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About the Havana Club brand
One of the world’s best-selling white rum brands is of Cuban origin. The famous drink has been made in one of the largest cities in the country – Cardenas – since 1934.
Havana Club products can be bought in more than a hundred countries, the annual consumption of the drink amounts to millions of bottles. In addition to Cuban rum under the famous brand, they produce a lesser-known “Puerto Rican version” with a corresponding note on the label.
rum cocktails
History of Roma Havana Club
The first alcohol from sugar cane, brought to Cuba by Christopher Columbus, began to be made in the XNUMXth century.
At first, the drinks turned out to be very strong and tart: only pirates and the local poor could drink them.
In the second half of the XNUMXth century, new technologies began to actively spread in the country, thanks to which rum acquired lightness and a refreshing taste.
Around the same time, the Arechabala family founded their own distillery on the coast of Cardenas.
They started making alcohol at a small enterprise back in 1878, but the date of creation of the Havana Club brand is considered to be 1934, when rum under that name began to be sold in Cuba and the United States.
It is possible that the hardworking family of Arechabala would have enriched themselves by making a popular drink, but fate turned out differently.
With the coming to power of Fidel Castro, the company was nationalized, and the creators of the Havana Club had to emigrate. The plant for the production of rum was actively developing and became a local treasure.
In the 70s, deliveries to the USSR and Eastern Europe were established.
In the 90s, the Pernod Ricard company joined the management of the enterprise, which acquired half of the shares from the Cuban government.
How rum is made Havana Club
Island Cuba, with its hot tropical climate and fertile soil, is best suited for growing sugar cane, which is used to make light rum.
Unlike other strong drinks, this alcohol does not have a single production technology.
However, for the production of “Havana Club” local “Maestros Roneros” today use the same technologies that were used by the Arechabala family more than 100 years ago.
In general terms, the process looks like this:
In the production of sugar from cane, high-quality molasses is extracted, which is a thick amber-colored paste. It is also known as molasses.
Yeast and pure spring water are added to the molasses, thereby starting the fermentation step.
The must is distilled and filtered. Cleaning is carried out slowly, due to natural gravity, which provides the drink with a natural taste and aroma.
The distillate is aged in carefully selected white oak barrels for about two years. Curiously, because of the tropical climate, the maturation of alcohol in Cuba is faster than in Europe. The annual loss of the product (“angel’s share”) here is up to 10%. For comparison: in France this figure is only 2%.
After two years of aging, the drink is blended by combining spirits from different barrels. Part of the production is bottled immediately, getting a young transparent rum. The rest of the alcohol matures further: up to 3, 5, 7 or more years.
Types of Roma Havana Club
The main line includes 3 types of drinks:
3 Years
Favorite rum bartenders, combining freshness and hot Cuban character.
Colour: light straw. Nose: smooth, with hints of oak, molasses and sugarcane.
Taste: balanced, complex, with a spicy citrus plume and soft fruity sweetness.
The perfect base for making Mojitos.
Special
A premium gold rum with a smooth texture and double aged.
Light sweetness and vanilla notes are combined with notes of cinnamon, tobacco, orange peel and dry oak.
The aroma and depth of the drink is most clearly revealed in the Cuba Libre cocktail.
7 Years
The original dark rum, aged for 7 years in oak barrels and brought together a wealth of Cuban flavors: tobacco, sweet tropical fruits, molasses, spices, vanilla.
The drink has a multi-layered texture and a long, slowly opening aftertaste.
A special category is the luxurious collection “Icónica Collection”
It consists of 4 exclusive expensive drinks, which are the pinnacle of the collective skill of Cuban blending specialists – “Maestros del Ron Cubano”:
Aged 15 Years
A rare limited edition rum with a bright copper hue and smooth texture.
Each year, only 58 barrels of a unique product are selected.
Aromas of dried fruits, prunes and raisins intertwine with oak notes.
The taste harmoniously combines tones of sweet fruits, chocolate, coffee, tobacco and spices.
The long aftertaste pleases with accents of vanilla and cocoa.
Union Cohiba Atmosphere
Powerful and luxurious, striking richness of balanced aromas of oak and smoke, intertwined with subtle tones of citrus, coconut, dried fruit and coffee.
The taste of the drink is soft woody, with accents of sweet vanilla and chocolate.
Maximum Extra Aged
Iridescent amber comes out in a limited edition: only 1000 bottles are produced annually.
The aroma of the drink is dominated by shades of oak and smoke, complemented by subtle tones of fresh pear, coconut and dried fruit.
Taste: dry, sweetish, with a silky warm aftertaste of dark chocolate, candied fruits, spices and vanilla.
Tribute
A vibrant 2018 release, this rum has a deep amber hue, a rich, balanced aroma of dried fruits, raisins, complemented by a subtle oak finish.
Taste: powerful, full-bodied, with a long coffee-coconut plume.
Interesting facts about rum Havana Club
The name for the drink was not chosen by chance.
The name united two Cuban symbols: the free spirit of the capital and the incendiary passion of nightclubs.
The girl Giraldia depicted on the logo, who is waiting for the return of her lover with a staff in her hand, is the heroine of local legends and the emblem of Havana.
Construction of a plant in the immediate vicinity of the port
It turned out to be beneficial for the Arechabala family in terms of exports, but brought a lot of losses due to the climate.
Repeatedly hurricanes completely destroyed the coastal buildings, which had to be rebuilt.
Fashion for cocktails with rum
At the beginning of the XNUMXth century, Cuban cantineros bartenders began to actively master the art of creating cocktails with the obligatory inclusion of rum.
The new fashion was brought to the island by American tourists who flocked to Cuba in large numbers during Prohibition.
At the end of the XNUMXth century, the legendary brand became the subject of litigation
Between the current owners of the plant and the company “Bacardi”.
The multinational company, having bought the original rum recipe from the Arechabala family, began producing a drink called “Havana Club” in Puerto Rico.
Trademark disputes continue to this day.
Roma Museum
In a small restored mansion on the waterfront of old Havana, the Roma Museum is located, where you can get acquainted with the technology of making the drink and the full line of Havana Club products.
There is even an exclusive multi-year-old rum, the cost of which is estimated at several thousand dollars.
Relevance: 29.03.2019
Tags: Rum, Roma brands