The international beverage multinational Bacardi-Martini Limited has its origins in Cuba. The wine merchant Facundo Bacardi Massó (1814-1887), who immigrated from Spain in 1830, experimented with spirits and founded the small distillery "Bacardi y Compañia" with his brother José in Santiago de Cuba in 1862. He developed the recipe for the world's first clear "white" drinking rum, which is produced according to a recipe that is still kept secret today, with fermentation by special yeasts, charcoal filtering and storage in oak barrels. The distinctive trademark is a bat, the symbol of good luck in Cuba. From 1872, the founding sons Emilio and Facundo Bacardi Moreau continued to run the company. By the end of the 19th century, the rum was known far beyond Cuba. In 1910 the first foreign bottling plant was built in Barcelona (Spain). After the Cuban revolution in 1959 and the expropriation without compensation one year later, the Bacardi family emigrated to the USA. However, they managed to take the original yeast cultures with them and retain the international trademark rights. Moreover, they had foreseen the development and taken appropriate measures beforehand. The original distillery in Cuba, which continues to produce according to the old process, markets its rum under the name "Ron Caney" (Spanish Ron = rum, Caney = hut). However, the most important rum brand in Cuba in terms of volume is called "Havana Club". However, there has been a dispute about this name for a long time, because Bacardi claims the rights for itself.
