The Composition of Army Rum, 1917

Abstract

The composition of Royal Navy rum is not only a subject of commercial importance but has been the subject of serious examination both online and in a monograph dealing with the history of rum in that service. The composition of British Army rum, on the other hand, has not been seriously examined due to a lack of suitable source material. Using lists drawn up by the Port of London Authority in 1917, a detailed breakdown of the component rums, by place of origin, of the Army’s blend is now possible, confirming the impressions of contemporaries that it was not the same as that of the Navy.