Happy Black Tot Day! A History Of Britain's Royal Naval Rum (And A Tasting, Too)

Photo by Christine Sachs

On July 31, 1970, the British Royal Navy distributed the final daily rum rations, known as “tots,” to its sailors, ending a practice going back more than two centuries. Sailors wore black armbands and had mock funerals for the rum, and July 31st became known among seamen and rum nerds as “Black Tot Day.”

50 years later, I got to try some of the actual rum that the sailors drank, in much more hospitable conditions fortunately. And I wrote a long (but not boring!) article for Robb Report about the history of the daily tot, as well as where you can still find your own bottle of history (as well as a couple of tasty homages). I also made a video of the tasting which you can see here.

If you’re reading this on Black Tot Day, go get yourself whatever rum you’ve got handy, lift a glass of it to the Queen, and celebrate the memory of all those rum-quaffing seamen who ruled the high seas in the days of yore. And if you’re seeing this after July 31st… hey, there’s never a bad time to drink rum, right?