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Rum, blood & tiki: The history of British Navy rum

ELEANOR DALLAWAY

06 FEBRUARY 2020

  

SPIRITS & COCKTAILS | PEOPLE & PLACES

Since the 17th century, rum has had firm roots in Britain’s maritime heritage. Matt Pietre, cocktail and spirits writer, delved into the British Navy archives to seek out its secrets and found links between tiki and rum’s evolution with the British Navy’s rum-drenched history. ELEANOR DALLAWAY reports

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So, first things first, what actually defines a British Navy rum? 'The Navy rum blend has changed many times over the years,’ says Pietrek, recalling that in the early days the Navy would be supplied with 'a mixed bag' of casks from around the world. Rum experts typically agree that Navy rum is a blend of aged rums from two or more of the following former colonies: Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, and Trinidad. Some take it further and insist that it should also include rum from the Port Mourant double-wooden pot still in Guyana, known for its earthy flavour profile.
Abv is also important. You may see Navy-style rums with inconsistent strength, but a true Navy rum is 54.5% abv.

It took nine years – and 1,642 pints of rum per sailor – for the navy to realise it may be a good idea to dilute rations

Steven Gilbert, general manager of Trader Vic’s London – a tiki haven at London’s Hilton Hotel on Park Lane – says that customers often request a 'true British navy rum' and they always ensure they stock Pusser’s gunpowder and Admiralty blue rum behind the bar, because 'you can’t make a painkiller without it!'.

British beginnings

The British Navy’s reputation as ‘original rum blenders’ dates back to 1731 when the Navy Board, recognising the value of rum as a long-keeping commodity, rationed the sailors to half a pint (crikey) of rum a day. The rum ration was known as ‘Pusser’s Rum’, derived from Purser, the person who was responsible for issuing the rum each day.

Navy ships travelled from port to port, restocking their holds with locally-made rums from British colonies.

It took nine years – and 1,642 pints of rum per sailor – for the navy to realise it may be a good idea to dilute it. And so was born the basic beginnings of the Daiquiri, in 1740, which saw Admiral Vernon order rum’s dilution with lime and sugar to 'inhibit drunkeness’.

DRINK: THE NAVY GROG

Glass: Old fashioned/rock glass
Method: Shake ingredients with crushed ice and pour into old fashioned/rock glass.

30ml light rum
30ml demerara rum
30ml dark rum
10ml dram liqueur (or Trader Vic’s own grog mix)
20ml lime juice
20ml grapefruit juice
7.5ml rock candy syrup
7.5ml honey syrup optional (for added sweetness)

In 1784 the British Navy contracted James Man (his company is now known as ED&F Man) to supply the rum for the Navy. Rum from Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Guyana arrived at the London Docks where it was aged and blended by Man and his team to create a consistent product known as British Navy rum.

By law, all of the rum arriving into London had to come into the West Indian Docks. 'They were made in one warehouse, the biggest most amazing rum warehouse the world had ever seen. Over four million gallons of overproof rum,’ recollects Pietrek. During the Second World War, the West India Docks were almost completely destroyed. What’s left today represents about 10% of the original Docks.

At the time, the British public were drinking London Dock Rums, which tiki bar legend Trader Vic holds in high acclaim in his book. However, the public fell in love with the concept of British Navy rum and during the 1940s and 50s, marketing took over and London Dock rums became British Navy, despite not being made in the traditional way.

A sea change

The tide turned for rum in the 1970s when the navy discontinued its daily rum ration. ED&F Man stopped making their liquid, which some have argued was the end of true British Navy rum.
Pietrek considers that this sea change took tiki down with it. 'In the 1970s, rum and tiki went to shit,’ says Pietrek. ‘Tiki went to hell because as drinks got bad, tiki drinks got even worse.’

How to get freaky with tiki, according to Matt Pietrek

• Tiki is a cultural snowball – recipes, imagery and cocktails pick up on pop culture of the time
● The 1941 cocktail the Navy Grog is the ultimate connection between rum and the British Navy. First created by Donn Beach (Don the Beachcomber), the cocktail comprises different rums with lime juice, grapefruit juice, honey, soda and an orange slice and cherry to garnish. Trader Vic’s shares its Navy Grog recipe with Imbibe .
● Tiki is about rum blending and 'bringing together multiple rums to create a unique flavour profile’
● 'There’s nothing more tiki than lighting things on fire’
● The most requested cocktail at Trader Vic’s London is the Mai Tai. "The original 1944 recipe as created by our founding father Trader Vic himself is a necessity when visiting us in the basement of 22 Park Lane!” says Steven Gilbert
● Lemon extract is the secret to good fire in tiki drinks
● A tiki cocktail is an upgraded Daiquiri; 'A Daiquiri with fancy spices and flavours.’

But that’s not where the story ends. Pietrek believes that both tiki and rum have been rescued from the 'drinks dustbin of history’. In fact, he said that a renewed interest in rum is giving way to 'a whole new load of rum releases from independents, giving far more options for the collector’.

Rum is really starting to gain momentum as a category, says Gilbert, 'helped immensely by the resurgence of tiki/ tropical style cocktails. It’s an approachable category and people are beginning to understand just how much depth there is over other popular drinks categories.

'When you consider that the top 10 cocktails worldwide by popularity according to the latest industry stats include the likes of the Mojito, Daiquiri and the Piña Colada, although all white rum based, it’s clear to see that there’s already a great appetite for rum as well as a foundation from which consumers can start to explore the category further, working their way up to the more obscure varieties and if brave enough the overproofs!'

If you want to get your hands on the closest thing to a true (40 year old) British Navy rum, it’ll cost you. Black Tot 40 year old rum will set you back £1,500 a bottle but represents real British Navy rum – a composite of the different blends over the years. You can pick up a bottle of the less exclusive Black Tot rum for a way more affordable £39.95.

Pusser’s Rum recently switched to an entirely Guyana rum but the company claims it has the taste of Navy rum.

So let’s grab a Navy Grog and say a traditional Navy toast to rum and tiki making it out of the drinks dustbin of history: 'A bloody war or a sickly season!'

A BLOODY COCKTAIL

Have you heard the story of Nelson’s Blood? Ok, it might be a case of Chinese whispers colliding with poetic licence as the legend gets passed from generation to generation. But here’s the crux: After the great Admiral Nelson’s death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, his body was preserved in a cask of rum and holes were drilled into the sides. Why? So that thirsty sailors could drink the cocktail of blood-drenched rum on the long journey.

Today, the Nelson’s Blood cocktail recipe varies from bar to bar but often comprises dark rum with blood orange, lemon juice and ginger beer. Trader Vic’s London shares a recognised liberation with Imbibe.

DRINK: NELSON'S BLOOD
Glass: Coupe
Method: Shake ingredients with cubed ice and strain into coupe glass.

50ml Martell VSOP
50ml Ruby port (we use Graham’s)        

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Matt Pietrek is the author of Minimalist Tiki: A Cocktail Wonk Look at Classic Liberations and the Modern Tiki Vanguard. His book on the history of British Rum, in partnership with Plantation Rum, will be available in 2020.