This time is not chauvinism. Cuba produces the best light rum in the world, according to the British specialized website International Wine and Spirits Researches (IWSR), the most important reference on that topic in the world.
The flagship of Cuban rums, Havana Club, ranks 24th among the top 100 spirits in the world. It is sold in 145 countries and sales are around 3.7 million 9-litter boxes a year.
If that wasn’t enough, the IWSR placed the Cuban rum in the first spot of the Elite Brands, surpassing Bacardi for the first time ever at the top.
The joint venture, founded in 1993 with capital of Pernod Ricard (in charge of marketing) and Corporación Cuba Ron Cuban (production), has the potential to rise much more in the list of the most sold, especially when taking into account that it cannot access one of the largest markets in the world by the regulations of the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States of America.
It would be an explosion of sales for the Franco- Cuban company if it can access the American sales network. The U.S. territory is home to more than two million Cuban immigrants, a figure that is increasing every year. None of them can buy the Havana Club in any its many variants.
Even with such limitations, the Havana Club rum is among the favorites for the top 50 bars in the world, due to its versatility for cocktails, a fact that leaves no room for doubt that quality has traditionally been the hallmark of this rum.
The Havana Club International SA markets a wide range of rums ranging from Añejo Blanco-perfect for cocktails-up to Maximum Añejo, the latter considered the most exclusive and hand-crafted rums from extra-aged rums, giving it its characteristic flavor and Amber color.
Havana Club is here to stay, and its ability to expand into international markets is favored by the remarkable quality of the product produced by Cuban rum masters, true gurus in ancient commitment to uplift the spirits to an art form.
Author
Julio Batista
