Bacardi Limited has been built on an enduring legacy of a family. Bacardi - nurtured by seven generations of the Bacardi family - is a vibrant, family-owned spirits company, as well as the world's largest privately held spirits company. From our enviable portfolio of premium brands pre-eminently positioned in the spirits industry, to landmark structures that have won worldwide architectural acclaim, we have constructed our legacy on perseverance, quality, prestige, innovation and creativity.
Our exclusive emphasis on quality began in Santiago de Cuba where on February 4, 1862, Don Facundo Bacardí Massó purchased a small distillery and revolutionized rum making. After careful and systematic experimentation with a variety of ingredients, aging and blends, Don Facundo created a new, smooth, light-bodied spirit - BACARDÍ rum - what the world now knows as premium light rum.
These new BACARDÍ rum blends were a delight to the residents who were accustomed to the local ''ron'' that was crude and harsh. Cuba's emerging middle class welcomed the taste of smooth, light-bodied, aged and mixable rums branded with an elegant, intriguing black bat on the label.
It was this creation by Bacardi that revolutionized the spirits world, enabling the creation of an entire cocktail category and culture that remains vibrant today with its legendary creation of the first mixable rum.
His quest and that of his descendants for unmitigated excellence has consistently manifested itself throughout the Company's more than 157 year history.