Ruinum
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History
- In 1898, sailors aboard the USS Maine were drinking Ruinum in keeping with the highest traditions of the Navy. However when the drunk sailors started playing with fire near the gunpowder, Ruinum accidentally caused the start of the Spanish-American War.
- Romans used a version of Ruinum in their feasts for their god Bacchus. Bacchus is known as the Roman god of wine and ritual madness or frenzy. They called this version “Bacchuvino” or wine of Bacchus. Along with the drink, the Bacchanalia (orgies in honor of Bacchus) were introduced in Rome around 200 BC. More potent versions of Bacchuvinos are made every year after that since wealthy Romans cannot get enough of it even after the festival. Little by little, the festival drink spread from high society to the masses due to its high alcohol content and its mysterious side effects like fire eating, fascination with spikes and temporary lunacy. This may be one of factors that led to the downfall of the Roman Empire.
- It is said that Datu Lapu-Lapu and his men drank a concoction of Ruinum (came from trading with the Chinese), Lambanog and secret herbs as a battle elixir in the Battle of Mactan. They annihilated the heavily armed Spanish forces including Ferdinand Magellan in April 1521 by using only swords, spears and berserker rage.
- Howard Zinn referred to Ruinum in an early unpublished manuscript of A People’s History of the United States, saying that the honey wine had become a favorite of slave owners in the South in the late 1850′s. It was often referred to back then with the racially charged name, “[Censored] Spirits.”
- On May 29th, 1892, Robert Ford, noted coward and assasin of Jesse James, opened a saloon in Creede, Colorado. It specialized in barley wines in the style of Ruinum. Six days later, the entire business district of Creede burned to the ground. Ford immediately opened a tent saloon with his remaining stock of Ruinum. Three days later, he was dead, shot with both barrels of Edward O'Kelley's shotgun. On a related note, in the 1939 film Jesse James, Ford was played by John Carradine, father of David, who died in the course of a Ruinum fueled sex romp in a Bangkok hotel in 2009.