It all started with the Mojito. This tasty concoction of white rum, mint leaves and sugarcane juice has become the cocktail of choice among club-goers and trendsetters. Almost overnight, Mojitos have done for white rum what Martinis and Cosmopolitans did for vodka, and the makers of this clear spirit couldn’t be more pleased.

Relatively cheap and widely available, it’s easy to drink and doesn’t demand the careful attention that darker, aged "sipping" rums require. Because it is sugar-based, it also mixes easily with tropical fruit juices, making it a favorite of bartenders and mixologists.

According to Drinks magazine, white rum can trace its roots back to Christopher Columbus. Reportedly, on his second voyage, Columbus brought along several hundred sugarcane shoots, which were planted on Hispaniola (now the Dominican Republic and Haiti). These plants became the basis of the sugar industry in the Caribbean.

Distillation techniques were eventually applied to molasses, a by-product of the sugar-making process. The result was called rum—most likely stemming from "rumbullion," a Devonshire word meaning "uproar."

Just like whisky and brandy, all rum is white when first produced—a clean, pure distillate. In the late 1600s, when rum export first began from the Caribbean, this potent spirit was stored in barrels on the docks awaiting shipping. When the rum finally reached its destination, it was found to be darker and more complex. Thus, aged rum was born.

Even so, the demand for basic clear rum never dwindled and today, even white rum is put through an aging process to improve its flavor and mellow its profile. Light rums, sometimes labeled as "white" or "silver", are usually aged at least one year in glass or stainless steel containers or in uncharred oak barrels. Interestingly, the Federal Tax and Trade Bureau that regulates spirits labeling does not break the rum category into sub-types, leaving manufacturers some leeway in what appears on labels.

The industry giant Bacardi is the most visible rum brand on the market, for white or dark. Mojito Although Bacardi was forced to leave Cuba for Puerto Rico after the island’s communist revolution, the brand’s Cuban roots still appeal to the large population of Cuban-Americans whose culture radiates from Miami.

You could say that rum’s "spiritual" home is the Caribbean. However, because of having no unified government, the islands never legally protected the word "rum". Consequently, rum can come from as far a field as the Philippines, or any place else where sugarcane grows. Rum can also be distilled far from its point of origin. Charbay Rum is a bright, balanced white rum produced in Napa Valley from Hawaiian and Caribbean sugarcane syrup.

Hang Loose Rum from Hawaii is one of the newer brands. The island’s once-thriving sugarcane industry has been decimated by economic factors, and there had been no rum produced since the 1960s. However, rum is reportedly now the number-one distilled spirit consumed in Hawaii.

Among some of the best white rums to try are Appleton White from Jamaica, a dry-styled spirit with creamy vanilla and some nice alcohol "pop", and Brugal White Label from the Dominican republic, which is racy and dry with hot, vodka-like flavors.

Mount Gay Special Reserve from Barbados is another good choice. Although classified as white rum, it has a tinge of color from pot still rums that are added to the blend.

Other selections to consider are Flor De Cana Extra Dry from Nicaragua, which features an excellent balance that enhances creamy texture and sweet, lush flavors; and Matusalem Platino from the Dominican Republic, which is sweet, velvety, and ripe, with a lingering finish.