Many readers may be surprised, but, as a matter of fact, in the Golden Age of Caribbean Piracy, in the 1600s, rum was not usually consumed by the crews of pirates’ ships, trailing far behind brandy and wine. I have procrastinated a lot, but I think the moment has arrived. Therefore, a Rum Historian cannot avoid dealing with pirates. In the Rum World too, our spirit is often called the true Pirates’ Drink. So, today in popular culture rum is associated with pirates and there are a lot of rum brands, labels and ads which draw inspiration from them. An association later fostered by novels, fairy tales, movies and many stories, from Disney’s Captain Hook up to Jack Sparrow, passing through very romanticized historical figures such as Captain Morgan and Blackbeard. Published in 1882-3 the novel had an immediate, great and lasting success and paved the way for the enduring association between Rum and Pirates. I have to admit that I felt a bit of emotion picking it up again in order to write this article emotion and nostalgia, casting my mind back over the hours of sheer bliss that this book gave many, alas, too many years ago. Maybe it is different today, but all the boys of my generation have read, and dreamt on, these uncouth lyrics which the mysterious “Captain” sings in Robert L. Rum Historian by Marco Pierini PIRATES AND RUM, DEBUNKING A MYTHĭrink and the devil had done for the rest.
