New Book on Bacardi Rum and History
Mention Bacardi and the first things that would register in anyone’s mind are rums, liqueur, and spirits. The Bacardi name is very much synonymous to rums chiefly because Bacardi produced the world’s first white rum.
Alcoholic drinks aside, there is a lot of history behind the Bacardi name. The company’s history is touted by the owners of the brand. In Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba, a recently published book, the monumental contributions of the members of the Bacardi family to Cuban history are detailed. One can see in this book that the company also serves greater causes more than just making world-class spirits and rums.
During the Cuban War of Independence (1895) against Spain, founder Don Facundo’s son Emilio was an active participant in the revolution. His participation led to his banishment from Cuba. The female members of the family were exiled to Jamaica for their contributions to the rebel forces. Don Facundo, his bother Jose, their brother-in-law Don Enrique Schueg and Emilio’s brothers were the only ones left to run the company. After the Cuban War of Independence and the subsequent wars between Spain and the United States, Emilio Bacardi returned to Cuba in 1899 and was named Mayor of Santiago de Cuba.
Author Tom Gjelten also discusses Castro’s attempt to totally take over the company and the underlying issues between United States and Cuba. Though the Castro government was able to nationalize every Bacardi-owned facility in Cuba, then Bacardi Company CEO Jose ‘Pepin’ Bosch already created a network of Bacardi satellites outside Cuba.
The Castro Regime was not able to own Bacardi’s trademark due to Bosch’s struggle to keep the Bacardi name a family possession. Castro’s move to grab control of the Bacardi Company, as the book implies, backfired on him. The Bacardi family has been an ardent critic of the Castro regime ever since.