A Caribbean Cuban Cigar Celebration
Cigars. Rum. Chocolate. The Dutch-speaking Caribbean island of Curaçao. All of these ingredients blended together for the second annual Caribbean Habanos Days festival last month. The two-day cigar celebration, held at the Santa Barbara Beach and Golf Resort in Curaçao, also included dinners, live entertainment and various opportunities to learn more about Cuban cigars.
While Cuba’s Habanos Festival, Habanos S.A., the event showcased a variety of Cuban products, including the island’s cigars, rum, coffee and chocolate, as well as seminars and other activities led by recognized experts in the world of Cuban cigars.
Day one began with a lecture by Cuban historian Zoe Nocedo and included an in-depth look at Vegas Robaina Famoso. Next on the itinerary was a master class on chocolate, focusing on the history and origins of the sweet treat, ending with a tasting of chocolates from around the world. The afternoon included lunch and a mixology demonstration of various cocktails paired with Cuban cigars and a bus tour of the island.
Cuban music filled the air of the first evening as musicians from Havana entertained the crowd. There were numerous food stations and open bars, and the rum flowed freely. The dancing, fun and fellowship didn’t conclude until after 4 a.m.
Day two included a demonstration of how a Cuban cigar can stand on its own burning ash and a seminar on how to correctly prepare and present a cigar, with tips on choosing, Cohiba Robusto was paired with a Ron Caney rum that had been aged in old Irish whiskey barrels.
The event ended in a way like a humidors, each of them filled with cigars, were crafted by Jose Ernesto Aguilera Reina, a famous Cuban artisan. The auction raised $89,000, and went to Cuba’s public health system. The event wrapped up at around 1 a.m. with a fireworks display lighting up the ocean.
