Knowledge of the light rum masters
Inscribed in 2022 (17.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
© Cuba Ron S.A, 2019 Cuban light rum emerges in 1862 in the city of Santiago de Cuba. Since then, there has been an uninterrupted transmission of the Cuban light rum masters’ knowledge, which is put into practice in aging cellars, mixture areas and laboratories. The Cuban light rum masters’ knowledge is a set of traditional, scientific, sensory knowledge and techniques transmission that ensures the safeguarding of the Cuban light rum manufacturing process. Regardless of brand, light rum masters follow an ethical code centred on respect for Cuban rum culture and its history and good practices, with ecoculture and harmony with the environment at its core. The transmission of light rum’s master knowledge is a life-long learning process that is passed down from generation to generation and includes protecting aging cellars, knowing their contents and characteristics and the history of each barrel, and knowing which mixtures result in a given appearance, aroma, taste and texture. Masters form a guild-type community with selective admission that advocates for responsible consumption and acts as a cultural bridge between Cuba and the rest of the world.
