Havana Club (Bacardi)
Encyclopedia
Havana Club is a rum
made by Bacardi
in Puerto Rico
, with the original recipe of José Arechabala, and sold in the United States.
of 1959, the distillery and company was nationalized by the Cuban government and the Arechabala family emigrated to the United States
. The Arechabala family allowed the trademark to lapse in 1973.
In 1994 Bacardi entered into an alliance with the Arechabalas, and in 1997 the Arechabalas sold their residual rights to Havana Club to Bacardi, which, among other things, included the recipe for the original Havana Club rum.
During 1995 and 1996, Bacardi made a trial production of the rum in the Bahamas
and was sold in the United States.
However, the Havana Club trademark was in the hands of Havana Club International
(a business entity formed by the Cuban Government owners, and Pernod Ricard
, the French owners of the Cuban Government brand) and owned the trademark in the United States through Inter-American Conventions.
After more than 10 years of legal struggles between the parties, on August 8, 2006, 5 days after the Cuban version of the trade mark was denied renewal (in the United States), Bacardi released their own version of Havana Club (produced in Puerto Rico).
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
made by Bacardi
Bacardi
Bacardi is a family-controlled spirits company, best known as a producer of rums, including Bacardi Superior and Bacardi 151. The company sells in excess of 200 million bottles per year in nearly 100 countries...
in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, with the original recipe of José Arechabala, and sold in the United States.
History
Havana Club rum, was first created by José Arechabala in 1934 and sold throughout the world from his family-owned distillery in Cuba. After the Cuban RevolutionCuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
of 1959, the distillery and company was nationalized by the Cuban government and the Arechabala family emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Arechabala family allowed the trademark to lapse in 1973.
In 1994 Bacardi entered into an alliance with the Arechabalas, and in 1997 the Arechabalas sold their residual rights to Havana Club to Bacardi, which, among other things, included the recipe for the original Havana Club rum.
During 1995 and 1996, Bacardi made a trial production of the rum in the Bahamas
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
and was sold in the United States.
However, the Havana Club trademark was in the hands of Havana Club International
Havana Club
Havana Club is a brand of rum, made in Santa Cruz del Norte, Cuba. The brand was established by José Arechabala in 1878. After the Cuban Revolution of 1959, the distillery and company was nationalized by the Cuban government; subsequently, the Arechabala family left for Spain, then emigrated to the...
(a business entity formed by the Cuban Government owners, and Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is a French company that produces distilled beverages. The company's eponymous products, Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis, are both anise-flavoured liqueurs and are often referred to simply as Pernod or Ricard...
, the French owners of the Cuban Government brand) and owned the trademark in the United States through Inter-American Conventions.
After more than 10 years of legal struggles between the parties, on August 8, 2006, 5 days after the Cuban version of the trade mark was denied renewal (in the United States), Bacardi released their own version of Havana Club (produced in Puerto Rico).