Matusalem & Company was founded by brothers Benjamin and Eduardo Camp, who left Spain and settled in Cuba for the purpose of establishing a rum distillery. In 1872, the Camp brothers, along with their partner Evaristo Alvarez, established the Matusalem brand in Santiago de Cuba. The Camp brothers brought with them their knowledge and expertise in the Solera system of blending and distillation used in making Spanish brandy.

The name “Matusalem” is Spanish for Methuselah, the Old Testament patriarch said to have lived for 969 years. It was chosen as a reference to the aging process used in producing the brand. The name is taken from the popular Spanish proverb “Mas viejo que Matusalem,” which means “Older than Methuselah.”