Taken from the Facebook page of Consejo Nacional de Patrimonio Cultural

The file of the Knowledge of the Masters of Light Rum is presented to UNESCO for possible inclusion in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 

The knowledge of the rum masters, as well as the manufacturing spaces where the process of transmission of said knowledge occurs, were declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation in 2016. The file of the Knowledge of the Masters of Light Rum was recently presented to UNESCO for possible inclusion in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This knowledge is carried by the Masters of Light Rum of Cuba: men and women linked for decades to the artisanal creation and manufacturing of light rum. This community is formed by 2 First Masters, 7 Masters and 4 Aspirants, custodians, guardians and transmitters of the knowledge of a tradition of more than 155 years. 

The Masters of Light Rum of Cuba are men and women linked for decades to the artisanal creation and manufacturing of light rum. A Master is the bearer of a knowledge that combines science, tradition and sensitivity. His creations begin with an idea, its meaning, and  finish as a piece of art. This process is born from a knowledge transmitted from generation to generation, which ranges from the protection of aging cellars, knowing their content and characteristics, the history of each barrel to knowing which blends produce a certain aspect, aroma, flavor and texture. 

The Masters of Light Rum work in the different rum factories along the country (distilleries, natural aging warehouses, blending rooms). They lead these successive creation processes, combining the traditions and innovations associated with the manufacture of this traditional spirit drink, which is derived from the production of cane sugar. 

Starting in 1862, an uninterrupted succession of the knowledge of the Cuban rum Masters occurred, whose most tangible expression resides in the aging cellars where successive generations of Masters left their mark on the spirits and rums deposited in oak barrels. Likewise, these Masters serve as a cultural bridge between brands, regions of the country and the world and advocate for responsible consumption in society. 

The inscription of the Knowledge of the Masters of Light Rum in the Representative List would internationally highlight the diversity of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Cubans. The inscription will represent a new stage in the dissemination of the traditional values of the rum culture in Cuba, its good practices within cultural spaces and other manifestations of traditional popular culture.