Havana Club

 

In less than 25 years, Havana Club has risen to become one of the top three global rum brands, trailing only Bacardi and Captain Morgan. This achievement is all the more remarkable considering the American embargo, which has barred the brand from entering the world’s largest rum market. But before Pernod Ricard partnered with Cuba Ron in December 1993, how many outside of Cuba had even heard of Havana Club?

The Origins of Havana Club

Havana Club made its debut on March 19, 1934, as part of meticulous planning within the sugar-producing Arechabala group. Under the brand’s launch at La Fabrica de Licores, the Cuban Church blessed the facilities, and soon after, Ron Havana Club—Arechabala emerged as a "product of supreme quality" across Cuba. This account comes from a now-rare 1954 book commemorating the 75th anniversary of the JASA (José Arechabala SA) society.

Founded in 1878 in Cárdenas, JASA began as a sugar refinery and distillery named La Vizcaya, in homage to the founder’s Basque heritage. By the time of the Cuban Revolution, the company had become the country’s largest and oldest distillery, producing rum using triple column stills and aguardiente with single column stills. Beyond spirits, JASA also produced ethanol, which served as a strategic fuel resource, especially during World War II. Today, the historic facilities—now known as Ronera Cárdenas—are owned by Cuba Ron, producing not only Havana Club but also Santiago de Cuba rum, Arecha, Cubay, Perla del Norte, and other notable brands, including limited editions like Siglo y Medio and Isla del Tesoro.

Ambitions Beyond Cuba

In 1935, Havana Club solidified its prestige by opening offices and a private bar inside the historic Palacio del Conde de Casa Bayona, located in Old Havana, opposite the cathedral. In contrast to Bacardi’s modern art-deco headquarters, Arechabala opted for a more traditional approach, renovating a building dating back to 1720. During this time, Havana Club was even served during ship launch ceremonies.

Launched shortly after the end of American Prohibition, the brand's name—with an English rather than Spanish spelling (“Havana” instead of "Habana")—signaled its aspirations to break into the U.S. market. Registered in the United States in 1935, its label proudly declared “Havana Club Brand and Straight Cuban Rum,” echoing the terminology of "Straight Bourbon Whiskey." By the 1950s, Arechabala’s cellars held over two million liters of rum aging in oak barrels. However, during World War II, some production was relocated to Puerto Rico, likely to avoid U.S. import tariffs, a strategy also adopted by Bacardi. Despite boasting global recognition, the company failed to renew its trademark in key markets like the Dominican Republic and Spain by 1955, signaling growing struggles despite its acclaim.

Nationalization and Legal Battles

The Cuban Revolution of 1959 and the nationalization of industries in 1960 marked a turning point for Havana Club. The Arechabala family lost their distillery, equipment, and trademark, which they hadn’t adequately safeguarded—unlike Bacardi, which had relocated its assets and trademarks abroad. The ensuing U.S. embargo, imposed between 1960 and 1962, further isolated Cuba’s economy. By 1966, the Cuban state had registered the Havana Club trademark in 80 countries, including Spain, and began marketing the rum primarily to the Eastern Bloc. In the U.S., however, the Arechabala family retained ownership of the trademark until 1976, when the Cuban state took control after the family failed to renew it in 1973. Attempts to strike deals with Bacardi in the 1970s bore no fruit, and the Arechabala family ultimately declared bankruptcy in 1974.

The year 1993 saw the formation of a joint venture between Cuba Ron and Pernod Ricard, aimed at reestablishing Havana Club’s global presence. Although Pernod Ricard attempted to negotiate with the Arechabala family, the modest offer was declined. The family instead partnered with Bacardi, sparking a legal battle. In 1995, Bacardi began producing a rum under the Havana Club™ name in the Bahamas. This led to two competing brands: one Cuban-owned and marketed globally, and one Bacardi-produced for the U.S. market. Bacardi’s version was withdrawn in 1997, but the legal conflict continued.

Renewed Rivalry

In 2006, Bacardi relaunched its Havana Club™ in Florida, targeting the Cuban-American community with a Puerto Rican-made white rum based on the Arechabala family’s recipe. Meanwhile, Havana Club International registered the “Havanista” trademark in the U.S. in 2013, preparing for the possibility of the embargo’s end. When President Obama visited Cuba in 2016, it symbolized a thaw in relations, but soon after, Bacardi unveiled updated packaging for its Havana Club™ and expanded nationwide distribution in the U.S. The dispute between the two Havana Club brands remains unresolved, and if the embargo were to end, a heated competition in the U.S. market would likely ensue.

