Black Tot | The Story

Tot of the day

"Ultimately the bond of all companionship, whether in marriage or in friendship, is conversation."

Oscar Wilde

Tales of the Tot

Black Tot Journal: Countries of Origin - Guyana

Hello all! I’m Edel, Brand Marketing Executive with Elixir Distillers and Black Tot, whisky fan and novice to the rum world. The purpose of these Black Tot Journal articles is to discuss my journey into rum. This is from the perspective of somebody completely new to the category and I’ll being writing in a (hopefully) engaging way that makes the spirit more accessible to others who are just discovering it too. We’re all in this together, so we may as well enjoy it! For this article, I look more closely at one of the significant rum producing regions: Guyana.

Tales of the Tot

Black Tot Days Around the World

You may know of the British Navy's infamous 'Black Tot Day' on 31st July, 1970 - the day of their very last rum ration. But did other countries' naval forces have rum rations also? And if so, when did they cease? Click through to find out.

Tales of the Tot

Where Do I Start My Rum Education?

So you’ve decided to be a rum drinker. Maybe you’ve heard it’s the next big thing, or a friend introduced you to something new and delicious, or maybe you were even in a bar (depending on where you are in the world this may feel like a distant memory) and the bartender introduced you to a whole new category. You may have discovered rum through sea monsters and pirates, you may have discovered it through more sophisticated means - whatever your introduction, welcome to the rum world. One of the first questions asked by the rum curious is ‘where do I learn more?’ Click through to find out just that...

Tales of the Tot

50 Years of Black Tot Day: Recreating the Navy Blend

In 2020, we commemorated the 50th Anniversary of Black Tot Day, on which the Royal Navy officially brought to an end the 239-year-old tradition of the daily rum ration. The day itself was a bittersweet occasion within the rum lover’s calendar – in one respect, it was an excuse for rum fanatics and former navy crews to get together and share a dram, on the other hand, it marked the loss of one of the world’s most fascinating rum blends.