One of the oft-told, erroneous tales about Royal Navy rum is that Britain’s navy used the “gunpowder test” to test a rum’s strength before the invention of the Sikes Hydrometer in 1816. As the story goes, if rum-soaked gunpowder would “flash” after it was exposed to a flame, it was at least proof strength, i.e., 57% ABV in modern units. This allegedly ensured that sailors weren’t given rum at less than official issuing strength.
The Myth of Royal Navy Rum and the Gunpowder Test
The Myth of Royal Navy Rum and the Gunpowder…
The Myth of Royal Navy Rum and the Gunpowder Test
One of the oft-told, erroneous tales about Royal Navy rum is that Britain’s navy used the “gunpowder test” to test a rum’s strength before the invention of the Sikes Hydrometer in 1816. As the story goes, if rum-soaked gunpowder would “flash” after it was exposed to a flame, it was at least proof strength, i.e., 57% ABV in modern units. This allegedly ensured that sailors weren’t given rum at less than official issuing strength.