Black Tot Day 2024
Black Tot Day: The demise of a centuries-old seafaring rum tradition
Regardless of the weather, the height of summer brings one gloomy day full of reflection for some older members of the Royal Navy community. That day is July 31, known as "Black Tot Day." It was on this day in 1970 that the centuries-old tradition of issuing rum to sailors on British warships came to an end. On ships and in establishments around the world, the last decimals of rum were handed out, bringing to a close an era that had lasted since the 17th century.
The official issue of alcohol dates back to at least the 17th century, when sailors were issued beer - or often 'small beer', a much weaker (less than one per cent) version - because it kept better than fresh water. With rations of up to one gallon per person per day, storing such quantities aboard ship was difficult, so in the mid-1650s spirits began to be issued in quantities of half a gallon per person per day.
Initially the Admiralty opted for brandy, but as the French were regularly on the opposite side of the argument to the Royal Navy when the Caribbean territories fell to the Crown, they switched wholesale to rum - a state of affairs that lasted until Black Tot day, although the quantity was reduced over time.
Due to the increasing number of incidents of drunkenness, rum rationing was formalised in the 1740s; rum was diluted with water (possibly mixed with sugar and lime juice) and these drinks were dispensed twice a day.
The man behind this move, Admiral Edward Vernon, was known as Old Grog because he had a grogram cloth on his favourite coat, and so his rum dispensing came to be called grog (and hence the later term "groggy", meaning confused or confused, probably as a result of excessive consumption of alcohol, whether diluted or not...).
In Victorian times, the dispensing of rum almost disappeared, but instead was reduced to an eighth of a pint and dispensed only once a day in the morning. Officers and warrant officers had this allowance withdrawn in 1881 and at the end of the First World War respectively.
However,after the Second World War, the need for a clear head when handling complex machinery, weapons and aircraft meant that some units were already imposing their own restrictions on the issue of rum. For aircrews there was a rule that allowed four hours 'between bottle and gas', and the time of rum issue was also changed to accommodate the working regime.
The final abolition of rum issue was debated in the House of Commons, which agreed with the Admiralty.
Measures to end the daily dispensing of rum to sailors were taken under the first Lord Admiral of the Fleet - Michael Le Fanu, as a result of which he was familiarly known as "Dry Ginger". He celebrated the day with a personal slogan:
Most farewell messages try
To jerk a tear from the eye
But I say to you lot
Very sad about the tot
But thank you, good luck and goodbye.
With hindsight, these lines gain poignancy - the Admiral was diagnosed with a terminal illness at the time and would not have survived a year, although this was not common knowledge in the fleet.
The days themselves were marked by due solemnity - some wore black armbands as they received their last rations, there were even funeral services.
Black Tot
In 1970 there was a vote in Parliament to stop the rationing of rum due to concerns about the more complex technology currently used in the navy. Funerals were held on the 'day the rum died' and 31 July 1970 became known forever as Black Rum Day.
The remaining rum was bottled and saved for special occasions, such as the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, or the rarely uttered decree to "Splash the Main Brace". Eventually some bottles found their way into the hands of former officers who either drank them or sold them on. Over the course of a few years, Elixir Distillers co-founder Sukhinder Singh tracked down and bought these last remaining bottles and blended them to create the "Black Tot Last Consigment".
In honor of Black Tot Day, we have decided to commemorate this important historical event with a special offer. You will now find - 10 % off select rums in our online store. Take advantage of this unique opportunity and celebrate with us the day that changed the traditions of the Royal Navy forever. Cheers!
