Prompt Cast
The End of the British Navy's Rum Ration: Black Tot Day
TLDR Black Tot Day marked the end of the British Navy's tradition of giving sailors a daily ration of rum, which had been reduced to one eighth of a pint or 71 milliliters per day in 1850. The tradition included phrases like "splice the main brace" and toasts for each day of the week, and is still kept alive today by a few distilleries.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Black Tot Day marked the end of the British Navy's tradition of giving sailors a daily ration of rum.
01:59
British sailors were initially given beer as their daily ration, but as ships sailed further from home, rum became the more readily available and popular choice.
03:18
The standard rum ration for sailors was initially one pint per day, but it was later mixed with water to create a four to one mixture called grog.
04:39
The rum ration for sailors, known as the tot, was reduced to one eighth of a pint or 71 milliliters per day, equivalent to about two shots of rum, in 1850.
06:01
The rum ration for sailors, known as the tot, was officially ended on July 31, 1970, in a ceremony known as Black Tot Day.
07:19
Traditions associated with the rum ration included the phrase "splice the main brace," which eventually became a general phrase for issuing an extra serving of rum, and a toast for each day of the week, such as to our ships at sea on Mondays and to a willing foe on Fridays.
08:38
The tradition of naval rum is still kept alive today by a few distilleries who make rum to the original recipe of the British Navy, such as Pusser's rum.
