How Bacardi Came to Be

What started as a small distillery in Santiago de Cuba is now one of the biggest spirits and wine company worldwide. Bacardi, which is famous for its rums, was founded by the wine merchant Don Facundo Bacardi. He was born in Spain in 1814 but moved to Cuba in 1830. At that time, rum was not a popular drink and was cheaply made. Don Facundo attempted to refine rum and experimenting on different blends. To remove impurities, he filtered rum through charcoal and kept the end product in oak barrels. As a result, refined rum was produced and Don Facundo and the rest of the Bacardi family started to commercialize.

To date, the company has been run by seven generations of the Bacardi family. They are now selling 200 million bottles a year in over 100 countries.

Though they are famous for their rum, Bacardi also offers other spirits such as tequila, vodka, sparkling wine, cognac and whiskey. The company’s portfolio also include a wide selection of labels and brands such as Bombay Sapphire gin, Bacardi rum, Dewar’s Scotch whiskey, Grey Goose vodka, Eristoff vodka and Martini vermouth.

Bacardi employs over 6,000 people across the globe, all of whom are considered a part of the Bacardi family.