🥃 Navy rum
Navy rum is a historic rum style that the British Royal Navy issued to sailors daily from 1655 to 31 July 1970; today the name indicates a blend made to an Admiralty recipe.
Navy rum is the rum behind the Royal Navy's daily “tot”, a strong rum issued to sailors as a ration. The custom lasted from 1655 to 31 July 1970. Today the word “Navy” on a label describes a historic style rather than a separate EU category, so the strength and composition are set by the producer.
How it began. According to Pusser's Rum, admirals began issuing rum in 1655. The word “pusser” is a colloquial form of “purser”, the ship's officer responsible for issuing rations. Britain had just taken Jamaica, so rum replaced beer as the sea drink.
The gunpowder proof. The purser had to make sure the rum was not diluted. He mixed it with gunpowder and set it alight: if the powder burned, the spirit had at least “proof”. According to Difford's Guide, Sikes's hydrometer of 1816 equated 100 proof with about 57.14% ABV, although a legend says the true navy strength was 54.5% ABV. The author found no documentary evidence for the legend.
The end of the tradition. The Admiralty decided that a modern navy had no place for a daily rum ration, and the last tot was issued on 31 July 1970. Sailors call this day Black Tot Day. The Admiralty blend recipe is later used by the Pusser's Rum brand under licence.
Why it matters to you. The name “Navy” does not guarantee an old recipe or a particular strength: some bottles are over 50% ABV. Read the label and compare the strength. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | daily rum ration in the Royal Navy: 1655 to 1970 |
|---|---|
| EU category | rum (Regulation (EU) 2019/787); there is no separate «Navy rum» category |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | historic strength 54.5 to 57% vol.; modern bottles vary |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Navy rum → affects → 🍷 Alcohol and health ← affects ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Made from
- 🥃 Sugar cane and molasses
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Related to
- 🥃 Jamaica Rum
- Part of
- 🥃 Rum
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Navy strength gin, 🥃 Navy strength gin
Frequently asked questions
Did Royal Navy sailors really get rum every day?
Yes, from 1655 to 31 July 1970. The daily ration was called the tot, and the last one is remembered as Black Tot Day.
What does «navy strength» mean on a bottle?
Legend gives 54.5% ABV, while on Sikes's hydrometer scale 100 proof is about 57.14% ABV. The author who tells the legend found no documentary evidence, and modern bottles vary, so check the label.
How was rum tested with gunpowder?
The purser mixed the rum with gunpowder and set it alight: if the powder burned, the rum had at least «proof»; a weaker one did not flare.
Where does the word «pusser» come from?
It is a colloquial form of «purser», the ship's officer who issued rations.
Is Pusser's Rum the same as the old navy blend?
The Admiralty blend recipe is later used by the Pusser's Rum brand under licence, but the word «Navy» on other labels only describes a style.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Sugar cane and molasses — Raw materials of rum, cachaça and other cane spirits: cane juice or molasses; rum made from them is at least 37.5% ABV in the EU.
- 🥃 Jamaica Rum — Jamaica Rum is a geographical indication of Jamaica (registered 1 December 2016): rum aged only on the island, with only water and cane caramel added after distillation, and no added sugar.
- 🥃 Navy strength gin — Navy strength gin is gin bottled at about 57% ABV (100 proof on the British scale), named after the Royal Navy's gunpowder test. The EU has no separate category: it is ordinary gin of at least 37.5% ABV.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🥃 Barbados Rum · 🥃 Puerto Rican rum · 🥃 Caña · 🥃 Clairin · 🥃 Guaro · 🥃 Grogue
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Pusser's Rum: Black Tot Day — the Royal Navy daily rum ration began in 1655 and ended on 31 July 1970 (Admiralty Board decision: no place for the daily issue of rum in a modern navy); the Admiralty blend and the Port Mourant double wooden pot still
- Forces News: Black Tot Day — end of the Royal Navy rum ration, 31 July 1970
- Quill & Pad: Splice the Mainbrace — Pusser's Rum, Black Tot Day and the end of a Royal Navy tradition
- Difford's Guide: Overproof & Navy Strength — gunpowder proof test by pursers; Sikes hydrometer 1816, 100 proof ≈ 57.14 % ABV; legend of 54.5 % ABV for true Navy strength
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)