José Arechabala S.A. (founded as ''La Vizcaya'' in 1878) was one of the Cuban conglomerates within the sugar and

alcoholic beverages Drinks containing alcohol are typically divided into three classes—beers, wines, and spirits—with alcohol content typically between 3% and 50%. Drinks with less than 0.5% are sometimes considered non-alcoholic. Many societies have a di ...

industries. Headquartered in Cárdenas,

Matanzas Matanzas (Cuban ; ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas Province, Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-American religions, Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Mat ...

, it is known for

Havana Club Havana Club (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Club Habana'') is a brand of rum created in Cuba in 1934. Originally produced in Cárdenas, Cuba, by family-owned José Arechabala S.A., the brand was nationalization, nationalized after the Cuban Revolu ...

rum from 1934 until 1960.

History

José Arechabala Aldama, a Spanish industrialist, established a

distillery Distillation, also classical distillation, is the process of separating the component substances of a liquid mixture of two or more chemically discrete substances; the separation process is realized by way of the selective boiling of the mixt ...

named ''La Vizcaya'' in 1878 in Cárdenas,

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

. The distillery used the

molasses Molasses () is a viscous byproduct, principally obtained from the refining of sugarcane or sugar beet juice into sugar. Molasses varies in the amount of sugar, the method of extraction, and the age of the plant. Sugarcane molasses is usuall ...

residue from

sugar refining Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or do ...

to produce

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...

and other

liquors Liquor ( , sometimes hard liquor), spirits, distilled spirits, or spiritous liquor are alcoholic drinks produced by the distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. While the wo ...

. It also provided logistic services in the port of Cárdenas including

warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the rural–urban fringe, out ...

s and

sea transport Maritime transport (or ocean transport) or more generally waterborne transport, is the transport of people (passengers or goods (cargo) via waterways. Freight transport by watercraft has been widely used throughout recorded history, as it prov ...

. This development allowed it to cope with losses due to Hurricane Faquineto, which amounted to 50,000

peso The peso is the monetary unit of several Hispanophone, Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, as well as the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries of the Americas, the symbol com ...

s in 1888 (around 2 million USD today). Its expansion continued despite the

Cuban War of Independence The Cuban War of Independence (), also known in Cuba as the Necessary War (), fought from 1895 to 1898, was the last of three liberation wars that Cuba fought against Spain, the other two being the Ten Years' War (1868–1878) and the Litt ...

(where Cárdenas was the first location bombed by the US Navy), Cuban independence from Spain, and subsequent associated crises. By 1919, the group included a

power plant A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...

, sugar refineries, and a barrel production facility; the distillery was producing 23,600 liters of rum and 80,000 liters of other spirits daily and managed

schooners A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail ...

and warehouses. These businesses were incorporated under the José Arechabala S.A. name on January 18, 1921. The founder became its first chairman, while his son-in-law (and nephew), José Arechabala Sainz, became managing director. The Arechabala facilities in the Cárdenas shore extended over 150 acres. José Arechabala died on March 15, 1923, and his successor as chairman, José Arechabala Sainz, was assassinated only a few months later, in September 1924. The subsequent successor, Gabriel Malet, died in 1926. It was then that Tomás Pita y Álvarez took over as the chairman and José Fermín Iturrioz was appointed managing director. At that time, the

Prohibition in the United States The Prohibition era was the period from 1920 to 1933 when the United States prohibited the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The alcohol industry was curtailed by a succession of state legislatures, an ...

was still in force, preventing any alcohol exports to the largest

market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market *Marketing, the act of sat ...

. However, several negotiations with American authorities secured a 22% quota on sugar imports into the United States, to be split proportionally among the Cuban producers. In 1932, Cuba exported 435,000 tons of sugar to the United States, 30% of which was refined by José Arechabala S.A. 2012-Museo de Arte Colonial anagoria

When Prohibition was about to be repealed, another Category 5 hurricane hit Cárdenas. On 1 September 1933, the

1933 Cuba–Brownsville hurricane The 1933 Cuba–Brownsville hurricane was a deadly and destructive tropical cyclone in the 1933 Atlantic hurricane season. It was one of two systems during the season to reach Category 5equivalent intensity on the Saffir–Simpson Hurrican ...

reached the Matanzas shore, causing extensive damage and hundreds of deaths. After the hurricane, the company began construction on a new rum production plant, which was inaugurated on March 19,

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

(festivity of St. Joseph, the founder's patron). This plant had the purpose of launching the

and Doubloon Rum brands, which were targeted for the U.S. market. The popularity of Arechabala Havana Club's rum increased soon afterwards. On May 29, José Arechabala S.A. opened a new office building and its "Bar Privado’’ (the “Havana Club’’) across the Havana Cathedral. It soon became one of the hotspots for locals and tourists in Havana, as protagonist James Wormold mentioned in the novel ''

Our Man in Havana ''Our Man in Havana'' (1958) is a novel set in Cuba by the British author Graham Greene. Greene uses the novel to mock intelligence services, especially the British MI6, and their willingness to believe reports from their local informants. Th ...

'': ''“at the Havana Club he Felt a Citizen of Havana."'' Additionally, the Havana Club held receptions for the

Athletic Bilbao Athletic Club (; ), commonly known as Athletic Bilbao (), or simply Athletic, is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in the city of Bilbao in the Southern Basque Country, Basque Country, Spain. They are known ...

team that had won the Spanish League in July 1935 and for the ''

Juan Sebastián Elcano Juan Sebastián Elcano (Elkano in modern Basque language, Basque; also known as ''del Cano''; 1486/1487 – 4 August 1526) was a Spaniards, Spanish navigator, ship-owner and explorer of Basques, Basque origin, ship-owner and explorer from Getaria ...

