be quite long (depending on its maturity). So I would say at least 4 months. On the other hand, if you use cinnamon sticks, you may have to remove them along the way because they can develop bitterness.
Lime, like all citrus fruits, is not easy to manage. Either you use only the zest (without the white part), and even like this the maceration will be quick, or you use whole lemons in pieces, and in this case you should use a little. One lemon is enough I think. If you want to “recover” from your current arranged rum, you can try removing a good part of the lemon, and putting in fresh ginger. Or, if the rum is already too acidic, divide it in 2 and dilute each half with fresh rum. And presto, you now have two arranged rums! Magic 😀
Hi Nico, Thanks for the great article. We want to make a quick but fragrant Rum before Christmas and we are going to do one with just orange peel and sugar and maybe cinnamon or star anise. How long before the peel makes the rum bitter do you think? And do you think the spice will impart a nice flavor after just a couple of weeks?
Hi, thank you for your kind feedback. I think you made the perfect choice! This traditional shrubb is the typical Christmas liquor in the French West Indies. Make sure you remove the white part of the skin, which is very bitter. Then, 5 days should be enough, in my experience, and same for the spices, especially if you use a whole cinnamon stick. Let us know how it turned out!
Good morning,
Thank you for the article, I have just started the adventure of arranged rums as an amateur and this advice is very useful to me. I am in the process of making a mango and passion fruit rum.
I read in a comment that you have to remove the seeds from passion fruit, what do you think?
Hi Max, personally I have never removed the seeds, and I have never had a problem with bitterness. I never use them as the only fruit, so I don't fill half the jar with them. Maybe in this case it can develop bitter notes of seeds, but I have not experienced it.
Passion fruit, on the other hand, is quite acidic, it is true, but another fruit, as well as a little sugar, easily ensure the balance.
Hello, super interesting site and simple explanations 👍.
I have been using the same vanilla pods for several years for a vanilla coffee rum. My question is, can the pods be reused as often as desired, or do they lose their flavor?
Hello Isa, indeed the vanilla pods release their flavors into the rum, so they leave a little with each new maceration. We would advise you to renew them after a year of maceration. Thank you for your feedback!
Hello, I would like to make rum with mimosa flowers, do you think it is ok and how many flowers and maceration time? Thank you very much!
Hello Jade, firstly I advise you to separate the flowers from the rest, which can be toxic. Then, I would try to make sure that once the jar is filled, the flowers reach about half the volume of rum. You will be able to see what it looks like after 3 months for example, and possibly add flowers to grow up to 6 months. Keep us informed of the result! 🙂
Hello and thank you very much for the 10 tips.
I have a couple of ideas to make and recipes to record over time.
My idea was to make some with apple and honey. But I've never seen any recipes with apple, not recommended? Or do you have any additional advice to offer me?
Thank you and enjoy your meal everyone
Hello Gilbert, thank you for this comment. The apple/honey rum works very well, it's a good idea! Personally, I prefer fairly sweet varieties like Gala or Pink Lady, with a rather light honey. You can also lightly caramelize your apples, and use a more full-bodied honey, according to your tastes. Cinnamon is also a good ally of the apple, but you have to watch your maceration and remove the stick in time, because it risks taking over in the long run. Enjoy your tastings!
I would like to make a rum with plums. Should I take them very ripe and how many should I put in 1 liter of rum? Thank you for your answer. Kind regards
Hello Marie Thérèse, it's time to put the last plums from the garden in jars! 🙂
For my part, I would put in about ten perfectly ripe plums (not damaged, because that would give a taste of faded fruit) and I would leave 3 or 4 stones in the maceration to add a little character.
You need to use a strong enough rum (not less than 50%), because plums tend to give off quite a bit of water.
For a well-candied arranged rum, do not hesitate to let the maceration last (4 months minimum).
The result is not easy to predict, because the plum can be a rather delicate fruit, with a mild taste, but it can also be full of sugar and taste, which is what I wish for you!
