Casa Bacardi in Puerto Rico
Visiting Casa Bacardi in San Juan, Puerto Rico is always a good time! Whether you’re a first time rum drinker or it’s your go-to spirit of choice, this experience is a must when you’re vacationing on the beautiful Caribbean island of Puerto Rico.
Better known as the “Cathedral of Rum,” Bacardi’s main rum distillery outside of San Juan is the largest in the world, producing about 85% of Bacardi’s total production. However, did you know that it actually started in Cuba?
History of Bacardi
Bacardi was founded on February 4, 1862 by Don Facundo Bacardi Masso in Santiago de Cuba. His plan was to revolutionize the rum-making process and to create a smooth, light-bodied spirit. I think it’s safe to say that he achieved this goal. Bacardi has been receiving awards since its first one in the late 1800s and hasn’t looked back since!
However, all of Bacardi operations and assets were taken by Cuban revolutionary forces in 1960. Thankfully, they had already established themselves in Puerto Rico just a few years earlier by opening its distillery outside of San Juan in 1958. Since then, the Bacardi brand has become a rum recognized the world over. Not just specializing in rum anymore. With acquisitions like Dewar’s Scotch Whiskey and Bombay Gin, Bacardi is now one of the top four spirit companies in the world.
What to Expect
Despite all of its history, Casa Bacardi is also a complex full of things to do. The first place you’ll stop at is the Bat Bar Pavilion. The bat is arguably the most recognizable symbol of the Bacardi brand and makes its appearance throughout your visit. Fruit bats symbolize good health, family unity and good fortune. Here’s a fun fact I bet you didn’t know! It was actually Facundo’s wife that suggested adopting the bat as the symbol for Bacardi.
After receiving your welcome drink, hop aboard the trolley for a guided tour and learn about the family and how Bacardi rum is made. What comes next is up to you! So, let’s raise that welcome drink and decide which tour to take!
In the great words of my tour guide, Marianna – “If we’re going down, we’re going down with rum in our system!”
Which Tour Should I Book?
Before you begin to immerse yourself in all things rum, there are four types of tours you’ll have to choose from at Casa Bacardi in Puerto Rico. They are all a little different, depending on what interests you and are all roughly 90 minutes. Regardless of which you decide, everyone begins in the iconic Pavilion with a welcome drink, and they all include a trolley ride to the museum and a stop at the gift shop.
- Founder’s Experience: This experience is a more private one and offers instead a VIP ride. It also includes a visit to the Tropical Aging Warehouse and Curated rum tastings with local pairings.
- Mixology Class: The mixology tour is my favorite! On it you get to learn about the history of their rum while visiting the museum. Then you’ll get to learn how to create two perfect drinks – a mojito and a shaken pina colada. It was a blast!
- Rum Tasting Tour: It’s on this tour though, you’ll become a rum expert. If pairing rums with chocolate and sampling some of the exclusive Special Reserve rums sounds fun, this one is for you.
- Legacy Tour: This tour is the most cost effective and basic option. If you’re not interested in learning how to mix drinks or tasting specialty rums, I would suggest taking this one.
In the end it doesn’t matter which one you select. Do you want to know why? Simple! You’ll not only get to see a behind-the-scenes look at how they produce their rum, learn about the history of the Bacardi family but also get to sample some of their award-winning rums!
Visiting Casa Bacardi in Puerto Rico
Location: Carretera 165 KM 6.2, Cataño, Puerto Rico. There are many different ways for you to get to Casa Bacardi – by driving yourself, taking the ferry from Old San Juan, a taxi, an Uber or visiting with a tour group.
Hours: They are open everyday, Monday – Sunday from 9am – 4:30pm. There are plenty of tour times for all of the different tour options, but I definitely recommend booking yours in advance.
Standard Adult Admission: For the general tour, the price begins at $30 per person, plus tax and can go up to $200, plus tax for the Founder’s Experience.
Have I convinced you yet to visit the famous Casa Bacardi in Puerto Rico yet? Which tour would you take? Or have you already taken one? Tell me in the comments below!