Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels. Rum can be referred to by descriptors such as “ron viejo” ("old rum") and "ron añejo" ("aged rum").
The majority of the world's rum production occurs in the Caribbean and Latin America (including The Dominican Republic, Martinique, Guatemala, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Brazil, Haiti, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, and Cuba). Rum is also produced in Australia, Fiji, Mexico, Hawaii, The Philippines, India, Reunion Island, Mauritius, and South Africa.
Light rums are commonly used in cocktails, whereas "golden" and "dark" rums are typically consumed individually (i.e., "straight") or for cooking. Premium rums are also available, made to be consumed either straight or iced.