Arrrrr Where be me rot gut!

July 7, 2006 3:04 PM

After having just spent a week in Kill Devil Hills on the outer banks, I have become infected with pirate fever! I thirst for a good pirate quality Rum. I want the rot gut hopefully in a non fancy pants round bottle to swig out of next time I go to the beach.

I have tried spiced rum.. Its ok, but I don't know if its authentic. And I find it pretty hard to swig out of the bottle.
Any suggestions are welcome for awesome beach drinks!

posted by JonnyRotten to food & drink (10 comments total)

Hold on. So are you looking for good rum, or bad rum?
posted by mr_roboto at 3:28 PM on July 7, 2006

Terrible, terrible flash site, but: Brugal is the best I know.
posted by Skyanth at 3:31 PM on July 7, 2006

All rum is rot-gut. In my opinion, the least rot-gutty rot-gut is Appleton Estate.
posted by klarck at 3:37 PM on July 7, 2006

As mr_roboto said, it's not quite clear what you're looking for.

I have tried spiced rum.. Its ok, but I don't know if its authentic.

If you're wondering whether pirates drank Captain Morgan's or Malibu, I'm pretty sure they did not.

If you're after nautical-historical value, there's always Pusser's. You could pretend you stole it from the British frigate you just scuttled.
posted by staggernation at 3:41 PM on July 7, 2006

Sailor Jerry isn't half bad and the label and bottle meet your non-fancy-pants requirements. Plus it has a ship on it. Pirates like ships, I hear. Arrrrr.
posted by bedhead at 3:48 PM on July 7, 2006

Pusser's is indeed good stuff, and has history behind it, but it' but quite strong, and not a swigging from the bottle rum. It makes a very nice authentic grog, though.

You might like Rhum Barbancourt. It's distinctly rummy, but light and sweet and goes well in bulk. I am perenially unable to decide if it, or Cruzan Single Barrel is my favorite.
posted by jammer at 4:35 PM on July 7, 2006

Both good and bad rum suggestions are welcome!
I imagine the more successful the pirate, the better the rum drank.
I bought a bottle of Sailor Jerry, but have yet to have a chance to tip it back.
I guess most towards the root of my question, is the rum of today anything like the rum of yesteryear? I know they were not drinking Captain Morgans, but was the general drink itself anything like what is popularly called rum today? Was it "spiced" or more plain?
The picture in my head of Pirate Rum is a Dark rum, not the clear stuff. Definatly no fruity fruit flavors. But I could be way off base.. Just the stuff of my childhood pirate fantasies.
posted by JonnyRotten at 7:16 PM on July 7, 2006

An old sea dog introduced me to Mount Gay about 15 years ago. I am forever grateful...
posted by DelusionsofGrandeur at 8:22 PM on July 7, 2006 [1 favorite]

Second Mountgay. Also Old Oak from Trinidad and Cavalier from Antigua. Then again you might want to try Jack Iron from Carriacou and see if you remember anything afterwards.
posted by adamvasco at 3:10 AM on July 8, 2006

Brokeback, err.... Mount Gay?. Really, I'm sure pirates drank pretty much anything they could get a hold of, the cheaper the better when they weren't stealing it. Har.
posted by IronLizard at 9:05 AM on July 8, 2006