'Rum' appeared in the 1650s Caribbean, probably shortened from 'rumbullion' (uproar). Origin debated.
An alcoholic spirit distilled from sugarcane byproducts, such as molasses or sugarcane juice.
The origin of 'rum' is debated and no single etymology is universally accepted. The most widely cited theory derives it from 'rumbullion' or 'rumbustion,' seventeenth-century English slang terms meaning 'uproar' or 'tumult' — presumably describing the drink's effect on its consumers. Another theory links it to the Malay word 'brum' or 'bram,' meaning a sugarcane-based liquor, which Dutch traders may have encountered in Southeast Asia. A third proposal derives it from the large drinking
The Royal Navy issued a daily rum ration to sailors from 1655 until July 31, 1970 — a date the Navy mournfully calls 'Black Tot Day.' Admiral Vernon's 1740 order to dilute the ration with water created 'grog,' named after his grogram-fabric cloak. The rum trade was deeply intertwined with the triangular trade: molasses from the Caribbean was shipped to New