The story of Caligo 1720 Dry Gin
THIS TASTY GIN IS A TRIBUTE TO THE PIRATE JOHN RACKHAM AND HIS LOVE FOR ADVENTURE, WOMEN, COLOURFUL ROBES AND SEAFARING. HERE’S TO FREEDOM!
JOHN RACKHAM, COMMONLY KNOWN AS CALICO JACK, WAS BORN IN BRISTOL, ENGLAND IN 1682. FOLLOWING HIS LOVE FOR SEAFARING HE STARTED WORKING ON A SHIP AND WAS SOON APPOINTED HELMSMAN. ONE DAY, THE CREW ENCOUNTERED A FRENCH SHIP AND WANTED TO ATTACK IT. WHEN CAPTAIN CHARLES VANE REFUSED TO DO SO, THE CREW STARTED A MUTINY AND APPOINTED HELMSMAN RACKHAM CAPTAIN. JOHN RACKHAM TURNED THE SHIP AROUND AT ONCE, BOARDED THE FRENCH SHIP, AND DEFEATED ITS CREW. ENCOURAGED BY THEIR FIERCE VICTORY AND THE CAPTURED RICHES, RACKHAM AND HIS MATES DECIDED TO PURSUE A CAREER OF PIRACY FROM THEN ON.
JOHN RACKHAM, PIRATE CAPTAIN, WAS HENCEFORTH KNOWN AS CALICO JACK. HE EARNED HIS NICKNAME DUE TO HIS FONDNESS FOR COLOURFUL CALICO CLOTHING AND MANGOS. TODAY HE IS BEST KNOWN FOR THE COMPANY OF TWO FAMOUS FEMALE PIRATES: ANNE BONNY, WITH WHOM CALICO JACK HAD TWO CHILDREN, AND MARY READ, WHO ABANDONED HER OWN TAVERN IN 1716, SERVED IN THE MILITARY DISGUISED AS A MAN, AND MET CALICO JACK AND HIS WIFE AFTERWARDS.
CALICO JACK MET MARRIED ANNE BONNY DURING A TRIP TO THE SHORES OF NEW PROVIDENCE. HE FELL IN LOVE INSTANTLY AND PRESENTED HER WITH LARGE PORTIONS OF HIS LOOT. HE ABANDONED HIS CREW AND TOGETHER, THEY JOINED FORMER PIRATE TURNED PRIVATEER CAPTAIN BURGESS. WHEN THE AFFAIR BETWEEN CALICO JACK AND ANNE BONNY BECAME KNOWN, THEY ESCAPED THE GOVERNOR’S ORDERS TO HAVE ANNE BONNY WHIPPED ON CHARGES OF ADULTERY, STEALING A BOAT AND QUICKLY PUTTING TOGETHER A CREW. AT THE TIME, IT WAS COMMON SUPERSTITION THAT A WOMAN ON BOARD MEANT BAD LUCK, SO ANNE DISGUISED HERSELF AS A MAN AND WENT UNDER THE NAME OF ADAM BONNY. ALLEGEDLY, SHE KILLED A CREW MEMBER BY STABBING HIM RIGHT THROUGH THE HEART BECAUSE HE HAD VOICED HIS DISPLEASURE ABOUT THE POSSIBLE PRESENCE OF A WOMAN ON BOARD. AS ADAM BONNY, ANNE BECAME A RESPECTED CREW MEMBER, PROVING HERSELF IN SEVERAL VICTORIOUS NAVAL BATTLES.
CALIGO JACK
IN 1720, THE BAHAMAS TRIED TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM OF PIRACY AROUND THEIR ISLANDS AND SET OUT TO CAPTURE RACKHAM AND HIS CREW. ESCAPING BOTH THE BAHAMAS’ AND SPAIN’S ATTEMPTS TO INCARCERATE THEM, THEY SAILED THE NORTHERN BORDERS OF JAMAICA, CAPTURING NUMEROUS FISHING VESSELS AND A SAILING BOAT. AT THAT TIME, THEY WERE JOINED BY MARY READ, STILL DISGUISED AS A MAN. THEY KEPT ROAMING THE CARIBBEAN, INVADING COASTAL TOWNS, CAPTURING SHIPS, MURDERING HABITANTS.
MUSTERING ALL HIS STRENGTH, THE JAMAICAN GOVERNOR WAS DETERMINED TO PUT AN END TO THIS DREADFUL STATE AND TO CAPTURE CALICO JACK AND HIS CREW ONCE AND FOR ALL. HE HIRED PIRATE HUNTER CAPTAIN BARNET WHO FINALLY SUCCEEDED IN THE TASK. PRESUMABLY, THE PIRATE CREW PUT UP A FIGHT LED BY MARY READ AND ANNE BONNY. CALICO JACK AND HIS MEN WERE BROUGHT TO SPANISH TOWN, JAMAICA, WHERE THEY WERE FOUND GUILTY AND SENTENCED TO BE HANGED. ON NOVEMBER 18, 1720, CALICO JACK WAS EXECUTED IN PORT ROYAL, HIS BODY PUT ON DISPLAY ON A SMALL ISLET AT THE ENTRANCE TO PORT ROYAL BAY.
THE TWO WOMEN WERE ABLE TO AVOID THE GALLOWS BY CLAIMING TO BE PREGNANT.
MARY READ DIED OF FEVER ONE YEAR LATER.
RUMOUR HAS IT THAT ANNE BONNY WENT ON TO LIVE FOR ANOTHER 62 YEARS IN UTTER PEACE, WITH A NEW HUSBAND AND SEVERAL CHILDREN AT HER SIDE. ALTHOUGH NOT REVEALING HER PAST, SHE WORKED CONTINUOUSLY ON A RECIPE THAT SHOULD EMBODY ROUGH EUROPE, THE SUNNY CARIBBEAN AND HER LOVER’S BRAVERY. IN HER GARDEN SHE CULTIVATED JUNIPER AND MANGO.
THIS IS THE STORY OF CALICO JACK AND HIS MEN, THEIR DAREDEVIL JOURNEY, INFINITE PASSION, AND IRREPRESSIBLE COURAGE. THIS IS ALSO THE STORY OF CALICO JACK AND HIS WOMEN, A STORY OF TRUE LOVE, COLOURFUL CLOTHES AND FREEDOM. BUT ABOVE ALL, THIS IS THE STORY OF A WOMAN WHO LIVED A FREE LIFE.
CALIGO 1720 IS THE MATCHING GIN.
KONTAKT
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