The Millstone Times August 2019

The Logic of Logos & CatchphraseS Bacardi Rum By Pam Teel Ever wonder why the legendary rum maker would choose a bat as its brand logo? As the story goes, company founder Don Fac- undo Bacardi Massó’s wife, Doña Amalia Bacardí, spotted fruit bats in the family’s distillery one day. Believing the winged vis- itors were a sign of good luck, she insisted they be the symbol of the family’s company. Her intuition was spot on, as Bacardi rose to be one of the largest spirit manufacturers in the world with legions of fans, including Ernest Hemingway, who ref- erenced the company in three of his novels.

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The history of rum tends to be an interesting one because sailors and seafarers favored this strong, sweet spirit during the Age of Exploration. Bacardi is perhaps the most iconic rum in the Americas and is credited with creating such clas- sic cocktails such as, rum and coke, and the daiquiri, which was favored by Ernest Hemingway. Its story dates back to 1862 in Santiago de Cuba and un- folds across the Caribbean and to the United States. Facundo Bacardí Massó, whose family immigrated to Cuba when he was 16, eventually set about refining the rum. Up until this point it had been made cheaply and was not considered to be a desirable drink. He developed a proprietary strain of yeast giving Bacardi its clean flavor profile, filtered it through charcoal to remove impurities and aged the rum in white oak

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barrels to mellow it. This resulted in the first clear, or “white,” rum in the world. Facundo eventually opened a small distillery with his brother-in-law, mark- ing the beginning of Bacardi’s history. The years to follow were turbulent times for the citizens of Cuba, with the Cuban War of Independence in the 1880s and 1890s. Facundo’s eldest son, Emilio, was imprisoned and exiled for fight- ing in the rebel army against Spain. The women of the family were exiled to Jamaica. Starting in 1912, after the United States occupation of Cuba, the company expanded with bottling plants in Barcelona and New York City. When pro- hibition struck the United States in the 1920s, Cuba became a hotspot for American tourists who could enjoy Bacardi’s rum freely. Bacardi continued to be passed down as a family business through three gen- erations and moved its headquarters to Havana in 1930. The rum’s popularity continued to grow, forever associating Cuba with rum, and Bacardi in partic- ular. It expanded globally to Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States. When Fidel Castro’s Cuban Revolution took hold of the island in the 1960s, Bacardi managed to hide its proprietary formula, trademark and assets in the Bahamas. Eventually, it moved its operation to Puerto Rico and Mexico, which proved beneficial in trading with the United States. As a result, Bacardi is not found at bars or grocery stores in Cuba today. The main brand on the island is Havana Club, which Bacardi acquired at one time, and is currently embroiled in a lawsuit with the Cuban government over trademarks and ownership. In 1964, Bacardi opened its United States headquarters in Miami, Florida, inside an eye-catching building designed by exiled Cuban architect Enrique Gutierrez. What makes the exterior of the building so unique are 28,000 blue and white tiles depicting flowers constructed by Brazilian artist Francisco Brennard. In 2006, Bacardi moved its headquarters from the midtown Miami location to nearby Coral Gables. Today, the building still stands and is com- monly referred to as the Bacardi Building. Bacardi is now one of the most recognized and highly consumed rums worldwide. Varieties range from its original white to smooth and mellow gold. It still uses the bat as its mascot. The company merged with Martini & Rossi in 1993 and acquired other spirits brands, expanding its portfolio to include Bombay Sapphire, Grey Goose and Dewar’s, amongst others.

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6 The Millstone Times

August 2019