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The Havana Club Timeline

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1878 – Founding of La Vizcaya sugar refinery and distillery in Cárdenas by José Arechabala.
1934 – Launch of Havana Club rum by José Arechabala SA.
1935 – Havana Club offices and bar inaugurated in Old Havana; international rollout begins.
1955 – Trademark not renewed in Spain or the Dominican Republic.
1959 – Cuban Revolution.

1960 – Nationalization of José Arechabala SA; U.S. embargo enacted.
1966 – Cuban government registers Havana Club in 80 countries.

1970 – Santa Cruz del Norte distillery established for Havana Club production.
1973 – Arechabala family fails to renew U.S. trademark.
1974 – Ramón Arechabala declares bankruptcy, unsuccessfully approaches Bacardi.
1976 – Cuban government registers Havana Club trademark in the U.S.
1991 – Dissolution of the USSR, a key export market for Cuban goods.

1993 – Cuba Ron and Pernod Ricard join forces to grow Havana Club internationally.
1995 – Bacardi introduces Havana Club™ rum in the Bahamas, sparking legal battles.
1997 – Bacardi ends its Havana Club™ production; U.S. courts invalidate Cuban trademark.

1998 – U.S. Congress passes the Bacardi Bill, barring registration of confiscated trademarks.
2000 – European Union challenges the Bacardi Bill at the WTO.
2006 – OFAC refuses renewal of the Cuban trademark; Bacardi markets Puerto Rican Havana Club™ in Florida.
2007 – Ultra-modern Havana Club distillery inaugurated near Havana.
2013 – Havanista trademark registered in the U.S.
2016 – Obama visits Cuba; Cuban Havana Club trademark renewed until 2026 in the U.S.; Bacardi expands its Puerto Rican Havana Club™ nationwide.

How Havana Club rum is made: sugarcane and fermentation

Cuban law mandates that all rum be made from Cuban molasses. Cuba, famed for its sugarcane, has over 100 varieties grown during the December-to-April harvest, or la Zafra. Known as "white gold" during the colonial period, Cuban sugarcane's quality made the island the leading sugar exporter by the late 18th century.

Today, fewer refineries process the island's cane into molasses. “The molasses has special characteristics and is stored long-term to start the rum-making process,” explains Asbel Morales, Havana Club’s maestro del ron Cubano.

At the distillery, massive tanks hold 1,500 tonnes of molasses, supplying the operation for 15 days. Nearby, eight 11,000-litre fermentation tanks bubble with molasses, or miel de caña. Towering column stills stand where the initial aromas and flavors are crafted. Morales notes, “Our unique process creates a distinct spirit unmatched worldwide.”

Havana Club uses a proprietary yeast in a controlled 24-hour fermentation process, producing a 6-7% ABV "wine" (vina de caña) that forms the aromatic base of their rum. Cuban rum law allows flexibility in fermentation duration but requires cultivated yeast, low-acid molasses, and no sulfur dioxide to protect the rum's aroma.

How Havana Club rum is made: distillation

Every four hours, 11,000 litres of fermented molasses complete fermentation, with yeast removed before distillation. Cuban rum undergoes continuous distillation, where the fermented liquid is heated, separated, and collected as purified fractions. Morales explains their exclusive double-column still design, featuring copper and steel plates, producing a spirit at 74-76% ABV under strict temperature and sugar control.

The resulting spirit, aguardiente (Spanish for "fire water"), is a grassy, flavorful distillate. Another product, destilado de caña, is a higher-proof, lighter spirit used for blending. San José specializes in aguardiente, a bold spirit often aged and blended to craft Cuban rum's signature profile.

How Havana Club rum is made: ageing

The true flavour of Cuban rum develops through ageing and blending. Havana Club’s nine warehouses house over 200,000 barrels, mostly ex-whisky casks from North America or Europe. The barrels, often 15-20 years old, promote a gentle ageing process. Older barrels are reserved for the finest rums, emphasizing oxidative ageing over extractive ageing typically found with newer barrels.

Cuban rum ageing involves rotating rum through multiple barrels, reintroducing oxygen and enhancing maturation.  They don’t use solera ageing—it’s total ageing. After ageing, the rum undergoes mandatory charcoal filtration before blending.

How Havana Club rum is made: blending

Blending is key to Cuban rum production. Base rums, aged at least two years, are blended into the final product. there's 15-20 unique bases made from one distillate, contributing to the final blend. Cuban climate, with high humidity and consistent temperatures, accelerates ageing, with rum maturing up to five times faster than Scotch whisky.

The Cuban Denominación de Origen Protegida highlights the impact of Cuba’s climate on its molasses and rum quality: high sugar concentration ensures stability, and warm, humid conditions enhance flavour development during ageing.