19th Century – 2nd half – Sailors & Scurvy
Something happened in the 1860s. In 1862 Jerry Thomas had his Bartender’s Guide published and only five years later, a cordial based on lime and sugar, notably with no alcohol, was patented.
This cordial was patented by Scot Lachlan Rose, admittedly not really for drinks making, but to combat disease. Just over a century earlier the British Navy had discovered that citrus fruits could help cure that sailors’ disease, scurvy. By the end of the 18th century, it had become practice to provide a daily ration of lime or lemon to the Navy sailors. But again, preservation was the issue, so the juice was often mixed with rum.
Lachlan Rose, a ship chandler in Leith (Edinburgh), found a way of preserving lime juice when mixed with sugar and it was this method that was patented.