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Newfoundland Screech is a
A codfish – or any other fish unsightly enough to suitably replace the cod – is then held up to the lip level of each participant, who then bestows the fish with a kiss. Frozen fish is used most commonly in the screech-ins which take place on George St., though occasionally a fresher specimen, if available, will be used. Some pubs will also award certificates to those who have become an honorary Newfie once the screech-in is complete.
Some screech-in traditions vary in both the order of events as well as the requirements. Some ceremonies require that the screech-ee eat a piece of "Newfie steak" (a slice of baloney) or kiss a rubber
Newfoundland Screech is a rum
Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...
sold in Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...
with 40% alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as alc/vol or ABV) is a common measure of the amount of Alcohol (drug), alcohol contained in a given alcoholic beverage. It is defined as the volume the ethanol in the liquid would take if separated from the rest ...
. The term ''screech'' is a colloquial term that has been used to describe almost any cheap, high alcohol spirit, including moonshine
Moonshine is alcohol proof, high-proof liquor, traditionally made or distributed alcohol law, illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of distilling the alcohol (drug), alcohol at night to avoid detection. In the first decades of the ...
. The term is used in the brand name for this mid-priced rum to associate the brand with this tradition.
It is available in liquor store
A liquor store is a retail business that predominantly sells prepackaged alcoholic beverages, including liquors (typically in bottles), wine or beer, usually intended to be consumed off the store's premises. Depending on region and local idiom ...
s both in and outside of Newfoundland and is blended and bottled by the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation, after being imported from Jamaica
Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
. Unlike its counterparts in other provinces, NLC has retained its bottling business. The spirit is widely available in Canada and is also distributed in New England.
Screech-in
Newfoundland Screech is used in a ceremony known as the "screech-in". The "screech-in" is a ceremony performed on non-Newfoundlanders (known to Newfoundlanders as a "come from away" or "mainlander") involving a shot of screech, a short recitation, and the kissing of acod
Cod (: cod) is the common name for the demersal fish genus ''Gadus'', belonging to the family (biology), family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gad ...
. It is often performed either in homes or more commonly in town pubs, such as those on George Street, St. John's. Notable for their screech-in traditions are Trapper John's, O'Reilly's Irish Newfoundland Pub and Christian's Bar. Screech-ins also take place aboard tourist boat excursions such as the Scademia, which adds to the ceremony a sail through The Narrows into St. John's harbour.
The general process of a screech-in varies from pub to pub and community to community, though it often begins with the leader of the ceremony introducing themselves and asking those present if they'd like to become a Newfoundlander. The proper response is a hearty "Yes b'y!" Each participant is asked to introduce themselves and where they come from, often interrupted by commentary by the ceremony leader, jokingly poking fun at their accent or hometown. Each holding their shot of Screech, they are then asked "Are ye a screecher?" or "Is you a Newfoundlander?," and are taught the proper response: "Indeed I is, me ol' cock! And long may yer big jib draw!" Translated, it means "Yes I am, my old friend, and may your sails always catch wind."
A codfish – or any other fish unsightly enough to suitably replace the cod – is then held up to the lip level of each participant, who then bestows the fish with a kiss. Frozen fish is used most commonly in the screech-ins which take place on George St., though occasionally a fresher specimen, if available, will be used. Some pubs will also award certificates to those who have become an honorary Newfie once the screech-in is complete.
Some screech-in traditions vary in both the order of events as well as the requirements. Some ceremonies require that the screech-ee eat a piece of "Newfie steak" (a slice of baloney) or kiss a rubber puffin
Puffins are any of three species of small alcids (auks) in the bird genus ''Fratercula''. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crev ...
's rear end. Some are also asked to stand in a bucket of saltwater throughout the ceremony or that they wear the Sou'wester during the recitation and the drinking of the shot. For group screech-ins, the shots and recitations are generally all done at once. In all cases, only a native Newfoundlander can officiate a "proper" screech-in.
References
External links
* Rum brands Cuisine of Newfoundland and Labrador Alcohol in Newfoundland and Labrador Canadian distilled drinks Canadian alcoholic drinks Canadian brands Culture of Newfoundland and Labrador Sugar industry of Canada {{Canada-cuisine-stub