Adm. Michael Wonio’s presentation at Thursday evening’s Hawkins Squadron meeting in Galveston was outstanding, and prompted a number of follow-up questions from the audience, which is usually a good sign. Michael offers this short list of sources for additional reference:
Pack, Captain James. 1995. Nelson’s Blood: The Story of Naval Rum. Naval Institute Press. xii + 196 pp.
Deals particularly with the Royal Navy, but gives the USA its chapter. Many period illustrations.
Williams, Ian. 2005. Rum: A Social and Sociable History of the Real Spirit of 1776. Nation Books. xviii + 340 pp.
22 Chapters in 3 Parts: Origins, Rum in the Americas, and Around the World. Each of the diverse chapters is itself a topic worthy of a presentation.
Coulombe, Charles A. 2004. Rum: The Epic Story of the Drink that Conquered the World. Citadel Press. viii + 296 pp.
14 diverse presentation-worthy chapters, each sprinkled with recipes, some drinkable, some chewable, all rummy.
Broom, Dave. 2003. Rum. Abbeville Press Publishers. 176 pp.
A “coffee-table book” with as much space devoted to its comprehensive text as to the gorgeous illustrations. Especially informative about the technology. Concludes with 5 pages of cocktail recipes, and an alphabetical Directory of Distillers, with images of representative labels, every label given its % ABV, an overall score, as well as notes on Color/Nose, Palate, Finish, and Conclusion.
One thing that Michael pointed out is that while the Royal Navy retained its traditional tot until 1970, the U.S. Navy replaced rum with whiskey as its standard liquor ration in 1806. Galveston has its own locally-based distillery, Texas Tail Distilleries, that produces Coastline Whiskey. It might be worth a try:
https://www.texastaildistillery.com/
Charles E. Hawkins Squadron 