The company Havana Club Internacional SA in 3D alliance with the National Association of Bartenders of Cuba (ACC) launched this Friday the call for the international contest Havana Club Cocktail Maestros, whose prize is endowed with 10,000 euros.
Among the 20 most consumed spirits in the world, Havana Club will have a stellar moment in the Cuban capital with this contest that will bring together the best bartenders in the world and that in 2025 it will celebrate its second edition.
The contest will take teams of bartenders from across Europe, Asia and America on a journey through national qualifications and regional challenges. Then, they will embark on an inspiring journey to Havana to discover the vibrant energy of Cuba and the unique cultural legacy of the brand, described a statement from the brand.
“Havana Club and cocktails share an intertwined history,” explained Maxime Chevalier, senior brand promotion manager at Havana Club. “It is safe to say that the rum category and Havana Club would not be where they are today without the support and creative energy of the community of bartenders”, he conceded.
“Much more than a cocktail contest, Havana Club Cocktail Maestros unites the community through shared cultural experiences, education and in-depth training on the brand,” added Chevalier, who described the Franco-Cuban company’s rums as “exceptional.” .
Havana Club Cocktail Maestros is more than a cocktail competition, “it celebrates the ability to work as a team and the passion for the vocation of bartender”, assured, for his part, Yunier Delgado, director of Communication and Marketing of Havana Club Internacional.
“The competitors have to meet different challenges in stages that will push the bartender’s creativity. In the canteen you have to innovate because there is a habit of having regular customers in the bars and you always have to amaze,” explained Delgado.
“We take the bartenders out of their comfort zone, we make them innovate, work as a team and take them to the limit of their possibilities,” added the manager, who promises to captivate consumers with the cocktail show.
Registrations
According to what was revealed at the press conference held at the Havana Club Rum Museum in Old Havana, registration closes on March 24 and rum lovers from any country or gender may participate in teams of two members, it being not necessary. that they are from the same bar).
“The call is for them to develop their creativity, the values of Cuban culture, and for Havana Club rum to be at the center of each of these preparations,” said Delgado.
The duo of contestants will create a cocktail using Havana Club rum (3 year old, 7 year old, Smoky, Spiced, Profundo or Selección de Maestros) and a minimum of two homemade ingredients.
Expert opinions
“There will be two bartenders who will have to work as a couple to understand their integrative work. They will do like a dance between the two, a synchronism that will be taken into account by the jury,” explained, for his part, maestro Alejandro Bolívar, creator of the cocktail. Centenary, founding member of the Cuban Bartenders Association and one of the emblematic employees of the Floridita bar-restaurant for more than 30 years.
Damián Domínguez, brand ambassador for the Cuban market and member of the jury, stated that Havana Club, in addition to being a “historic and emblematic brand” of the island, is also an “innovative” brand, a virtue that is reflected in the contest by “ test the quality of the bartenders – this time team format -, their creativity and their way of interacting; the relationship they have with the client and what they are capable of offering at all times”
“The brand will be able to show what it does within the new trends and evolution of gourmet cocktails,” added the manager.
For her part, the prominent bartender and sommelier Bárbara Betancourt praised the work of the women of the union and had evocative words for Gloria María Pomares, who in 1982 was the first bartender officially recognized.
“It is very emotional to know that there are women who are joining and I think that greatly enhances the Cuban canteen, because the female hand is very important in all areas of life,” she said.
“We have been discarding machismo for many years, it is not recent,” said the bartender from the El Gato Tuerto club, in Havana.
“Making a cocktail is a lot of work, because the main thing about this type of drink is its taste, which is what we are going to sell, regardless of the performance which is extremely important” and also observe and get involved in “the new technologies that force us to perfect ourselves,” Betancourt explained.
Competition and judges
The top 10 teams from each country will advance to the national final, where they will create an Afro-Latin-inspired Cuban cocktail for a dedicated local jury.
For the regional stage, teams will come together for a series of training sessions and challenges. You will learn to work together in stimulating environments, guided by regional industry mentors. They will then begin accumulating points before traveling to Havana for the final stage of the contest in April 2026.
The four-day finale in Cuba will allow contestants to immerse themselves in the passion of the city and its lively bar scene, as well as the craftsmanship and culture that are captured in every bottle of Havana Club.
Teams will also participate in the Great Havana Hustle challenge, testing their skills over the course of a unique bar shift, showcasing their expertise, hospitality and teamwork skills.
A panel of industry icons, including world-renowned drinks figure Sandrae Lawrence and Simone Caporale, a world-renowned Italian bartender, will decide the big winners, pending the announcement of the final member of the judging trio, a statement detailed. of Havana Club International distributed to the press.
