Photo Credit: Tastings.com
From the moment you enter the largest premium rum distillery in the world, you begin to feel the Bacardi experience. You are greeted by a colorful entrance, warm people and I must say a little of molasses aromas in the air. This Puerto Rican distillery manufactures 85 percent of Bacardi's rums each year and at Bacardi, quantity does not impact quality as every distillation is done to the highest standards.
The founder of the empire, Don Facundo Bacardí Massó, immigrated to Santiago de Cuba in 1830 where he began his rum empire. You might be wondering, if Bacardi originated in Cuba, then why is it located in Puerto Rico? There was no better person to answer this initial question than William Ramos, the Bacardi brand expert. He explained that Facundo's decision to move the rum distillery to San Juan in 1936 originated from the need to bring exporting taxes down in order to expand distribution. As Puerto Rico opened its doors to Bacardi, so did Bacardi to the rest of the world.