CubaPLUS Magazine

Havana Club rum, the most awarded of the Cuban spirits, has a very broad, varied and important market in Canada, as it is one of its main clients, said Christian Barré, president of Havana Club International (HCI) S.A.

In an exclusive interview with this magazine on the occasion of the presentation of the new edition of the Iconic Tribute 2025 collection, Barré spoke about the development achieved by the brand that is among the 11 most important of Pernod Ricard -an entity that together with Cuba Ron founded the joint venture HCI 31 years ago- and said that Canada is a very dynamic market.

The company that represents us there is called Corby Spirit and Wine, it is the same one that distributes the Pernod Ricard portfolio and they are doing a very good job, with good prospects, especially in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, he said.

He further explained that the best-selling rum in Canada is the Añejo Reserva in two formats that sells very well and, he added, “we continue working so that the market advances and strengthens.” Referring to the company's work, he pointed out that its main task is to ensure that brands can grow in as many countries as possible and, among them, Havana Club, which is important and crucial for its development.

Beyond growth, what is fundamental for the brand is what is being presented with Tributo 2025 (2967 bottles). It seems very small in volume, but it is very important for the meaning it has and the image it projects, he considered. In the end, this allows us to communicate through something that is fundamental to the brand, which is knowledge and quality, because the most awarded Cuban rum brand with more than 500 medals and recognitions is Havana Club and the work that the Masters have done with Tributo 2025 goes in this direction: consolidating the capacity to produce rums that are exceptional, he highlighted.

Currently and for several years, Havana Club is the third international rum brand and the world leader in super premium and superior rums. In the fiscal period 2024 it achieved an 8% growth in value. It is exported to over 125 countries around the world (excluding the USA, where Cuban products are prohibited due to the trade embargo) and its main markets include Europe (Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) and America (Mexico, Canada, Chile and Argentina).

Last year, Havana Club products received 58 awards and from 1994 to date they have accumulated 518 recognitions. If you are interested in learning about and following the work of Havana Club International S.A. you can do so through the social networks @HavanaClubCuba and to purchase the products visit https://www.ronencasa.com