Video: The Story of Rum Ration and Black Tot Day
JULY 31, 2020 - WE CELEBRATE ONE OF THE LONGEST AND UNBROKEN TRADITIONS IN SEAFARING HISTORY
From 1650 throughout the 18th century, shipboard life was incredibly difficult. The daily issue of Pusser’s Rum was the highlight of the day. In those days, battles were fought “eyeball-to-eyeball.” The mental alertness and courage required to pack a cannonball into a muzzleloader were far different from that required to operate the modern weapon systems of today.
Thus in 1970, the Admiralty Board decreed that there was no place for the daily issue of rum in a modern navy, and so ended the daily issue of Pusser’s Rum in the Royal Navy on July 31st, 1970. This date since then is referred to as Black Tot Day.
