Admiral Horatio Nelson was known for his bravery in naval battle, but it ultimately cost him his life at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

In the aftermath of battle, Admiral Horatio Nelson’s loyal crew faced an extraordinary dilemma: how to return their fallen hero’s body to Britain intact over a two-month sea voyage. The solution came from his trusted surgeon, William Beatty, a highly competent Irishman whose survival rates at sea were nearly miraculous. Beatty proposed preserving Nelson’s remains in alcohol—a timeworn technique—with the unusual twist of using navy brandy fortified with camphor and myrrh.  Thus, Nelson was gently lowered into a cask aboard the HMS Victory, who was fortunately small enough to fit snugly inside.

The long, macabre journey back to Great Britain was not without incident.  As gases from the decomposing body built up, the barrel lid blew off mid-voyage, startling a nearby sailor who feared Nelson had returned from the grave—pickled, yet potent.  When the Victory reached Gibraltar, Nelson’s remains were transferred to a lead-lined coffin, replacing the alcoholic solution amid whispers that the original cask had been consumed by sailors—a claim popular, though not very likely.  As a tribute, rum became commonly referred to as "Nelson's Blood" by the British Navy.