Around the early 1800s, the Royal Navy (somewhat unintentionally) became one of the pioneers of the rum blending world, with one of the largest rum holdings in the world (around 4 million gallons was stored in large open wooden vats at any given time).

The Navy would buy rum principally from English Ports - Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, and later Trinidad. However, it would also buy rum from other countries if the supplies needed it. The original Navy rum is a continuous ‘world blend’ of almost all available rums - there is no set recipe.

Sailors could choose to have their daily rum ration or be paid the equivalent worth instead. Most chose the rum.