Bacardi at a glance: Company’s 150-year highlights

Bacardi Ltd. Chairman Facundo L. Bacardi with a portrait of his great, great grandfather Don Facundo Bacardi Masso. CHARLES TRAINOR JR / MIAMI HERALD STAFF
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1862: Bacardi is founded by Don Facundo Bacardí Massó in Santiago de Cuba.
1898: In Daiquirí, Cuba, American mining engineer Jennings S. Cox originates the Daiquirí cocktail made with Bacardi rum.
1900: The world’s first Cuba Libre is created when Bacardi rum and Coca-Cola are mixed with lime to celebrate the end of the Spanish-American War in Cuba.
1919: Prohibition becomes law in the United States and Americans flock to Cuba to drink Bacardi rum.
1930: The iconic Edificio Bacardi opens in Havana and celebrities frequent its Art Deco bar.
1930s: Bacardi establishes facilities in Mexico and Puerto Rico. The facility at Cataño, Puerto Rico is the largest premium rum distillery in the world.
1944: Bacardi establishes an imports company in New York City to supply the United States market.
1960: Bacardi operations in Cuba are illegally confiscated without compensation by the Cuban government. Bacardi continues its operations from four other countries: the U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.
1964: Bacardi moves its U.S. headquarters from New York to Miami, opening the landmark Bacardi Building on Biscayne Boulevard. Bacardi U.S.A. calls it home until November 2009.
1965: Bacardi opens a distillery in Nassau, Bahamas. Bacardi International Limited relocates from the Bahamas to Bermuda.
1978: Bacardi rum becomes the No. 1 premium distilled spirits brand in the U.S. with more than 7 million, 9-liter cases sold.
1992: Bacardi Limited is formed, unifying five separate strategic operating units of the Company (Bacardi International Limited – Bermuda; Bacardi & Company Limited – Bahamas; Bacardi Corporation – Puerto Rico; Bacardi Imports, Inc. – United States; and Bacardi y Compañía S.A. de C.V. – Mexico).
1993: Bacardi finalizes the acquisition of General Beverage, owner of the Martini & Rossi Group. With this acquisition, Bacardi doubles in size and becomes one of the top five largest premium spirits companies in the world.
1995: Bacardi launches Bacardi Limón in the U.S.
1998: Bacardi acquires Dewar’s Scotch whisky and the Bombay and Bombay Sapphire gin brands. Bacardi becomes one of the top four spirits companies in the world.
2002: Bacardi forms an alliance with Anheuser-Busch to develop, market and distribute Bacardi Silver, a clear malt beverage in the U.S.
2002: Bacardi acquires Cazadores 100 percent blue agave tequila, a top-selling premium tequila.
2002: Bacardi opens a facility in China.
2002: The Casa Bacardi Visitor Center opens at the Bacardi distillery in Puerto Rico, a tourist experience celebrating the history of the company and the brand.
2004: Bacardi purchases Grey Goose vodka, the world’s No. 1 super premium vodka.
2005: Facundo L. Bacardi, great-great grandson of the company’s founder, becomes chairman of the board of directors of Bacardi Limited.
2008: Bacardi announces an agreement to purchase a significant stake in the parent company of Patrón tequila.
2012: On Feb. 4, the company and Bacardi rum celebrates their 150th anniversary.
2012: Bacardi is launching several new products including Grey Goose Cherry Noir vodka and Bacardi rum’s, Black Razz and Wolf Berry.
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