Now dance Rummy

In case you forgot, there was a Simpson’s episode where Barney got sober, and Homer took his place as the town drunk. Homer automatically responded to the phrase: “now dance Rummy”. Well, today is national Rum day, and we’re going to dance our way through the history of this sweet and oft maligned beverage. So, strap on your dancing shoes and frost some glasses, because we’re going to restore rum’s reputation as a respectable drink.

Rummy is a pejorative term employed to disparage people who stood against temperance. There is a long history in our country and England of people trying to take away the right to drink alcohol. Unfortunately for rum, it was caught in the crossfire for many reasons. So, to understand what happened to rum we have to go back to the founding of America during the colonial era.

Did our founding fathers say “Now dance Rummy”?

You may be familiar with the founding of the united states and the problems we had with taxation. Well, that plays into the maligning of the rum industry and involves temperance and abstinence from alcohol. So, let’s start with the pilgrims since they didn’t have these hang ups.

In the 1600’s British settlers landed in and developed the United states as a new homeland. During this period, alcohol was not a big problem. The communities of immigrants were small and watched out for each other. Alcohol was an important part of society, mostly for medicinal purposes. Outright drunkenness was discouraged, but not demonized. But, that began to change in the 17th century.

Who are these rummies

In the 1700’s the British government saw the import of rum and other alcohols as a potential cashcow, so they imposed tariffs on all alcohol. This created friction from the people shipping the booze. As one may expect, that didn’t go over very well. So, people began sneaking booze past the government. This happened throughout the British Empire. But, it got worse in the United States and Canada.

By the middle of the 19th century, a temperance movement took hold in the states and Canada. While drunkenness was tolerated by some, there was a group of people who vocally opposed drinking any kind of liquor, as they believed it was sinful and tried to make it a public health problem. Proponents of abstinence from alcohol earned the nickname dries, while those who still drank became “rummies”. Rum was shorthand for any alcohol.

Enter the rum runner

Despite efforts to make alcohol illegal, demand was still there. But, the political machinery wasn’t having any of that. Around the time of the civil war (the 1860’s), the temperance movement almost succeeded in abolishing alcohol. There were some local successes for the movement. But, no federal ban. That is, until 1919, when they finally passed prohibition. On January 17, 1919 through December 5, 1933 alcohol was illegal in the United states. Prince Edward Island, Canada started their prohibition in 1901, and, it lasted until 1948.

Of course, prohibition was not very popular. And, people had to find ways around the laws. On land, they were called bootleggers; on the sea, they were rum runners. This wasn’t a new profession. But, they had to find new ways to beat the system. Rum runners would keep their cargo ships in international waters, then put alcohol on smaller, faster boats who could outmaneuver the coast guard to get the booze to the mainland.

Now dance, Rummy, for your life

Law enforcement had to get tougher. It became a game of cat and mouse. Originally, international waters started 3 or 4 miles out to sea. They changed that designation to 12 miles. Smugglers had to come up with more creative ways to hide their cargo in places like the “hold” of a boat, behind false walls, in ambulances and hearses. They would come up with new ideas and law enforcement would figure it out. It was a dance that resulted in a proliferation of gangs and violence in the 20’s, with people like Al Capone and Meyer Lansky fighting Eliot Ness and rival gangs.

It was a dangerous dance, with the life and livelihood of thousands in the crossfire. And, all this because some people wanted to force their ideology on the entire country. We are seeing a similar situation play out with marijuana in modern days. There are still millions of people in jails across this country because federal law states that the sale and possession of marijuana is illegal. many states have passed laws legalizing it. But, until those laws are overturned federally, it is still criminal. All the laws do is create a criminal class out of people who would otherwise just try to make a living for themselves.

Keeping it real

Rum runner is a bit of a misnomer. Rum was never a high demand alcohol. Although, many of the ships sailed from tropical ports like Jamaica and the Bahamas, where rum is a staple. But, rum was a low profit item. Champagne, Scotch, Whiskeys, and Gin demanded a higher price and profit margin. There were many unscrupulous “rum runners” out there. But, an entrepreneurial Captain: William McCoy, ran a tight operation. He was one of the pioneers of the trade. And, he believed in honest trading (in an illegal industry).

While some people would water down their booze or put low cost product in high end bottles, McCoy only sold the actual, unadulterated product that his customers wanted. And, that is where the term “The real McCoy” comes from. As Paul Harvey would say: “Now you know…the rest of the story.” And, that’s something to dance to, Rummy.

What’s in a name?

So, rummy became the name of an immoral person, drinking. And, then rum runners were outlaws flouting the law on the open seas. People could be rumhounds, rumpots, or rum suckers. They would go to rum holes, rum houses, rum mills, or rum joints. All this derogatory name calling gives the impression that rum is a lowly entity. So, it’s high time for Rum to take back its dignity.

