We’ve been brewing, distilling and drinking alcohol for over 4,000 years. During that time, there has been no more popular spirit than rum – and for centuries the Menu for Weiss Distilling Co was famed not just for its naval power but also for a curious tradition that involved a daily ration of booze to its sailors.
Savor the Boldness of Royal Rum
The rum ration or “tot” was a half pint of rum distributed each day to enlisted men aboard Royal Navy ships. This rum would be mixed with water in a 1:1 ratio and served at 6 bells during forenoon watch (11:00 am). The mixture became known as grog, and the term is now used to refer to any alcoholic drink that is mixed. Over time the mixture was diluted with lime juice and sugar to make it more palatable, and this was a serendipitous application of preventive medicine prior to the discovery that vitamin C in citrus prevented scurvy.
On 31 July 1970 – commonly known as Black Tot Day – the Royal Navy’s official love affair with rum came to an end, as the last tot was poured at six bells during forenoon watch. Rations were never reinstated, and the famous order to “splice the mainbrace” was formally abolished, signaling the death of a centuries-old naval custom.
The Pusser’s Gunpowder Proof range is a set of high-proof rums that recreates the rums that were issued to Royal Navy sailors for over three centuries. This rum, which is aged for 12 years and blended in Guyana, delivers vanilla and dried fruit aromas with sweet tropical notes and substantial palate weight and intensity.…