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Rum ration


The rum ration (also called tot) was a daily amount of rum given to sailors on Royal Navy ships. It was abolished in 1970 after concerns that regular intakes of alcohol would lead to unsteady hands when working machinery.

The rum ration, or "tot", consisted of one-eighth of an imperial pint (70 mL) of rum at 95.5 proof (54.6% ABV), given out to every sailor at midday. Senior Ratings (Petty Officers and above) received their rum neat, whilst for Junior Ratings it was diluted with two parts of water to make three-eighths of an imperial pint (210 mL) of grog. The rum ration was served from one particular barrel, also known as the "Rum Tub" which was ornately decorated and was made of oak, reinforced with brass bands, with brass letters saying, "The Queen, God Bless Her".

Not all sailors necessarily drew their rum – each had the option to be marked in the ship's books as "G" (for Grog) or "T" (for Temperate) if they were members of the Temperance Movement. Sailors who opted to be "T" were given three pence (3d) a day instead of the rum ration, although very few sailors took this option. Instead they gave away their ration in exchange for favours. The time when the rum ration was distributed was called "Up Spirits", which was between 11 am and 12 noon. A common cry from the sailors was "Stand fast the Holy Ghost". Each mess had a "Rum Bosun" who would collect the rum from the officer responsible for measuring the right number of tots for each mess. The officers did not get a rum ration. Tot glasses were kept separate from any other glasses. They were washed on the outside, but never inside, in the belief that residue of past tots would stick to the side of the glass and make the tot even stronger. Sailors under 20 were not permitted a rum ration and were marked on the ship's books as "UA" (Under Age).

A sailor's ration of alcohol was originally beer with a daily ration of one gallon (i.e. eight pints). This official allowance continued till after the Napoleonic Wars. When beer was not available, as it would often spoil easily, it could be substituted by a pint of wine or half a pint of spirits depending on what was locally available. In later years, the political influence of the West Indian planters led to rum being given the preference over arrack and other spirits. The half pint of spirits was originally issued neat; it is said that sailors would "prove" its strength by checking that gunpowder doused with rum would still burn (thus verifying that rum was at least 57% ABV).


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