'' officers when they stopped over in

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are shipbuilding, built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Compared to shipyards, which are sometimes m ...

, a

jam Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or spread. There are many varieties of fruit preserves globally, distinguished by the meth ...

factory, a

yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom (biology), kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are est ...

plant, and a

bagasse Bagasse ( ) is the dry pulpy fibrous material that remains after crushing sugarcane or sorghum stalks to extract their juice. It is used as a biofuel for the production of heat, energy, and electricity, and in the manufacture of pulp and building ...

paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt ...

. During this time, the leadership was in the hands of Carmela Arechabala, the eldest daughter of José Arechabala, who assumed chairmanship in 1946. By then, the corporation refined 1,000,000 pounds of sugar, purified 200,000 liters of water, and distilled 125,000 liters of alcohol daily, while the fermentation section was able to handle up to 4,000,000 liters and the solera aged 2,000,000 liters of rum on an ongoing basis. In 1953, to celebrate the corporation's 75th anniversary, the ''Arechabala 75'' rum was released.

Reorganization

In 2004, one of the managers of the distillery later claimed to the US Senate that he fled the

Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution () was the military and political movement that overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, who had ruled Cuba from 1952 to 1959. The revolution began after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état, in which Batista overthrew ...

with nothing but the knowledge of the secret formula for making Havana Club rum. From that date on, a period of disregard and differences in management began. The Cuban Revolution abandoned the production assets, giving away the aging barrels, which in turn ruined the business. The Bar Privado was abandoned, and the production plants were unoccupied.

Benefactora eminente

When José Arechabala S.A. unveiled the Arechabala Theater on April 20, 1919, the city of Cárdenas was prompt in naming the founder ''Hijo Adoptivo'', but the social works fostered by the firm did not stop there. On May 19 May 1945, on the occasion of the inauguration of the ''Monumento a la Bandera'' that culminated the works on the Cárdenas coastline that had been borne by José Arechabala S.A., the then President of the Republic, Ramón Grau San Martín, unveiled a plaque that declared José Arechabala S.A. as ''Benefactora eminente'' (eminent benefactor) of the city. These works had allowed the port of Cárdenas to be

dredged Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing dams ...

, making it a development pole for the region, enhancing its position as the closest port to the United States. That same day, José Arechabala S.A. was appointed ''Gran Oficial del Mérito Comercial'' by the Cuban government.

Fringe benefits for workers

The Arechabala employees enjoyed services provided by their company. The plant in Cárdenas had a swimming pool,

social club A social club or social organization may be a group of people or the place where they meet, generally formed around a common interest, occupation or activity with in an organizational association known as a Club (organization), club. Exampl ...

, children's playground,

Balneario A balneario ( Portuguese spelling: balneário) is an Iberian and Ibero American resort town, typically a seaside resort, and less commonly along the shores of lakes and rivers or next to hot springs. In Spain, balneario typically only refers to sp ...

(seaside resort) or sport fields (including tennis, golf or bowling, among others). In January 1945, another social club was opened in

Varadero Varadero (), also referred to as ''Playa Azul'' (Blue Beach), is a resort town in the province of Matanzas, Cuba, and one of the largest resort areas in the Caribbean. Varadero Beach is rated one of the world's best beaches in TripAdvisor's Travel ...

for the workers of Arechabala. Additionally, services for employees provided by José Arechabala S.A. included: * Professional Dental Service *

Canteen Canteen most often refers to: * Canteen (bottle), a water container * Cafeteria, a type of food service location within an institution in which there is little or no waiting staff table service * A complete set of cutlery comprising knives, forks, ...

for workers * Emergency Aid Savings Bank *

Sewing Sewing is the craft of fastening pieces of textiles together using a sewing needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era. Before the invention of spinning yarn or weaving fabric, archaeo ...

Academy for the families of the employees * Scholarships for children of employees *

Pension Fund A pension fund, also known as a superannuation fund in some countries, is any program, fund, or scheme which provides pension, retirement income. The U.S. Government's Social Security Trust Fund, which oversees $2.57 trillion in assets, is the ...

and retirements for employees *

Draw Draw, drawing, draws, or drawn most commonly refer to: * Draw (terrain), a terrain feature formed by two parallel ridges or spurs with low ground in between them * Draw (tie), in a competition, where competitors achieve equal outcomes * Draw ...

of 2 houses every year among Arechabala employees

Symbols

José Arechabala S.A. used an emblem with the

Biscay Biscay ( ; ; ), is a province of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Autonomous Community, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the Bay of Biscay, eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilb ...

coat of arms, which depicted the oak tree of Guernica (Arechabala is a Basque word that means "large oak tree") and the

wolves The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...

representing the López de Haro (founders of

Bilbao Bilbao is a city in northern Spain, the largest city in the Provinces of Spain, province of Biscay and in the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country as a whole. It is also the largest city proper in northern Spain. Bilbao is the List o ...

), "ravissant’’ (i.e. carrying a lamb in their mouth) for their participation in the

Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, known in Islamic history as the Battle of Al-Uqab (), took place on 16 July 1212 and was an important turning point in the ''Reconquista'' and the Spain in the Middle Ages, medieval history of Spain. The Christian ...

in 1212. This symbol appeared on the labels of all Arechabala products (including the original Havana Club bottles) from the foundation of the distillery and adorned the barrels on the solera. From 1943, there was a change in the

image, as the label became blue and the emblem a combination in two panels of the Biscay coat of arms and the Bilbao coats of arms with the San Antón Bridge. By the end of 1954, another image change was produced and the label returned to a similar version of the original one, with the oak tree of Guernica and the wolves.

References