Bacardi controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2020
Bacardi responds to criticism of Plume & Petal marketing language
Company response
Bacardi responded to criticism of the gendered language used to describe its Plume & Petal vodka line. The company said it was proud of the product but did not endorse the use of gendered language. The statement followed criticism of the marketing wording for the vodka line. Bacardi's response distinguished its view of the product from its view of the language used in the marketing.
After criticism of gendered language used to describe its Plume & Petal vodka line, Bacardi said it was proud of the product but not the use of gendered language.
Company response
Clarification — Bacardi
Bacardi said in a statement that they are proud of the product but not the use of gendered language
Source excerpt
Food & Wine restaurant editor Khushbu Shah shared a screengrab and complained about 'gendered drinks'. Others called the language 'wrong' and 'sexist'.
Bacardi said in a statement that they are proud of the product but not the use of gendered language
2019
Class-action lawsuit over Bombay Sapphire ingredients
Lawsuit filed
A class-action lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Miami named Bacardi and Winn-Dixie as defendants. The suit alleges that Bacardi adds grains of paradise, which is prohibited under an old Florida law, to Bombay Sapphire gin; it also claims consumer damages based on the purchase price. The article reports allegations, not a court determination.
Source excerpt
The alleged damage described in the lawsuit resides instead entirely in the "individual purchase price" paid by consumers—"generally less than $40."
The class-action lawsuit against Bacardi, which owns Bombay Sapphire, claims the liquor giant adds "grains of paradise"—a spice banned under an archaic Florida law—to its bestselling gin. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Miami this past summer and the subject of a lengthy piece in the Miami Herald this week, also names Winn-Dixie, a Florida-based grocery chain that sells Bombay Sapphire, as a defendant.
1999
Bacardi Act and Havana Club trademark dispute
Bacardi lobbying was associated with Section 211 of United States appropriations legislation, which limited trademark protection for certain Cuban businesses whose assets had been expropriated. Cuba and the European Union challenged the measure, and the World Trade Organization found it inconsistent with U.S. obligations. The issue remains part of the broader Havana Club legal and political conflict.