Casa Bacardi Puerto Rico: Everything you need to know

Casa Bacardi Review

But, back to Casa Bacardi.

Casa Bacardi is, with the most basic definition, the Bacardi family’s rum distillery where rum is made and distributed around the world. The grounds are open to the public daily from 9:30 am to 6 pm. So you can just drive there and hang out. But, it is a working distillery, not just a tourist attraction for rum lovers.

Casa Bacardi is where 85% of the brand’s total production is made. Although you don’t actually get to see any of that process when you visit. You see the outside of buildings, like the Cathedral of Rum, which is the world’s largest rum distillery, but you don’t actually get to go inside.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

There’s the Bacardi Pavilion, which has two bars serving drinks made with Bacardi. You check in at the pavilion before the tour, and, since you’re supposed to arrive at least 15 minutes before your tour’s time slot, the pavilion is kind of like a waiting room. A waiting room with bars, outdoor games like cornhole, and a huge outdoor space with a beautiful ocean view of old San Juan.

There are a ton of tables in that area, since it’s an outdoor waiting room. There’s also El Cuchifrito, a Caribbean food kiosk that serves phenomenal food (that’s, all things considered, really affordable).

Eat at El Cuchifrito. Trust me.

​It wasn’t even a meal time when we were there, but I ordered Plantain Cups (spicy crab stuffed plantain cups) that I’ve been thinking about ever since. Just wait for a recreation recipe on Drugstore Divas one day because my goal is to dupe them.

The plantain cups used imitation crab, which I usually don’t like, and this was done so well that I didn’t even mind it not being real crab.

There are shrimp arepas, chicken skewers, alcapurrias, smashed chicken sliders, jibaritos, and more on the menu. The food does take a little while, so you’re gonna want to order it after your tour. But, honestly, if I knew how good it was going to be, I would have ordered more than one thing to split. And if the food was a little faster, I would have placed a second order.

Casa Bacardi is the top rated tourist attraction in Cataño, according to Trip Advisor, so I really didn’t think the food would be that good.

​It was.

Casa Bacardi Tours

I saw suggestions online for just going to Casa Bacardi, having a couple drinks, and doing a self-guided tour rather than paying for an actual tour.

And I get that. I really do. Tours cost money. And if you can save money by not paying for a tour and walking yourself through the site, that’s stretching your budget, right? But, personally, I don’t recommended that. Self-guided tours are never really great because you don’t have the knowledge that a tour guide does. And even if you’re reading every placard in sight, you’re still missing things.

In the case of Casa Bacardi, there are no placards. So you would just be walking around the grounds, looking at buildings. So, book the tour.

Legacy Tour

The Legacy Tour is the basic tour. It’s $40, plus tax, and that includes a complimentary cocktail (either a Caribbean Classic cocktails, a Frozen Cocktail, or Bacardi Ocho on the rocks). The cocktails are $12 if you don’t pay for the tour, so it’s really a $28 tour plus a cocktail.

It’s a guided bus tour that takes you around the grounds and into the Bacardi Family Museum.

The museum is the only building that you go into. The others you just drive by and listen to some history as you do.

Inside the museum, you watch a short video about the Bacardi family, the company’s start and move to Puerto Rico, and the famous fruit bat logo, which has always been the symbol of Bacardi. You visit a replica of one of the original Bacardi offices and a barrel room (also a replica), then walk through a Disney-like hallway filled with barrels and lots of Instagram-worthy spots. Finally, you end a bar where your tour guide talks about rum and serves you a sample of Casa Bacardi Special Reserve, an exclusive blend that you can only get at Casa Bacardi. 

With most tours, the quality of the tour really depends on the guide. But especially this one because you don’t really see anything. You’re not touring the actual Bacardi factory, not seeing any production lines, and not looking at actual barrels. So your experience is really based on how engaged and entertaining your guide is.

And our guide, Arnaldo, was fantastic. He was super animated, really did well engaging and focusing the crowd (especially when a few of the attendees were celebrating a birthday and seemed to have started the celebrations early), and made me — someone who does not really care about the rum-making process — really interested the entire time.

The tour ends, as most do, at the gift shop. You can buy a ton of Bacardi-branded items, like shot glasses and t-shirts. And you can purchase infused chocolate made by Montadero Chocolate (the shop where we went to the chocolate workshop when we were in Puerto Rico).

Rum Tasting Tour With Chocolate Paring

If you want more rum than the Legacy Tour, you can do the Rum Tasting Tour for $80. It is a guided tour that teaches you, well, how to drink rum. You also enjoy a pairing of rum with the aforementioned Montadero Chocolates (which, honestly, are very, very good chocolates, so it’s worth it for that).

But, side note: When we did the chocolate workshop at Montadero Chocolates, we had a tasting of a Bacardi whiskey and chocolate. The chocolatier explained how to enjoy them together, plus we made three chocolate bars to take home. That experience cost us $40, so half the cost of the rum tasting at Bacardi. So, if you’re on vacation and thinking about stretching your budget, maybe skip this part of the tour and spend that money at Montadero instead.

Mixology Class

If you want to up your at home bartending skills, the Mixology Class ($80) is for you. In addition to learning about the history of Bacardi, you learn how to make some cocktails (I heard it’s currently a piña colada and a mojito, but I heard it previously was a Cuba Libre, a daiquiri, and a mojito).

It’s a hands-on experience where you’re at your own station at a long table with your own cocktail tools: glasses, shaker, tongs, etc. The tools are provided by Bacardi, and you leave them there after the tour. There are small bottles of Bacardi rum, plus the juices and ice you need to make your drinks.

You’re walked through making the cocktails step-by-step, so you can definitely make them at home. The instructors make this class such a party. Of course, you’ll be cheers-ing with your drinks, dancing to music, and just enjoying the party atmosphere of the class. If you want to have some cocktails, this is definitely the best value.

Just keep in mind that you’ll be drinking the cocktails, plus you still get a welcome cocktail, so you want to start on a full stomach and not drive home after.

Also, a quick note: You have to choose between the Rum Tasting Tour and the Mixology Class. From what I’ve heard, you can’t do both on the same day.

Founder’s Experience

If you want a more behind the scenes experience to learn about the Bacardi brand, the Founder’s Experience ($125) is for you. You get to tour the tropical aging warehouse, but other than that, it’s very similar to the Legacy Tour. So, you might just want to stick to that one, honestly.

Casa Bacardi: Frequently Asked Questions

More Distillery Tours:

If you’re looing for more similar tours, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. tour in North Carolina takes you through the beer brewing process.

If you like spirits, the Buffalo Trace Distillery Virtual Tour is one you can take from the comfort of your own home. My favorite, though, was Lost Spirits Distillery, a rum distillery in Las Vegas that was part distillery tour and part burlesque Cirque du Soleil. Unfortunately, that distillery closed earlier this year.