ABUELO

The history of Varela Hermanos, S.A dates back to 1908, when Don José Varela Blanco, a young Spanish immigrant, established in the town of Pesé the San Isidro Sugar Mill, the first sugar mill in the recently formed Republic of Panamá. Pesé, founded in the mid XVIII Century, is located on a fertile valley in the center of Panamá. The main activity of its population of about 10,000 people is the cultivation of sugar cane.

In 1936, following the wishes of his three sons –José Manuel, Plinio, and Julio– Don José began the distillation of alcohol from sugar cane juice for the production of distilled spirits. From the very beginning, he was recognized for the extraordinary quality of his products. Since then, Varela Hermanos S.A. has maintained leadership in the distilled spirits industry.

Today, almost a century after Don José started operations in Pesé, the third generation directs Varela Hermanos, S.A. — the leading producer of distilled spirits in Panamá — continuing the same family traditions. With a solid production infrastructure, and the passion and dedication of our entire workforce, we have positioned ourselves with major presence in the international marketplace as exporters of fine rums and spirits.