New "Havana Loco"
cocktail
BY
ORLANDO GOMEZ BALADO
ON sale from this December in
Havana is the new cocktail by the Cuban-French joint
venture, Havana Club International – Pernod Ricard,
named the "Havana Loco" (Crazy Havana). A refreshing
drink from the tropics, it is low in alcohol (5.5%)
and made from a mix of authentic "Añejo Blanco"
Cuban rum, natural fruit juices and carbonated water.
The "Loco" was launched in Italy where, in just five
months, it achieved explosive sales figures: some
eight million liters. It’s a ready-to-drink cocktail
currently available in two flavors: lemon and
passion fruit.
This and more information was
provided at the cocktail’s launch before the
national and international press at the Rum Museum
in Old Havana, by Alexander Sirech, general director
of the firm, and Manuel Arias, director of its Cuban
Division.
"Havana Loco" comes in a simply
designed bottle and costs $1 for consumers in Cuba.
The cocktail was created by a team of Cuban
bartenders and French technicians. Initially,
Italian technology was used in the process but, as
Sirech pointed out, plans are already underway to
begin manufacturing in the Cuban capital from 2004
with a range of new flavors based on Cuban tropical
fruits.
Both Sirech and Arias explained that
next March the joint venture celebrates 10 years of
success in which the prestige and sales figures of
this brand of rum have grown tremendously both
within the country and around the world. They also
commented Havana Club Rum Week is scheduled for
March 8-11 with the participation of traders,
entrepreneurs, distributors, bartenders and drinkers
of the prestigious Cuba rum.