Hi Nico, do you have a standard recipe for spicy Christmas RA?
Hi Fab, are you talking about the Christmas shrubb or a spiced arrangement?
Hello and thank you for your 10 commandments as well as for your answers to Internet users' questions, which complete this wealth of information.
Could you tell me what volume of air should be left in the jar when preparing the RA? I read that you should leave the minimum a priori (especially if you use fruit peels for example): can you confirm this point? What volume of air do you ideally leave as a % of the total volume of the jar? Thanks 😉
Hello Karine, thank you very much for this nice comment 🙂
The ideal is to fill the container to the maximum if you want to prevent the fruits that rise to the surface from oxidizing too much. However, I don't think this is a determining criterion, because I have left a lot of air in the jar, without noticing any bad taste in the end. Of course, we are talking about a "reasonable" volume of air, 30% maximum, because beyond that the rum loses its power and aromas in the long term.
Anyway, as a precaution, I try to fill the container to the maximum because some fruits might react less well than others to oxidation. No risk of mold or rot, however, the fruits are soaked in alcohol even if they float 😉
Good evening, I enjoyed reading everything about arranged rum but I have a little question.
, can we put sugar for diabetics (maltitol, tagathèse) instead of traditional sugar?
THANKS
Hello, I admit that I am not qualified in this area, and the subject is too important for me to risk answering you. I invite you to contact a health professional, and to share the result of your investigation here if you wish 🙂 Thank you very much!
Hello, I would like to try a tonka/vanilla rum. What do you think? Can you help me with the quantities? Which sugar would be most suitable?
Congratulations for this comprehensive and very interesting article.
Hello Mélodie, thank you for your kind comments 🙂
I think the tonka/vanilla is a great idea! It's a bit of an expensive recipe because you have to use a lot of vanilla, but the one I made was a hit!
For the quantities, I used 4 split vanilla pods and 3 tonka beans cut into thin strips or shavings, using a mandolin for example.
In the first few weeks, the tonka bean will really take over the vanilla, this is normal. After 3 months, if the vanilla does not start to “wake up”, you may need to remove a little tonka (or even all of it) in order to give it some space, and thus have a well-balanced arrangement.
Sugar-wise, I started with 2 tablespoons of raw sugar (muscovado type) to add a bit more character. I used 70cl of 40% white agricultural rum, +30cl of 45% amber agricultural rum, and left it to macerate for a good 6 months.
If after 6 months you find that it lacks sugar (despite the fact that raw sugar is sweeter than refined sugar), you can add raw sugar if you like the taste, otherwise you can use slightly more refined cane sugar.
Keep us posted on your trials!
Hello, can we put fresh bananas in the preparation and if so how many? Do we have to cut them into pieces?
Thank you for your advice.
Hello Anne,
Yes absolutely, you can use fresh bananas (quite ripe), it works very well! Depending on the size of the bananas, I would say 3 or 4. For my part, I cut them in half lengthwise, I find it prettier 🙂 Happy preparing!
Good evening.
I'm back from Reunion Island. While I've always prepared the RAs as you recommend, a seller at the Hermitage market advised me to use the packet of dried preparation that I bought from him as follows:
– heat the rum and dried ingredients,
– wait until they soften
– put everything in a bottle with 2 spoons of sugar syrup or honey, close well and, at room temperature, wait 1 month.
– if necessary, add sugar.
According to him, for an equivalent result, this process makes it easy to put the ingredients in the bottle and reduces waiting time.
What do you think?
Thank you for your reply.
Hello Nicole, and thank you for sharing your Reunion Island experience!
