An Off The Beaten Path History of Rum

This page compiles together a number of fun and interesting clippings from various historical documents. I’ve posted a few to Facebook, but I believe they should live on in posterity.

The 1700s

Who knew that British soldiers in the midst of the American Revolution were getting rum? Apparently not the Treasury who purchased it.

The 1800s

“Spirit distilled from a cane sugar mash is rum, and could scarcely be mistaken for anything else.” Even this 1879 Whisky book knows the score.

The 1900s

Preserve history and avoid taxes at the same time! A new use for rum; or rather, an old use – From the 1917 Official gazette of British Guiana.

A reference to Martin Doorly, circa 1922 in the “The red book of the West Indies.” Cave Shepherd is still a department store in Bridgetown.

Jamaica Gleaner = 1922

Not sure that bland is what I’d be looking for, even in 1957.

1957 Rhum Clément advertisement. The SPIRIBAM folks might get a kick out of it. Interesting to see the sirop – I wasn’t aware it had been around for over 60 years.