NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / August 26, 2026 / What does it take to preserve more than 160 years of family, business, and brand history? Hear from Rachel Guerin, Bacardi Heritage Curator and sixth generation Bacardi family member who shares an inside look at one of the world's most unique, private corporate heritage collections: the Bacardi Archives.
For most people, history lives in textbooks, museums, or old family photo albums. At Bacardi, the world's largest privately held international spirits company, heritage is actively preserved, protected, and put to work every day.
Located in Miami, the Bacardi Archives houses more than 20,000 artifacts and records that tell the story of seven generations of family ownership, entrepreneurial resilience, and the evolution of one of the world's most recognized spirits companies. From century-old rum bottles and original advertisements to family photographs and handwritten business records, the collection serves as both a guardian of the past and a source of inspiration for the future.
To close out Rum Month, Rachel shares some of her favorite stories hidden within the collection and why preserving history remains an important investment for Bacardi and the company's future.
Q: For those who have never heard of the Bacardi Archives, how would you describe it?
Rachel Guerin: Think of the archives as the collective memory of Bacardi. We preserve more than 160 years of family, our rum-making business, and brand history through over 20,000 artifacts and records that help tell the story of who we are, where we've been, and how we've evolved across seven generations from the very beginning in Santiago de Cuba to a global company.
Alongside rare Prohibition-bottle eras of our namesake rum and colorful advertisements, we preserve family photographs, important business records, correspondence, packaging, family heirlooms, merchandise and everyday objects that offer a unique window into the people and moments that shaped our history.
Q: When people hear the word "archive," they often picture dusty boxes tucked away in storage. What do the Bacardi Archives actually look like today?
RG: What surprises most people who reference our archives is that our collections of items really are living; my role as Heritage Curator is to ensure we're constantly researching and digitizing records that are most at risk of inaccessibility or degradation (and not just the very old ones).
We're currently digitizing more than 2,000 VHS tapes and an extensive CD collection containing advertisements, presentations, and campaigns from the 1990s and early 2000s. Though they may not seem that old or dusty in comparison to a document from the 1850s, they are surprisingly more complex to preserve.
Today in our largely digital world, we work around the clock to evolve to new technologies, tools and systems to make sure we're protecting born-digital records today that can be accessible for generations to come.
Q: How is the collection used today?
RG: The archives support projects across many areas of our business, from trademark protection and innovation to marketing, education, and brand storytelling. Historical materials help ensure our stories remain factual and authentic while inspiring new ideas for the future.
Recently I've collaborated with the BACARDÍ rum brand team to develop a collection of vintage BACARDÍ emblems and graphics from our archives, reimagining them for 21st-century luxury goods.
Beyond supporting business initiatives, the collection is also becoming more visible than ever before. Our new archives showpiece room was intentionally designed as a modern, welcoming environment where our employees, family members, and guests can step inside the world of BACARDÍ from 1862 to present.
Q: Do you have a favorite object in the collection?
RG: A recent favorite object is the very first gold medal BACARDÍ rum ever received at the 1876 Philadelphia Exposition. This award symbolized the moment in time where consumers from the United States and Europe first recognized the unparalleled quality of my great-great-great grandfather Don Facundo Bacardí Massó's light-bodied rum. Alongside modern marvels of the day like the Remington Typewriter and the Singer sewing machine, BACARDÍ rum won this medal, and the family was so proud they immediately placed its emblem on our bottle label. Today, BACARDÍ is the world's most awarded rum, and this Philadelphia medal is still proudly represented on our bottle labels, 150 years later.
(An original 1876 Philadelphia Exposition Medal, still proudly featured on BACARDÍ rum labels today).
Q: In what ways does preserving history contribute to a more sustainable future?
RG: Sustainability is often thought of as environmental stewardship, but I think preserving our cultural heritage is equally important.
For family-owned businesses like Bacardi, stewardship has always been about thinking beyond the present moment. The decisions made by previous generations continue to influence us today and help us make more informed decisions, and the records they left behind help us understand not only what they accomplished, but how they navigated challenges, adapted to change, and planned for the future.
When we preserve history, we're really making an investment in future generations, ensuring they have access to the experiences, wisdom, and stories that shaped the path before them.
Q: Is there a historical figure in the archives whose story continues to resonate with you today?
RG: I am enthralled with the legacy of my great, great grandfather Emilio Bacardí Moreau, the eldest son of founder Don Facundo Bacardí Massó. While he helped lead the family rum business in one of Cuba's most politically tumultuous and challenging times, his impact extended far beyond rum production and into the very lives of his fellow Cuban citizens. Emilio served as the first democratically elected mayor of Santiago de Cuba following the Spanish American War and devoted much of his life to rebuilding the city and supporting its people. He was a fantastic writer, devoted husband and father, and to me, he perfectly exemplified the importance of stewardship to your community and leaving the world better than you found it.
(Rachel holds her favorite vintage portrait of Emilio Bacardí Moreau, alongside his second wife Elvira Cape Bacardí c. 1910s).
Q: What do you hope future generations will learn from the collection a hundred years from now?
RG: I hope future generations see that history is never finished; every generation adds a new, exciting chapter to our story. The artifacts my team preserves today will become the historical record of tomorrow, and I hope that sense of stewardship continues on indefinitely.
More than anything, I hope they see the people behind the story. It's easy to look at a company with more than 160 years of history and focus on the milestones, products, or business achievements. But when I walk through the archives, what I see are generations of individuals and some of my own ancestors who faced uncertainty, embraced change, and worked hard to build something larger than themselves.
Hear more from Rachel on a History Factory Podcast.
View the Bacardi Limited Corporate Story video.
Explore the Bacardi company's rich heritage timeline.
Find more stories and multimedia from Bacardi-Martini, Inc. at 3blmedia.com.
Contact Info:
Spokesperson: Bacardi-Martini, Inc.
Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/bacardi-limited
Email: info@3blmedia.com
SOURCE: Bacardi-Martini, Inc.
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/food-and-beverage-products/behind-the-doors-of-the-bacardi-archives-a-conversation-with-the-heritag-1212303
