The Spirit World

In the province of Newfoundland in Canada, fishing has always been a way of life. However, the island has never had a great agricultural history, being primarily covered by glacial till and lacking the climate to draw the microorganisms, worms and other critters that help soil break down into something useful. Especially in the early days of settlement trading became a necessary skill.

One of the early ongoing trades that was created was the exchange of salt fish for rum from the West Indies. This rum became the national drink of Newfoundland. The rum that was first shipped in was brought in by the barrel, unlabeled and unmonitored. The alcohol content was very high but the Newfoundlanders became accustomed to it.

So how did this rum come to be known as Screech? Apparently the name can be attributed to an American serviceman in WWII - or so the story says.

This particular serviceman was partaking of Newfoundland hospitality and after dinner was served a drop of rum. The host tossed his back in one shot and so the officer followed suit. What resulted was a howl that brought the neighbors running to inquire as to the source of the “horrible screech”! And the name was born. You can read the more complete version of the story here.

But that is not where our story ends - there is more. Even today, first time visitors to Newfoundland are submitted to a “Screeching In” ceremony - at least all those who choose to be submitted to it. I’m fairly certain it’s not forced on anyone! This entitles them to become an honorary Newfoundlander.

Accounts of Screeching In ceremonies vary slightly and sometimes materials on hand are substituted for the prescribed tools but the idea is all pretty much the same.

The man who first described this spirit and associated ceremony to me (sometimes seen in the comments section as screechBoy…) explained it this way. The candidate:

• puts on a sou’wester
• downs a shot of Screech
• recites, “Long may your big jib draw the ol’ cocky!”
• kisses a cod

I believe I got that in the correct order. My notes are a bit hard to read as I was writing them in low light. After doing some other Drinks Around the World research… I’m sure we’ll hear if I missed something in the translation!

If you don’t have the opportunity to travel to Newfoundland to be Screeched in you can at least check your Newfoundlander IQ by taking this little test to see how you’d fit in. As a bit of an aid, you might want to take it while consuming the following:

Screech Dark & Dirty

See if you have what it takes to be a Newfoundlander!

• 2 oz. Newfoundland Screech Rum
• Cola or Diet Cola

Fill a tall glass with ice, add Newfoundland Screech, and top with your favorite Cola.