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SB meets… Yoze Torres, Ron Matusalem
With 23 years of experience in the industry, the CEO of Ron Matusalem Group has been shaping the modern history of this culturally significant rum since 2017.
What has been the key driver of success for Ron Matusalem?
Founded in 1872, Ron Matusalem is one of the industry’s last independent rum brands. Our values are all about quality, tradition, heritage, solid expertise in wood selection and ageing and the founding family’s resilience in upholding the rum’s high standards for 150 years. Matusalem’s founding family produced the highest‐quality rum possible by being pioneers in adapting the Solera ageing system to Cuba’s rum sector. With the Álvarez family in its fifth generation, we’re celebrating our history, but with an eye to our vision for the next 150 years. A vision with the same high standards set by the firm’s founders and the innovation as part of their DNA. This is the secret to our longevity.
What inspired Lefebre, the first release in the Tributes Collection?
This limited edition run of 2,000 numbered and certified units pays homage to Claudio Álvarez Lefebre, great‐grandfather to the fifth generation of the founding family. His French surname – Lefebre – inspired us to revive the use of French oak barrels in our ageing process, which was common during our early years. The result is an elegant, one‐of‐a‐kind rum aged using our Solera system and rare ex‐Bordeaux barrels from the family’s private collection. Lefebre blends our knowledge of wood with our skills in the art of ageing. It’s already a huge success, with many units sold in pre‐sales.
How are you planning to develop the brand in the on-trade?
We’ve been linked to the bartending community for many years. Since 2019, we’ve been the official rum of the World’s 50 Best Bars. We also support bartenders and chefs with scientific information. A laboratory in Belgium analysed our rums to determine their compatibility with thousands of food ingredients. It has resulted in perfect matches for our rums to help mixologist and chefs create outstanding cocktails and food pairings.
Matusalem launched two important initiatives this year. One, the Master Blender Tour, opens our cellar doors to bartenders and journalists from eight countries, during which our master blender shares some of Matusalem’s expertise and innovative practices. 2024 also marked the first edition of Matusalem Golden Master, our bartending competition. Both events were very well received, and we’re excited to continue with them in 2025.
What’s in the pipeline for Matusalem in the year ahead?
After the successful launch of Matusalem Sublime in 2022 – our entry into the luxury segment – and the launch of Lefebre Limited Edition in 2024, our consumers have started to ask for new releases in the prestige‐and‐above category. We’re working to improve our high‐end ageing processes and hone our wood expertise by researching forests and soil, studying the climate, monitoring water profiles and experimenting with the use of different woods and blends to create extraordinary products. In the next few months, there will be great news to share.
What are your goals for the company over the next five to 10 years?
Maintaining our position as a leading heritage rum brand that’s focused on the super‐premium‐and‐above category. Protecting our 100‐year‐old recipe, while also launching products that showcase our excellence in the art of wood selection.
How are you working to protect the future of the business?
We protect our future by listening to new consumers to understand their needs and expectations. The prestigious Butterfly Mark from Positive Luxury, awarded to us in 2023, was a welcome validation of this active listening. We’re also shaping our future with an eye to innovation.
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