O Canada: Snowshoe Sam and the Prehistory of 151 Rum
O Canada: Snowshoe Sam and the Prehistory of 151 Rum
Compared with this rum, for blowing your top.
They all are as mild as strawberry pop.
— The March of Snowshoe Sam, 1943
One of rum’s eternal questions is how 151 proof rum came about. That is, why are so many rums bottled at 151 proof rather than the more obvious 150 proof, being a nice round number and all?
If only a smattering of 151 rums were on shelves, the question would be just an odd curiosity for wonks like me. But after Hudson’s Bay 151 came out in 1934, the 151-moniker spread to other brands in other places. Lemon Hart 151 dates to at least 1937, and Puerto Rico’s Ronrico lineup included a 151 proof by 1938. Carioca, also from Puerto Rico, joined the club by 1944, and even Jamaica’s Appleton had a 151 by 1975, if not earlier.
Surprisingly, Bacardi’s 151, likely the most storied of all time, didn’t make the scene till the early 1960s, a product of their new Brazilian distillery. Although Bacardi stopped making 151 several years ago — some say to avoid legal liability from misuse — plenty of 151 rum brands remain on the market.
A Brief (Pre-)History of 151 Rum
The earliest known instance of a rum labeled “151” is Hudson’s Bay 151, as shown in this November 1934 advertisement in the Helena Montana Independent Record - look down at the bottom:
A few things to note here: Hudson’s Bay was (and still is) a Canadian retailer — the company dates itself to 1670 and today is known as The Bay. For many years the company focused on wine and spirits, which it sold under the Hudson’s Bay label. Note a few of their portfolio items in the image above.
Secondly, the above advertisement appeared less than a year after US prohibition ended. We can reasonably assume that this was a successful Canadian spirit retailer branching out across the border into adjoining US states after liquor was legal again.
It may seem that the first 151 rum appeared out of thin air, but history rarely works like that. There’s no evidence of any “151” labeled rum sold in Canada before 1934, but it’s unlikely there would be —Canada didn’t use the US proof system. Instead, Canada used the British Imperial proof system, which I’ve documented here. If a rum at this particular strength were sold in Canada, its strength would be specified in degrees overproof.
A brief bit of math to calculate exactly the value in degrees overproof for a US 151 proof rum:
151 proof is 75.5% ABV
British Imperial proof is 57.15% ABV
75.5 divided by 57.15 is ~1.32, where ‘1’ is proof strength.
Thus, US 151 proof is equivalent to 32 degrees overproof in the imperial proof system. This was often referred to as 32° overproof or 32 overproof.
Knowing the above and returning to the archives seeking mentions of 32 overproof rum, we hit paydirt. There are numerous Canadian newspaper ads for 32 overproof rum by none other than Hudson’s Bay company. The earliest instance known is an October 1911 advertisement in the Victoria BC Times Colonist:
Although the advertisement doesn’t specify Demerara rum, we can reasonably assume it was. Canada has a long history of importing Demerara rum from Guyana and before that, British Guiana.
Hudson’s Bay Company continued selling 32 overproof-strength Demerara in Canada well after it introduced a 151 proof Demerara for the US market, as the 1936 ad from the Regina Leader-Post headlining this story shows.
In fact, “32 Overproof” rum appears to have been somewhat celebrated in Canada. A poem in Yank, a World War II-era magazine for American GIs, reads:
THE MARCH OF SNOWSHOE SAM
You’ve heard of the ride of Paul Revere,
The ride that Americans still hold dear.
That a great ride it was we know of course,
Yet most of the work was done by the horse.
But the trek I’ll tell, of a powerful man,
Was the famous march of Snowshoe Sam.
Now this was up in the arctic snow.
Where men perspire in 40 below.
So as not to go bushed or rum-dumdum,
They drank of 32-overproof rum,
And that my friend, if you’ve never tried,
Is stuff to keep your eyeballs fried.
You may have drunk cognac, vodka or gin,
Okulehau, tequila or strong brandywine,
Scotch, bourbon, rye or corn from the South,
Or some drink that lifted the roof of your mouth.
Compared with this rum, for blowing your top.
They all are as mild as strawberry pop.
The Question Remains: Why 151?
While we now know when and where 151 proof rum came about, we’re no closer to why. Even using imperial proof units, “32” seems like an odd choice. Why not 30 or 35 overproof?
One plausible explanation comes to us via Charles H. Baker, the bon vivant, raconteur, and playboy who traveled the globe with the likes of Ernest Hemingway. Baker wrote several food and drinks books, including 1951’s The South American Gentleman’s Companion: Being an Exotic Cookery Book, or, Up and Down the Andes with Knife, Fork, and Spoon. Within its pages is this passage:
A TIMELY WORD on the why & wherefore of 151-PROOF Demerara Rum; Plus a Warning
Back a century, or maybe more ago, good Demerara rum, along with Barbados and Jamaica, was England’s dearest rum. Ordinary proof rums, shipped up to the chill winter wastes round Hudson Bay, in Canada, promptly froze and burst their bottles. 151-proof was finally hit upon as proper proof to weather that cruel wintering.
This isn’t to say Baker’s explanation is bulletproof, but the book was written less than two decades after the first 151 rum appeared. Nonetheless, Baker was known to embellish his stories, so an independent source for freezing explanation is desirable. While such sources are thin on the ground, a 1954 Montreal Start article filled with copious details about the Duke of Edinburgh’s visit notes:
Climax of the meal, and the trip, was ‘‘Coffee Yukon.” This is a specialty available only in Whitehorse or Yellowknife, NWT. These are the only two places in Canada where the law permits the sale of overproof rum, the reasoning being that prospectors leaving for the bush need some liquid in their packs which will not freeze at temperatures which drop to around 60 below.
This rum is 32 overproof—and a drop of it was put in the Duke’s black coffee. He asked for a second cup.
Summary
Available evidence strongly suggests that rum intentionally bottled at 151 proof strength was first sold in Canada starting no later than 1911 and was very likely Demerara-style rum. However, it was sold as “32 overproof rum” as Canada doesn’t use the US proof system. That strength seems to have been selected to prevent freezing in the bone-chillingly cold Canadian winters. It wasn’t until US prohibition ended in late 1933 that this rum could (legally) come into the US, and 151 proof rum was born. Within 4 years, Puerto Rico had taken up the mantle, and the “151 style” of rum ascended rapidly.
For a related take on 151s, with more emphasis on the wide variety of 151 rums, past and present, check out Lance Surujbally’s story on his site, The Lone Caner.