What is the best Rum for sailing?

[RayMetz100]

I'm a new skipper and want the best sailing Rum for my crew and guests.

I've never drank and sailed yet, but I do have a little on-shore Rum experience. Mostly as Rum and Cokes (Meyers, Appletons, Bicardi) and several rum coctails, my favorite being the Rum Runner.

I don't think mixed drinks work well on the J/22 or J/24 that I will typically sail though. I heard that the Royal Navy was issued a pint a day of Rum, and imagine they drank it straight. I think giving each of the crew their own pint would be too much though, since we're typically out only a few hours. Maybe I should just throw a few pints in my duffel bag and pass one around until it's empty before opening the next. What's the recommended brand for boating?

Most advice is appriciated, but if you want to preach against boating and drinking, please start your own thread somewhere else.


Ray

[cardiacpaul]

the best rum is the one someone else brings aboard and leaves your good stuff alone.

[TrueBlue]

Over here on the right coast, you're not a sailor unless you have Goslings Black Seal Rum and Barritts Ginger Beer - both from Bermuda. Dark & Stormy please.

[Parley]

Let's see. I have two favorites and you hit on one of them, sort of. You are correct about the Royal Navy and the pint of rum. That rum is still made in BVI - Pussers. Definitely excellent and no doubt belongs on a sailing vessel.
Additionally, there is the oldest known rum still being made: Mount Gay. That claim is based on a deed dated 1700 something.
Now, go the fight club thread and read the recipe for a dark and stormy. Good luck finding it as there are 2000 something posts there. The recipe was from a time long, long ago...........

[Johnrb]

Here is the authoritative source. Personal preferences include the well aged Mount Gay, Appleton Estate or El Dorado.

http://www.ministryofrum.com/

[Parley]

TB - you beat me to the punch. Arghh. Knew I took too long writing that.

I gotta go find some of that Goslings Black Label. I've never even seen it. But then, I'm a left coaster.

[Johnrb]

Four responses within 18 minutes. Must be a record of sorts.

[btrayfors]

For REAL sailors who are REAL rum drinkers, there's only one: Mt. Gay. It goes well with coke and some like it with tonic. Always with a slice or two of lime.

Mt. Gay makes some special grades, too, one of which is a marvelous sipping rum. Definitely too expensive for mixing, but unmatchable.

Acceptable substitutes: none, really, but if you're really hard up try the Virgin Islands dark rum (Cruzan).

Definite no-no's: Pussers (you can't GIVE the sh__ away...that's why they've got the fancy mugs); Meyers (that's for mixed cocktails); Bacardi (pedestrian); Appleton's (dull); any of the "flavored" rums; etc., etc.

Some of the Martinique rums and the Haitian Betancourt Five-Star are quite good for sipping, too.

No doubt these choices will invoke some invective :-))

But, if you offer your crew and guests Mt. Gay, nobody's gonna complain!

Bill

[sailingdog]

A friend of mine went to Cuba a while back to cover the pope visiting the island...and brought back some Cuban rum... Good stuff.... don't remember the brand name though....

[tdw]

If you are going to mix it with Coke then buy the cheapest garbage you can find. Waste of decent hooch to mix it with that muck.

Straight then go Gay !! Tish Boom . Aged Mt Gay which sadly is impossible to find in Australia is pure liquid gold and not be mixed with anything on pain of keelhauling. Standard Mt Gay is still my favourite for general consumption and can be drunk straight or mixed. I like either tonic or dry ginger with a big squeeze of fresh lime juice.