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The Arechabala Family started their rum-making business in 1878 in Cuba. They first registered the HAVANA CLUB trademark in 1934. With its well-rounded flavor featuring notes of tropical fruits and hints of vanilla and oak, HAVANA CLUB quickly became a beloved and iconic Cuban brand. It was a favorite of locals as well as American and European tourists flocking to Cuba’s chic nightspots and casinos from the late 1930s to the 1960s. HAVANA CLUB became one of the symbols of the razzle and dazzle of that Golden Age. Then everything changed. On January 1st, 1960, at gunpoint, the Cuban regime seized the company’s assets without compensation. The Arechabala family lost everything and was forced to flee the homeland they loved, with a scant few of their remaining possessions – the precious rum recipe being one of them. But, without the means to restart the rum making business, it seemed HAVANA CLUB would only exist on a tattered piece of paper. Just like the Bacardi Family, the Arechabala Family suffered the same sad end to their business in Cuba. However, Bacardi had rum-making facilities in Puerto Rico and due to the long-standing ties between both families, Bacardi purchased the original recipe and the rights to HAVANA CLUB. In 1995, Bacardi relaunched HAVANA CLUB in the United States, based on the original Cuban recipe personally transcribed by Ramon Arechabala. Now the sultry nights, the swanky nightspots, the pulsating Latin music are bottled once more, capturing the essence of the Golden Age.