Cuban Rum

With its fertile soil and sticky climate, Cuba has the perfect conditions for growing sugarcane and producing Cuban Rum. The crop was introduced around 1511 and by 1777 there were reports of a strong, rough drink called Tafia being produced from sugarcane. These days the clear, sweet-smelling drink is called aguardiente which is then aged for at least 2 years in American oak barrels and filtered through charcoal. Cuban Rum tends to be lighter than other Caribbean rums and during the prohibition era in the United States, it wasn’t unusual to see wealthy Americans booking private flights to Cuba to avoid the booze ban and get their rum fix. Famous brands include Havana Club, Santiago and Varadero.