This article first appeared in the Drinks International Rum Supplement which can be read in full here
Cuba is synonymous with rum. Several of the industry’s biggest names have historical ties with the Caribbean island and Ron Matusalem’s 150-year-old story began in Santiago de Cuba when Spanish immigrant Pablo Nonell bought his own distillery in 1872. There he developed the Matusalem name and was one of the first to introduce solera ageing in rum. In 1888 the business was passed to his nephews, Enrique and Benjamin Camp, who established E Camp & Co.
In the early 20th century, a member of the Álvarez family married one of the Camp nephews, leading to a joint venture between the two families in Cuba.
From 1925 to 1935, many rum brands on the island, including Ron Matusalem, flourished due to the tourism boom caused by Prohibition in the US.
In 1942 Claudio Álvarez Soriano took over, modernising and expanding the brand internationally. However, between 1951 and 1956, Claudio, his father Claudio Álvarez Lefebre and Eduardo Camp all passed away. Combined with the hostile situation in Cuba, Claudio’s widow, Carmen Delfina Salazar Sánchez, left with her four children for Miami.
The Álvarez and Camp families attempted to revive the company in the US but were divided. It wasn’t until the 1990s, after several legal disputes between the brand’s heirs, that Claudio Álvarez Salazar, the son of Álvarez Soriano and Carmen Salazar, took over Ron Matusalem. During his tenure the brand’s facilities were moved to the Dominican Republic.
The brand today
Today the brand is led by fifth-generation family member Claudio Álvarez Renaud, the son of Álvarez Salazar. Matusalem is sold in more than 70 countries and the brand is one of the most respected in the upper-premium sector.
With production in the Dominican Republic and head offices in Madrid, Matusalem has become a truly global brand. On top of its significant export network, the brand features regularly in Drinks International’s Brands Report, meaning it’s one of the bestselling rum brands in the world’s best bars. Its Gran Reserva 15 has been the flagship rum over the past century while Gran Reserva 23 sits in the ‘ultra-premium’ bracket. In 2022, to celebrate its 150th anniversary, 450 bottles of Matusalem Sublime were offered to the market and in late 2024 Lefebre was launched as the brand’s first edition of its Tributes Collection. Aged in ex-Bordeaux wine casks, just 2,000 bottles entered the market, making these limited-edition rums highly sought after, particularly within the trade.
Claudio Álvarez Renaud says: “Lefebre is a tribute to my great-grandfather, who spearheaded the company during Cuba’s legendary golden age, culminating in its success. His name, Claudio Álvarez Lefebre, inspired this exceptional limited edition that honours our traditions. Lefebre hearkens back to our first applications of the solera system using French oak, adding more refined notes.”
As well as producing rare rums, Matusalem is known for its innovative approach. In 2021 it launched Insólito, the industry’s first ‘rosé rum’. Using carbon filtration and secondary ageing in ex-Tempranillo wine casks, the rum was blended with its Gran Reserva 15 to create a rum with a pink hue, inspired by Provence rosé. All of the innovation and rare releases are created by master blender Cynthia Vargas, who has recently completed a European tour specifically to discuss her work with different wood types and the ageing process of Matusalem. Vargas is the first master blender not to come from the Álvarez family and, working closely with the family, is playing a key role in leading the brand into the next 150 years.