There are indeed many arranged rums based on herbs and/or dried fruits in Reunion Island, where traditional recipes are numerous and where arranged rum often even retains its medicinal use. So regarding this dried preparation, I would say that it is interesting because it will be different from what you are used to doing. In addition, it allows for a much shorter maceration than with fresh fruits, and you will find a small taste typical of Reunion Island 🙂
However, from my own experience, it should be tasted regularly in the case where the preparation includes herbs, because their bitterness can arrive very quickly in the rum. To counteract this bitterness, you can of course add sugar, but I do not like too syrupy arrangements, so for my part I preferred to stop the maceration after 10 days. And it was very good!
On the other hand, without questioning the experience of the person who sold you this preparation, I have some doubts about heating the rum. This risks evaporating the alcohol, but perhaps the goal is to obtain a low-alcohol drink?
Thank you for your reply!
I bought several sachets of preparation with the aim of making little Christmas gifts and I will not fail to add a little note of accompaniment on your recommendations.
Happy Holidays to all
Happy holidays to you, and a great start to the year with all these arranged rum recipes to taste!
Hello, thank you for your good advice. I made arranged rum thanks to them.
I searched your site and couldn't find what I'm looking for: vanilla extract.
The recipes call for a 40° rum, but I wonder if the extract wouldn't be better with a 55° rum.
What rum would you recommend if you can grant my request?
THANKS
Hello Viviane, thank you for your comment, I am happy to hear that this article inspired you!
We do not sell vanilla extract on the site, but you can easily find it in the “baking aid” section of a supermarket, alongside yeast etc. On the other hand, even if it is a little more expensive, the split vanilla pod will give a more natural and delicate result.
I don't think the strength of the rum has any impact on the effectiveness of the vanilla extract, but the choice is important depending on the recipe. Rums at 40% are recommended for arrangements without fruit (vanilla, spices, dried fruit, etc.), while rums at 50% and above are preferable when adding fresh fruit that will release water, and therefore dilute the rum.
For 40% rums, we can advise you:
Martinique: https://www.rhumattitude.com/cave/hse-blanc-40-1-litre/
Guadeloupe – Basse-Terre: https://www.rhumattitude.com/cave/longueteau-blanc-40/
Marie-Galante: https://www.rhumattitude.com/cave/bielle-blanc-40/
For 55% rums:
Martinique: https://www.rhumattitude.com/cave/depaz-blanc-55/
Meeting: https://www.rhumattitude.com/cave/isautier-blanc-55-1-litre/
Guadeloupe – Grande-Terre: https://www.rhumattitude.com/cave/damoiseau-blanc-cuvee-du-distillateur-55/
Hello, thank you very much for your very helpful answer. I know where I stand…..
Good evening,
Very interesting article! I took the plunge and made my first arranged rum, for 1 bottle of 70 cl I put:
* 1 Mango/ 2 passion fruits
*1 tbsp of cane syrup and 1 tbsp of brown sugar
*1 small stick of cinnamon
*2 bags of organic white tea
I topped it off with white agricultural rum from Reunion Island.
Regarding the maceration time for tea and cinnamon can it be monitored after 1 week?
Have you ever tasted or made a rum arranged with tea of any kind?
Thank you in advance and have a good evening.
Hello Céline, thank you very much for your feedback, as well as for sharing your mouth-watering recipe!
I think this will make a great arrangement, and indeed if I were you I would keep a close eye on the cinnamon infusion. For tea, especially white, I think there is little risk of it taking over too much, but it is always worth tasting a little drop from time to time just in case, and it is always pleasant 😉
I admit I have never made a tea-based rum, rather with herbs from Reunion Island, but I think it is a great idea. I don't know if you knew this, but it refers to the tradition of punch, which comes from the Indian word "panch", which means "five". Indeed, it was in India that British sailors discovered the ancestor of punch, a mixture of five ingredients: rum, fruit, sugar, spices, and tea! Your recipe is therefore a beautiful tribute to the ancestral traditions of rum.
Thanks again, and please feel free to share your further experiences!
Thanks for the recipe, I'm going to try it 😉
Hello, I would like to do an RA with a hanging Buddha's hand lemon, could you advise me? Thank you
Hello Serge, here is a great recipe that will also serve as decoration during maceration!
