The distillery and brand Bacardí, from Santiago de Cuba, was established as the largest and best exporting company of rum for most of the 19th century and part of the 20th century. However, the company was nationalized in 1959 by the Cuban Revolution and the owners of the brand Barcardí migrated, taking the brand with them.

The new industry assumed the old trade name- founded in Cardenas in 1878- and thus, Havana Club brand came to life; a brand made for exporting mainly, and whose symbol, La Giraldilla, is a statuette which symbolizes Havana City. Havana Club was produced, at first, for the national market and for the former socialist countries, however in 1993 the brand was presented by the French-Cuban company Havana Club S.A. whose global distribution is in charge of the Pernod-Ricard enterprise. This enterprise has been in charge of promoting the Cuban rum in the market, accomplishing unforeseen share growth, as well as development of new Cuban brands like Mulata, Caney, Arecha, Legendario, Varadero, Santero, and Caney.

Havana Club today produces silver dry rum, three-year special rum, seven-year reserve rum, and 15 years rum, as well as the youngest brands: Cuban Barrel Proof and Maximum Extra Old, all having great success nationally and internationally. It is a strong beverage, but is nice on the palate and when used moderately, is not detrimental to human health.

The details of the Havana Club production process in Cuba does not circulate often because the Bacardí brand has tried to patent it.  However, the secret of Havana Club, and the Cuban rum as a whole, does not seem to be a chemical formula zealously kept. Master rum maker  of Havana Club, Jose Navarro, assures that the quality of the Cuban rum “lies in our sugar cane, that grows admirably in our soil and the molasses extracted, has a unique quality (…) and also lies in a culture, inherited and transmitted from generation to generation, from Cuban to Cuban, from heart to heart.”

And that is true because Cubans drink rum very pure, without water, ice or any other mixture; something that is held deeply in the hearts and typical only of the producer countries. The rest of the world consumes rum mixed with other beverages, preferring light rums for cocktails like the Daiqiri, and the dark rums for cocktails like Rum Collins. The Cuban rum is even used in the preparation of some dessert sauces and flaming dishes.