Mount Gay Rum is produced by Mount Gay Distilleries Ltd. of Barbados, the easternmost island of the West Indies. The oldest surviving deed for the company is from 1703, making Mount Gay Rum the world’s oldest commercial rum distillery. The current majority shareholder of Mount Gay Distilleries since 1989 is Rémy Cointreau. Mount Gay Rum is sold in 110 countries, and its primary export market is the United States of America.
Mount Gay Rum is named for Sir John Gay Alleyne, 1st Baronet of Four Hills. He was a trusted friend of John Sober, who purchased the Mount Gilboa Plantation/Distilleries from William Sandiford in 1747. Sir John Gay Alleyne agreed to become the manager of the company at John Sober’s request. Sir John Gay Alleyne was so effective at leading the company, and earned such a widely respected reputation internationally as a business manager and community leader, that the company was renamed in his honor after his death in 1801 at the proposal of his longtime friend John Sober, whose estate benefited greatly over the years under Sir John Gay Alleyne’s effective management. As there was already a Mount Alleyne in existence on the island of Barbados, the company was renamed Mount Gay Distilleries, incorporating the beloved Sir John Gay Alleyne’s middle name.
Mount Gay Rum is made from molasses and water that has been filtered through natural coral. This mix is fermented using an exclusively selected yeast and then distilled in both copper pot stills and column stills, before being aged in oak barrels.
Mount Gay Distilleries has released several limited edition rums over the course of its history to honor its nautical heritage or commemorate important occasions in the history of Barbados.
The company throughout the 20th century was in the hands of the Ward family in the parish of St. Peter. The Ward family resides in the northernmost parish of St. Lucy, where they have extensive agricultural holdings. The last Ward family member to manage the distillery was Frank Ward, who was also the Executive Chairman of the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association.
According to Wikipedia
