Artifact: Tavern bottle
Materials: Ceramic
Dimensions:
Date: Post 1760
Origin: England
Collection: Alexandria Archaeology Museum
License: Public Domain
Ledger Entry: Rum
Department: Alcohol
Customer: James Hamilton
Ledger Page: 57
Imported From: While some rum was imported directly from the West Indies, it was more cost efficient to import molasses from the West Indies and produce rum in the North American colonies. Therefore rum also served an important role as a colonial export to Europe.
Product Description
Rum was the most popular alcoholic beverage in colonial America. It was produced predominantly from distilled molasses, though sugarcane was used as well. It was consumed straight, diluted, or commonly in punch.
Citation: John J. McCusker. Rum and the American Revolution: The Rum Trade and the Balance of Payments of the Thirteen Continental Colonies. Garland New York, 1989.; Tonya Hopkins. "Rum." In The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. Oxford University Press, 2004.
Historical Price: 3 shillings, 4 pence per gallon; Modern USD: $37.4
Product Variations
The databases record fifty-one purchases of rum, far outnumbering a single purchase of spirits and two purchases of wine. Rum was sold by quarter, half, or gallon increments for four or five shillings per gallon, though a few purchases were by the bottle. Two purchase of rum and bottle, one for fourteen pence and the other for one shilling nine pence indicate that customers often brought their own vessel to fill. Rum was purchased by both men and women, but with far greater frequency by men.
