The origin of the word “rum” is unclear. It could be from the Latin word for sugar, “saccharum”. The word “rum” surfaced in mid 17th century. The most probable origin is the truncated version of rumbullion or rumbustion. Samuel Morewood, a British etymologist, suggested that it might be from a British slang—for instance, having a “rum time” suggests the “best time”.
He wrote: As spirits, extracted from molasses, could not well be ranked under the name whiskey, brandy, or arrack, it would be called rum, to denote its excellence or superior quality.
Some other names for rum are Nelson’s blood, kill-devil, demon water, pirate’s drink and navy neat. But in the battalion where I served, in a badakhana a jawan claimed that rum is an abbreviation for Regular Use Medicine. They say the army marches on in stomach. It also could be said that the army runs if rum is added to the diet. That is the reason why many infantry units supply rum in abundance to troops before operations during war.
Rum, like brandy, comes in handy for cooking various delicacies. If there was a barbeque at my officers’ mess, the cook used to ask for a couple of bottles of rum for soaking the pork before the meat was roasted. The caramel custard is served with the brandy flames burning on the dessert.
I mention brandy and rum in the same vein because some of the best rum cocktails aren’t rum cocktails. My troops used to carry a good stock of rum when we went for long-range patrolling; some of it to light fires in dark jungles and the rest to kill our fatigue after a day’s long march. I used the rum when I couldn’t find a candle in the field area. If you pour rum in a tumbler and light it from the top it burns like a diya (an oil lamp).
Once, one of my jawans presented a caricatured take of a weather report as follows: Ab hai khabar mausam ke bare mein. Agle chaubis ghanton mein officers’ mess par whisky ki aur jawanon ke langar pe rum ki barsaat hogi.” (Now, the weather report. There will be showers of whisky on the officers’ mess and of rum on the men’s mess.)
One heard of a doctor who habitually stopped at a bar for hazelnut daiquiri on his way home. The bartender was familiar with the doctor’s ways and would always have the drink waiting for him at precisely 5.30pm. One afternoon, as the end of the workday approached, the bartender was dismayed to find that he was out of hazelnut extract.
Thinking quickly, he threw together a daiquiri made with hickory nuts and set it on the bar. The doctor came in and took a sip of the drink and exclaimed. “This isn’t a hazelnut daiquiri! “No, I’m sorry,” replied the bartender. “It’s a hickory daiquiri, doc.”
Some wise man once said, “The British empire was founded on gin and quinine.” I’d say the Indian Army rests on rum and samosa. For, there is no event or celebrations among troops without rum or high tea for officers where the samosa isn’t an integral part.