J. Armando Bermúdez & Co

J. Armando Bermúdez & Co is the oldest rum company in the Dominican Republic, originally established in 1852 as La Sin Rival Fábrica de Licores by Erasmo Bermúdez. A Venezuelan pharmacist, he developed the formula for Amargo Panacea, an alcoholic tonic originally intended for medicinal purposes that quickly became a popular aperitif. Moving into rum production, he built a distillery in Santiago de los Caballeros.

The business was then inherited by his son, Jose Armando Bermúdez Rochet, who reincorporated it as J. Armando Bermúdez & Co in 1927. The company produces the famous Bermúdez brand alongside its historic Palo Viejo label.