"bacardi" news and stories

The Malecón is the famed avenue stretching for more than four miles along the seawall in Havana, Cuba's capital. Our hometown of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, also has a Malecón that goes for a little over three miles along the sea. Malecón is Spanish for a dike, embankment, levy or jetty. Both La Paz and Havana's Malecóns inspire poetry, art and song... and cocktails.

Bartender Erik Lorincz of the Connaught Hotel experienced the laughter and community along the Malecón in Cuba during his visit and came back to his home in London to submit a recipe for a cocktail competition called the Bacardi Legacy. Even though Bacardi is no longer produced in Cuba, Erik tried to capture what he felt along Havana's Malecón in his drink... simplicity, joy, life's sweetness balanced by a touch of bitterness. His recipe was chosen as one of the top three winners.

Find the recipe for the Malecón Cocktail after the jump.

Did you know that the first print ad for Johnnie Walker, which appeared in 1883, featured a Scotsman bawling over a broken bottle at his feet? Me neither, until I read Modern Drunkard's Ten Greatest Alcohol Icons of All Time. The jaunty chap with the top hat, tails and walking stick didn't appear until 1909. Originally known as the "Regency Buck," the iconic figure underwent a name change to become "The Striding Man." I also learned that Johnnie Walker is Superman's libation of choice.

It comes as no surprise that the whimsical Guinness Toucan appears on MD's list. The bird was introduced in the 1930s and had a 50-year run until its retirement in 1982. While many a tippler is familiar with this brightly colored fellow sporting a pint of the black stuff balanced on his beak, few know the little poem that accompanied the original advertisement: "If he can say as you can/'Guinness is good for you'/How grand to be a Toucan!/Just think what Toucan do."

Most of the other icons on the list, including Mr. Boston, the Bacardi Bat and The Wild Turkey were familiar to me with the exception of The Hamm's Bear. Heck, I've never even heard of Hamm's Beer much less the wacky cartoon bear that represented the brand in a series of commercials that involved all sorts of high jinks ranging from pie fights and such to more serious capers such as robbery and arson. Rather than list all of the icons here I thought I'd let folks read through the MD piece.

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It seems cigars aren't the only luxury Cuban product that have been all but unavailable in the States. Until recently one couldn't get Havana Club rum in the U.S. Now Bacardi is relaunching the storied spirit as a premium brand.

Havana Club got its start in the thirties and was exported to the U.S. and elsewhere until Castro took over Cuba in 1960. At that time, the government took possession of the plant and began to manufacture the spirit. But Castro lacked the recipe to produce the true Havana Club.

Ramon Arechabala, whose family first created the rum, is quoted in The Miami Herald as calling the government's version "undrinkable." It was widely exported elsewhere, but unavailable in the U.S.

While I'm fascinated with the international trademark case that cleared the path for Bacardi, I can't stop thinking of mojitos for some reason.

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Today's Miami Herald features a story about what may soon be the peak of the mojito's popularity. The muddled mix of lime, mint, rum, sugar and soda was recently added to the menus at TGI Friday's and it'll soon show up in the new Miami Vice, the Herald reports. A huge marketing push from Bacardi is partially to thank. Sadly, another sign of the mojito's rise to stardom is the increase in pre-made mojito mixes. It seems to me that these sort of defeat the purpose of the drink, as the on-the-spot blending of its fresh ingredients are really what makes it so refreshing. Those of you already passing up mojitos for caipirinhas can give yourselves a pat on the back though, as the Herald reports that the similar Brazilian cocktail will be the next big thing. Somewhere, at a TGI Friday's, someone is probably ordering a mo-gee-to right now...

Bacardi B-Live will be Bacardi rum's online and mobile phone radio station.

Using a downloadable player, avalable from the website, the internet version will offer dance music from around the world. The mobile phone version allows users to listen direct on their phone. The service will "strengthen our association with music by creating more opportunities for us to connect with our target adult consumer in a way that reflects our brand values" according to the global brand director.