Pusser's
Encyclopedia
Pusser's is a brand name of rum
produced by Pussers Ltd, on Tortola
in the British Virgin Islands
. Pusser is Royal Navy
slang for a purser
, a ship's supply officer
, now called a Logistics
Officer, in the Royal Navy
; thus the word became naval slang
for "one hundred per cent Service", as in "pusser's issue", meaning anything that is supplied by the Royal Navy
, such as a "pusser's grip", the name given to a canvas
bag that sailors may use instead of a suitcase (it folds flat and is thus easy to stow on board ship). Pusser's Rum is sometimes known as Nelson's Blood, in honor of Horatio Nelson, one of the greatest Royal Navy commanders in history.
In 1979, nearly a decade after the Royal Navy
abandoned the custom of the daily tot of rum
, company founder Charles Tobias obtained the rights to blending information associated with the naval rum ration and formed the company to produce the spirit according to the original Admiralty
recipe, a blend of five West Indian rums without colouring agents. The Royal Navy Sailor's Fund, a Navy charity, receives royalties from the proceeds of each bottle of the rum sold, and that is now the charity's largest source of income apart from the founder's original bequest.
The Royal Navy issued the last tot to 'the fleet' on 31 July 1970. Since then, this has been known in Royal Naval Slang as the 'Black Day'. The remaining rum stocks were put up for auction. They were bought by Brian Cornford and shipped to Gibraltar
and held in a secure bonded warehouse
. As each visiting Royal Navy ship visited Gibraltar it was the task of Cornford and his General Manager, John Kania, to supply individual, wax-dated, corked, wicker-covered demijohn
s containing full strength (approx 110 proof) to the ships. When the individual gallon jars were finally sold, the large wooden barrels were tapped. It was found that over the years some of the contents in each wood barrel had evaporated, and diluted the strength to a slight degree, though some would say it simply mellowed. The barrelled rum was decanted into litre bottles and sold primarily to RN, RAF and Army
messes and selected local Gib pubs.
Some Genuine Royal Navy Rum still pops up in premium auction houses, and apart from the collectability aspect, the contents are vintage, and because of the wax seal is still as powerful as the day it was bottled. It is rarely seen, though bought at auction (the last time for GBP 1250) for special ceremonial events. This is not to be confused with the commercially bottled Pussers Rum seen on supermarket shelves dated after 1970.
Part of the reason Pusser's Rum has been successful, some say, is because it has some characteristics in common with a scotch whisky, despite it being distilled from molasses. This may have been a result of the British Navy developing a scotchlike rum to meet the tastes of enlisted men at the time.
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
produced by Pussers Ltd, on Tortola
Tortola
Tortola is the largest and most populated of the British Virgin Islands, a group of islands that form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands. Local tradition recounts that Christopher Columbus named it Tortola, meaning "land of the Turtle Dove". Columbus named the island Santa Ana...
in the British Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands, often called the British Virgin Islands , is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands archipelago, the remaining islands constituting the U.S...
. Pusser is Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
slang for a purser
Purser
The purser joined the warrant officer ranks of the Royal Navy in the early fourteenth century and existed as a Naval rank until 1852. The development of the warrant officer system began in 1040 when five English ports began furnishing warships to King Edward the Confessor in exchange for certain...
, a ship's supply officer
Supply Officer
Supply Officer was a specialisation in the British Royal Navy which has recently been superseded by the Logistics Officer, recognising the need to align with the nomenclature and function of similar cadres in the British Army and Royal Air Force...
, now called a Logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
Officer, in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
; thus the word became naval slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
for "one hundred per cent Service", as in "pusser's issue", meaning anything that is supplied by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, such as a "pusser's grip", the name given to a canvas
Canvas
Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame...
bag that sailors may use instead of a suitcase (it folds flat and is thus easy to stow on board ship). Pusser's Rum is sometimes known as Nelson's Blood, in honor of Horatio Nelson, one of the greatest Royal Navy commanders in history.
In 1979, nearly a decade after the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
abandoned the custom of the daily tot of rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
, company founder Charles Tobias obtained the rights to blending information associated with the naval rum ration and formed the company to produce the spirit according to the original Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
recipe, a blend of five West Indian rums without colouring agents. The Royal Navy Sailor's Fund, a Navy charity, receives royalties from the proceeds of each bottle of the rum sold, and that is now the charity's largest source of income apart from the founder's original bequest.
The Royal Navy issued the last tot to 'the fleet' on 31 July 1970. Since then, this has been known in Royal Naval Slang as the 'Black Day'. The remaining rum stocks were put up for auction. They were bought by Brian Cornford and shipped to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
and held in a secure bonded warehouse
Bonded warehouse
A Bonded warehouse is a building or other secured area in which dutiable goods may be stored, manipulated, or undergo manufacturing operations without payment of duty. It may be managed by the state or by private enterprise. In the latter case a customs bond must be posted with the government...
. As each visiting Royal Navy ship visited Gibraltar it was the task of Cornford and his General Manager, John Kania, to supply individual, wax-dated, corked, wicker-covered demijohn
Carboy
A carboy is a rigid container with a typical capacity of 5 to 15 gallons . Carboys are primarily used for transporting fluids, often water or chemicals.They are also used for in-home fermentation of beverages, often wine.-Brewing:...
s containing full strength (approx 110 proof) to the ships. When the individual gallon jars were finally sold, the large wooden barrels were tapped. It was found that over the years some of the contents in each wood barrel had evaporated, and diluted the strength to a slight degree, though some would say it simply mellowed. The barrelled rum was decanted into litre bottles and sold primarily to RN, RAF and Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
messes and selected local Gib pubs.
Some Genuine Royal Navy Rum still pops up in premium auction houses, and apart from the collectability aspect, the contents are vintage, and because of the wax seal is still as powerful as the day it was bottled. It is rarely seen, though bought at auction (the last time for GBP 1250) for special ceremonial events. This is not to be confused with the commercially bottled Pussers Rum seen on supermarket shelves dated after 1970.
Part of the reason Pusser's Rum has been successful, some say, is because it has some characteristics in common with a scotch whisky, despite it being distilled from molasses. This may have been a result of the British Navy developing a scotchlike rum to meet the tastes of enlisted men at the time.
Awards
- 2001 Gold Medal - World's Premier Dark Rum at the International Wine & Spirits Festival.
- 2003, Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.