Rum & Cigars

Rum

Cuba is the motherland of rum — and the best way to experience it is at the Museo del Ron Havana Club in Habana Vieja. The guided tour (7 €) shows the production process from sugarcane to bottle, with tasting at the end. The shop offers varieties not available in Europe.

The main brands:

• Havana Club 3 Años: The standard for Mojitos and Cuba Libre. In Cuba from 4 € per bottle
• Havana Club 7 Años: For drinking neat. Caramel, vanilla, tobacco. 8–12 €
• Havana Club Selección de Maestros: The premium line. 20–30 €
• Santiago de Cuba: The alternative from the east — for many Cubans the better rum

Cuba's three national cocktails: the Mojito (rum, lime, mint, sugar, soda — supposedly popularized by Hemingway at the Bodeguita del Medio), the Daiquiri (rum, lime, sugar, ice — Hemingway's favorite at the Floridita), and the Cuba Libre (rum, cola, lime — named after the independence in 1898).

Cigars

Cuban cigars are considered the best in the world — and Cuba is the only place where you can buy them for a fraction of the European price.

• Fábrica de Tabaco Partagás (Industriestraße, Centro): Havana's most famous cigar factory. Tours show the entire production process — from sorting the leaves to rolling to quality control. Tour 15 €, about 45 min.
• Official shops (La Casa del Habano): The only guarantee for genuine cigars. In all major hotels and in the Partagás building. Prices: Cohiba Siglo I from 8 €/piece, Montecristo No. 4 from 5 €/piece. A box of Cohiba Esplendidos (25 pieces): about 350–450 €.