Prepare your ingredients
The preparation of your ingredients will depend on which ones you’re using. Let’s start with fruits.
We recommend peeling them before cutting them into cubes. This will facilitate the aromatization of the rum during the resting phase. Remember to remove any seeds or pits to avoid spoiling the taste of the fruits during maceration. If your fruits aren’t ripe enough, you can cook them beforehand. Citrus fruits are a special case because it’s always interesting to incorporate their zest into the preparation in addition to their cubed fruit. When it comes to spices, herbs and tubers, depending on which you choose, it might be beneficial to add them whole. This is the case with mint and cinnamon sticks, for example. Conversely, it will be better to split your vanilla in two and cut your tonka beans into thin strips.
Let it macerate
Voilà, your rum is ready to become an arrangé. Have you placed the ingredients and the rum within their selected container? Good. Now store it in a safe location. In the dark or in the light? This will have little impact on the outcome. However, ambient temperature is preferable to cold because the cold tends to slow down the maceration process.
How long should it sit? The universal answer is at least one month. You can extend this time for several months, even a year if you’d like, in order to enhance your rum arrangé. The only exception: citrus fruits should be removed after about 15 days.
It is necessary to regularly taste your rum during this phase to help you determine when it’s ready. However, open the container as few times as possible to prevent the air from oxidizing the fruit.
Sugar, muddle and filter
Knock knock! Who’s there? Your rum arrangé! It’s ready! From here, there are only a few steps that separate you from enjoying it.
First, it might be necessary to add sugar to your rum arrangé. If you’ve chosen ingredients that are low in sugar, it might be a good idea to add some sugar cane syrup. It all depends on your preference after having tasted the rum at the end of its maceration period. Go gradually so that you don’t saturate your arrangé, which would be a shame after months of waiting!
Next, we recommend that you muddle or grind the ingredients before filtering them. This allows you to fully extract their aromas, thus enhancing the taste of your rum arrangé.
After this step comes the filtration, which we’ll do in two stages: first, with a sieve to eliminate the largest residue, then with a coffee filter to produce a clear and homogeneous rum. Pour it into the container of your choice and place it in a dry location between each use. You can keep it for a few years without a problem.
DRINK ISAUTIER RESPONSIBLY.
