Bacardi Limited is the largest privately held spirits company in the world and produces and markets a variety of internationally-recognized spirits and wines.
The Bacardi Limited brand portfolio consists of more than 200 brands and labels, including some of the world's favorite and best-known products: BACARDI® rum, the world’s favorite and best-selling premium rum, as well as the world’s most awarded premium rum; GREY GOOSE® vodka, the world-leader in super-premium vodka; DEWAR’S® Scotch whisky, the number-one selling blended Scotch whisky in the United States; BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, the top-valued premium gin in the world; CAZADORES® blue agave tequila, the top-selling premium tequila worldwide; MARTINI® vermouth, the world-leader in vermouth; and other leading brands.
Bacardi Limited produced the highest sales in the Company's history for the fiscal year ending in March of 2008. Continuing a trend, the last eight consecutive fiscal years (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008) were record years at Bacardi. Additional financial information may be found at www.BacardiLimited.com.
Bacardi sells 20 million cases of BACARDI rum branded products annually. Bacardi Limited products are sold in more than 100 countries around the world. Expansion has been prioritized in the emerging markets of India, China and Brazil.
Bacardi Limited is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. The Company opened offices in Bermuda in 1965 and moved into its current Mies van der Rohe designed landmark building in 1972.
Bacardi employs 6,000 people globally and has 31 production facilities around the world.
For more information, please visit www.BacardiLimited.com.
| 1862 | Bacardi was founded by Don Facundo Bacardí Massó in Santiago de Cuba, when he revolutionized rum making by developing the world's first smooth light-bodied spirit -- what the world now knows as premium rum. |
| 1910 | BACARDI rum was bottled outside Cuba for the first time in Barcelona, Spain. |
| 1930s | Bacardi established facilities in Mexico and Puerto Rico -- to date the two of the largest production facilities within Bacardi with the facility at Cataño, Puerto Rico, being the largest premium rum distillery in the world. |
| 1944 | Bacardi established an imports company in New York City to supply the United States market. |
| 1960 | Bacardi operations in Cuba were illegally confiscated without compensation by the Cuban government. Confiscated Bacardi assets were estimated to be worth more than $76 million (estimated value in 1960 dollars). Bacardi continued its operations from four other countries: United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and The Bahamas. |
| 1961 | Bacardi started production in a new facility in Brazil. |
| 1965 | Bacardi opened a distillery in The Bahamas. |
| 1978 | BACARDI rum in the United States posts sales exceeding more than 7 million 9-liter cases. |
| 1979 | BACARDI rum was recognized for worldwide sales close to 16 million 9-liter cases. |
| 1983 | Bacardi celebrated the production of its 200 millionth 9-liter case of rum since 1960. |
| 1987 | Bacardi launched BACARDI BREEZERS in the United States and global sales for BACARDI rums surpass the 20 million 9-liter case mark. |
| 1992 | Bacardi Limited was formed, unifying four of the five separate strategic operating units of the Company (Bacardi International Limited - Bermuda; Bacardi & Company Limited - Bahamas; Bacardi Corporation - Puerto Rico; and Bacardi Imports, Inc. - United States). The fifth operating unit (Bacardi y Compañía S.A. de C.V. - Mexico) was incorporated into Bacardi Limited a few months later. |
| 1993 | Bacardi Limited finalized the acquisition of General Beverage, owner of the MARTINI & ROSSI brand. With this acquisition, Bacardi became one of the top five largest premium spirits companies in the world. |
| 1995 | Bacardi launched BACARDI LIMÓN. The following year it is proclaimed the most successful new spirit brand of the year and, more importantly, of all time. |
| 1998 | Bacardi Limited acquired DEWAR'S Scotch whisky and the BOMBAY and BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin brands. Bacardi became one of the top four spirits companies in the world. |
| 2002 | Bacardi formed an alliance with Anheuser-Busch to develop, market, and distribute BACARDI Silver, a clear malt beverage. |
| 2002 | Bacardi acquired CAZADORES blue agave tequila, now the top premium tequila in the world. |
| 2003 | Bacardi opened the Casa Bacardi Visitor Center at the Bacardi distillery at Cataño, Puerto Rico -- a multimillion dollar, state-of-the-art tourist experience celebrating the history and unique qualities of BACARDI. |
| 2004 | Bacardi Limited purchased GREY GOOSE vodka, the leading super premium vodka. |
| 2005 | Bacardi Limited announced Andreas Gembler, an outside director on the Board of Directors, as its president and chief executive officer. |
| 2005 | Facundo L. Bacardi, great-great grandson of the Company founder, named chairman of the board of directors of Bacardi Limited. |
| 2006 | Bacardi Limited purchased 42 BELOW Limited, a New Zealand-based company best known for its 42 BELOW vodkas. |
| 2007 | Bacardi purchases a stake in Leblon Cachaça, an ultra-premium luxury spirit from Brazil and the most award-winning cachaça on the market. |
| 2008 | Michael Schumacher, seven-time Formula One racing champion becomes Bacardi Limited Social Responsibility Ambassador. |
| 2008 | Bacardi Limited announces agreement to purchase significant stake in the parent company of Patrón® tequila. |
| 2008 | Séamus McBride is announced new Bacardi Limited president and chief executive officer effective September 1. |
- BACARDI & Cola is the number one cocktail in the world.
- The original "Cuba Libre", a rum and cola, was created during the Spanish American
War, when American soldiers fighting for Cuba's freedom asked for their Coca-Cola to be mixed with BACARDI rum. They toasted to a free Cuba, naming it the "Cuba Libre".
- The original Daiquiri was created with BACARDI rum. It was created by an American
working at the Daiquiri mines in Cuba who wanted a refreshing cocktail made with the fresh limes that grew there.
- Authentic Mojitos are made with BACARDI rum, having their roots traced back for
centuries in Cuba. The Mojito rose in popularity in Cuba with the creation of BACARDI.
- The core products in the Bacardi Limited portfolio are all icons in their category classes:
- BACARDI rum is the world's favorite rum, and the best-selling premium spirit in the world.
- MARTINI vermouth is the world's favorite vermouth.
- GREY GOOSE vodka is the world-leader in super premium vodka.
- DEWAR'S Scotch whisky is the number-one selling blended Scotch whisky in the U.S.
- BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin is the top-valued premium gin in the world.
- CAZADORES blue agave tequila is the top-selling premium tequila in the world.
- The Bacardi Limited portfolio includes a full range of products such as rum, vermouth, scotch, cognac, brandy, vodka, gin, liquors, tequila, port, wines, malt beverages and beer.
- Bacardi Limited has been owned by seven generations of Bacardi family members--descendants of the Company founder Don Facundo Bacardí Massó.