Forget the hard-drinking sailors of empires past guzzling rum that sent some of them blind. These days rum is on the rise again and is a cut above, showing it's great in cocktails or on its own. I'm just back from Trinidad. So I know from experience the best way to enjoy rum is early evening in a hammock overlooking the bay. For everywhere else, you'll need my tips to enjoying rum as I lift the lid on the Caribbean's finest.

What you need to know

• Rum is made exclusively from sugar cane around the world but the best rums are produced in the Caribbean.
• 'Tropical ageing' (hot days and cool nights) means it's not aged as long as Scotch, but ages faster. So a typical 5-year-old rum may be the equivalent of a 10 or 15-year-old whisky in the glass. But costs far less.
• Avoid brands indicating 'average ageing' - the average age of rums, rather than the minimum age.
• Most rums are blends, not single origin. This is absolutely fine. It's the 'spiced' rums you should avoid.
• There are four styles produced in the Caribbean. Know your preferred style / origin and it'll make choosing much, much easier:
• Jamaican - big, heavy, with lots of fruits;
• French - light in flavour, strong in alcohol with herbal and grassy notes;
• Demerara - versatile, quite fruity and big in flavour with a dry finish; and
• Spanish - light, clean and not too fruity, like a sherry.

What you'll notice

• Most rums have base notes of vanilla, cocoa and natural spices including musk, all-spice and coffee.
• Beyond that, expect herbs and fruits from citrus through to mangoes which all come from the sugar cane’s surroundings, so origin is important.
• If it’s aged, you’ll see a feint green hue at the edge of the rum where it meets the glass.

What to order

If you’ve never tried rum, try Bacardi in a daiquiri or in your favourite vodka-based drink. It’s light and made to mix. Long rum cocktails like the mojito are great for barbecues.

More robust rums like Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaican 8 year old work well with just one mixer. Either soda, ginger ale, ginger beer, or cola with a squeeze of lime or a dash of Angostura bitters.

Pairing rum with food

Rum tends to add a little sweetness and spice to dishes so is really versatile in the kitchen, particularly barbecues; use it to marinade meats, glaze jerk chicken, add depth to jambalayas, or in sweet desserts. Or you could let Häagen-Dazs do the hard work and enjoy a sundowner Rum and Raisin ice cream.

Three great spots to drink rum...

1. ...Outdoors: The Rock Bar at Ayana Resort & Spa in Bali, try this stunning luxe bar perched atop the rocks overlooking the sea for a sundowner to remember;
2. ...In the Caribbean: It has to be El Floridita, in the Cuban capital Havana. Feted by writers Ernest Hemingway and Ezra Pound, anyone who's anyone stops by sometime for a rum cocktail; and
3. ...Like you could be anywhere: At Eau de Vie in Sydney, this award-winning speakeasy-style cocktail bar pours the classics like pros.

Right, I'm late for my date, I'd better make a rum for it. I mean, a run for it. Although now that you mention it, perhaps she wouldn't mind waiting just a little longer...