What did Pirates Actually Eat, Drink, and Steal?
For Talk Like a Pirate Day, Tanner and Jerry dig into the surprisingly strange food and drink history of life at sea. We start with what pirates actually ate, why their diet could sometimes give them an advantage over the Navy, and how scurvy became one of the biggest threats aboard ship. That includes James Lind’s famous experiment testing cures ranging from cider and vinegar to seawater, citrus, and a truly questionable garlic-and-mustard concoction.
Then we make a Bumbo and look at what pirates and sailors actually drank. Why was fresh water such a problem? Why did rum become so important? What exactly is grog, and why is it more closely connected to the Royal Navy than pirates? We also get into beer, wine, sugar, spices, and why the best treasure on a captured ship was not always gold.
Next, Tanner breaks down the major styles of rum, what makes them different, and which bottles work best for Daiquiris, tropical drinks, spirit-forward cocktails, or drinking neat.
Finally, Jerry gets tested on pirate history. Walking the plank, buried treasure, parrots, eye patches, pirate codes, Jolly Rogers, and all the other things movies have taught us about pirates. Which are real, and which are complete nonsense?
Pour some rum, avoid the seawater, and find out what pirate life was actually like.