Rum in History- May

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Rum in History- May

May Through the Years

1502-  On May 11, Christopher Columbus embarks on a fourth voyage to the New World, the journey took eight months, forcing the crews to eat wormy biscuit, shark meat and ships' rats in order to survive. Columbus introduces sugarcane to Puerto Rico.

1506-  Christopher Columbus dies in obscurity at Valladolid, on May 21 at age 55.  His bones would later be relocated to Santo Domingo, the island he discovered on December 5, 1492.

1536-  England begins to suffer shortage of honey as monasteries, which raised honeybees as a source of wax for votive candles, are dissolved pursuant to the 1534 Act of Supremacy.

1590-  The siege of Paris brings hunger and malnutrition that kill 13,000 in the city.  Food supplies are in adequate for the 30,000 inhabitants and the 8,000-man garrison.  The Spanish ambassador proposes grinding the bones of the dead to make flour.

1655-  English forces under the command of Vice Admiral William Penn take Jamaica ("San Lago") from the Spanish, precipitating a 3-year war.  The British Royal Navy introduces rum from jamaica to replace beer, becasue beer does not keep well at sea.

1690-  Start of the Pirate Round, the second of three outbursts that comprise the Golden Age of Piracy, which lasts until 1726.  During this period, pirates target primarily the ships from the East India Company, due to the value of their cargo.

1832-  Aeneas Coffey perfects his still, which allows for the first time to distill alcohol continuously, leading to higher production volumes and greater purity.  The principles behind the Coffey Still are the foundation of modern column distillation.