7 Things you probably didn’t know about Pussers Rum

• The word “Pusser” was originally the “Purser” on board the ship that was responsible for giving each sailor his measure of Rum each day.

• The tradition of giving Rum to each sailor was started in 1655 and continued unbroken until 1970

• “Black Rum Day” – 31^st July 1970 was the last day that sailors were given an allocation of Rum in the Royal Navy

• The very first cocktail invented with Rum was “GROG” – Rum, water, Lime juice and brown cane sugar – ordered by Admiral Vernon for all the seamen on board ships.

• “Nelsons Blood” is another name for Pussers Rum. The story goes that When Admiral Nelson died in battle, they put his body into a large cask of rum to preserve it for the return trip to England. When they arrived and opened the cask it was empty and Nelsons body was properly “pickled”. The sailors on board had drilled a small hole in the bottom of the barrel and drank the Rum – Thus Nelsons Blood.

• Scuttlebutt – a word normally associated with gossipers comes from the simple cask with a lid where the daily ration of Rum was mixed. The scuttlebutt was where all the sailors gathered everyday for their ration and gossiped amongst each other as to the goings on in the navy and onboard ship.

 

• Pussers Rum will soon be available in South Africa !!! Go RumBro !!