Casa Bacardi: Puerto Rican History and Tradition

Casa Bacardi is home to the Bacardi family's extensive rum distillery and a popular Puerto Rican tourist stop. Located in the town of Catano and monitored by the Morro, Casa Bacardi is a fifteen-minute drive from San Juan. Once inside the Casa Bacardi Visitor Center, guides talk about the rich history of one of the world's most popular rums, the Bacardi founder and the distillery's impact on the global market.

The Bacardi Bat is a symbol of good fortune. The abundance of bats on the ceilings of old and dark distilleries is what inspired the Bacardi Bat logo. The Bacardi family has invested approximately seven million dollars into the Casa Bacardi Visitor Center, which utilizes the latest technologies to entertain and educate. Visitors can choose either an English or a Spanish tour onboard a small streetcar. They get to appreciate all the work that goes in to concocting the fragrant liqueur -- from the big fermentation barrels to the actual bottling process of the different rums.

Amidst tropical Puerto Rican breezes, the popular tour begins. First stop is the Bacardi Family Museum. The main exhibit is Sr. Facundo Bacardi Masso, here visitors get a detailed and historical overview that almost sends them back in time. Next up is the Bat Theatre, where a movie about the history of the Bacardi family and the launching of the company can be seen under an optical fiber dome that simulates the night sky.

The next stop on the tour takes guests to an amazing replica of the very first Bacardi distillery with huge wood barrels filled with Bacardi rum abounds. A small room filled with even more historical objects gives visitors an idea of the distillery's almost 150-year-old traditions.

Half of the exposition contains more high technology, such as large plasma TVs that show how the rum is made and olfactory sections that alert visitors to the distinct Bacardi aromas.

A 1930s style bar recreates the golden "cocktail" era, with help from a bartender's old tales. Later, visitors enter an illuminated room where they can create video postcards to send back home.

The tour ends at an impressive pavilion in the shape of a flying bat. Now visitors can sit and relax in a colonial court and savor two free Bacardi cocktails. While some take time out to relax, others visit the Bacardi House Gift Shop to purchase all kinds of souvenirs: T-shirts, caps, glasses, towels, and, of course Bacardi bottles.

Bacardi House tours are free and take place every twenty minutes, Monday through Saturday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and again on Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Anyone interested in more information on Bacardi House can call (787) 788-8400 or visit: www.casabacardi.org

ESPAÑOL

ENGLISH