Borgoe
The Surinamese rum most commonly served with Surinamese food in the Netherlands. Everything about its alcohol content, taste, cocktails, and the right glass.
Rum from Paramaribo, made with Surinamese sugarcane
Borgoe is made by Suriname Alcoholic Beverages in Paramaribo, a company founded in 1966 that builds on a much older Surinamese rum tradition: sugarcane was already being grown and distilled along the Suriname River in the eighteenth century. The rum is made from molasses produced from locally grown sugarcane.
Borgoe Gold is the house’s golden rum, bottled at 38%. It has a robust, pure character, with subtle notes of wood and caramel, and is designed to be an all-rounder: on the rocks, with cola, or as a base for cocktails. In the Netherlands, Borgoe is best known within the Surinamese community, where the bottle is as much a fixture on the table as genever at a Dutch get-together.
At a glance
Borgoe Gold and similar rums
This is Borgoe Gold. These other rums are in a similar style and price range, for anyone who wants to compare.
Borgoe Gold
The house’s golden rum: robust and pure, with subtle notes of wood and caramel. Just as good on the rocks as in a cocktail.
Ron Abuelo 7 Años
Seven-year-aged rum from Panama, smoother and sweeter than Borgoe, with vanilla and dried fruit. A natural step up.
El Dorado 12 Years
From neighboring Guyana, where sugarcane is grown on the same coastal plain. Aged for twelve years, it's full-bodied and rich with toffee and spices.
MacNair's 7 Years Panama
Bottled at 46%, making it much more assertive. More body and more oak; a rum for those who enjoy sipping neat.
Borgoe Gold is the all-rounder; El Dorado 12 is the one to choose if you want something to drink neat.
Oak, caramel, and sugarcane
Caramel & sugarcane
Caramel and molasses up front, with a note of oak behind them. Instantly recognizable as rum, without the cloying sweetness of a flavored bottle.
Bold and dry
Bolder and drier than many golden rums, with caramel, oak, and a lightly peppery edge. At 38%, it doesn't taste watered down at all.
Short and warm
A short, warm finish with oak and sugarcane. Just enough to make you want to add cola or ice.
Borgoe Gold's flavor profile. Ron Abuelo 7 is smoother and sweeter, El Dorado 12 fuller and richer, and MacNair's at 46% much bolder.
Three ways to drink Borgoe
Borgoe Gold isn't made for sipping for hours: it's a mixing rum, and that's a compliment.
On the rocks
5 cl over two or three ice cubes in a heavy tumbler. The ice takes the edge off and brings out the caramel and oak. Add a slice of lime if you like.
Glass: tumbler →With cola and lime
5 cl of Borgoe with 150 ml of cola over plenty of ice in a highball glass, with a lime wedge squeezed in first. The lime isn't a garnish: it takes the sweetness out of the cola.
Cuba Libre recipe →In a rum punch
Rum, fruit juice, lime, and a splash of grenadine in a pitcher with plenty of ice. At a Surinamese party, the punch goes around just as readily as the bottle itself, and Borgoe is the obvious base for it.
Rum Punch recipe →The best cocktails with Borgoe
Cuba Libre
Rum with cola and fresh lime. Simple, but fresh lime makes it a completely different drink.
Rum Punch
Rum, fruit juice, lime, and grenadine. Easy to make for a crowd.
Mojito
Rum, lime, mint, sugar, and sparkling water. Fuller with golden rum than with white.
Dark 'n Stormy
Rum with ginger beer and lime. The ginger cuts right through the caramel.The right glass for Borgoe
A heavy tumbler for drinks on the rocks and a sturdy long drink glass for rum and cola and punch. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything else you wanted to know about Borgoe
Can't find your question here? Check out our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
To the cocktail recipes →What percentage of alcohol is in Borgoe Gold?
Where does Borgoe come from?
What does Borgoe Gold taste like?
How do you drink Borgoe?
Is Borgoe the same as Borgoe 82?
Which rum is most similar to Borgoe?
Buy Borgoe
Want the bottle delivered straight to your home? Order Borgoe online from Gall & Gall.
Prices as of November 3, 2026, as reported by Gall & Gall. You can see the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; you pay nothing extra. No 18, no alcohol.
