Bacardi was founded in 1862 in Cuba by Spanish immigrant Don Facundo Bacardi Masso. Facundo worked religiously to discover new methods for filtering impurities from rum. His experiments helped in creating the first clear rum ever made.
Facundo and his brother purchased a distillery in 1862 and began making and selling white Bacardi rum. Facundo’s oldest son, Emilio, purchased another distillery in Santiago in 1922. The company expanded into beer as the third generation took over the family business.
In 1960, during the Cuban revolution, the Bacardi family’s assets were confiscated. The company was able to survive the confiscation due to investments previously made in Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Bahamas. Imports from these distilleries to the USA floated the business as it rebuilt its wealth.
The company invested in other spirits with multiple brand purchases such as: Dewar’s, Grey Goose and Patron. The original white rum itself, however, has won more than 550 awards for quality since the company’s inception.
Bacardi Limited remains the largest privately held and family-owned American spirits company. It employs over 6,000 people at 29 facilities. Bacardi rum – the company now has over 200 brands and labels – is imported and sold in more than 150 countries. They have headquarters in Hamilton, Bermuda and Miami, Florida, USA.
- Family name: Bacardi family
- Sector: Consumer Products & Retail
- Founded: 1862
- Founder: Don Facundo Bacardi Masso
- Country: Bermuda
- Company headquarters: Hamilton, Bermuda
- Chairman: Facundo L. Bacardi
- Revenue: US$6 billion
- Family ownership: 100%
- Employees: 6,281
- Website: https://www.bacardilimited.com/