A Pirate’s Life: Anne Bonny

A Pirate’s Life examines the drinking habits of history’s most infamous buccaneers and reimages what kind of rum they’d enjoy in the modern day. Anne Bonny is one of the most well-known lady pirates, having been featured in multiple works of fiction and been the source of much historical debate.

If she were alive today, Bonny would no doubt have a damn impressive rum collection, so let’s look at what kind of grog she’d stash.

Blacks Spiced Irish Rum

Given her Irish roots, Bonny would have a soft spot for rum that reminded her of the old country and she’d likely go for a bottle of Blacks Spiced Irish Rum from the Kinsale Distillery in County Cork.

Hailed as the first Irish rum, Blacks Spiced is made from molasses, aged in oak casks and then infused with different spices. Bonny would pour herself a glass in a tavern that was playing Irish folk songs and drink it straight.

Calico Jack Mango Rum 

Bonny’s story will forever be entwined with the tale of Jack ‘Calico Jack’ Rackham. Their relationship has become woven into pirate legend along with the bond they shared with Mary Read. So, Bonny would look to remember the best and the worst of her lover by drinking rum named after him.

Calico Jack Mango Rum is produced in St Croix under the banner of Beam Inc, a parent company that also owns Cruzan and Ronrico. It’s tropical notes would transport Bonny back to her glory days of sailing the high seas and living a life of adventure. 

Havana Club Anejo Three Rum

According to her legend, Bonny gave birth to her son in Cuba, so she’d have a natural affinity for the island and associate its rum with good memories. She’d opt for a classic bottle of Havana Club Anejo Three, which is produced from Cuban molasses and distilled in a column still. 

With soft and mellow notes of lemon, citrus, ice cream and pine nut, the rum would help to clear Bonny’s palate. She might enjoy it straight or mix it into a cocktail.

Queen’s Share Privateer Rum 

To some (especially Rackham), Bonny was a queen of the sea and she’d want to own a bottle that reminded her of the legacy she left behind. Privateer’s Queen Share is the perfect rum to sip while thinking of better days.

Queen’s Share is a unique style of rum that was traditionally made from the best barrels in a distillery and reserved for royalty. It required precise distilling and extended ageing to gain a unique flavour profile. 

Privateer’s Queen Share is made from rum ‘hearts’ i.e the second part of the three ‘main cuts’ in a traditional distillation. Towards the ‘tail’ end of the distillation, the hearts combine with the tails and Privateer distillers collect a fourth cut, which is known as the ‘seconds.’  Those small amounts are gathered over many different runs and redistilled together, creating a single barrel expression of Queen’s Share. 

Red Bonny Rum 

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and who wouldn’t want a rum named after themselves? Thoroughly sloshed, Bonny would enjoy dipping into a bottle of Red Bonny rum as a tribute to herself and the people who created it.

A dark drink blended from Guyanese rums, Red Bonny has gone through a tropical ageing process. With a flavour profile that conjures dark chocolate and liquorice, Red Bonny is best enjoyed straight or mixed with coke or ginger ale. It’s a fitting tribute to a woman who will always be remembered as an adventurer with a fierce passion for life. 

Bonny’s story has been told in various mediums, with one of the most faithful being in Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag. In the game, she’s a friend and confidante of Captain Edward Kenway, who’s known for his love of rum too. Be sure to check out the kind of drinks he’s into.