

Bacardi Superior Rum has been there since the beginning, nearly as long as the cocktail itself. While Don Facundo Bacardí Massó never set out to alter the course of cocktail history, his visionary effort to craft a fine, premium rum made possible many of the classic cocktails we enjoy today. By inspiring mixologists and cocktail enthusiasts around the world, Bacardi rum is entwined with the heritage of the cocktail, for the past 150 years and for the future.
1862
The Beginning
Bacardi is founded by Don Facundo Bacardí Massó in Santiago de Cuba, where he soon revolutionizes rum production by developing the world's first smooth, light-bodied rum.
1862
Bartender's Companion
Bar-tender Jerry Thomas authors the first cocktail book, The Bon-vivant's Companion, Or How to Mix Drinks, including recipes for the Blue Blazer, the Eye-Opener and a Rum Toddy.
1888
Regal Recognition
Bacardi is named official purveyor to the royal house of Spain. Her Royal Majesty, The Spanish Regent Maria Cristina, authorizes the Company to adorn their labels with Spanish royal coat of arms.
1888
The Bacardi Bat
The iconic Bacardi bat first appears in print. Prior to this time, Bacardi rum was sold in barrels with a Bat burned into the head of the barrel.
1898
The Daquiri
Running short on gin, Jennings Stockton Cox, an American engineer working at the Daiquiri copper mines near Santiago de Cuba, creates an instant classic by combining Bacardi Rum, sugar, lime juice and ice to create the original hand-shaken Daiquiri. Make One
1900
The Cuba Libre
American soldiers at the American Bar on Neptuno Street in Havana combine Bacardi Carta de Oro with a new soda made from the Coca leaf and the Kola nut. Garnished with a lime, the new drink takes its name from the battle cry of Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders: Cuba Libre, or Free Cuba!Make One
1900
The Bacardi Bat
With the blessing of the Spanish crown, the Spanish Coat of Arms appears along with the bat insignia. At the same time, the bat image appears broader and bolder, seeming to literally stretch its wings.
1919
Liquid Assets
With Prohibition looming in the U.S., Enrique Schueg devises a plan to liquidate 60,000 cases of Bacardi inventory in New York. He sells 60,000 shares in the company, and then dissolves the company and its "wet stock" by distributing one case to each shareholder.
1920
Last Call
The Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, known as the Volstead Act, prohibits the production, sale, and transport of intoxicating liquors, sending Americans abroad in search of leisure. An advertisement for Pan American Airways declares, "Fly with us to Havana and you can bathe in Bacardi rum four hours from now."
1925
Happiest Salesman in Havana
Rafael "Pappy" Valiente is a familiar face in Havana, inviting American tourists fleeing the 'dry' United States to the grand company headquarters, the Edificio Bacardi, to sample the premium rums of Bacardi.
1930
The Rum Swizzle
In his novel The Party Dress, Joseph Hergesheimer describes a Rum Swizzle made with Bacardi Rum and bitters and mixed with a twig. In 1933, Jay Sindler, an engineer, is granted a patent on a plastic swizzle stick designed to spear drink garnishes. Make One
1931
The Bacardi Bat
Coinciding with the 150th anniversary of Bacardi, this bat logo, encircled in gold, has a refined and regal air, characteristic of the Art Deco era.
1933
Repeal
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a fan of the dirty martini, signs and ratifies The Twenty-First Amendment to the Constitution, bringing an end to national Prohibition and restoring control of alcohol to the states.
1933
Ice for the Masses
As home refrigerators become more widespread and sophisticated, consumers are introduced to the freezer compartment. Guy L. Tinkham introduces a flexible metal tray for making ice cubes at home, selling for $.50
1936
Coming to America
Bacardi Corporation is registered in Puerto Rico and given a license by the island's Treasurer to conduct business, establishing Bacardi safely in a U.S. territory.
1936
The Bacardi Cocktail
In a landmark case against New York's Barbizon-Plaza Hotel, a New York appellate court rules that the Bacardi Cocktail can only be made with Bacardi Rum. Make One
1937
Perfect Remix
Musician Fred Waring introduces the Waring "Blendor" at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago. Despite a steep price of $29.75, by 1938 there are 35,000 Waring Blendors in professional use in America. Frozen cocktails become as simple as the push of a button.
