[James] Drinking rum & coca-cola

What is there about a drink that can level the playing field? One which the richest of men with high profiles would claim to have had and the poorest  peasant would down with their friends in a back alley bar, one of the first social drinks of many a young person getting their bearings in the social scene.

On the sugar cane estates of Trinidad, it was noted that the indentured Indian, Hindu, laborers could be easily placated and "kept in line" with their ration of rum, made from the fermented molasses left over from sugar production, it was as easy as that, with the waste of production becoming a key ingredient for a product known and enjoyed the World over, rising from humble and harsh beginnings to now command an unshakable spot on the World Market.

The chaser (as it is called), Coca Cola is also a World phenomenon in its own right. However, when combined Rum and Coke becomes a drink that is refreshing, mellow, relaxing, and is the backbone of most, if not all social events where alcohol is served. While some bartenders and pubs may have standard measures that they will apply, one can often be left to one's own devices, varying the strength/weakness of the alcohol content, however you choose to have it. Rum and Coke laid the foundation for all other mixed alcoholic beverages that had Coke as the chaser.

This iconic drink was immortalized by the Andrews Sisters, who did not even know that they were singing a song based on the reality of prostitution during the Second World War, when Trinidad had American Army and Naval bases located in particular, the Western Peninsular, the area known as Point Cumana. The lyrics to the song  Rum and Coca Cola was plagiarized from the original created by Calypsonian (Folk song artist) Lionel Belasco who's stage name was The Lord Invader. The Andrews sisters version spent ten weeks at the top of Billboard's U.S. Pop Singles chart and was the top song for 1945, not only immortalizing the song, but a rum based drink that was previously mixed with water or plain soda.

James B. Solomon from Trinidad