Agosto 2010

Last May, I received an e-mail from Michel Menegos (Havana Club), inviting me to participate in the 8th Havana Grand Prix. I was thrilled with the invitation and with the challenge of creating the 3 cocktails for the competition, in only one week.
It was a magical experience and gave me the opportunity to get to know first hand this beautiful and enchanting city and some of the most emblematic bars of the world. I felt like a real Cantinero, described by Cubans as “a chemistry of today, a botanist of the XVIII century, an alchemist of the Middle Age and a diplomatic skilled ambassador.”
I competed for Spain against great mixologists from another 31 countries (including India and China). They were all outstanding professionals chosen from the very best, to represent their country. I feel proud that my cocktail stood out and caught the attention of the jury, some of them big guys of the London scene and old friends, too, like Ian Burrell, Jeff Berry, Toni Conigliario, Dave Broom, Dre Masso, Philip Duff, Mr Ueno, etc. I became one of the four finalists.
The setting of the Final could not be more magnificent: the “Gran Teatro de La Habana”, one of the biggest opera theatre in the world and permanent headquarters of the Cuban National Ballet.
The organization of the event was more than excellent, but to compete in Cuba had some extra difficulties, particularly in the back station preparation. In the Theatre, for instance, there was no running water, after a certain time of the day and the hot weather affected some of the ingredients; the ice, for example. They were small pieces and they melted very quickly. We had to bring our own ingredients and tools, literally everything, with the risk of being stopped at the airport customs or breaking something during the plane journey; like it happened to my vintage glass. To find a similar one to substitute it was not an easy task.
With good humour, earning and professionalism we all four manage to make a vibrant Final and I conquered the third position.
Here, you may find one of the three recipes that I presented to the competition, where I use my decanter technique.

“HAVANA NOBLE”

Ingredients: 50 ml. Havana Club Añejo 7 Años
1 vanilla pod
1 haba tonka bean
slices of pear
1 dash Pedro Ximénez
3 drops chocolat Bitter
6 Mint leafs
1 honey barspoon
Garnish: Orange zest
Method: To aromatize the Havana Añejo 7 años in the decanter, with pear, vanilla and haba tonka, for few minutes. To pour it in a mixing glass with ice, some mint, bitters and a barspoon of honey. To stir and double strain in a small brandy glass, aromatized with Pedro Ximénez. Finish with an orange zest and serve with a Robusto cigar.
This trip not only gave me the opportunity of taking part in the competition, but also to spend a day with the roneros at the Havana distillery, where I could see the handcraft making process that makes Havana Club rum so popular, so unique and different from any other Cuban rum.
I also visited the Havana Club Museum and, of course, some emblematic bars, like La Bodeguita del Medio and the Floridita.
To be in La Bodeguita del Medio was an incredible experience, a dream come true.
It was extraordinary to see how the cantinero could prepare hundreds, thousands of Mojitos in one day. La Bodeguita has become a Cuban symbol. Its Mojito might not be right now, for us as bartenders, the best Mojito in the world. However, when you try one, you are not only trying the drink, but all the history, tradition and culture of La Havana. Everybody drinks Mojito in Cuba and drinking one at La Bodeguita del Medio is a special experience. Their Mojito is not a sophisticated drink. It is not only made of rum, lime and mint. Its secret ingredients are the people at street, the hot weather, the old cars, the children running and playing and the smell of sugar everywhere.
Now, after my experience in Cuba, I no longer get tired of preparing so many Mojitos (they are very popular in Spain, too!), but I remember the joy of preparing one in La Havana and think in what it represents for the Cuban culture.
The story of the Floridita says that Hemingway took a break from writing and stopped into the Floridita, where he ordered a Daiquirí from the famous Constantino and became an instant regular. The rest is legend.
At the Floridita you can feel a magical energy. People from all over the world want to see its glamorous neo-classical criollo décor, once compared to the Ritz in Paris and Club 21 in New York, to hear the live music, to feel the presence of Ernest Hemingway, to share their experience with other people… All these are the secrets of the simple recipe of the Daiquiry, at the Floridita.
I could share with you so many other moments of this unforgettable trip to Cuba, but I will finish with the recipe of this cocktail that I created with the ingredients given in a secret bag, at the Final.

“EL CANTINERO”

Ingredients
40 ml. Havana Club 3 Añejo 3 años
20 ml. Lillet Liquor 10 ml. Falernum Liquor
12,5 ml. Sugar gomme
3 fresh wedges of Lime
2 fresh Pineapple wedges
3 drops of Orange bitter
Method
Smash the lime and pineapple with the sugar gomme in a mixing glass. Pour all the other ingredients in the glass and shake vigorously. Double strain in chilled it cocktail glass and garnish with the lime zest.
Comments
This recipe is a twist of the classical Cuban cocktail “Chaparra”, with some fresh fruit notes and a spicy touch.

Thank you so much to all Havana Club team that offered me this fantastic opportunity and made me feel like a Cuban cantinero. I welcome you to visit www.havana-cocteles.com
¡Salud!
Giuseppe Santamaria