Casa BACARDÍ® Announces the Opening of Georgina Local Cuisine – a New Restaurant at the BACARDÍ Visitor Center in Puerto Rico

The new culinary offer will stand out for its unique version of local dishes made with premium spirits from the BACARDÍ rum portfolio

Cataño, Puerto Rico, June 11, 2015 — As part of its newly redesigned consumer experience, the Casa BACARDÍ Visitor Center announces the opening of Georgina, a new restaurant specializing in a Caribbean fusion between the culinary treats of Puerto Rico and Cuba. Georgina is located at the BACARDÍ rum production facility and brand visitor center campus in Cataño, Puerto Rico, just outside of San Juan.

“It’s the first time in history that Bacardi launches a culinary concept like this. We are very excited and confident that this restaurant will become a very successful appeal to the hundreds of thousands of tourists, both local and international, that visit us each year,” said Joaquín Bacardí III, President of Puerto Rico-based Bacardi Corporation, and a 5th generation of the Bacardí family.

With a concept initially focused on the thousands of tourists that visit the world’s largest premium rum facility weekly, the culinary offering of Georgina was designed by locally renowned chefs Hedwill Martínez and Carlos Pimentel.

“It’s a privilege to be part of the opening and creation of this restaurant, and to put my creativity in favor of the culture of this iconic rum,” said Martínez, executive chef of Georgina. Certified in International Cuisine, Chef Martinez has worked for the past 15 years with many of the great chefs in Puerto Rico and is ready to accept this new challenge. His Georgina colleague, Chef Pimentel, has 12 years of local and international culinary experience, with a degree in Culinary Arts and Hotel Management.

Located next to the iconic bat pavilion, in the former location of the BACARDÍ store, the restaurant is decorated with a modern casual style. Its name Georgina refers to an employee who worked for the Bacardí family for more than three decades starting in the late 1800s. According to The Bacardi Archive, Georgina initially served as a cook for Facundo Bacardí Massó, patriarch of the Bacardí family and creator of BACARDÍ rum, and then went on to work for his eldest son, Emilio Bacardí as a maid. Emilio was an active member of the struggle for the independence of Cuba, and Georgina is credited with saving his life by hiding letters detailing his revolutionary activity in Cuba which would have resulted in his execution.

San Juan entrepreneur Julio Canales will be responsible for the management of the restaurant. Georgina joins four other concept restaurants in the San Juan area that form part of FURE (Fun Unique Restaurant Experiences). With more than 15 years in the gastronomic industry, Mr. Canales, who expands his business with innovative food concepts in Puerto Rico, said, “Georgina presents a concept of Caribbean fusion, along with the passion and creativity that distinguishes us. We are proud and excited to be collaborating with a worldwide brand as prestigious as BACARDÍ rum.”

Diners will enjoy the essence of the gastronomic inns of Puerto Rico and Cuba. The recipes will include the use of BACARDÍ rum as a special ingredient. The menu will highlight daily specials, from roasted pork, to mofongo, as well as other delicacies including ceviche.

For reservations and/or more information about Georgina Local Cuisine and/or the tour of Casa BACARDÍ, please call +1.787.788.8400 or access www.visitcasabacardi.com or www.facebook.com/bacardidistillerytour.

About BACARDÍ Rums
In 1862, Bacardi revolutionized the spirits industry when founder Don Facundo Bacardí Massó began producing his remarkable light-bodied, smooth rum. The unique taste of BACARDÍ inspired cocktail pioneers to invent some of the world’s most famous drink recipes including the Mojito, the Daiquirí, the Cuba Libre, the Piña Colada, and the Presidente. BACARDÍ Superior rum has won more than 550 awards for quality and taste making it the world’s most awarded rum. Today, BACARDÍ is produced in Puerto Rico, following the production legacy set forth by Don Facundo Bacardi Massó – crafted in a five-step distillation process, mellowed in American white oak barrels, and filtered five times for unparalleled quality and smoothness. www.bacardi.com

About Bacardi in Puerto Rico
Bacardi Corporation was founded in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1936, and is part of family-owned Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world. The current facility was built in 1958 on 127 acres in the town of Cataño. The rum production facility is the largest premium rum distillery in the world, and one of 29 manufacturing facilities globally in the Bacardi group. It produces 100,000 liters of BACARDÍ rum every day.

Since 1961, Bacardi has operated the state-of-the-art Casa Bacardi Visitor Center, the second most-visited venue in metro San Juan, drawing more than 250,000 visitors a year to learn about the rich history of the Bacardi family and brand, as well as its unique production.

The BACARDÍ® brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. The Bacardi brand portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels including GREY GOOSE® vodka, DEWAR’S® Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, and MARTINI® vermouth and Italian sparkling wines.