For many years, rum and Navy life went hand in hand. Life on board a navy ship was brutal and a spot of hard drinking was fair compensation for being permanently wet, in danger and at constant risk of disease. While beer went sour, sugary rum was easily preserved and so in time, a half pint ration became a daily ritual that continued until 1970.
Press gangs
Many of those who served in the navy in the 17th and 18th century didn’t do so willingly. Crew members would trawl local taverns searching for suitably trained men, often the worst for wear, that they could press into service on the high seas. This is where the term ‘press gangs’ originated.
Who was ‘Old Grog’?
Commander of the West Indies station, Admiral Edward ‘Old Grog’ Vernon, so named after the grogram cloak he wore, vastly improved the health of sailors in the 18th century by diluting the daily tot of rum. With the addition of water, sugar and lime, Admiral Vernon’s ‘grog’ not only reduced drunkenness, but helped combat scurvy.
