A matter of taste | Drinks of independence

Discover the untold stories of how drinks like rum, tea, and Cuba Libre played pivotal roles in history.

We rarely associate drinks with independence. I mean, sure we celebrate and raise a toast, and every now and then someone at a soirée will try and impress by talking about how Napoleon spoke of Champagne. The someone will mention Winston Churchill and his penchant for all drinks French during the Second World War. But that’s pretty much all we hear as it goes for the role of drinks in the larger independence movements in history. Well, here is some fodder for your next social gig.

Rum: Rum was made by the British in the new colonies aka the United States of America, using sugar grown in the West Indies by slaves who had been procured from Africa who were, ironically enough, bought from tribal chiefs in exchange for rum. That’s pretty much the sum up on the rum trade in the 17th and 18th century. Well, a time came (1733z to be precise) when the English passed the Molasses Act in their colony which decreed that all sugar and molasses procured from British Isles was to be taxed heavily. They tried to reduce this burden in 1764 with the Sugar Act which brought down the duty but the Americans continued buying sugar from the French colonies or smuggling it in from other places like Dutch colonies as it still worked out cheaper than the British isles. The Act was repealed in 1766 but it paved the way for the American revolution.

Tea: Rum may have been the precursor, but tea was real catalyst that finally led to American revolution and their eventual independence. The Boston Tea Party was an act of defiance to object to the Tea party which allowed the East India Company to evade some taxes and supply tea directly to the colony. The Americans refused to pay taxes to the British especially given no representation in the English parliament. The throwing of tea overboard was a major act of defiance which escalated into battle exchanges that eventually became known as the American Revolutionary War. Tea had already played a significant role in making the East India Company a representative of the Crown in many (Eastern) colonies like India, a role which went way beyond their original intent of being a trading company but alas, tea was also what brought about the beginning of the empire’s downfall.

Cuba Libre: Cuban independence from Spain was toasted by a US Army Captain who concocted a mix of white (Bacardi) rum, American (Coca-) cola and some lemon juice, all served mixed over ice. This happened in Havana, Cuba, sometime circa 1901 and the delicious drink became a symbol of Cuban independence. It became popular and found a place in Cuban tradition and culture quickly, partly fuelled by patriotism but also by the ease with which this sweet fizzy yet heady drink could be imbued.

Not just these, other drinks had significant roles to play in our history too – Coffee played a role in the bringing about of scientific thought and progress in the 1900s, just like wine had almost 2 millennia earlier. Beer is possibly how civilisation began and was one of the first forms of currency.

So if anyone ever tells you that it’s just a drink, remind them that what they hold in the glass is a revolution waiting to be brought to life.