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Bacardi Distillery in Santiago
Founded in Santiago de Cuba in 1862, Bacardi was throughout the first half of the twentieth century the most prosperous and recognized alcoholic beverage company in Cuba. Discover all the history hosted in one of our Cuba luxury villa rentals.
Facundo Bacardí Massó, was the son of a wine merchant from Spain who settled in Cuba with his family around 1830. To continue developing his father’s business, he began to experiment with the process of distilling Cuban rum, which in those moments were known as aguardiente. Facundo aimed to obtain a softer drink on the palate.
In 1962, a decade after his initial experiments began, he inaugurated the Bacardi Company, which was based in an old distillery he had bought in Santiago de Cuba shortly after finding a satisfactory formula for his new drink.The distillery is currently one of the main tourist attractions of the eastern city of the country. Choose between one of our Cuba luxury villa rentals and go to Santiago.
José, Emilio and Facundo, their three children, joined from the start to collaborate with the company, which became a family business of resounding success. In 1876 the brand obtained the Gold Medal at the Universal Exhibition of Philadelphia, which was followed by other recognitions that gave it a remarkable prestige in Europe.After the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, the company relocated its operations and settled in Puerto Rico, where it owns the largest rum distillery in the world.
By 1890, the company was already under the management of Emilio, who decided to partner with his brother-in-law, Enrique Schueg, who provided sufficient capital to expand the market to new markets and significantly increase exports abroad. Furthermore, Emilio became the first mayor of Santiago de Cuba during the post-colonial period, and in 1906, he became a senator of the Republic. In 1930, with the boom of commerce and tourism in Havana, the brand inaugurated the iconic Bacardi Building in the capital.
The Bacardi Building is an Art Deco structure that represented the fundamental values of modern architecture of that era. It was one of the first examples of that construction style in the country and remains today one of the main spaces where luxury villas are located for rent in Cuba, among other spaces dedicated to the tourism sector in the capital.
After the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, the company relocated its operations and established itself in Puerto Rico, where it owns the world’s largest rum distillery.
Bacardi rum in Cuban gastronomy
From the mix of Bacardi Rum, several of Cuba’s most representative cocktails emerged, such as Mojito and Cuba Libre.They say that in Havana, around 1902, a captain of the American forces came to a bar and ordered Ron Bacardi (gold) and Coca Cola with ice.In that place he combined both drinks and consumed them with such pleasure that he aroused the interest of the rest of the soldiers who accompanied him.After the second round, one of those present suggested that he give himself for Free Cuba (Cuba Libre)!
This is how the drink became an instant success. Also using the Bacardi Rum, La Bodeguita del Medio began to market the Mojito, a drink that reached great popularity thanks to the American writer Ernest Hemingway, who drank it daily in that same place. We have the most Cuba luxury villa rentals to enjoy a pleasant stay, with all our services at your disposal.
