Lamb's Navy Rum is a sugar-cane based Caribbean

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Ph ...

popular in the UK and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. In 1849, 22-year-old Londoner Alfred Lamb, son of wine and spirits merchant William Lamb, blended 18 different rums from

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

and

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

to produce Lamb's Navy Rum. His company took the name Alfred Lamb & Son. The use of the term "navy rum" dates back to the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

issuing a daily ration of rum to its sailors. It had previously given its sailors French brandy, but the 1655 conquest of

gave it access to rum, which it quickly exploited. Lamb's was never an official supplier to the Royal Navy. The 1970 decision of the British Royal Navy to end issuing a daily rum rations to its sailors inspired the brand that year to adopt the advertising campaign, "Join the Lamb’s Navy." Alfred Lamb & Son was bombed out of its London premises on Great Tower Street in World War II. Its competitor, White Keeling Rum Merchants, was bombed out of its premises, too. Portal, Dingwall & Norris took them both into its premises at 40 Eastcheap, London, inspiring the three companies to merge in 1946 to form United Rum Merchants. In 1952, Canadian company

Corby Distilleries Corby Spirit and Wine Limited is a Canadian alcohol manufacturing and distribution company. It was founded in 1859 in Corbyville, Ontario. As of 2008, the company is 46% owned by Pernod Ricard. The company distills several Canadian specialities, ...

signed an agreement with United Rum Merchants to bottle the brand under licence in Canada. Lamb's became part of the

Allied Lyons Allied Domecq PLC was an international company, headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, that operated spirits, wine, and quick service restaurant businesses. It was once a FTSE 100 Index constituent but has been acquired by Pernod Ricard. Th ...

portfolio in 1984, which itself was acquired (as Allied Domecq) in 2005 by French drinks giant

Pernod Ricard Pernod Ricard () is a French company best known for its anise-flavoured pastis apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis (often referred to simply as ''Pernod'' or ''Ricard''). The world’s second-largest wine and spirits seller, it also produ ...

. As part of the deal, Pernod Ricard had to sell off some brands, and Lamb's was acquired by Corby, which became an affiliate of Pernod Ricard by virtue of the Allied Domecq purchase. Corby Distilleries bottles Lamb's in Canada for the North American markets. Outside North America, it is also bottled by

Halewood International Halewood Artisanal Spirits is a global distiller and distributor of artisanal spirits. Structure Halewood Artisanal Spirit's head office is in London and the company distills across the UK, at the following locations: London, Edinburgh, Sn ...

in England, which distributes it in Europe, Africa and Asia. In 2009, Halewood International launched a spiced version aimed at international markets. This failed to meet sales expectations, so it was reformulated in 2014.

References

Rums British brands {{distilled-drink-stub