[3] Admiral Horatio Nelson was killed in the Battle of Trafalgar by a French sniper while topside his ship, HMS Victory.
Following his victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, Nelson's body was preserved in a cask of brandy, or rum, to allow transport back to England.
The pickled body was removed and, upon inspection, it was discovered that the sailors had drilled a hole in the bottom of the cask and drunk all the brandy/rum.
The Sunderland Daily Echo referred to ‘local naval hero,’ John Waterhouse as ‘one of those who tapped the Admiral’ when he was on board Nelson’s ship, an act which caused permanent injury to his hand when it was crushed in the process of tipping the cask.
In Kentish Town, north London, "Tapping the Admiral", a pub recognised for the high quality of its beer,[9] has been named after the tale.