On Christmas morning, as you make your first tea or begin mixing your eggnog, spare a thought for our armed forces. Since the 1890s, they have been starting Christmas Day with a drink that sounds more like a bizarre hangover cure than a festive pick-me-up.
Known as ‘Gunfire’, the drink is made of one part rum to three parts black tea. By tradition, the beverage is taken hot and is served by senior officers to junior soldiers, making it one of the few occasions in which the ordinarily inflexible roles of the military are reversed.
Although no one is quite sure how Gunfire got its name, the most compelling theory, according to the Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum, comes from an encyclopaedia compiled by Major R.D. Ambrose. The entry on the origins of Gunfire reads:
In 1775 there were three daily beats in camp by the drummers. The reveille at daybreak was signalled by the drums and by a morning gun being fired. We can thus assume that gunfire referred to the morning gun. Early morning tea, supplied to the troops at reveille was called ‘gunfire’.
Over time, somehow, Gunfire gained the addition of rum and went from a daily ritual to something reserved for special occasions. Today Gunfire can be served on almost any special event, such as Remembrance Day or the King’s Birthday. But by far the most popular time for serving the drink is Christmas Day.
How exactly Gunfire became associated with Christmas Day is uncertain. However, given the military custom of holding a rum ration, typically added to tea to lift the spirits during times of hardship such as during trench warfare or on deployment in harsh locations, it was perhaps inevitable it would become linked with Christmas – a time of year when, away from home and their families, most troops are in need of a morale boost.
At times, however, it has proved problematic. In parts of the world where alcohol is prohibited, military units have had to improvise. While stationed in Saudi Arabia during the Desert Storm campaign, for instance, the 3rd Ordnance Battalion Group devised an alcohol-free variant of the drink called ‘Blankfire’. Fortified with spices, such as nutmeg, to help compensate for the lack of alcohol, Blankfire is a military staple for when rum rations are low. Or, indeed, non-existent.
In most territories, though, alcohol-infused Gunfire is preferred, and often adapted to local tastes. In Australia and New Zealand, a related tradition called ‘Gunfire breakfast’ has emerged. In this variant, Gunfire is made from black coffee and a single shot of rum. Sometimes other spirits, such as brandy and whisky, can be used in place of rum.
But for British soldiers stationed at home or abroad, it will be rum and black tea (spices optional) that will be served to them tomorrow morning. If you’d like to join them in raising a toast this year, follow the recipe below to kickstart your Christmas with a bang.
How to make Gunfire
What you will need:
- Black tea (English breakfast or Assam)
- 200-250ml (about 1 cup/8oz) of boiling water
- 30-50ml (1-1.5 shots) of dark rum
Optional additions:
- ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg (either stir in directly or sprinkle on top as a garnish)
- A slice of lemon or orange to add a citrus note and balance sweetness
To prepare, pour one cup of strong black tea, add the rum and stir.
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