Jose Alberto Bacardi Rum dynasty founded in 1862

José Alberto Bacardí: A Legacy Reborn in Canada

On my walk through Mount Hope Catholic Cemetery in Toronto, I discovered the grave of José Alberto Bacardí, the man whose life carried forward the heritage of Bacardí rum against the backstory of exile, resilience, and reinvention.

Born in Santiago de Cuba in 1938, José Alberto was part of the generation that never returned home—removed from their country by the upheaval of the Cuban Revolution. In 1960, the Bacardí family was forced into exile after their ancestral assets were seized by the new government, and many left behind everything the family had built.

After the family fled Cuba they settled in Bermuda. Bacardi Building, Bermuda; location of Bacardi’s world headquarters.

In 1969, José Alberto moved to Canada, where he started and built a new chapter. He spearheaded the creation of FBM Distillery in Brampton, laying the foundations for Bacardí Canada, and later served as its president. He continued to influence the global direction of Bacardí as a director of Bacardí International, leading until his retirement.

Bacardi Canada located in Brampton, Ontario. 

The famous Bacardi logo is a bat, which was chosen because the founder’s wife, Doña Amalia, discovered a colony of fruit bats at the original distillery and knew they symbolized good fortune, health, and family unity in Spain and to Cuba’s native people.

Beyond his business pursuits, José Alberto was a man of  generosity. A Knight of the Sovereign Order of Malta, he devoted time and resources to support numerous educational, health, and Catholic institutions.

Jose Alberto Bacardi died in Toronto on June 4, 2016. He was 78.

1938-2o16

On my recent visit to Havana in January 2024, I visited the former head office of Bacardi Rum. The buildings was expropriated by the Castro Government in 1960 just after the Revolution in 1959.