National Rum Day is Friday, Aug. 16. Thanks to the summer heat, it’s the best time of year to enjoy island-based rum cocktails like the mai tai, dark ‘n’ stormy, and planter’s punch — and why not do so while watching the spirit-soaked escapades of Johnny Depp in The Rum Diary? We’ve paired our favorite Johnny Depp GIFS with some fun rum facts in honor of this essential holiday. Dig up that bottle of rum you buried on a desert island and check it out below!
Photo: Walt Disney Pictures
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Rum Johnny Depp
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The first rum was made by mistake.
Back in the 1600s, the first rum was made when people realized that molasses could be used to distill alcohol. This random discovery has led to countless Tiki bars and some of the most cloyingly sweet cocktails ever made.
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Rum might have been the first spirit ever produced.
While it’s hard to pinpoint the year the first rum was produced, there’s no doubt that it’s the first spirit to ever receive branding. Regardless, pirates and writers alike have been enjoying this potable for centuries.
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Mount Gay Rum is the oldest distillery in the world.
Barbados’ Mount Gay Rum can trace its genesis to 1705, making it the longest running rum distillery in the world. It’s so old, the United States didn’t even exist for another 70 years.
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Some of the best classic cocktails are made with rum.
From the daiquiri and the mojito to the Cuba libre and the piña colada, rum-based cocktails are likely the most iconic of all mixed drinks. Without rum, we wouldn’t have any of them and we’d have to settle for gin or vodka.
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Puerto Rico is the king of rum.
More than 80 percent of all of the world’s rum is distilled on the island of Puerto Rico. By default, this means that the U.S. is by far the largest rum producer in the world. Wrap your head around that.
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A famed hero had his body preserved in a barrel of rum.
Well-known military hero Admiral Nelson had his body preserved in a barrel of rum after dying in the battle of Trafalgar and before being shipped to England for burial. We like the brown stuff, but even for us, that’s a bit much.
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Rum is an alternative to shampoo.
In the 1800s, people used rum as a shampoo because it gave hair a shiny, luxurious feel. We’ll just stick to shower beer, thanks.
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Rum was used to fight scurvy.
Members of Britain’s Royal Navy were given rations (or "tots") of rum and lime juice in an effort to stave off scurvy. We can get behind that. A daily buzz and some vitamin C. That definitely works for us.
