McCoys Rum Room: The History of America’s Most Wanted Rum Runner

When you step foot into McCoys Rum Room, the timelessly irreverent Buccaneer spirit transports you into another world Island vibes and rich history. One can expect breathtaking ocean views and an extensive menu of gourmet-inspired favorites when they come to dine ,but the exciting backstory of the restaurant's namesake, Bill McCoy, elevates the experience tenfold. Prepare to get swept away in stories of prohibition and an infamous time of spirit-running trades and liquor-supplying ships.

Prohibition Fosters Legend

Known as “The Real McCoy”, America's Most Wanted Rum Smuggler, and a Dayton Beach legend, William “Bill” McCoy is often credited for founding Rum Row and is the inspiration behind the timeless restaurant at Hilton Dayton Beach Oceanfront Resort.

The pioneer rum runner paved the way for spirit smuggling during the Prohibition era—a time when bars, breweries, and distilleries were shut down. The Volstead Act of 1919 prohibited the manufacture, transportation, and sale of booze with more than 0.5 percent alcohol content, cutting off drinkers from their beloved spirits and thus, creating a booming market for illegal trade. In January of 1920, McCoy was the first to fill a boat with alcohol in the Caribbean, sail it up to New York City, and illegally act as a floating liquor store.

The Birth of Rum Row

Several clusters of vessels would depart from the Bahamas, Bermuda, Cuba, Jamaica, and parts of Europe with loaded ships of whiskey, scotch, rye, bourbon, gin, and brandy. These vessels would head towards major cities and anchor off of popular centers in the U.S., including New York City, Boston, and Atlantic City to offload and sell their spirit supply—forming a lineup and down the coast that was eventually referred to as “Rum Row”. Meanwhile, floating liquor stores, similar to McCoys, sailed north to anchor offshore right outside the three-mile U.S. Jurisdiction limit. By doing this, these schooners were able to sell cases—often close to 1,500— to local entrepreneurs who would then sell them in these popular centers ashore. McCoys’s “contact boats” were powered by repurposed WWI airplane engines that could outrun the Coast Guard to rendezvous with him to take his shipment exactly where the eager, thirsty customers awaited. So with high profitability, moderate ease, and low risk, rum running began to build momentum

New Vessel, New Profits

To continue making profitable runs, McCoy bought a second cargo built to hold a much larger capacity. His new boat Arethusa, the pride of the Gloucester fleet, could carry 5,000 cases in her hold, versus smaller charters that were equipped to hold a mere 1,500. McCoy registered the ship with a British registry—knowing the American Coast Guard couldn’t board a foreign ship if it were outside the three-mile limit of U.S. territorial waters. He then renamed it Tomoka, a river that runs through his hometown of Holly Hill—just north of Daytona Beach.

The Real McCoy Namesake

With the rise of lawless rum running comes the decline of quality libations. Some claim that McCoy made a name for himself due to his high-quality spirits—because he never adulterated the alcohol. While copycat rum runners would dilute their alcohol with wicked chemicals like turpentine, wood alcohol, and prune juice, McCoy never did. The sullied products were nicknamed "Booze," "Hooch", and "Rot Gut," while McCoy’s quality spirits became known as "The Real McCoy."

A Legendary Outcome

At first, getting the liquor to customers was easy as the U.S. lacked the resources to patrol its long coastline. But inevitably over time, the runs became increasingly difficult. Just a few short years after McCoys initial run, the U.S. enlisted the Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy in the ongoing battle against rum runners. McCoy was so successful in his dealings that the U.S. then changed maritime law, making territorial waters extend to 12 miles from shore as opposed to three. Sea captain McCoy then used a seaplane to offload his smuggled rum—theever-honest lawbreaker. Despite the change in laws, smugglers still found inventive ways to get booze to thirsty customers, eventually leading to the repeal of the Prohibition law in 1933
 

Steeped in Spirit: McCoys Rum Room

Now, the Daytona Beach legend and spirit pioneer continues to be commemorated right in the very walls of McCoys Rum Room. With a rich history and a coastal-inspired setting, there is plenty to savor. Guests can feel their tension ebb away as they drink in the shoreline views, sip on the best-curated rum menu in the region, and soak up the vibe—all thanks to William “Bill” McCoy