It always sounds strange when said out loud, but rum in Cuba was born as a bootleg spirit. Quite a shift then to think that it now boasts one of the most sophisticated production processes in the Caribbean! Back under the rule of the Spanish crown, stills found at sugar plantations could be seized and rum producers fined. The colonial administration wanted to protect the brandy imports from the motherland against unwanted local competition.
Things changed in 1762 when the British invaded Havana and Western Cuba and allowed rum distillers to do what they do best. During a short rule of one year, the British brought their rum-making techniques, expertise, stills, sugar and slaves, which in turn transformed the Cuban rum industry. Spain got Havana back in 1763, but progress could not be stopped and in 1796, Spain had to lift its bans on rum production in Cuba. By the mid-1850’s, the Cuban rum industry was taking shape as a serious player on the world stage.
By then, distilling tools had already benefitted from many technical improvements, and the Cubans seized the opportunity. We’ve already mentioned continuous column distillation at low temperature, which allowed them to produce an aguardiente that was lighter in profile than the heavy, strongly flavoured pot still rums distilled in British colonies. Advancement in chemistry also allowed them to experiment with yeast, and the use of American oak casks was a conscious choice, partly driven by economics (the USA being a major trading partner at the time and geographically close to Cuba).
Everything about Cuban rum was (and still is) done to respect the characteristic of the light, aromatic aguardiente. The early adoption of charcoal filtration is a clear example of a pioneering technique put to the service of the rum (charcoal filtration removes the aggressive “bite” from a new spirit and softens it). As is the use of older casks to keep the Cuban spirit alive – instead of burying it under fresh oak flavour. Light and fresh, balanced and flavourful, it’s quite a unique style of rum and, as we all know, it seduced bartenders.
There were of course rum cocktails around before Cuban rums arrived. Punches and early American cocktails were made with British style rum. But the emergence of Cuban rum led Cuban bartenders(cantineros) to create a whole style of drinks around their national spirit, that were soon imitated all over the world. With particular flair and style, the cantineros embraced the codes of classic bartending and added a dash of Cuban vibrancy and showmanship.
As adept at throwing as they were at blending drinks (they were early adopters of the blender), the cantineros were master craftsmen. In 1924, they founded the Club de Cantineros, one of the first bartending associations in the world, to stimulate the growth of their art at a time when American tourists were flocking to Havana to quench their thirst.
