About this rum

Bacardi has been making light, clean rum since Don Facundo Bacardí Massó set up in Santiago de Cuba in 1862, and the bat on the label has followed it everywhere since. In 1995 the company took that famously mixable white rum and gave it a citrus twist, and Bacardí Limón went on to become one of the defining flavoured spirits of the late 1990s bar scene. The idea is simple and well executed: a light rum base with the zest of lemon, lime and grapefruit worked through it.

Pour it and you get fresh citrus peel first, then a soft, gently sweet body and a clean, zesty finish. It is a mixer's rum rather than a sipper, so think of it as a shortcut to bright, refreshing long drinks for a house party or a terrace lunch. With soda and a wedge of lime it is about as easy as it gets; with lemonade or a splash of cranberry it turns into something a little more festive.

Key facts

• Launched in 1995 as one of Bacardi's first citrus-flavoured rums
• Light rum base flavoured with lemon, lime and grapefruit
• Bacardi was founded in Santiago de Cuba in 1862 by Don Facundo Bacardí Massó
• ABV varies by market (35% in the US, 32% in parts of Europe)

Tasting notes

Nose:

fresh lemon and lime zest with a hint of grapefruit

Palate:

light, softly sweet rum carrying bright citrus

Finish:

clean, crisp and zesty

Serve

Long over ice with soda water and a lime wedge, or as a Limón Collins (50 ml Limón, 20 ml lemon juice, 10 ml sugar syrup, top with soda).

Food pairing

Works with light, fried or grilled food: fish fry or prawn cutlets, or grilled fish tacos with a squeeze of lime.