Bacardi Opens Its Rum Aging Warehouses to the Public for the First Time

(Photo: Bacardi)

Bacardi is opening the doors to its rum aging warehouses in Puerto Rico for the first time, giving visitors a behind-the-scenes look at how the spirits giant ages and blends its rum.

The new experience comes as Bacardi celebrates 90 years of rum production in Puerto Rico and follows a multimillion-dollar investment in its warehousing operations and visitor center. The company said the latest expansion brings its total investment in Puerto Rico to more than $100 million over the past five years.

The new warehouses are designed to increase Bacardi’s rum-aging capacity while using technology and recycled materials intended to reduce environmental impact and improve efficiency.

For visitors, the centerpiece of the expansion is a new 90-minute tour called the “Maestro’s Walk.”

The experience takes guests beyond the traditional tasting room and into the aging warehouses, following the same path used by a Bacardi maestro, or master blender. Visitors will learn about the aging and blending processes and will have the opportunity to sample rum directly from a barrel.

“We’re excited to invite guests beyond the tasting room and into the heart of our rum-making process,” Katalina Puig, senior operations manager at Casa Bacardi, said in a news release. “Our new tour offers visitors a rare glimpse into our aging warehouses and an opportunity to immerse themselves in the tradition of 164-year-old craftsmanship that defines BACARDÍ rum.”

The new visitor experience also created additional jobs at the site, Bacardi said.

The investment comes as the company marks nine decades of producing rum in Puerto Rico. Bacardi was founded by Don Facundo Bacardi Masso in Santiago de Cuba in 1862 and expanded production beyond Cuba in the 1930s, including to Puerto Rico.

Bacardi Corporation was established in San Juan in 1936. The company’s current Puerto Rico facility was built in 1958 on 127 acres in Cataño and is described by Bacardi as the world’s largest premium rum distillery.

The company’s Casa Bacardi visitor center has operated since 1961 and now attracts nearly 160,000 visitors annually, making it the second-most-visited venue in the San Juan metropolitan area, according to Bacardi.

The new warehouse tour gives those visitors access to a part of the operation that was previously off-limits to the general public.

“This investment represents our ongoing commitment to producing exceptional rums and preserving the craftsmanship that has defined BACARDÍ for generations,” said Edwin Zayas, senior director of supply chain for Bacardi in Puerto Rico and Jacksonville. “By continuing to invest in our world-class facilities and visitor experiences, we are honoring our heritage while offering new ways for consumers to experience the art of rum making.”

The company said visitors can also take part in other Casa Bacardi experiences, including mixology classes and tours focused on the brand’s history and rum-making process.

The new “Maestro’s Walk” experience is available to guests ages 18 and older.