Stories about the British Navy’s daily rum ration inevitably include imagery of sailors lined up at the grog tub, emblazoned with “God Save the Queen” – or “King”, if you go back far enough. It suggests that sailors were anxiously…
Tag: rum
Pusser’s Rum Charles Tobias On the Record: Part Two
What follows is part two of my interview with Charles Tobias, the U.S. marine aviator, technology CEO, and globe-crossing sailor who created the Pusser’s Rum brand in 1979, based on the British Royal Navy’s rum recipe. Part One of the…
Pusser’s Rum Charles Tobias: On the Record (Part One)
For students of spirits history who pour over countless dry pages to glean precious tiny nuggets of information, coming face-to-face with living, breathing history that can be queried is as close to professional nirvana as one gets. Such was the…
The British Navy’s Rum Vatting System: An inside look
As the 50th anniversary of Black Tot Day approaches, interest in all things British Navy rum is rising. A topic rarely discussed is how and where the navy actually blended their rum. Britain’s navy had a series of victualling (pronounced…
The Kraken Black Spiced Rum
Mix it up with The Kraken Black Spiced Rum The Kraken rum takes its name from the mythical sea beast. The story goes that many years ago The Kraken wreaked havoc on tall ships and rum-running vessels. It is said…
Splicing the Mainbrace Without Navy Rum?
As we hurtle towards the 50th Anniversary of Black Tot day, a lot of interest is focused on the British Royal Navy’s tradition of issuing a daily rum ration to its members. One of the hallowed auxiliary traditions of the…
Jamaican Rum on Acid: How Vinegar Brings the Funk
The learning never stops. For several years I’ve endeavored to understand the flavor science and history behind Jamaican rum’s unique hogo. As part of that I’ve visited every Jamaican rum distillery, save one, and documented what I learned. One such…
Clarke’s Court and Grenada Distillers Ltd.
When it comes to exported Grenadian-made rum, one name has dominated over the last two decades: Clarke’s Court. The brand is the flagship of Grenada Distiller’s Ltd., the country’s largest rum distillery — at least till Renegade Rum starts producing.…
The Colonial Rum Classification – A Primer
The topic of Spanish, French and French style rums come up frequently in rum discussions. It’s confusing to many, especially newcomers trying to make sense of the vast world of rum. Section Three of my book, Minimalist Tiki, has a…
Renegade Rum Ascends
Grenada has more sugar cane than it can handle, an unprecedented situation relative to the prior two centuries. From the south to the north, vibrantly green sugar cane stalks rise several meters into the deep blue January sky. The cane…