Bacardí is an alcoholic beverage company founded in Santiago de Cuba in 1862 by Facundo Bacardí Massó, the son of a wine merchant.
In 1830 Facundo decided to escape to the Caribbean. Upon arriving in Santiago de Cuba, he began his journey and after saving for a few years, he managed to set up his first European liquor store. His products were accepted by the European bourgeoisie, and this is how Facundo began to fulfill his dream. In addition, in those years he met Amelia, his wife, who would play a very important role in the creation of what we know today as Bacardi.
Amelia discovered a colony of bats hanging from the rafters of a distillery, and instead of running and screaming like anyone else would, she took it as a sign. The bat meant optimism and wisdom in Cuba, and in Spain it meant good health, fortune and family unity, so she proposed to her husband that it could be the logo of the rum.
By 1852, Cuba suffered 2 earthquakes and a cholera epidemic, in addition Facundo's company was looted, for which he went bankrupt, but thanks to Amelia's inheritance they were able to acquire a distillery in Cuba.
For the 20th century, Bacardi faced problems such as the prohibition of alcohol in 1929.
In the middle of the 20th century, the Cuban Revolution brought problems for the company, but this didn´t stop them and they turned it into a moment of expansion for the company, that´s when it became one of the first producers of Rum that would open its doors in different countries. Bacardí would spread to Barcelona, Mexico, Puerto Rico and they were in search of being the best rum in the world.
After the Cuban Revolution, the company moved its operations to Puerto Rico. It has the biggest rum distillery in the world in the municipality of Cataño Puerto Rico near San Juan. Although most operations are still centered in Puerto Rico, the corporation's headquarters (and headquarters) are located in Bermuda where it is registered as Bacardi Limited, and it has a manufacturing plant in Mexico.
Bacardi continues to be a private, family-owned corporation. In 1992 it acquired the Italian Martini & Rossi and by 2005, Bacardi rum was the second best-selling distilled spirit in the world. In addition to the famous rum, the corporation owns the brands of Eristoff vodka, Dewar's whiskey and Bombay Sapphire gin, among others.
This 2021 marks the 90th anniversary of Bacardí arriving in Mexican lands, and that´s why we celebrate this anniversary with the history of this famous brand.
Commenti