After the relative tameness of a couple of gins and a fruit driven Bourbon, we thought it only right to introduce you to Pussers’ new branding for the original Blue label Navy rum has been renamed Gunpowder Proof and for good reason! This strength of spirit if it got spilt onto gunpowder (as per one of its original uses) it would still ignite!
Navy Rum” is not just a name for dark rum. Originally it was the name of a specific type of rum distilled for the Admiralty in wooden pot stills in lieu of the normal metal ones. The distillation of rum in wood imparts a truly unique flavour that can only be described as “full and rich,” making most others bland by comparison. This flavour is unique to the wooden process and cannot be duplicated from any other type of distillation and thus we see only a handful of rums with this distinction of flavour (all from Pussers) as they are now the only rum distillery that is still distilling in the wooden pot stills of yesteryear.
This rum tradition rewarded heroism and eased defeat with a daily tot from at least the year 1655 until 1970 when some of the higher-ups decided rum was having too much fun with the sailing man and Black Tot Day loomed! Thus in 1970, the Admiralty Board decreed that there was no place for the daily issue of rum in a modern navy, and so ended the daily issue of Pusser’s Rum on July 31st.
On that very day they tossed their glasses into the sea. But all the waters in the world could not drown Pusser’s rum. When the Royal Navy bid farewell to it, Charles Tobias, an entrepreneur, salvaged it, obtaining the rights to make it and here we are today, the tradition preserved and one hell of a rum brand!
The bright golden coloured spirit of the Gunpowder Proof brings the aroma of oak blended with coffee and honey. Take a sip. The tangy orange zest is un-missable and you can also pick up faint notes of vanilla, light toffee and spicy oak.
Just taking a cube of ice goes well with Pusser’s rum or you can obviously add coke to smoothen its sharp edges but its true place is playing the leading roll in its signature serve….The Painkiller Cocktail.
The Painkiller
The Painkiller is said to have been created in the 1970s at the six-seat Soggy Dollar Bar in the British Virgin Islands, where without a dock one must swim to shore and thus creating a lot of…you guessed it ‘Soggy Dollars’. According to the cocktail’s registered trademark, it must be made with Pusser’s Rum and of course we suggest no different!
Ingredients
60ml Pusser’s Gunpowder Proof Rum
120ml pineapple juice – we strongly recommend not from concentrate
30ml orange juice
30ml cream of coconut
Freshly grated nutmeg
Directions
Add liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.
Pour into a big glass or mule mug filled with ice and grate fresh nutmeg on top.
Garnish with an orange slice, a cherry and a mint sprig.
Be careful–this is a smooth and sneaky drink and one that may have you reaching for the painkillers of the medical type the next morning if you get carried away. Top tip if you cant quite get yourself to the British Virgin Islands anytime soon to experience the original experience, Pusser’s have an amazing rum bar in Munich, Germany entirely dedicated to great rums and this cocktail in particular.
Enjoy!
