The Story of How Jamaican Rum Gave You Freedom!
Give Me Jamaican Rum, Or Give Me Death!
Here is a little known fact: Jamaican rum started the American Revolution. Or put another way: Rum is responsible for your freedom. But before you go off spouting that bit of trivia at your next party, let us explain.
Of course, rum is not directly responsible for the American Revolution, but it did play a critical part in it. That’s because the same Sugar Act of 1764 imposed by the British on the American Colonies that led to widespread unrest amongst colonists and eventually sparked the very same revolution, was mostly about the production of rum (We’re not sure why the Brits didn’t name it the Rum Act of 1764 for more punch! Dare we say Rum Punch!).
As best as we can tell, the rum provisions of the Sugar Act were the hardest for New Englanders to stomach! Importing molasses, sugar and rum from Jamaican and the rest of the West Indies was made more expensive because of the legislation.
While taxation without representation is abominable, hiking the price of imports of sugar and molasses needed to make rum, and rum itself, is just cruel. Was there any other choice but to rebel? Of course not.
So, in honor of the role of Jamaican rum in the history of the United States, we present 4 things that you must absolutely know about Jamaican Rum. It’s practically your national duty to learn about Jamaican rum. Just make sure to bring some rum with you for true enjoyment.
Older Than Liberty
Jamaican Rum Predates the United States of America
After learning the role of Jamaican rum in the creation of the US, it is obvious that the rum was being produced before America came to be. But by how much? Appleton Estate has been in operation since the 1600s and has been distilling rum since 1749 – that’s more than a quarter of a century before the birth of the US in 1776.
Appleton Estate Tour is Among the Most Popular Things to Do in Jamaica
Now that you know how important rum is in the history of the Americas, it should come as no surprise that a tour of the oldest Jamaican distillery is tops on many lists of what to do in Jamaica. The Appleton Estate tour is currently undergoing close to a $8 million reboot and should reopen in November and will include a new visitor experience with modern rum tasting rooms, new restaurant and new shop. Sign up for it next time you are at Moon Palace Jamaica.
Government-Sanctioned Quality Control
Much like the Jamaican government controls the quality of its world-famous Blue Mountain coffee, it also oversees production of Jamaican rum. The government tracks rum barrels in distilleries to make sure that age on bottle reflects the youngest age of rum within, not the average age. When you read the age of a rum on a Jamaican rum bottle, you know what is within is at least that old.
Younger in Jamaica is Older in the Rest of the World
Speaking of the age of Jamaican rum, a 1-year old rum in Jamaica has been shown to taste like a 3-year old rum in other countries. The reason is the heat. The temperature in Jamaica causes wood barrels to expand and condense more rapidly, interacting with the rum at a rate about 300% faster than other countries and providing greater taste faster.
