White rum steeped with roots, barks, herbs and fruit in large jars, kept behind every Dominican rum-shop counter. Each shop steeps its own mix of local bush, so no two jars taste alike and none of them is written down.
The base is a distilled spirit that cannot legally be made at home, and the barks are wild-gathered plants whose identification and dose rest on local knowledge — several look-alikes in the same forest are toxic.
What goes into it
- overproof white rum
- local barks and roots — bois bandé, gully root, anise
- herbs and spices
- sometimes honey or fruit
How it is made
Barks, roots and herbs gathered from the forest are packed into a large jar and covered with white rum, then left on the counter for weeks or months, growing darker and more concentrated. The jar is topped up with rum as it is drunk, so a shop’s jar can be years old.
How long it takes: weeks to years of steeping, topped up continuously
How it is eaten
By the shot from the shop’s jar, or poured over ice with a squeeze of lime.
History
Kept behind every Dominican rum-shop counter, each shop steeping its own mix of local bush.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bush rum?
Bush rum is a wine & spirit from Dominica: white rum steeped with roots, barks, herbs and fruit in large jars. Kept behind every Dominican rum-shop counter, each shop steeping its own mix of local bush.
How is Bush rum made?
Barks, roots and herbs gathered from the forest are packed into a large jar and covered with white rum, then left on the counter for weeks or months, growing darker and more concentrated. The jar is topped up with rum as it is drunk, so a shop’s jar can be years old. It takes weeks to years of steeping, topped up continuously.
Can I make Bush rum at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. The base is a distilled spirit that cannot legally be made at home, and the barks are wild-gathered plants whose identification and dose rest on local knowledge — several look-alikes in the same forest are toxic.
What goes into Bush rum?
Overproof white rum, local barks and roots — bois bandé, gully root, anise, herbs and spices, sometimes honey or fruit.
How is Bush rum eaten?
By the shot from the shop’s jar, or poured over ice with a squeeze of lime.