1939
The Daisy de Santiago
In his 1946 book The Gentleman's Companion: Around the World with Jigger, Beaker & Glass, Charles H. Baker Jr. surveys the world of cocktails and shares a drink invented by the late Don Facundo Bacardi, calling it "...the best Bacardi drink on record," or namely, the Daisy de Santiago. Make One
1940
Hemingway Daiquiri
Ernest Hemingway becomes a regular at Cuba's Bar Floridita, sipping his personal variation of the daiquiri, the Papa Doble. Make One
1945
The Mai Tai
At the close of WWII, American GIs returning from the Pacific bring home a taste for tropical exotica, fueling a fad for tiki restaurants like those from Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic, offering fruity rum drinks like the Mai Tai and the Zombie. Make One
1947
The Mojito
In Bartender's Guide by Trader Vic, Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr., the creator of the Trader Vic tiki restaurants, offers his recipe for a Mojito using "Puerto Rico" rum. This Cuban classic, whose name means "little spell" in Creole parlance, is descended from a drink called the "The Draque," dating back to 1586. Make One
1954
The Piña Colada
After months of experimentation with the local fruit, barman Ramon "Monchito" Marrero reveals his Piña Colada, a combination of light rum, pineapple and coconut. In 1978, Puerto Rico declares it the national drink. Make One
1959
The Bacardi Bat
Following the Cuban revolution, Bacardi's bat logo is updated in a move toward modernity and trademark protection. This stylized bat was designed by Martin J. Ferguson of Rye, New York.
1960
"Happy Hour"
Following an article on military life in The Saturday Evening Post, the Navy sailors' term for leisure time on board ship, "Happy Hour," enters civilian use as the popular name for after work imbibing.
1962
Cuban Missile Crisis
U.S. President John F. Kennedy, a Daiquiri fan, is alerted that the Soviet Union is building secret nuclear missile bases in Cuba with the ability to strike the United States, bringing the world dangerously close to nuclear conflict. A serious cocktail now bears the same name. Make One
1987
Cocktail Comeback
Restaurateur Joe Baum challenges mixologist Dale DeGroff to introduce classic cocktails at New York's famous Rainbow Room on the 65th floor of the GE Building in Rockefeller Center, reintroducing America to the cocktail list and launching the modern cocktail Renaissance.
2006
The Cocktail Bicentennial
Noting that on May 13,1806 a Hudson, New York newspaper, Balance and Columbian Respository, published a definition of the word "cocktail," cocktail connoisseurs worldwide commune to raise a glass and celebrate the 200th anniversary of the mixed drink.
2008
Molecular Mixology
Utilizing techniques borrowed from molecular gastronomy, Eben Freeman of New York City's Tailor restaurant creates the "mojito of the future," consisting of gelatinized balls of mint water and lime juice suspended in carbonated Bacardi Superior Rum.
2008
Farm Fresh Daiquiri
Inspired by the farm-to-table culinary movement, mixologists use real fruit to flavor Daiquiris and other cocktails, offering a fresh approach to the strawberry Daiquiris of the 1970s. Make One
2010
The Bacardi Bat
Breaking free of its borders, the current Bacardi bat evokes the pride and confidence enjoyed by the world's best-selling rum, along with a sense of optimism for the future.
2011
Oakheart
With the Cuba Libre cocktail now 111 years old, over 6,000,000 Bacardi Cuba Libres are enjoyed daily. The introduction of Bacardi Oakheart Spiced Rum brings a new twist to the classic cocktail. Make One
2012
Happy Birthday Bacardi!
In honor of 150 years of Bacardi rum, revelers around the world toast to the illustrious past and exciting future of their favorite rum, welcoming another 150 years of Bacardi innovation.
www.bacardi.com ©2012 BACARDI AND THE BAT DEVICE
ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF BACARDI & COMPANY LIMITED.
BACARDI U.S.A., INC., CORAL GABLES, FL. RUM - 40% ALC. BY VOL.