In ancient India in the 7th century A.D., it was a hot and comfortable afternoon. Dr. Vabata sat in the herb garden, pondering for a long time. His sophisticated eyes were fixed on the lines of ancient Indian characters in front of him, which were the recipe for a medical text called "Ayurveda."
The recipe reads: take the sucrose made from local sugar cane, add a little water and boil to dissolve; take molasses to make fruit wine; The fruit wine is then distilled and purified...... Steps like that.
This was originally a health prescription, but unexpectedly, it was accidentally made into a mellow and sweet wine.
He thought to himself: Sugarcane, my local production is indeed quite abundant; If this wine is made, patients with weak constitution may drink a small amount to achieve the effect of nourishing the body.
Thinking of this, he immediately arranged for the maid to bring the required ingredients and try to brew them himself.
That year, he was in his forties, still with full cheeks and a strong body. He rolled up his sleeves and busily picked out the sugar and checked the brewing equipment and temperature.
Finally, the first batch of molasses was made. After taking a small sip, the mellow sweetness immediately spreads in the mouth, and it is full of stamina.
The recipe for molasses spread westward, and the first arrival was Cyprus, a beautiful island in the corner of the Middle East.
The climate here is mild and pleasant, the four seasons are like spring, dates are everywhere, and the fragrance of flowers is constant. The inhabitants of the island live a leisurely and peaceful life. Merchants from afar pay tribute to exotic treasures and often stop here.
On a warm afternoon, King Peter stood awaitingly on the pier in front of the palace with a delicate string of Bodhi beads in his hand. This is a new treasure from the Oriental Nation, and with it comes a barrel of unnamed liquor that is completely black.
"This wine is wonderful! A sweet fragrance goes straight to the heavens. Even if the color is like ink, it is difficult to hide its mellow aftertaste. "Come and compliment.
Peter immediately ordered his attendant to fetch the glass glass, and he was eager to taste the strange wine from the East.
The slightly cool liquid glides through the throat, leaving a sweet and refreshing aftertaste on the cheeks.
King Peter immediately ordered the Imperial Dining Room to change the method of making this Oriental molasses, increasing the alcohol concentration and making it more mellow and fragrant. Since then, the art of rum making has taken root in Europe.
It was 1664 when Britain entered the first boom of the Industrial Revolution. The improvement of machine production efficiency has brought huge economic dividends, and the enthusiasm of British businessmen has also been fully stimulated.
What makes money? They can do anything about it.
Benjamin, a wealthy young merchant from the East India Company, immediately made a plan by sending his cronies to visit distilleries near the city of London to buy bulk ingredients. Raw materials are transported back to the factory through the family's fleet in the port.
Hundreds of mechanics work around the clock to brew, fill and carry rum kegs. The train pulls barrels in a row, and the St. George's ornamental flag flutters in the wind, carrying out the steed stakes.
In just two years, Benjamin's Rum Company became the largest brewer in the UK and the largest producer and seller of cane sugar liquor in Europe.
People raise their glasses and toast to wine and business success!
Seafarers have always portrayed themselves as the embodiment of passion, generosity and romanticism. In fact, adventure and boldness, most of the time are just to satisfy the loneliness and emptiness in the heart.
For the long ocean routes, the endless deep blue sea and sky will always be you.
William was a first mate in his early thirties, and his girlfriend chose to marry someone else on his first voyage. Occasionally, he would go to the tavern when he docked, but never talked about a second relationship.
Alcohol is a good remedy for annoyance, drink a glass of glass, get a good night's sleep, and get up the next day to continue the voyage to the next continent. Among the crew, this kind of erosion and decadence is also commonplace.
Only the rum in Bibo will never betray you, and the flavor is rich, like a kiss of first love.
"Boss, the boss has changed this month's salary to rum again!"
"Please go to the captain's for me and ask for a few boxes. I don't want to have to rely on you to even count the amount of drink!"
"Well, I'll give you a cut of this sea business!"
The crew was also happy with this arrangement, after all, spirits were easy to store and easy to trade.
As a result, rum spread more quickly among seafarers, and several galleons even formed smuggling networks that could directly exchange wine for money.
Arthur is an old actor who can casually mix the identity of a boatswain foreman on the ship. He likes to take the initiative the most, so that he has a reason to ask for a few more cases of wine from the boss.
Arthur, who was on duty that day, noticed that there seemed to be a floating corpse floating on the surface of the sea in the distance, but it seemed that there was nothing unusual when he stared closely. He shook his head, thinking it was probably a hallucination caused by the excessive use of alcohol during a long period of sailing.
At that moment, a new young sailor leaped past him, staring straight into the distant sea, and muttering: "God forbid - floating ghosts! If there are oranges and lemons in the ship...... Thou art not in the wilderness of the dead.
Arthur reacted immediately and grabbed the young man: "What did you say!
It turned out that the new sailor had worked for a short time in a tavern on land before being hired, and had heard some of the elder sailors talk about the anti-scurvy effect of adding lemon or other citrus juices.
Arthur immediately gathered several members of the crew around him and ordered them to exchange the liquor for lemons, and experiment with adding it to the daily ration of rum to drink together.
Over the next month, the proportion of sailors who fell ill and received vitamin C supplements plummeted, and many of those who had previously developed scures were discharged from the hospital without a single death.
Arthur was so excited that he immediately reported the matter to the captain, and asked for a portion of the wine money to be exchanged for a large number of citrus fruits, which were added to the daily alcohol rations of all sailors.
Since then, rum has not only been a placebo for sailors, but also an important tonic for alleviating and resisting the illness of long voyages. This undoubtedly further cemented its central position in the community of ocean-going sailors.
Time has passed, and today's consumers are no longer satisfied with the high alcohol of spirits as the sailors of the past. While people are eager for quality life, they will also demand the taste and quality of drinks.
As a result, many traditional brewers have improved their brewing processes, and on the basis of retaining the original alcohol content and rich flavor of rum, how to prepare products with a smoother and mellower taste has become the pursuit of the new era.
James, a bartender, is busy behind the bar at his resort in the Caribbean. He held a glass measuring cup and repeatedly checked whether the amount of white rum, fructose syrup and freshly squeezed lemon juice was exactly right.
It's a new recipe he made based on an ancient seafarer's secret recipe. The aromatic combination of rum and lemon adds to the richness of this cocktail, which is rich and fresh, and the aftertaste is still long. James smiled with satisfaction after tasting it, and he decided to create a whole set of island-inspired cocktails based on this new product.
Not only on the resort islands, but also in Europe's most historic and aristocratic wineries, which have also begun to produce rum. With a rigorous craftsman spirit, they meticulously present every detail of the brewing to perfection.
As a result, the quality of today's rum has been greatly improved and improved, and people have gradually accepted this oriental spirit.
On a small Caribbean island far away from the hustle and bustle, every evening in the golden hour of sunset, there are travelers holding a martini cocktail in the shade of the coconut grove to reminisce about the beauty of life.
Just as long ago, those lonely sailors faced the sea and comforted their hearts in this way. History and wonderful stories never stop.