The bat has always been a symbol of good luck, so when Doña Amalia Bacardi saw the fruit bats in the family distillery she had no doubt: that was supposed to be the symbol on the bottle. Today it is still on the bottle and helps the family overcome every challenge of destiny.
Rum baron by day, partisan for freedom at night. Emilio Bacardí Moreau risked his life and all his belongings to help Cuba in its battle for independence from Spain. Arrested, exiled and imprisoned twice for his convictions and his refusal to support the Spanish government, his patriotism was rewarded on his return from exile, when he became the first freely elected mayor of Santiago de Cuba.
In 1919, the United States prohibited the production and sale of alcohol. Ai Bacardí came up with the idea of inviting the Americans to Cuba for legendary parties that lasted the whole weekend.
In 1960, the revolutionary regime of Cuba illegally confiscated all Cuban assets of the Bacardí company without offering any compensation and forced them to leave the country. The Bacardís lost their company and their home, but as it had in the past, they kept their spirits and re-started from scratch, in another place.