A Muskegon distillery is releasing a limited-edition rum in honor of the USS Silversides’ return to the city after a rare trip across Lake Michigan.
Wonderland Distilling Co. and the USS Silversides Submarine Museum created SS-236 Navy Strength Rum, named for the submarine’s hull number. The rum is 55% alcohol by volume, a nod to the traditional strength of rum rations once issued to sailors. The practice had ended in the U.S. by the time the Silversides was built, though it continued elsewhere.
The rum is set to debut at noon on Nov. 21 at Wonderland’s cocktail bar in Muskegon.
The Silversides was one of the most successful U.S. submarines in World War II. It sank 23 Japanese ships, damaged several others, destroyed 16 sea mines and rescued two downed pilots. The submarine has served as a museum in Muskegon since 1987.
It recently returned from a $3.5 million historic preservation project and is expected to reopen to visitors on Nov. 7. Wonderland co-founder Allen Serio said the rum was created as a tribute to the submarine, its crew and the community preserving its legacy.
Read more about the USS Silversides’ return to Muskegon.
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