Drinking an Old Fashion in the style of the ’50s alongside other classic cocktails of the Cuban bar tradition refreshed with modern touches , was the attractive proposal that Saboreando lo cubano brought to present new trends of the global cocktail industry, in which Cuba needs to be inserted too .
Almost closing its doors, the IV Rescue and Promotion of Culture Cuban Culinary included a keynote speech by Barbaro E. Vega , president of the Bartenders Association of Cuba ( ACC ) in Havana , who presented with great mastery the developments currently happening at bars and restaurants of the world.
The perfection vintage cocktails, English name those preparations receive when they are aged in wooden barrels , are the supreme expression of what is happening in the most famous bars in cities like London, Paris , Moscow, New York , and even recently come to Cuba , where they have found the ideal partner in the famous Habanos.
If in the traditional bar service , the client waits several minutes for a drink , to taste this elite innovation he should wait for 2-6 weeks, as it comes to achieving innovative blends of whiskey , vermouth , brandy and bitters , which are deposited in barrels for some time, the specialist said.
Boosted by the North American TV series MadMen , another hot item in international bars is the Retro Chic, elaborations movement that recreates classics like Old Fashion with modern twists , looking to reproduce canons of the 1940s , 1950s and 1960s .
According to Vega the idea is to present a product with simplicity, but at the same time with class and sophistication, it is reinterpret classic recipes from those years but touched with new elements that provide freshness.
The preparation of food and drinks in situ with natural products- known as craft cocktail – are new styles that match the search also of an increasingly healthy and organic offer with low levels of alcohol, very demanded today by patrons.
Vega, bartender at the Caribbean hotel in the capital, also warned about the proper use of ice as another trend in the field of restoration. “Sometimes we forget the importance of that element, critical to the birth of a memorable cocktail because in addition to cool the drink, promotes balanced fusion of all the components,” the teacher said who is currently preparing to specialize as a sommelier.
Ice with shapes, smells and tastes also gain presence in preparations of the gentlemen of the night, who increasingly put their imaginations to soar in a quest to satisfy the most demanding customer tastes.
The Gin and Tonic, classic of all time and one of the most consumed drinks in the world, has recently stimulated the consumption of new categories of gins, sometimes shifting to other beverages like whiskey. In this line also vodka is well stuck, considered a perfect base for mixtures to be more tempered, and finer bouquet.
This trend came to Cuba, Vega said. Today you can see in restaurants and private bars in the capital drinks menus that offer up to six varieties of vodka or gin, reflecting the strength with which they are born these private initiatives, very tempered to how and where the world moves.
Another novelty in which some bartenders on the island are already trying is the smoked cocktails, whose uniqueness lies in flaming drinks with diverse flavors. This was shown during the competition held in recent days in the famous Sloppy Joe’s Bar, where one of his competitors stunned the jury by presenting a smoked President.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but this time the image was not enough to describe what is happening in the bars of the world … and every trend Vega illustrated was accompanied by the skill of the bartender Javier Gonzalez, who enchanted participants with aromas, colors and flavors, to make four classic cocktails – President, Manhattan, Old Fashion and Sour – styled with modern touches and unparalleled Masters Selection as base.
For José Rafa Malem , treasurer of the ACC , is vital to the canteen in Cuba to evolve according to external trends without forgetting the native , ” we cannot ignore the development , we are always seeking perfection in order to improve .”
Rafa , father of the current Queen of Daiquiri, Dunia Rafa , highlighted the role to be played by the new generations in the defense of the good work and service as one of the ways that they can help position Cuba among the top tourist destinations in the regional market.
