Not Your Standard Vodka and Cranberry
Many drinks of the time were rum based drinks. Rum was part of the pay for sailors and rum was also produced in the Caribbean where a lot of sailing and piracy was going on. Recipes of the time reflect the heavy use of rum. Many drinks also included lime juice to help sailors consume more vitamin C to combat scurvy.
Traditionally, these drinks were served warm or heated because sailors wanted something comforting after working at sea which would have been cold and wet. Times change however and alcoholic drinks are mostly served chilled and over ice. That being said I've tried to make a short list that has some diversity to it. Here they are.
Rattle-Skull
Popular in the taverns of the time. Rattle-skull appealed to both sailors and people that stayed on land. Not for the faint hearted as this will get you drunk very fast but I guess that's how they liked it back then. This drink was mostly served in taverns in colonial America, because of that the lime juice can can omitted since non-sailors didn't have to worry about scurvy.
According to the Oxford dictionary the name rattle-skull could also refer to the term rattle-brain which means: An empty-headed, noisy person; a fool. It was first used of the term rattle-skull was used in the early 18th century by poet Allan Ramsay who live between (1684–1758),
How to make it.
12 oz Porter beer (chilled)
1 1⁄2 oz Rum
3⁄4 oz Lime juice
1⁄2 oz Simple syrup
Nutmeg
Use a beer mug. Stir and top with nutmeg.
Stone Fence
Another popular tavern drink also made with rum. Really simple to make and tasty but it will pack a punch. Hard cider at the time was popular since most apples were sour in taste and didn't work well as a hand food or a the sweet juice we all know today. Hard cider was also called "applejack" which could come in different alcohol contents depending on how much water was taken out during the distillation process. The alcohol content of hard cider could be as high as 30-40%.
The term applejack came from the method of distillation which was freeze distillation or "jacking" where the cider would be stored outside during the winter months until the water would freeze, rise to the top of the barrel and then be removed.
How you make it:
2 oz Dark rum
Hard apple cider
Use a tumbler glass. Fill part way with ice. Add ingredients and stir.
Bumbo
Bumbo was popular with sailors and pirates in the Caribbean. Sugar was readily available and the sailors stayed close to land so there wasn't a need to add lime juice to combat scurvy. It is suppose to be served without ice but you can add ice if you want. Other fruit juices were added in place of sugar depending on what was available and the drinker's personal tastes.
Bumbo was also referred as Bumboo and Bombo. The origin of the name could be from several sources. In Italian it refers to a child's drink. It could also refer to a sweet, fragrant resin called Bumbo obtained from a tree native to West Africa which is also called the Bumbo tree.
How to make it:
2 oz Dark Rum
1 oz Water
2 tsp Sugar
Cinnamon
Serve in Old Fashion glass. Mix ingredients and garnish with cinnamon. Mix with or without ice.
Flip
Flip is one of the drinks that was served hot because sailors often wanted something hot to drink out at sea when they were cold and wet. Flip was also used to describe an entire class of drinks that were a mix of beer, rum and egg. Flip went through many changes in recipe over the years and many substitutions can be made. There are currently around 15 variations of flip using different liquors and ingredients and these days it is no longer served hot.
How to make it:
2 oz Rum
10 oz Brown Ale
1 Tblsp Sugar
1 whole egg
Nutmeg
Mix rum, egg, and sugar, beat mixture. Warm Ale in pot. Mix all ingredients in a pitcher. Pour mixture back forth and between two pitchers until egg is frothy and smooth. Top with nutmeg and serve.
Final Words
Cocktails that fuse liquor with beer are or other alcoholic beverages are making a comeback and becoming more trendy. Don't be afraid to put your own spin on these drinks too.
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