Rum, consumed by more people in the world than any other liquor, is part of the history of the New World. It was Christopher Columbus who discovered cane sugar, the basis of rum production. The infamous export of slaves to the Caribbean followed soon after, in order to harvest the sugar. This film outlines the history and economics of rum production in the islands of the Caribbean, while alluding to its almost mythic aspects. Rum has been associated with pirates, the Havana mafia, and bigger-than-life characters like Ernest Hemingway. A lively film for Latin American Studies.