London, October 7, 2009 – In just fourteen days time glasses will be raised on HM ships all over the world, and in messes on shore, to the memory of Lord Nelson who died during the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805.
In Portsmouth, the Senior Rates Mess on Lord Nelson’s historic ship HMS Victory will drink a tot of ‘Nelson’s Blood’ - traditional Pusser’s Navy Rum - to record the man and the battle which changed the course of history.
In keeping with that bloody occasion, many of the associations with Nelson and the battle are grim. Mike Fogg, Pusser’s rum brand historian who worked for the Navy’s rum broker, says Nelson’s Blood refers to the legend that Nelson’s body was brought home in a rum cask. “During the voyage, sailors tapped the barrel and drank the rum. They had literally drunk Nelson’s blood,” says Fogg.
The rum get its name from the ship’s purser, or Supply Officer, called, in navy lingo, the ‘Pusser’, adds Fogg. But while rum has become fashionable, there is only one Pusser’s Rum, insists Fogg, and it nearly disappeared on July 31, 1970 (Black Tot Day) when the last rum ration was served.
But then a Canadian entrepreneur called Charles Tobias, a keen ocean going sailor, received the approval of the Admiralty Board to reblend Pusser’s Rum to their original specification. In appreciation, Charles Tobias insisted on making donations from world wide sales to the Royal Navy Sailors Fund, which provides amenities for serving personnel. In the last 20 years, Pusser’s has donated over £1 million to the Association.
Mike Fogg says Pusser’s, bottled at 54.5% ABV, is the only rum still made to the Royal Navy recipe which blends pot-stilled Caribbean rums. Today, Pusser’s Rum company is headquartered on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.
The history of Pusser’s Rum and the exploits and victories of the British Navy are embedded in our history and in the every day terms we use, says Fogg. “We speak of ‘grog’ meaning rum, for example. This refers to Admiral Vernon who was known as Old Grog. He ordered the rum to be cut with water, but he also issued sugar and lime juice to be drunk with it.
Next week we shall be recalling all these old traditions and old shipmates with a tot of Pusser’s.”
Rum lovers can also get acquainted with Pusser’s Rum at Rumfest over the weekend of October 24-25, held in the Royal Horticultural Halls, Victoria, London.
Pusser’s navy rum at 54.5% ABV is priced at around £25
The Pusser’s navy rum commemorative Trafalgar Day decanter is priced around £57.
Pusser’s rum is distributed by Cellar Trends www.cellartrends.co.uk. For all sales and distribution enquiries contact: sales@cellartrends.co.uk
For further information contact:
Eugene Bacot 020 7731 4526 eugene@voice-pr.co.uk
Colin Lewis 020 7731 4489 colin@voice-pr.co.uk
Riverbank House,
1 Putney Bridge Approach
London
SW6 3JD
- Eugene Bacot 07-10-2009
In Portsmouth, the Senior Rates Mess on Lord Nelson’s historic ship HMS Victory will drink a tot of ‘Nelson’s Blood’ - traditional Pusser’s Navy Rum - to record the man and the battle which changed the course of history.
In keeping with that bloody occasion, many of the associations with Nelson and the battle are grim. Mike Fogg, Pusser’s rum brand historian who worked for the Navy’s rum broker, says Nelson’s Blood refers to the legend that Nelson’s body was brought home in a rum cask. “During the voyage, sailors tapped the barrel and drank the rum. They had literally drunk Nelson’s blood,” says Fogg.
The rum get its name from the ship’s purser, or Supply Officer, called, in navy lingo, the ‘Pusser’, adds Fogg. But while rum has become fashionable, there is only one Pusser’s Rum, insists Fogg, and it nearly disappeared on July 31, 1970 (Black Tot Day) when the last rum ration was served.
But then a Canadian entrepreneur called Charles Tobias, a keen ocean going sailor, received the approval of the Admiralty Board to reblend Pusser’s Rum to their original specification. In appreciation, Charles Tobias insisted on making donations from world wide sales to the Royal Navy Sailors Fund, which provides amenities for serving personnel. In the last 20 years, Pusser’s has donated over £1 million to the Association.
Mike Fogg says Pusser’s, bottled at 54.5% ABV, is the only rum still made to the Royal Navy recipe which blends pot-stilled Caribbean rums. Today, Pusser’s Rum company is headquartered on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.
The history of Pusser’s Rum and the exploits and victories of the British Navy are embedded in our history and in the every day terms we use, says Fogg. “We speak of ‘grog’ meaning rum, for example. This refers to Admiral Vernon who was known as Old Grog. He ordered the rum to be cut with water, but he also issued sugar and lime juice to be drunk with it.
Next week we shall be recalling all these old traditions and old shipmates with a tot of Pusser’s.”
Rum lovers can also get acquainted with Pusser’s Rum at Rumfest over the weekend of October 24-25, held in the Royal Horticultural Halls, Victoria, London.
Pusser’s navy rum at 54.5% ABV is priced at around £25
The Pusser’s navy rum commemorative Trafalgar Day decanter is priced around £57.
Pusser’s rum is distributed by Cellar Trends www.cellartrends.co.uk. For all sales and distribution enquiries contact: sales@cellartrends.co.uk
For further information contact:
Eugene Bacot 020 7731 4526 eugene@voice-pr.co.uk
Colin Lewis 020 7731 4489 colin@voice-pr.co.uk
Riverbank House,
1 Putney Bridge Approach
London
SW6 3JD
- Eugene Bacot 07-10-2009