Matusalem & Co.
| Industry | Distilled spirits |
|---|---|
| Founded | Santiago de Cuba |
| Headquarters | |
| Website | www |
Matusalem & Company is a manufacturer of premium Caribbean rum. Founded in Santiago de Cuba, it is now produced in the Dominican Republic.
History
[edit]Matusalem & Company was founded by brothers Benjamin and Eduardo Camp, who left Spain and settled in Santiago de Cuba in 1872 for the purpose of establishing a rum distillery.,[1]: 38 [2] The Camp brothers brought with them their knowledge and expertise in the solera system of blending and distillation used in making Spanish cognac and sherry.[1]: 38
During the 1950s, the brand was one of the top premium rums in Cuba, competing with Bacardi and Havana Club.[1]: 175 having 50% market share.
Following the Cuban revolution 1959, the family-owned Matusalem brand went into exile, and was established in the United States. The Cuban government continued to make rum in the former Matusalem factory in Santiago de Cuba.[3]
Three branches of the family began feuding in 1981, resulting in court cases that extended into the mid-90s. These ended in 1995 when Dr. Claudio Alvarez Salazar, the great-grandson of the founder, gained control of the Matusalem trademark in an out-of-court settlement.[citation needed]
In 2002, Matusalem and Company was relaunched, with branding focused on its Cuban roots, and targeting the high-end market in the United States.[4]: 86–87 The rum is produced in the Dominican Republic, but was not formally made available in that country until 2015.[5]
The company has engaged in litigation over its use of phrases like "The Spirit of Cuba" in Italy.[6][7]
Name
[edit]The name "Matusalem" is Spanish for Methuselah, the Old Testament patriarch said to have lived for 969 years. It was chosen as a reference to the aging process used in producing the brand,[1]: 38 and popularized with the phrase "más viejo que Matusalén" (older than Methuselah).[4]: 78
Current Portfolio
[edit]
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (October 2015) |
Seven different products are currently manufactured by Matusalem and Company:
- Matusalem Gran Reserva 15
- Matusalem Gran Reserva 18
- Matusalem Gran Reserva 23
- Matusalem Clasico 10
- Matusalem Platino
- Matusalem Solera 7
- Matusalem Extra Añejo
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Gjelten, Tom (2008-01-01). Bacardi and the Long Fight for Cuba: The Biography of a Cause. Penguin. ISBN 9780670019786.
- ^ "Rum Journal: From the Dominican Republic, a Rum With a Cuban Soul". Caribbean Journal. 2012-05-24. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
- ^ Brown, Jared McDaniel; Miller, Anistatia R.; Broom, Dave (2009-03-01). Cuba: The Legend of Rum. Mixellany Limited. p. 66. ISBN 9780976093787.
- ^ a b Porben, Pedro P. (2009-01-01). The Desired Revolution and the New Man: Assembling and Negotiating Cultural and Intellectual Practices in Revolutionary Cuba (in Spanish). ISBN 9781109110043.
- ^ Jiménez, Alex (2015-10-03). "Aprieta la Guerra Ronera en RD, Ron Matusalem y otras marcas compiten, Siboney viene con fuerza, rones saborizados ganan espacio en consumidores" (in Spanish). Primicias. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
- ^ Manna, Luigi (2015-02-13). "Cuba, rum and geographical indications". Lexology. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
- ^ "N&G Legal vince in appello con il rum Matusalem". TopLegal. 2015-06-23. Retrieved 2015-10-16.