Ron Matusalem

Matusalem & Company was founded by brothers Benjamin and Eduardo Camp, who left Spain and settled in Santiago de Cuba in 1872 for the purpose of establishing a rum distillery.[1]:38,[6] The Camp brothers brought with them their knowledge and expertise in the solera system of blending and distillation used in making Spanish cognac and sherry.[1]:38

During the 1950s, the brand was one of the top premium rums in Cuba, competing with Bacardi and Havana Club.[1]:175

Following the Cuban revolution 1959, the family-owned Matusalem brand went into exile, and was established in the United States. The Cuban government continued to make rum in the former Matusalem factory in Santiago de Cuba.[7]

Three branches of the family began feuding in 1981, resulting in court cases that extended into the mid-90s. These ended in 1995 when Dr. Claudio Alvarez Salazar, the great-grandson of the founder, gained control of the Matusalem trademark in an out-of-court settlement.