flipCalico Jack's Bumbo (Rum, Water, Sugar, Nutmeg)
Calico Jack's Bumbo (Rum, Water, Sugar, Nutmeg)
Why this dish? Rum flows throughout Rackham's story — and seals it: the night pirate hunter Jonathan Barnet attacked him off Negril Point, his crew was too drunk to fight, and only Anne Bonny and Mary Read held the deck. 'Bumbo', rum sweetened with sugar and water, spiced with nutmeg, was the version sipped from a pitcher among shipmates.
A cold, sweet grog: West Indian rum diluted with water, sweetened with molasses or sugar, dusted with grated nutmeg. Less brutal than neat rum, it was drunk from a pitcher, passed around.
Here, friend, taste my bumbo and tell me if you've had better from here to Jamaica! Neat rum is for madmen and battle days; bumbo is for talking — you cut the rum with water, sweeten it well, and grate a little nutmeg on top for scent. We pass the pitcher around until the songs rise. Only beware of drinking too much: I've known men who drowned in it one night, and their captain with them.
- •West Indian rum — a good splash (base spirit)
- •Water (from the barrel) — twice the rum (diluent)
- •Sugar or molasses — to taste (sweetness)
- •Nutmeg — grated (finishing spice)
Calico Jack's Bumbo (Rum, Water, Sugar, Nutmeg)
A cold, sweet grog: West Indian rum diluted with water, sweetened with molasses or sugar, dusted with grated nutmeg. Less brutal than neat rum, it was drunk from a pitcher, passed around.
Why this dish? Rum flows throughout Rackham's story — and seals it: the night pirate hunter Jonathan Barnet attacked him off Negril Point, his crew was too drunk to fight, and only Anne Bonny and Mary Read held the deck. 'Bumbo', rum sweetened with sugar and water, spiced with nutmeg, was the version sipped from a pitcher among shipmates.
Here, friend, taste my bumbo and tell me if you've had better from here to Jamaica! Neat rum is for madmen and battle days; bumbo is for talking — you cut the rum with water, sweeten it well, and grate a little nutmeg on top for scent. We pass the pitcher around until the songs rise. Only beware of drinking too much: I've known men who drowned in it one night, and their captain with them.
Ingredients (period version)
- West Indian rum — a good splash (base spirit)
- Water (from the barrel) — twice the rum (diluent)
- Sugar or molasses — to taste (sweetness)
- Nutmeg — grated (finishing spice)
Ingredients
- Amber rum — 5 cl (adult version) (base spirit)
- Still or sparkling water — 10 cl (diluent)
- Cane sugar or molasses — 1 to 2 tsp (sweetness)
- Whole nutmeg for grating — a pinch (finishing spice)
Method
- Dissolve the sugar in water (warm if necessary), then let cool.
- Pour in the rum and stir.
- Grate fresh nutmeg on top just before serving.
- Serve from a pitcher to share — non-alcoholic version: replace rum with apple juice or cold black tea, keep sugar and nutmeg.
How it was made : 'Bumbo' (or 'bombo') was the sweet version of grog, as opposed to naval 'grog' (rum + water, no sugar) or 'flip' heated with egg and beer. Sugar and nutmeg came from the same islands as rum, making the drink easy for Caribbean pirates to concoct. It was even used to buy votes in colonial elections!
The contemporary twist : Family version 'cabin boy grog': hot apple juice, a squeeze of lime, nutmeg and a cinnamon stick as a stirrer.
Sources : David Cordingly, Under the Black Flag (1995) · Wayne Curtis, And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails (2006)
Calico Jack · Charactorium
