Wine for sale: Matusalem

Matusalem

Matusalem is a Cuban rum created by Benjamin and Eduardo Camp, and Evaristo Alvarez, three Spaniards who emigrated to Cuba and set up the Matusalem distillery in Santiago de Cuba in 1872. The name refers to the ageing and blending method used for their rums, which features a solera, a mainstay of the Spanish tradition. Under the direction of Claudio Alvarez Lefebre and his son, Matusalem prospered from the 1930s up until the Cuban Revolution. When Fidel Castro came to power in 1959, however, production ceased. Claudio Alvarez, the founder’s great grandson, decided to revive the brand in 1995, claiming the rights to the trademark in an American court. The rum is now produced in the Dominican Republic while maintaining its original Cuban style.