Some
friends asked me why Rum is associated with the Navy (or why Navy is associated
with Rum).
So –
I thought it apt to write a few blog posts on the close relationship between Navy
and Rum – the Sailor’s favourite drink.
Here is
the first article…
THE “RUM” NAVY Part 1 by Vikram Karve
Sailors
require significant quantities of fresh water on extended voyages.
In
the early days of sailing – since desalinating sea water was not practical –
fresh water was taken on board in casks.
But –
this stored fresh water quickly developed algae and became slimy.
The stagnant
water was sweetened with beer or wine to make it palatable – which involved
more casks and stowage space.
However
– even this beer/wine fortified water was vulnerable to spoilage and turned
into vinegar.
So –
beer was carried instead of fresh water – and – each sailor was issued a daily
ration of beer of “One Gallon of Beer per day” (Four and a Half Litres of Beer).
As
longer voyages became more common – the Beer Ration of One Gallon (4.5 Litres)
of Beer per sailor per day – for a large number of sailors – for long voyages
of many days – this Beer Ration occupied a large volume – and – the task of
stowage became more and more difficult.
So – Beer
was substituted with Rum.
Rum
was a “spirit” and did not spoil with time – in fact – the Rum improved with
ageing in the oak barrels where the Rum was stored on board ships.
THE “RUM” NAVY
Part 1
A “TOT” OF RUM
Musings
of a Navy Veteran
By
VIKRAM KARVE
“Rum
Ration” was issued to Royal Navy Sailors from 1665 – after Britain captured
Jamaica.
Before
the advent of Rum – the daily drink ration for a Royal Navy Sailor was One
Gallon of Beer – yes – one gallon or 8 Pints of Beer – which amounts to a
plentiful 4.5 Litres of Beer...!!!
Due
to the difficulty in storing the large quantities of Beer on board ships – in
1655 – half a pint (around 300 ml) of Rum was made equivalent to One Gallon of
Beer – and Rum was issued to Sailors in lieu of Beer.
The
daily Rum Ration of Half a Pint (almost 300 ml) means around Five Large Pegs of
today’s standard Large Peg Measure of 60 ml (or 10 Small Pegs of 30 ml).
The
half pint (300 ml) of Rum was originally issued neat.
Sailors
would check their rum had not been watered down by pouring it onto gunpowder
and setting light to it, from where the term "proof" originates.
By
volume – 57.15% alcohol has been calculated as the minimum required for it to
pass the test.
The
sailors would “prove” its strength by checking that gunpowder doused with rum
would still burn – thus verifying that Rum was at least 100 Proof = 57.15 % Alcohol
by Volume (ABV) or more.
A
small quantity of Rum would be mixed with gunpowder (gunpowder was available on
warships of those days which fired gunpowder propelled “shots” from cannons).
The
Rum-Gunpowder Mixture would be ignited.
If
the mixture burned with a steady blue flame – this was “proof” that the Rum
contained the proper amount of alcohol (57.15% ABV [Alcohol by Volume]).
(The term “Proof” has originated from this
practice of Sailors “testing” the strength of their Rum by pouring it onto gunpowder
and setting light to the mixture.
By volume – 57.15% alcohol has been
calculated as the minimum required for it to pass the test – as gunpowder would
not burn if soaked in rum that contained less than 57.15% ABV.
Rum that contained this percentage of
alcohol was defined as having 100 degrees proof.
So – 100 Proof means 57.15% Alcohol by
Volume.
Now – the term “Proof” has been extended to
other spirits like Whisky, Brandy, Vodka, Gin etc as well.
The gunpowder test was officially replaced
by a specific-gravity test in 1816…)
Thus
– the Navy “Tot” was a substantial amount of 300 ml (10 Small Pegs) of strong
100 Proof Rum (57.1% Alcohol by Volume).
(NB: This article uses the British Imperial
(UK) System. The American Standards of Proof (ABV) are different. Whereas the
Imperial UK 100 Proof = 57.15% Alcohol by Volume – the American US 100 Proof =
50% Alcohol by Volume. In India we follow the British System)
100
Proof Rum was quite strong – so - later – the strength of the Rum was reduced
from 100 Proof to 95.5 Proof [54.6 % Alcohol by Volume (ABV)] (American US 109
Proof)
(Present Day Rums available in India are
much weaker at 75 Proof (42.8% Alcohol by Volume)
So – effectively:
One “Tot”
of 100 Proof Rum was equivalent to 400 ml of Present Day 75 Proof Rum or 13.5 Small
Pegs or Half a Bottle of Rum
– as we know it)
The
300 ml “Tot” of Rum was given to Sailors “Neat” and the sailors drank the “Tot”
of Rum “down-the-hatch” in one go.
Imagine
drinking “Half a Bottle” of Rum straight “down-the-hatch”.
