Bacardi is one of the largest family owned drinks companies in the world, widely known for it’s Bacardi white rum. It’s history dates back to 1862, when Facundo Bacardí Massó, a Spanish national living in Cuba, set about trying to ‘tame’ rum. After identifying a specific strain of yeast, that is still central to what gives Bacardi it’s unique flavour, Facundo further mellowed the rum by ageing it in white oak barrels.
Finally, he found that by filtering the Bacardi rum through charcoal the impurities were removed and he had created the world’s first clear ‘white’ rum. After the success of his experimenting he set up the Santiago de Cuba distillery with his brother, José, which brought instant success. This success has been hard fought however, with the Bacardi family suffering through both the Cuban War of Independence and the Cuban Revolution - the latter of which saw the Bacardi family & company exiled from Cuba, with the brand still not found in Cuba to this day. Despite this, the Bacardi family ownership is now in it’s seventh generation, and encompasses not only its famous white rum but also over 200 other brands and labels.
