Pirate's favourite drink: Rum!

GrapeJ · Swabbie Posts: 67 **349 Gold** -

I think it's just a coincidence I like rum and Pirate games, history and lore.

Wolfwood · Boatswain Posts: 2527 **33917 Gold** -

Wolfwood · Boatswain Posts: 2527 **33917 Gold** -

Wolfwood · Boatswain Posts: 2527 **33917 Gold** -

Wolfwood's lectures on rum, Part "n"

Rupertlittlebear said in the other thread that:

Auldrek · Swabbie Posts: 118 **1045 Gold** -

Billy Bones · Seaman Posts: 147 **1817 Gold** -

I thought you might enjoy this quote from Jimmy Buffett's new book, A Salty Piece of Land, where he describes the character, Cleopatra Highbourne.

GrapeJ · Swabbie Posts: 67 **349 Gold** -

Billy Bones · Seaman Posts: 147 **1817 Gold** -

Some little known American military history:

The U.S.S. Constitution (Old Ironsides) carried 48,600 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 officers and men. This was sufficient to last six months of sustained operations at sea. She carried no evaporators (i.e. fresh water distillers!).

According to her log, "On July 27, 1798, the U.S.S. Constitution sailed from Boston with a full complement of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,400 cannon shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum." Her mission: "To destroy and harass English shipping."

Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300 gallons of rum. Then she headed for the Azores, arriving there 12 November. She provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine. On 18 November, she set sail for England. In the ensuing days she defeated five British men-of-war and captured and scuttled 12 English merchantmen, salvaging only the rum aboard each.

By 26 January, her powder and shot were exhausted. Although unarmed she made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Her landing party captured a whisky distillery, and, by dawn, had transferred 40,000 gallons of single malt Scotch aboard before heading home.

The U.S.S. Constitution arrived in Boston on 20 February, 1799, with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, no rum, no wine, no whisky, and 38,600 gallons of stagnant water.

GO NAVY!
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Capt Billy Bones
at sea aboard the BlackSwan

Wolfwood · Boatswain Posts: 2527 **33917 Gold** -

Well, the grog came around when the Navy (British, I think) realised that the reason there were so many sailors dropping from masts during long voyages was the fact that they were given a portion of rum each and every day. This was done to prevent unhappiness amongst the crew, but it also caused some, eh, occasional mishaps because of the size of the rum portion.

Grog was a watered down version of rum, given in equal portions as the rum had been, but, because of the added stuff, containing less alcohol.

@GrapeJ: Rum mixed with stuff is quite ok. I drink an occasional drink myself. But... Here's the BIG BUT: Please, please, please, never mix top quality rum with anything else mixed in. Drink it neat. It is better that way. (pretty please...?). Mixing quality rum with something else equals to a crime. You'd never mix high quality cognac or whiskey with anything, would you? (pretty please with sugar on top?)

Wink

GrapeJ · Swabbie Posts: 67 **349 Gold** -

"If the use of grog was common practice, the mixture was anything but standard. Vernon ordered a quarter of water to a half a pint of rum (four to one), others ordered three to one, and Admiral Keith later issued grog at five to one. The mixture seamen used for grog was named by compass points. Due North was pure rum and due West water alone. WNW would therefore be one third rum and two thirds water, NW half and half, etc. If a seaman had two "nor-westers," he'd had two glasses of half rum and half water."

Don't worry Wolfwood, if I ever come acroos some expensive high quality rum, I swear by the pirate code not to mix it with anything.
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"Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid." Captain Jack Sparrow

luckybaer66 · Swabbie Posts: 61 **1282 Gold** -

Pyrat XO, baby. I've become a creature of habit.

Rum: Pyrat XO
Bourbon: Baker's or Woodford Reserve (Woodford = good bang for buck)
Tequila: Patron Anejo
Gin: Tanquery No. 10
Vodka: Grey Goose (Yes, great marketing, but a good vodka)
Beer: Just about any Oregon microbrew. No Budweiser products except when my wife buys that Michelob Ultra watered-down liquid waste...
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Wolfwood · Boatswain Posts: 2527 **33917 Gold** -

@Billy Bones: Thanks for the hilarious story! Sailors truly know how to appreciate good spirits... Laughing

Billy Bones · Seaman Posts: 147 **1817 Gold** -

@Woldwood: Aye matey, that we do! Smile

_________________
Capt Billy Bones
at sea aboard the BlackSwan

Billy Bones · Seaman Posts: 147 **1817 Gold** -

I have found Pyrat XO in both a white and an orange box. The distillery which makes Pyrat XO is owned by Patron, the tequila people, and Patron tequila comes in different colored boxes depending on it's age. I sent an e-mail to Patron asking for clarification, but have received no response. I was wondering if any of our rum aficionados had any knowledge of what the different colored boxes mean? The orange box seems to be more expensive, but since I purchased them in two different states, it could be just a local difference.

http://www.patronspirits.com
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Capt Billy Bones
at sea aboard the BlackSwan

Wolfwood · Boatswain Posts: 2527 **33917 Gold** -

I'm sorry I don't know about the differences in the Pyrat XO found in different boxes.

In the meanwhile, I have to say that I've got infatuated with Barbadian rums. Cockspur VSOR was already my favourite, but as I haven't been able to find it in Canada, AND I heard that the stuff sold in the US is a much worse blend than the same label sold in Barbados, I've been settling on Mount Gay Extra Old. I must say that it is very good!

Rum and water - what makes Barbados so different?

As a small tidbit: One of the basic differences between rums, besides the disstilling methods, aging, and whether you are using sugar cane juices or molasses, is caused by the water that is added to the distilled and aged rum to bring it on the 80 proof (or some other proof) level.

In Barbados, they use very pure water that is gathered in underground reservois in stalactite caverns, whereas on other islands they have to use sweet water taken from small lakes and rivers (the island of Barbados is geographically unique in the Caribbean and the only one with stalactite caverns). Thus, the Barbadian water is much purer than the water on the other islands. This gives Barbadian rums their distinctive taste.
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It is much better to be armed with a sword that has two edges than with an estoc [...], which is nothing more than a stick with a point. (Rapier Master G. Morsicato Pallavicini, La Scherma Illustrata, p. 14.)