by Janice Heath

Created on: February 06, 2011   Last Updated: February 08, 2011

Rum tends to evoke the spirit of the Caribbean, of pirates and treasure, palm trees, golden sand and tropical adventures.  The most famous rum of all, Bacardi, has a long and colorful history in the Caribbean, and, almost since its inception, has been a highly popular drink with a much greater percentage of the population than just the pirates.

Bacardi rum was first made in Cuba by Spanish immigrant, Don Facundo Bacardi Masso.  In 1862 he purchased a small distillery in Santiago de Cuba and commenced perfecting the filtering and aging techniques which ultimately produced the popular blends of rum which carry his name.  Depending on the source, there are varying explanations for the origin of the famous bat logo, one is that it was inspired by the fruit bats who lived in the roof of the distillery, the other that inspiration came from a similar logo on olive oil containers in use at the time.  The Bacardi company website supports the fruit bats.

Don Facundo won many medals for his rums on the international stage and in due course, passed the company along to his children.  In the 1890’s a sales office was opened in Havana.  The timing was fortuitous as shortly afterwards the Americans won the Spanish-American war and occupied Cuba.  Along with an influx of new customers this period saw the invention of the Bacardi Daquiri and the original Cuba Libre.

The company expanded to Spain in 1910 and the United States in 1915, becoming an early example of multinationalism.  Prohibition in the United States caused the closing of the bottling factory in New York, however American tourists still visited Cuba and were able to enjoy Bacardi rum at the beautiful Art Deco Edificio Barcardi de Habana.  This building, crowned with a weathercock of the Bacardi bat, is still a tourist attraction today, being described in the brochures as a landmark of architectural design.  As well as admiring the architecture and historical aspects, you can still enjoy a drink there, it just won’t be a Bacardi rum. 

The company continued to expand and commenced operations in Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States during the 1930’s and 1940’s.  The Cuban revolution in 1958 ultimately resulted in the seizure of Barcadi’s assets in Cuba by the revolutionary government in 1960.  Undaunted, the company continued operating with their factories in Mexico and Puerto Rico and over time constructed new facilities in Brazil, the United States, the Bahamas, Canada, Bermuda and Spain. Retribution for the seizure was sought by one Bacardi family member who purchased a surplus US Air Force bomber with the intention of bombing Cuban oil refineries.  Opinions vary on the reason for the failure of the plan, whether it was the lack of a willing pilot and available bombs or a picture of the bomber on the front page of The New York Times.

In more recent times, the company has released new ideas with considerable success, standout examples being Bacardi Breezers, rum and coke in a can and Bacardi Limon.  The company has also diversified, purchasing an interest in Martini & Rossi (vermouth), acquiring Dewars scotch whisky, Bombay and Bombay Sapphire gin brands, Grey Goose vodka, Cazadores blue agave tequila and 42 Below vodka.

According to their website, Bacardi Limited is now one of the largest spirit companies in the world.  From humble beginnings in Cuba through seven generations of the family and considerable geographical expansion, Bacardi rum has become one of the world’s most recognized brands of spirits. 

Sources:

http://www.bacardilimited.com/heritage_6.html

http://www.thenation.com/article/secret-history-rum

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