Nauticalia

For more than three centuries, the daily ration of Pusser's Navy Rum brought cheer to British sailors the world over. It was first introduced for crews working in the tropics (where traditional English ale spoilt rapidly) in 1655, but soon became standard issue across the fleet. The daily ration was controlled by the purser (or pusser, hence the name) and only ceased in 1970 when the navy decided alcohol should be made available on a normal social basis.