Bacardi Toasts 80th Anniversary of BACARDÍ Rum Consumer Rights Court Ruling

“If it lacks BACARDÍ rum, no bartender’s concoction can be called a BACARDI cocktail.” — ruled the New York Supreme Court in 1936

Hamilton, Bermuda, April 28, 2016 – Flashback to 1936 during the economic upheaval of the Great Depression in the United States. Prohibition had recently ended, and BACARDÍ rum was very popular. During this struggling time, a few bars and restaurants in New York City tried to take advantage of consumers by substituting lesser quality rums for BACARDÍ for when they asked for BACARDÍ cocktails.

Standing up for the consumer’s right to get what was ordered and to protect the quality of cocktails, family-owned Bacardi, now the largest privately held spirits company in the world, took legal action against these bars and restaurants.

Straight from the original court transcripts safeguarded in The Bacardi Archives, the case was originally ruled on today, April 28, 1936—80 years ago—and ultimately affirmed by the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court one year later. Bacardi attorneys called the judge’s bartender to testify and asked him what rum he used in the judge’s favorite BACARDÍ cocktail. He answered only “BACARDÍ rum.” Some other bartenders testified they used the handiest bottle of any rum available to make BACARDÍ cocktails. With that, then-Justice John L. Walsh ruled: “Beyond a reasonable doubt subterfuge and a fraud is subjected on the purchaser when BACARDÍ rum is left out of a drink listed as a BACARDÍ cocktail.”

“The decision was so significant to consumers—to make sure they received the high quality and great tasting BACARDÍ cocktail they ordered—that Bacardi featured the ruling in a popular series of print advertising and marketing campaigns from the late 1930s through the1950s under the theme that ‘Nothing Takes the Place of BACARDÍ’,” said Fabio Di Giammarco, global vice president for BACARDÍ rum.

BACARDÍ is one of the most frequently heard bar calls in the world as discerning consumers continue to request for BACARDÍ by name to ensure they receive the premium quality spirit that first inspired the classic rum cocktails.

“Consumers call for BACARDÍ by name when ordering at a bar or restaurant to ensure they get exceptional taste and quality,” said Mauricio Vergara, Bacardi chief marketing officer for North America and global lead for BACARDÍ® rum and GREY GOOSE® vodka. “In celebration of this significant court ruling, when you order a BACARDÍ cocktail today, know that the law is supported by what consumers have known all along—only BACARDÍ makes a BACARDÍ cocktail.”

About Bacardi
Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, produces and markets internationally recognized spirits and wines. The company boasts a portfolio of some of the most iconic and top-selling spirits brands including BACARDÍ® rum, GREY GOOSE® vodka, DEWAR’S® blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, and other leading and emerging brands.

Founded 154 years ago in Santiago de Cuba on February 4, 1862, family-owned Bacardi manufactures its brands at 29 facilities and sells in more than 160 countries. Based in Hamilton, Bermuda, Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.