Matusalem & Co.

History

Cuba
The company started by the Camp brothers in 1872 as a family affair. It was originally called Camp & Brothers, S.A. Around 1912 Benjamin Camp moved back to Spain, from there on the company was in the hands of his brother Eduardo and Evaristo Álvarez. Eventually, one of the daughters of Evaristo Álvarez married the son of Eduardo Camp.

In the early 1900's the son of Evaristo, Claudio Álvarez LeFebre entered the company. The corporate name was then changed to Álvarez Camp & Co. The "new" Cuban rum rapidly caught on in the world's markets.

In the early 1940's Claudio Álvarez LeFebre's only son, Claudio Álvarez Soriano, joined the firm. His hard work and outstanding administrative skills earned him the respect of workers and competitors alike. From here on, the company experienced a period of tremendous growth and by the 1950's it had already captured 50% of the Cuban market.

Matusalem was the leading rum sold in Cuba. At the beginning of the year 1956 died Claudio Álvarez LeFebre and six months later Claudio Álvarez Soriano, too. That same year starts the guerrilla war against President Fulgencio Batista. By 1960 the Álvarez family, the company and the country were utterly changed - forever. It was the end of an era.

United States
In 1961 was established Matusalem & Co in U.S.A.

1872
Two Spanish brothers, Benjamin and Eduardo Camp, together with a third partner, Evaristo Álvarez, were to embark on an exciting adventure. To create the smoothest, highest-quality rum that has ever been enjoyed. They opened a distillery, inspired by the production and aging process used for brandy and cognac, creating a carefully guarded secret formula that has been passed down through generations. Thus Matusalem Rum was born in Santiago de Cuba. Some 140 years later, the name continues to be recognized around the world as a symbol of quality and excellence.

1900's
In 1912, Benjamin Camp returns to Spain, leaving the company in the hands of his brother and Evaristo Álvarez. Claudio Álvarez LeFebre, the son of Evaristo Álvarez, joins the company, running it for the next 25 years. His knowledge and experience in rum production, together with his good judgment and administrative talents, helps the company to grow within the global marketplace. Matusalem receives its first international awards.

1930 - 1960
Matusalem was one of the stars in Cuba's heyday. Prohibition attracted American tourists to the island, which was in the height of its age of glamour. Havana, considered to be "the Paris of the Americas," was a cosmopolitan city full of energy and celebration. At the beginning of the 1940's, Claudio Álvarez LeFebre asks his only son, Claudio Álvarez Soriano, to join the company. The young man's administration skills and marketing abilities, cultivated in the US, contributed to the success of the brand. In 1960, with the coming to power of Fidel Castro and the regime change, the family is exiled and tensions begin around control of the brand.

1970 - 1990
Claudio Álvarez Salazar, great-grandson of the company's founder, begins studying medicine in the 1970s, while several groups were fighting for control of the Matusalem brand. In the 1990s, following a successful career in medicine, Dr. Claudio Álvarez sues for control of the company. A settlement is reached in 1995, giving him control of his family's company.

1990's
n the early 1990s, when the Álvarez family recovers control of the company, production is focused solely on premium high-end varieties of rum. Currently, Matusalem is produced and bottled in the Dominican Republic. The sun, the climate and the excellent quality of the sugarcane serve as an optimal foundation to conserve the Original Formula and to continue producing Matusalem Rum under the highest quality standards.

2000 - 2011
In 2002, Matusalem Rum is relaunched as a high quality producer of fine rums. In this way our rums achieve extraordinary excellence, sought out by the most selective consumers. In 2005, Dr. Claudio Álvarez Salazar designates his eldest son, Claudio Renaud Álvarez, as CEO of the company. The fifth generation of the Álvarez Family takes the reigns of the Matusalem brand.