Buddha's hand is a fruit that is generally quite "long", so you will need a container that is tall enough, with a wide enough opening, because the fruit must not be in contact with the rum, and it must pass entirely through the opening of course.
This container should also be as airtight as possible, so that the alcohol vapors extract the essential oils from the fruit and do not escape from the jar.
The set up is quite simple, just firmly install the fruit in the upper part of the jar, with kitchen string, then fill the jar with rum just below the level of the fruit. A good agricultural rum at 55% will be perfect!
The maceration will take at least 6 months. I advise you to only sweeten at the end, to adjust according to the bitterness that the fruit will have provided. Enjoy your tasting!
Hello Nico, for a rum arrangement, cinnamon, vanilla, canned pineapple, is a quarter cup of brown sugar too much or how much, thank you.
Hello! Maybe 1/4 cup will be a bit too much, because I think canned pineapple is already sweet. I think I would try almost no sugar at first (a large tablespoon), then adjust at the end. See you soon!
Hello Nico,
Thank you for all these valuable tips for preparing for RA.
I have some apricot kernels (bitter almonds) that I would like to put with a Tahitian vanilla pod in a traditional white rum at 49° (1 L)
How many almonds should I put in my rum?
Hello Eric, thank you for this message! I really like the different stone liqueurs, however I have never tried to make an arranged rum. I think you would have to put a large quantity to obtain the desired sweet bitterness, that is to say the equivalent of half a bottle I imagine.
Be careful though, it seems to me that fruit stones can be toxic in large quantities (cyanide), you might want to find out more about this, perhaps in a pharmacy for example?
Hello Nico,
Thank you for your very interesting article.
I have been a fan of arranged rum for a few years now and I would like to try my hand at preparing it but by trying something original.
I recently tasted some poppy seed macaroons which I found very fruity, fragrant and fresh, and I think that they would be perfect for an arrangement.
Do you have a recipe or advice to share?
THANKS
Hello Yoann, thank you! I admit that you are asking me a tricky question, but I think I would try with a medium-strength white or slightly amber rum (45 or 50%) and about ten macaroons, without adding sugar at first. I imagine that the macaroons will melt quite quickly, so the maceration time should not be too long (3 months?). Then, there may be a lot of deposit, so you will probably have to use a very fine filter (clean cloth without the smell of laundry detergent or a coffee filter). This step is long but your patience will be rewarded 😉 Don't hesitate to give us feedback on this experience!
Hello, I tried to make a Strawberry Raspberry Black Pepper, and I wonder, regarding the black peppercorns, do I have to remove them after 2 weeks?
THANKS
Hello! Red fruits and pepper work very well together, it will be very good! I think you should taste it after two weeks, because depending on the pepper used it can mark quite quickly. At a pinch, you can keep the pepper aside if it has already given a lot, and if at the end of the maceration the strawberry has really crushed the pepper, you can put it back for one or two more weeks 😉
Good morning,
I'm bringing up the passion fruit topic again, following the various comments I've seen. I was wondering if I was going to remove the passion fruit seeds, but since I plan to add mango with it, it shouldn't be necessary. On the other hand, having already done it once, in the first one, the seeds took on a whitish tint and a globular appearance. In the ones I buy in stores, the passion fruit seeds remain intact. Is there a trick to achieve this result?
Thank you for this article.
lots of buddha hands on my tree so I thought let's give it a try.
Hello, I have a reception planned in a week and I would like to serve arranged rum. If I buy a ready-made vanilla arranged rum, can I add fruits like citrus fruits for example? That is to say, the maceration with the fruits will be only 2 to 3 days.
Hello Marie, no it won't have time to infuse. You can still try but the best is to buy ready-made at this stage, or to make punch.
Thank you for your feedback
very good source of information…. I’m going to try apple/honey and tonka/vanilla in turn 😉