THE BRAND
El Ron de Cuba
Rum is an essential part of Cuban culture, shaped by the country’s climate, geography, history and people. As its finest expression, the Havana Club range represents this rich heritage. Produced by Maestros del Ron Cubano following traditional Cuban rum making methods, the Havana Club rum embodies the spirit of Cuba, enjoyed by Cantineros and rum drinkers around the world to the rhythm of the best Cuban music.
THE ART OF RUM MAKING
Rum drinking as a heritage of Cuban culture
Cuba: The most beautiful island, the perfect sugar cane
When he first set sight on Cuba on the 28th October 1492, Christopher Columbus is said to have declared it was “the most beautiful island of all”. After its introduction onto the island, sugarcane was so perfectly suited to Cuba’s rich soils and climate that, by 1850, the country provided a third of the world’s sugar.
The beginning of the rum industry
Sugar production and rum go hand in hand, but Spain initially refused to let its colonies distil, in fear of competition for its own spirits. It was not until the second half of the 19th century, when Cuba was fighting for its independence, that a real rum industry could grow.
The lightest rum for the freshest cocktail recipes
By the late 19th century, new technologies had arrived on the market and Cuban rum producers were early adopters of column stills. Thanks to their boundless creativity, they saw all the potential of these tools and were able to develop, with exceptional raw materials, a new style of rum, lighter and fresher and characteristically Cuban.
Cocktail time in Cuba
This new rum became the perfect partner for bartenders in the early 20th century, when Cuba discovered mixology. During Prohibition, American tourists came to Havana in large numbers and built up the international reputation of local bartenders, called Cantineros.
Cocktail recipes of the cantineros
The Cantineros developed their own cocktail style and turned towards Cuban rums like Havana Club to create classic rum drinks such as the well-known cocktails Daiquiri, Mojito, Presidente or Cuba Libre. To this day, Cuban cocktails made with Cuban rums remain some of the world’s favourite tipples.
Havana Club became "El Ron de Cuba"
In the early 1970’s, a new logo was created, symbolizing the sun that shines on the island and makes its rum so rich, the warmth of the Cuban people and the Giraldilla, the emblem of the city of Havana and its free spirit.
The Cuban rum that conquered the world
In 1993, Pernod Ricard S.A. and Corporación Cuba Ron S.A. created the joint venture Havana Club International S.A., to bring Havana Club to consumers around the world. Thanks to the production team in Cuba, our rums are now the most rewarded Cuban rums with 168 medals in tasting competitions in the last four years alone.
Rum making and the museum of Rum
Cuban rum cannot be understood without Cuban culture or Cuban people. Since 1996, Havana Club has organised the Havana Club Grand Prix, one of the oldest and most prestigious competitions for professional bartenders. Since 2009 Havana Cultura has supported and showcased Cuban talents worldwide with great success. To those who want to know more about Cuban Culture, a visit to our Museum of Rum offers a real-time experience of the rum-making process.
OUR PEOPLE
Rum crafted by the Maestros del Ron Cubano
The values of Havana Club are embodied by the Maestros del Ron Cubano, a lineage passed down through generations. Inspired by the late Don José Navarro, ‘El Maestro de todos los Maestros,’ this tradition includes diverse Maestros, from Primer Maestro to Aspirante, celebrating Cuba’s first Maestra.
Maestro Asbel Morales leads the Havana Club distillery in San José, ensuring the use of the finest Cuban ingredients while continuing the knowledge transmission established by Don José Navarro, creator of Havana Club añejo 7 Años, the very essence of Cuban rum’, whose legacy continues to inspire the craft today.
THE RUM MAKING PROCESS
Our land
Havana Club rum is meticulously crafted and aged in the heart of Cuba, where tradition meets nature. Our rums reflect the island’s rich soil, with Maestros honoring this exceptional land that offers ideal conditions for production, lush sugarcane, pristine water, and a tropical climate. This deep-rooted connection allows us to create rums that embody the essence of Cuba and convey our heritage, passion, and commitment to excellence.
Our distillation process
The process of our exceptional rum begins with the careful selection of the finest molasses from various regions across Cuba, chosen for their rich flavour and aromatic qualities. After sourcing the molasses, we distill it to create aguardiente, the starting point for crafting a variety of rums, each reflecting the unique characteristics of the ingredients and the distillation process.
Our barrels selection
At Havana Club, our choice of barrels is essential to crafting our rum’s unique character. We use young white oak barrels to develop subtle vanilla notes in our younger rums, while extra old barrels enable the aguardiente to rest and gain complexity.
All our rum bases are aged in these barrels, creating distinctive flavors and richness. For our oldest reserves, we select the oldest barrels to ensure depth and character in every sip, all thanks to the wisdom of our Maestros.
Continuous ageing tradition
The Maestros collectively oversee the development of our rums within the cellars, ensuring proper ageing and guiding the evolution and selection of our liquids. Our ageing mastery begins with the selection of the finest barrels sourced from Ireland and Scotland, brought to San José, where Maestro Asbel leads and oversee that our rums rest unders Cuba’s ideal conditions, adhering to our continuous ageing tradition.
This careful process allows for blending across successive periods, ensuring the development of the perfect profile for each of our signature rums, true to the fine and elegant style of Havana Club.
Our blending and know how heritage
The Maestro del Ron Cubano selects rum bases for their intrinsic qualities to create the desired final product. By blending different rums, the Maestro enhances our rum’s refined character, with portions returning to the barrel to shape future productions and ensure continuity over time. This is the know how behind our continuous ageing tradition.
Additionally, the expertise of our Maestros del Ron Cubano has been recognized by UNESCO as World Intangible Heritage, safeguarding it for future generations and continuing the legacy of Cuban rum.
From Cuba to the world
Tasting Havana Club rums is a sensory celebration of tradition and craftsmanship. Each sip reveals the rich Cuban terroir, where meticulously chosen ingredients stand out. It is a longstanding tradition for the Maestros to taste the rum, ensuring it reflects the true essence of Cuba and the spirit of Havana Club. Each glass embodies this heritage, promising authenticity and passion in every sip. Enjoying a rum from Havana Club invites you to appreciate the best of Cuban rum.
Our Commitments
Sustainability & Responsibility
Sustainability & Responsibility is part of our history. It draws on our vision ‘Créateurs de Convivialité’ and is one of our business priorities. From ‘grain to glass’, S&R is at the heart of our business and everyone has a role to play in delivering this new plan.
We bring good times from a good place, to create a more convivial world, a world without excess.
Circular making
The world is made of finite resources, under huge pressure. Havana Club is committed to minimizing waste at every step by imagining, producing and distributing its products in ways that optimize and help preserve natural resources.
Valuing people
Convivialité is about sharing, warmth, care and respect for people everywhere. This commitment is related to increasing diversity and fairness for all its people and empowering people across its supply chain.
Responsible Hosting
Wine & Spirits bring people together and serve a valuable role in society. Havana Club is committed to fighting alcohol misuse in society by taking action on harmful drinking and engaging with its stakeholders for real change.
Nurturing terroir
Every Havana Club product takes its character from the land where it was grown. This area of commitment focuses on nurturing every terroir and its biodiversity, responding to the challenges of climate change to ensure quality ingredients now and for generations to come.
CULTURA
HAVANA CULTURA
Just like our rum, Cuba’s artistic scene has a style, richness and vibrancy of its own! Through the Havana Club Cultura initiative, we’ve been committed since 2007 to helping Cuban artists show the world what they do and to letting the world see and hear what these artists have to say about their work, their life and their country. Want to get a flavour of the Cuban arts scene?
