You cannot really talk about rum without thinking about Caribbean with its balmy beaches, sun kissed beautiful girls and palm trees. Rum has been a driving force of Caribbean's economy, history, and culture. No wonder rum mixed drinks are served everywhere and every possible way imaginable on the islands. Unless your mixed drinks are restricted to Bacardi rum drinks, you should be aware of several types of rum available in the market. Only the right kind of rum can make any mixed drink taste just right.

White Rum

Aged in an oak cask, white rum is light-bodied, clear and delicately flavored. Since it has a smooth taste, it is the most popular choice when it comes to mixed drinks. Its ability to blend well with fruit flavors makes it darling of most bartenders.

Mojito is one of refreshing Havana-inspired white rum drink mixes that you can sip along with a barbeque on a nice summer day

1/2 teaspoon confectioners' sugar
1/2 lime, juiced
1 sprig fresh mint, crushed
1/2 cup crushed ice
2 oz white rum
4 oz carbonated water
1 sprig fresh mint for garnish

Stir together the confectioners' sugar and lime juice in a highball glass. Bruise the mint leaves and drop into glass and fill it with crushed ice. Pour in white rum and carbonated water to fill the glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Golden Rum

These medium-bodied, amber colored rums acquire their special aroma and flavor after aging for several years in oak barrels. Known for their smooth, mellow flavors, these golden rums are also called amber rums due to their color. Hurricane II is one of my favorite cocktails with rum. I have it when I don't want anything or anyone.

2 oz amber rum
1/4 cup passion fruit juice
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon grenadine syrup
1/2 lime, juiced
2 cups ice
1 slice orange, 1 maraschino cherry for garnishing

Blend amber rum, passion fruit juice and sugar in a cocktail mixer until sugar is dissolved. Add the grenadine, lime juice and ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with orange slice and cherry.

Dark Rum

Full-bodied, heady and dark gold in color, dark rums are mainly prepared from pot stills and aged in oak casks for many years. They are well known for their smoothness and rich taste and are often consumed straight up. Bahama Mama II is a fun drink made with dark rum that I like best by a pool. But I am sure you can enjoy it just about anywhere.

1 oz ounce dark rum
1/2 oz apricot brandy
3 1/2 oz fruit punch
1/2 oz pina colada mix

Combine dark rum, apricot brandy, fruit punch and pina colada mix in a mixing glass. Stir to blend and serve over ice.

Spiced Rum

Any rum, white, golden or dark, can be turned into spiced rum by adding fruits and spices like cinnamon or cloves. Sometime caramel is used to deepen their color. Spiced rum mixed drinks include frozen cocktails, and rum punches popular in the Caribbean. Grandmother's Peach Fuzz is one such cocktail that requires spiced rum and cannot be made with virgin rum. Canned peaches won't do either.

3/4 cup spiced rum
1 (6 ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate
3 large ripe peaches, halved and pitted with skins on
2 cups ice cubes
White sugar 1 teaspoon or to taste

Place spiced rum, limeade concentrate, and peaches into a blender. Blend until smooth. Add crushed ice and sweeten with sugar, if desired. Pour into margarita glasses, and enjoy!

A±ejo or Aged Rums
A±ejo or aged rums are assorted rums blended to insure consistency in flavor year after year. Rums used in a blend usually come from different batches or vintages.

Premium Rum

Expensive with their distinct flavors, these fancy sipping rums are generally distilled in small boutique distilleries and aged for many years.

Dry Rum

Dry rum is fermented from sugar cane juice instead of molasses and then aged in stainless steel vats rather than oak barrels. You can only imagine the difference or you can try it and find out.