Ritual of Fire
We all have those moments that scar us. Formative events that leave chalk outline memories. Some are perfect bliss. Some are exquisite horror. Better yet, there are a select few that encompass both extremes. Abominations of shadow and song that are turnkeys to the primal doorways of our hearts.
One I’m going to share is a spirit known as Lamb’s Navy Rum. You can’t see the goosebumps from where you are…but they are there just the same. Trust me.
Now, LNR makes a host of fine products and is actually known as the rum of choice for the English navy. It’s actually difficult to find in the States, though in all honesty, I haven’t quested for it. That’s a dragon I’ve sought out and slain enough for one lifetime.
My particular memories take us to the border of Canada and the U.S., where the lair of the 151 proof version of LNR could be acquired at the duty free store. Eight adults were on a journey into the northern wilds to spend a week fishing for walleye and northern pike.
The stop at a small rest area shortly after the border was ritual, and this ritual was one of fire. Decades have passed since I last experienced this special event, but I can still visualize the aisles of the duty free store. Could draw for you a picture of the innocuous rest stop.
We would circle up, and the Lamb’s Navy would make its way around, each taking an initiating swig straight from that hexagonal bottle. It was a hell of a way to begin, and one I cherish with equal degrees of desire and revulsion. The LNR served as a kind of penalty beverage during our trip, and it would take those eight adults, all seasoned drinkers, an entire week to finish the single bottle. The joyful cries that would come forth when that bottle ran dry.
I still don’t care for rum much to this day. Is it any wonder?
My impression of the English navy rose a couple of notches when those scars were made, and each time I do raise a glass of rum, my mind turns to the stalwart souls who partook of the Lamb. I am thankful for those crystalline memories but also grateful that such rituals of fire are ashes of the past.