Gosling Brothers

Gosling Brothers Limited is a Bermuda company primarily concerned with manufacturing and distributing rum as well as importing and distributing spirits on the island and maintaining a retail presence.

History

In early 1806, James Gosling set out from England with £10,000 in merchandise bound for America. The ship's charter had expired on the ninety-first day of the voyage, so they set in at the nearest port, Bermuda. However, instead of going on to America, Gosling set up shop on the island later that year.

In 1824, the company rented their iconic store on Front Street that they have maintained for 127 years.

The Goslings started formulating rum blends in 1860, and in three years, they had developed Old Rum, a dark, full-bodied rum. Originally distributed only in barrels and sold to those bringing their own bottles, the rum became more widely available with the introduction of bottling in Champagne bottles, the most widely available at the time. The bottles were salvaged from the British Officers' Mess and were sealed with black sealing wax. Soon, people were asking for more of the 'black seal' rum, prompting the change to the name Black Seal Rum.