Bacardi Rum

Don Facundo Bacardi Massó was born in October 1814 in Sitges, Spain. Fifteen years later he immigrated with his brothers to the colony of Cuba, specifically to the port city Santiago.

Don Facundo Bacardi

In Santiago, after years of laborious experimentation, Don Facundo created his world famous BACARDI rums, and in 1862, funded Bacardi and Company. In this same year the two Bacardi symbols were born: the emblem of the "Bat" and the "Coconut", named after a coconut palm planted by his son Facundo M. Bacardi. During the first few decades of existence, the new company produced a rum production revolution; not only did Don Facundo offer palatable and carefully aged rums, but he also created the first light rum of the world. These innovations made his company worthy of the title "The Masters of Rum".

During the next century the Bacardi Company experienced many changes due to the founding of Cuba as a country, the political participation of members of the family in the government, the creation of a rum distribution/exportation company in New York, and a new distillery in Mexico and Puerto Rico.

October 14th, 1960: After 98 years of existence in Cuba, the new totalitarian regime confiscated the Cuban assets of the Bacardi Company S.A. and the Bacardi family, together with hundreds of other citizens, were exiled from the island. Although exiled, members of the family started to reconstruct the company. During the 1960`s Pepín Bosch, president of the company, constructed new production facilities in Brazil, the Bahamas and Canada to meet the growing demand of Bacardi rums. He also transferred Bacardi Imports from New York to Miami.

During the 1970´s the business continued growing with new facilities in Spain and Panama, and an office building in Bermuda.

As the business grew, a member of the Bacardi family was always present to assure that Don Facundo Bacardi’s charcoal ripening and ageing techniques were strictly adhered to. The family expanded the company to reach even more of the world and successfully made Bacardi an international liquor brand.

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