National Rum Day Timeline

1705

Mount Gay Is born

Mount Gay, which is today the oldest-existing rum company in the world, is established in Barbados.

1664

The first distillery debuts near New York

The first North American distillery is established in present-day Staten Island.

1620s

Caribbean slaves discover molasses

Caribbean sugarcane plantation slaves discover that molasses, a byproduct of sugar refining, can be fermented into alcohol.