• THE history of Cuban rum is as old as colonization itself, given that is a product extracted from sugar cane, which was brought to the island by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to this continent. What followed is well known, the roots of sugar cane from the Canary Islands flourished in fertile Cuban soil, where they found an ideal microclimate to grow, primarily around indigenous villages and trading posts.

There are many different stories about the origin of rum. One version says that in 1650, a rum called "rumbillon" was brewed by pirates and corsairs who worked this part of the Caribbean Sea.

In Cuba, however, it is said the extermination of the island's original inhabitants coming up to the 16th century and the subsequent arrival of African slaves taken by force from their native lands, contains another part of the story.

It is thought that those slaves were accustomed to drinking what they called "garapo," made from fermenting yucca and maize. Later, they began to extract sugarcane juice which, after fermentation, turned into a strong liquor. The liquid was originally obtained using rudimentary devices but later, presses were used in the sugar plantations and mills, the juice was converted into alcohol, and aguardiente was born.

Desired for its clarity and pleasant odor, rum came about through a process of distillation, but it was not until the 19th century that it became a quality product.

Different distilleries and brand names sprouted up across the island. Distilleries were built in Cárdenas, Santiago de Cuba, Cienfuegos and Havana. Many Cuban brands were sold abroad, including Matusalén, Jiquí, Bocoy, Campeón, Obispo, San Carlos, Albuerne, Castillo, Bacardí and Havana Club.

Bacardí came to be known as the finest brand and became the largest exporter for most of the 19th and 20th centuries. One of the principal actions of the Revolutionary government that triumphed in 1959 was the nationalization of the large private enterprises. The owners of Bacardí emigrated and, although they took the brand name with them, they were unable to find plantations elsewhere that provided the unique flavor of Cuban rum, "which remained in our soil, on the plantations, in the wind, in the sun, the final syrup, the alcohol, the barrels and the inherited technological process," according to an eminent Cuban writer.

Since them, the Cuban rum industry has been reorganized and expanded. Founded in Cárdenas in 1878, the Havana Club brand reemerged. Dedicated to the export market, its emblem is the Giraldilla, a statue that symbolizing the city of Havana.

In 1993, this brand was launched by the Franco-Cuban Havana Club International company (the French firm Pernod-Ricard is responsible for its worldwide distribution), and includes the Añejo Blanco (White Rum), Tres Años Especial Reserva (Three-Year Special Reserve), Siete Años, and Quince Años (Seven and Fifteen Years, respectively), as well as the new Cuban Barrel Proof and Extra Añejo Máximo (Maximum Extra-Aged), all of which enjoy great popularity on both the international and domestic markets.

For a long time Havana Club was on its own on the world market. However, other equally important Cuban brands are now gaining international appeal, including Mulata, Caney, Arecha, Legendario, Varadero, Santero and Caney.

CURRENT PRODUCTION

"Behind the secrets of one of the finest rums in the world is an essential man, the maestro of time and of his universe of flavors, the maestro and señor of the bodega, the maestro rum maker, who knows every barrel like shepherds know their sheep…" (*)

José Navarro, Havana Club's prime maestro rum distiller, originally from Santiago de Cuba and a qualified chemical engineer who has worked in the rum industry since he was a young man, told us about his work and affirmed that there is no secret in Cuban rum production, that its quality does not come from a formula kept in a locked box, but simply from "a culture inherited and passed on from generation to generation, from Cuban to Cuban, from heart to heart."

"Cuba seems to have a talent for producing sugar cane and rum because the plant grows well in our soil and the extracted molasses has an exceptional quality with a natural microflora that makes our aguardiente something truly special," Navarro emphasized.

After detailing the different stages in the production of rum, he emphasized the importance of the human input, principally that of the maestro.

Highly specialized in his work, José Navarro recognizes the value of his co-workers, commenting on their high levels of technical knowledge and capacity for identifying and selecting raw materials, as well as designing equipment and introducing better technology, while maintaining the historical quality of national rums without using essences or artifacts.

"He identifies the rum step by step, each stage of the production process until the final mix, created with all of the creativity born out of his identity, culture, and race…

"We prefer to call the maestro of rum the maestro of Cuban rum, since that category now implies a permanent and direct identification with the culture and inheritance of rum in our country," he concluded.