CubaPLUS Magazine

Rum is one of the oldest and most consumed beverages in the world, which is why every August 16th it celebrates its International Day.

Made from the by-products of sugar cane, it arrived in the American continent around the 16th century with the arrival of European settlers in these lands. There are several versions about its origin and some mention as antecedent a very similar liquor that was made in the Spanish region of Granada, when it was dominated by the Arabs in the 11th century, who brought sugar cane with them.

The presence of the sweet grass in Cuba dates back to the year 1493, during the second trip to the island of Christopher Columbus and, according to what is said, the aborigines were the ones who discovered the properties of the exquisite sweetness of the juice of that plant by squeezing the stems. Initially, the cane was only valued for the sugar that was obtained from it, but over time, it was found that later, a dark and thick liquid was acquired, molasses, which, when fermented and distilled, achieved a stimulating drink that was alcohol. 

As is known, the first time the word rum appears in historical documents was in 1650 in Barbados under the name "rumbullion" (a word of English origin that then meant great tumult). Other names such as "tafia", African term, are also mentioned.

It was in 1667 when it began to be known by its current name because, according to documents, its first official mention as rum was in an order issued by the Governor General of Jamaica on July 8, 1661. From then until today, rum has had a great trajectory and, at present, there are more than 30 producing countries, particularly in the Americas and mainly in the Caribbean.

Cuba is one of the main world producers of rum, within which the Havana Club brand stands out, the third most important in the world, excluding the United States, and leader in the category of super Premium and superior rums. This is one of the reasons, in addition to its popular cigars, its beautiful beaches and the friendliness of its people, for which the largest of the Antilles is known throughout the planet.

So if you want to "disconnect", as they say in good Cuban, honor that important drink that is rum and drink your cocktail to the beat of the son: "Give me a little drink now bartender...", by late composer Juan Almeida, popularized in the last decades of the past century.