Along time men have always left their mark. The legacy of past communities and their cultural value have been for each village, an indissoluble wealth of their customs, knowledge, techniques ... passed down from generation to generation.
For this reason, the National Council of Cultural Heritage on the island decided to declare Cultural Patrimony of the Nation, a tradition symbol of identity on the island. It is the knowledge of the Masters of Cuban rum, as well as manufacturing spaces in which the transmission process of such knowledge occurs.
The news was released on March 14 in Room 1930 of the National Hotel as part of the main activities of the VIII Latin American Symposium of Industrial Heritage. Gladys Collazo, director of the Council through Resolution Number 9 of 2016, conveyed the statement issued to ensure the sustainability and visibility of this national expression alive for over 150 years.
The official said that "the traditions of Cuban rum have a predominant role and Masters of Rum are carriers of this knowledge, which combines science and tradition. They who get an exquisite and unique product in the world."
With the presence of five of the seven specialists available to the national Cuba Ron SA corporation, the recognition highlights the work of Cuban experts, who besides having a university degree, are guided by a strong sensory preparation, closely related to the legacy of Masters preceding Cuban roots, legends and culture of the Greater Antilles in general.
"The history of rum in Cuba dates back to the eighteenth century and reached its climax in 1862 with the appearance of light rum in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba. It is linked to our identity that makes each Cuba Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) rum an exquisite product", said Collazo.
Masters of Rum have learned this knowledge after rigorous selection processes. Each specialist must know steps such as fermentation, distillation, aging and blending.
The preparation of the candidates can last ten to fifteen years to obtain the degree. Proposals are evaluated by First Masters and Masters, and ratified administratively. Therefore, Salomé Alemán - Today apprentice, after instruction time may become, according to Juan Gonzalez Escalona, president of Cuba Ron, in the first female Master of Cuban Rum on the Island.
Escalona said at the official gala that "Masters of Cuban Rum are a very particular phenomenon of this land, because in 153 years, none has gone away from Cuba".
In this way, feel sit in his work one of the members of this select group of experts present there, Asbel Morales Lorenzo. For him, being a Master of Rum means surrendering to genuinely care Cuban rum as a priesthood.
Morales has said more than once that for this activity is first needed to be Cuban, because "the tradition of rum is defended as a culture, so we only deliver it from Cuban to Cuban, heart to heart () one has the obligation to recognize the presence of past generations and to deliver it to the following; and we do it by depositing in the cellars new rums that will be used by them in bottles that we won´t even see physically, but we deliver them for them to continue making the best rum. "