Unlike Champagne, prosecco, or cognac, there is no denominazione or place of origin to control who can produce and sell rum under a particular name. And, rum comes in a wide variety of styles and flavor profiles. Most of the differences are in the aging process. White rums are minimally aged, while darker rums can spend 3 or more years in casks. So, even though we usually associate rum with mixed drinks like mojitos, Pina Coladas, and daiquiris, there are rums that make for great sipping straight from the glass. Now dance, Rummy!

So many Types of Rum to Dance to, Rummy

There are 7 types of universally recognized rums. Of course there are local variations and flavor additions. But, overall, here is what you need to know when buying rum:

• White rum: the most common and generally cheapest. White rums are filtered for clarity, many are unaged or minimally aged. They are clean and crisp. This is the best rum to use when making drinks with a lot of ingredients, as the flavor will get lost in the mix.
• Gold Rum: a little more complex than white rum, these are usually aged, have more body, flavor, and a caramel color.
• Dark Rum: Full flavored, heavier body, these are aged longer in charcoal barrels, molasses and caramel really come through.
• Spiced Rum: Usually a golden or dark rum that is flavored with spices like pepper, cinnamon, and bay leaves. They add a little oomph to your drinks. Local distilleries can really get creative with spiced rums, some even adding fruits and herbs.
• Agricole: Most rums are made from a fermented sugar juice or molasses. This variation is made from the pressed sugarcane itself. It’s like the difference between fresh squeezed juice vs concentrate. To distinguish it from others, they often use the name rhum instead of rum.
• Naval Strength: Proofed at over 50% alcohol
• Overproofed: Has over 60% alcohol.

Deriving from sugar: rum is a natural food for yeast. And, a byproduct of yeast is alcohol. So, rum is naturally high in alcohol. Many rums actually start out around 70% alcohol; then they are watered down to a palatable level of 40 to 50%. That is why we have the overproof and naval designations for stronger rums. At levels like that, you’ll hear a lot of ” now dance, rummy.”

So what are we drinking today?

Duh! Rum, silly. Not, not a “Rum Silly”, although, that could be the next drink I invent. I think we’re going to need a shitload of straws, a dumptruck full of marshmallow Fluff, 3 dozen avocados, some silly putty, and the entire vhs collection of Mork and Mindy to make that one.

Let’s start with our take on a Rum Runner (Since we already talked about the people):

This recipe is for 4 drinks. We added Pomegranate juice for a modern flare. And, we suggest using Chambord if available. Most recipes call for you to use a specific glass. But, that seems antithetical to rum running. The concept is smuggling, so, whatever you want to use, that’s what you will use. Hell, it can be in a Dixie cup for all it matters. But, a clear glass looks best, so you can see the color.

• 4 oz light or gold rum
• 4 oz Dark Rum
• 2 oz Banana Liquer
• 2 oz Chambord or Creme De cassis
• 4 oz Orange Juice
• 4 oz Pineapple Juice
• 2 oz Pomegranate Juice
• 2oz lime juice
• 2 oz Grenadine
• Garnish with Pineapple, orange, and lime slices.
• Mix all ingredients in a pitcher with ice. Serve in a glass with garnishes. A sugar rime is a nice addition: Moisten the glass and dip in a plate of turbinado sugar before filling and garnishing.

For those of us who don’t happen to have banana liqueur hanging around:

It’s not like you’re going to find that in your local “packie” (as some in New England call liquor stores). So, here is a drink you can make with things you probably have on hand (or at least easy to get):

Red White and Blue Daiquiri

• 4 oz Rum
• 4 oz Grand Marnier or Triple Sec
• 1/2 cup Fresh Blue Berries
• 1/2 cup Fresh Strawberries
• 4 oz Lime Juice
• 4 oz Honey
• Plenty of Ice
• Canned Whipped Cream (or fresh if you want)
• Berries and Lime for Garnish

This is a layered Drink. So, it takes a little skill. But, it’s not overly difficult. The trick with layered drinks is to have liquid of differing viscosity. When dealing with individual liquors, you need to know which is heavier. Here, we make the strawberry level thicker by adding less liquid. Easy peasy.

First: this recipe is for 4 drinks. So, pre-rim the glasses with sugar if you want. Start By Pureeing the strawberries in a blender. Add in 1 oz rum, 1 oz Grand Marnier, 1 oz of the lime juice, and 1 oz honey, plus some ice. Blend until smooth. Pour into the rimmed glasses evenly. Then, puree the blueberry with the remaining ingredients (except whipped cream and garnishes). Carefully pour this over the strawberry layer. It helps to pour it over an inverted spoon, so the colors sit on top of each other, instead of mixing together. Top each glass with Whipped Cream and fruit garnishes. Enjoy.

There are hundreds of recipes involving rum. 99% of them are sweet and/or tropical. This makes sense since rum derives from sugar can. So, let’s do our part and celebrate national Rum day in the sweetest way possible. Now Dance Rummy!

Saludos!

Now Dance, Rummy!