(Dear Reader – try it – open a bottle of
Rum – put it to your lips – and drink half the bottle in one go – straight
“down-the-hatch – and tell me how you feel. Now wonder – the sailors are known
to be hard drinkers)
The
“Rum Ration” was issued to every sailor at mid-day (between 11 AM and 12 Noon)
and this Rum Ration was announced with the pipe (Bosun’s Call) “Up Spirits” –
on hearing which – the Sailors would
exclaim “Stand Fast the Holy Ghost” – and rush to queue for their “Tot” of Rum.
The
Rum Ration was served from a barrel also known as the “Rum Tub” made of oak and
ornately decorated and reinforced with brass bands with the brass letters
saying “The Queen, God Bless Her”.
Tot “tumblers”
were kept separate – and they were never washed from the inside – in the belief
that the residue from previous “Tots” would make the subsequent “Tots” even
stronger.
The
“Tot” of Rum was consumed as soon as it was issued – straight “down the hatch”.
This
style of drinking “Tots” – the massive sudden intake of incredibly strong Rum –
caused discipline problems due to drunk and disorderly behavior of some sailors
who could not “digest” the huge “Tot” of Rum.
Also
– some hard-drinking sailors “bartered” Rum Rations from others and hoarded the
Rum below decks to drink and this caused drunkenness and disorder below the
decks.
As
drunkenness on board Naval Ships increasingly became a problem – in 1740 –
Admiral Edward Vernon ordered the Rum Ration of One “Tot” (300 ml of Rum) for
Junior Sailors to be diluted with two parts of water to make it 900 ml of
Rum-Water Mixture.
Also
– the Rum Issue was split into two servings per day – one at mid-day before
lunch and the other after work in the evening.
Admiral
Vernon was nicknamed as “Old Grog” – because of his habitual waterproof Grogram
Cloak which he always wore on board ship.
So –
the diluted Rum Ration introduced by Admiral “Old Grog” Vernon was nicknamed as
“GROG”.
Admiral
“Old Grog” Vernon opined:
“The pernicious custom of the seamen
drinking their allowance of rum in drams and often at once is attended with
many fatal consequences to their morals as well as their health…many of their
lives shortened thereby…besides stupefying their rational qualities which makes
them heedlessly slaves to every brutish passion…”
On
August 21, 1740, Admiral “Old Grog” Vernon issued his “infamous” Order No. 349
to Captains which stated inter alia:
“The Rum should be every day mixed with the
proportion of a quart of water to a half pint of rum, to be mixed in a scuttled
butt kept for that purpose, and to be done on the deck, and in the presence of
the Lieutenant of the Watch who is to take particular care to see that the men
are not defrauded in having their full allowance of rum…and let those that are
good husband men receive extra lime juice and sugar that it be made more
palatable to them…”
The
addition of lime and sugar was prevent scurvy which was prevalent among sailors
due to “Vitamin C” deficiency during long sailings.
(The “Lime”
in the “Grog” may be the origin of the term “Limey” to describe an Englishman)
However
– this dilution of Rum with water was not appreciated by the hard-drinking
sailors.
So –
to express their displeasure – the sailors christened the weakened beverage “Grog”
after the Admiral who was known as “Old Grog”.
However
– Senior Sailors (Petty Officer and above) still received their “Tot” of Rum
neat – straight from the barrel – whereas “Junior Sailors” were issued the
“Grog”.
Yes –
the “Petty Officers” were served first and were entitled to take their rum
undiluted – whereas the “Ratings” drank their “grog” in one long gulp
Later
– “Pusser’s Rum” – created in 1784 – and approved by the Admiralty – was a
popular brand of Rum – available only in the Navy.
Pusser’s
Rum was a blend of 3 Rums from Guyana and 2 Rums from Trinidad, blended by
traditional techniques and matured for 3 years in barrels, before bottling.
Rum
was safely stored on board ships in the hold (below decks) – with an armed
Royal Marine on guard round the clock.
Dear
Reader – I will end this “Rum Tale” here – but post some more Navy “Rum Tales”
in subsequent blog posts – and tell you more about the “Rum Bum Lash” Navy.
Meanwhile – if you are a Rum “aficionado” – Pusser’s Black Label Rum is
arguably as close as you can get to drinking what the Royal Navy Sailor once
drank.
This “Gunpowder Proof” Rum is supposed to be 95.5 proof (54.6 % Alcohol by
Volume (ABV)) (US 109 Proof) – which was issued to the Sailors in the
“Grog” after 1740 – a little less strong than the original “100 Proof” Rum (57.15% ABV [Alcohol
by Volume]) issued in 1665.
Here is a picture of a bottle of British Navy Pusser’s Rum which I
found on the internet.
They say that this elegant, extremely hard to find Rum comes from the
last remaining kegs of Royal Navy Rum – the same stuff the sailors drank...
 |
| British Navy PUSSER'S RUM Gunpowder Proof |
Dear Reader – Do tell me if you liked this “Rum” Story.
In Part 2 – I will tell you a bit more about the “Rum” Navy...
End of THE “RUM” NAVY Part 1 (A “TOT” OF RUM)...
Continued in Part 2...
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
Disclaimer:
1. This story is a fictional spoof, satire, pure fiction, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh.
2. All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.
Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.
