Celebrating Women in Spirits: Luz Irizarry Shares Her Journey to Becoming a BACARDĺ Rum Blender

Bacardi is proud to have four female Maestros shaping the future of the industry and its drinks. Through its Next Generation Blenders Club, Bacardi nurtures future talent, including incredible women who are training to become the next Maestros for the Bacardi portfolio of premium brands. 

This Women’s Month, Bacardi spotlights one such ‘Maestro in training’ – Luz Irizarry – who this month takes on the prestigious title of BACARDĺ rum blender. Here she shares how she honed her skills and harnessed her passion for science to create an exciting and rewarding career in spirits.

What’s a typical day like for you?

Every day is different – and that’s what I love about it. I get to call the amazing BACARDĺ rum distillery in Cataño, Puerto Rico my ‘office’ – the largest premium rum distillery in the world – that’s tough to beat! On a typical day I might be tasting our latest rum to check it meets our exceptional standards for taste and quality, or I’m getting oak barrels ready to be filled with our secret BACARDĺ rum recipe that’s been passed down over seven generations. Nothing tops that smell of the aging warehouse where our rums age under the Caribbean sun. 

Every day is a new adventure. Some days work like magic and other days bring a new opportunity to continue learning and growing.                                      

What was your path to becoming a BACARDĺ rum blender?

It’s been a 20-year journey to this point, and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. It all started with getting my Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in Biology and Chemistry, before I joined Bacardi as a Quality Control Lab analyst. Since then, I’ve worked across every step of the rum production process – from fermentation and distillation to aging and blending – gaining in-depth knowledge of each. Every day, I gain more appreciation of the beautiful balance between art and science involved in making our incredible rum. 

For the last four years I have been training under Global Master Blender for BACARDĺ, Troy Arquiza and this month, I was promoted to a blender. It’s such a huge honor to hold this title and massive recognition of the work I’ve done to learn my craft.

When you started out in science, did you picture yourself here? 

Honestly no, I didn’t picture myself working in the spirits industry, much less becoming a BACARDĺ rum blender. When I decided to study science, I wanted to be a doctor. Later in my life, I decided to work in the pharmaceutical industry. In 2005, I had the opportunity to work at Bacardi as a Quality Control Lab analyst and it was love at first “preparation of a testing sample” for me! I didn’t look back.

What is your favorite thing about the job? 

I really love the process of blending and balancing the rum, from each nosing, tasting, mixing, through to the giving my final seal of approval on a batch. Added to that, it may sound crazy, but I still get goosebumps every time I see a bottle of BACARDĺ in the liquor store or being used at a bar. As part of the blending team, we put so much work and craftmanship into each bottle, so it’s a very satisfying experience to see people enjoying our beautiful rum. 

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

“One day at a time.” This is powerful advice that helps and guides me every day. Sometimes we get lost in an intense moment and find things a bit more challenging, but a solution is always around the corner. 

Then, comes the second-best advice I received – “family always comes first”. This advice not only applies to our personal life, but to our work life too. Bacardi is family-owned and Family is one of our cultural pillars so we all treat each other that way and it honestly adds so much to the quality of my work and the enjoyment I get from my job. 

How do you pay it forward to other women?

My work ethics, disposition and dedication can serve as an example for others, and I hope it entices other women to challenge themselves to be the best in their field and who knows, even to take on the challenging but highly rewarding path to becoming a rum blender. 

I am also part of Women Leading Rum which is an organization all about acknowledging the contribution of women to the rum industry and creating opportunity for professional exchange to support other women working in rum.  

What’s your advice to other women wanting to work in crafting spirits? 

Believe that your capability, your knowledge and experience is a voice that can make a difference in the crafting world. With hard work, discipline and passion, as well as taking every lesson and learning you can as you go along – it goes a long way to helping you achieve your goals.