Pusser's has strong ties to the Royal Navy Sailor's Fund.
There was never a commercial BRITISH NAVY PUSSER'S RUM. It was the
brainchild of Charles Tobias to commercialize the Royal Navy's rum
tradition by offering for sale the same rum that the navy had issued on
board its ships for so many years. He created the brand, the packaging
and the entire marketing strategy that was built around the history and
folklore that so completely surrounded the issue of Pusser's Rum in the
Royal Navy. This in 1979, after numerous trips to England and much
persuasion, he convinced the Admiralty Board to give him the blending
formula, and the right to use the Royal Navy's flag, the White Ensign on
the label along with the name BRITISH NAVY PUSSER'S RUM. The Royal Navy
is the oldest, continuously operating military organization in the
world. Its charter dates back to 1585 and the time of Henry VIII. The
Navy is known to abhor commercialism of any kind, and so it was quite an
achievement that Tobias was able to obtain these rights. Shortly
afterwards, Tobias formed Pusser's Ltd. in the British Virgin Islands
where he erected a blending and bottling plant. In November 1979,
Pusser's Rum was being shipped commercially for the first time.
At Tobias' insistence, the Royal Navy Sailors' Fund, a naval charity
more commonly called the 'Tot' Fund, receives a substantial donation
from the worldwide sales of Pusser's Rum. After almost 25 years, this
Pusser's contribution has become the fund's largest source of income
aside from its original bequest, and the ties between Pusser's Rum and
the Royal Navy continue today in a manner that benefits serving Royal
Navy sailors.