We all agree that Old Monk is our favourite because it keeps us warm in the winter, it’s cheap, makes the yummiest of drinks, and can be added even to dessert! But, what really goes into this wonder drink? The lovely folks over at Eat Treat tell us.
History of Rum
Rum has always been sourced from Sugarcane molasses. The clear distillate is then aged in Oak barrels to create the prized dark rum. The probable origins of the drink arise from South Asia. A sugarcane based fermented drink has been long produced in India, China and even Malaysia where it was known was Brum.
The actual production of rum started in the Caribbean colonies where the slaves used the molasses left over from the sugar industry. The rum was later popularised initially by the pirates operating out of the Caribbean and later by the English Navy. The drink spread all over the world under the shining light of the empire and today we pay homage to one of India’s iconic dark times, The Old Monk.
How the Old Monk came into being
The Old Monk was introduced in the 60’s by Mohan Meakin Pvt. Ltd. It started off as a competing to the Hercules rum later eclipsing it as India’s most loved drink. Today, the Old Monk is manufactured in Mohan Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. The area still holds a sweet smell in the air due to the molasses. Why I prefer Old Monk as a base for my cocktails is its sweet taste along with a fiery warmness it infuses into you. The versatility of the drink is unparalleled. The Old Monk switches easily from being a Indian drink with some spices to an contemporary drink from the West.
Molasses
Rum is made of byproducts of sugarcane, like molasses, and is even made of sugarcane juice by fermentation and distillation. It is then put in oak barrels (with charred) to age–which gives it that smokey flavour and fragrance that we all love. There is no particular type of sugarcane that is used to make rum, but it depends on the place and laws in the area where it is grown and where the distillation takes place.
Yeast
Before distillation comes fermentation. Yeast and water are added to the molasses or sugarcane juice to start this process. Many distilleries add specially cultured yeast to control production time and the taste, while others use wild yeast at this time.
Alcohol
Since it is a dark rum, Old monk contains about 48.2% alcohol by volume (ABV). Which means, that in every 100ml of rum, 48.2% is purely sugar that has been converted into alcohol.
Flavour & Colour
Old Monk has a distinct vanilla flavour and fragrance. Any kind of flavouring is generally added during the fermentation process to control how it tastes in the end.
Since Old Monk is a dark rum, is aged in heavy, charred casks or barrels made of wood that comes from oak trees. Ageing in these vessels not only gives rum it’s mouth feel, but also a certain smoky character, and more importantly, it’s colour. So white rum is aged in stainless steel vats, while dark rum like Old Monk is aged in oak barrels. This is true for all other types of alcoholic drinks as well.
You can read more about Old Monk here.
