Deep Rum Insights

Rum is much more than just tasting notes and the hottest new releases. Rum Wonk takes you behind the scenes of the rum world, exploring topics rarely covered elsewhere.

Rather than content you can find elsewhere like tasting notes, reviews, and press releases, Rum Wonk features think pieces, historical insights, and informed commentary on the latest rum world happenings. Most stories here assume the reader is familiar with basics of rum and want to go deeper.

Since 2013 I’ve written hundreds of stories about rum, first on Cocktail Wonk, and now here. These stories are deep dives into rum production techniques, exposing categorization flaws, the science of rum flavor, debunking historical myths, and explaining rum regulations. Between 2019 and 2022 I wrote Modern Caribbean Rum, an 850-page book on today’s rum producers and associated rum industry. I have also written extensively about bourbon and Scotch whisky.

All Rum Wonk content is free to read, although many people have generously subscribed to help support my ongoing work.

To learn more about my background, see About Matt Pietrek.