The Many Drinks of Coastal Cuba

Driving away from Starbucks today, I mused to Audrey that my latte would be the first coffee I'd had in over a week that didn't have brandy in it, which really put a sharp frame around the whole all-inclusive experience.

I certainly don't think we overdid it at any one point, but we took full advantage of the fact that friendly bartenders were at our beck and call at the resort, and that there would be no tab. Indeed, I had to caution the most frugal of my inner voices that I was not 'leaving money on the table' every time I drank a non-alcoholic beverage.

Cubans take pride in their rum, cigars and coffee, in no particular order. Their two beers, Cristal and Bucanero are not necessarily bad, but really do need to be ice cold to be most enjoyable, so tropical drinks were really the order of the day. In particular, the piña colada, made with pineapple juice, rum, and coconut rum.

They are a bit sweet, but the liberal application of rum works wonders against this in my experience. The tiny glasses that make up the standard serving size can be a bit frustrating, especially when traipsing to and from the beach, but we streamlined the process by procuring our own reusable cups: a bright green plastic jobby for Audrey, and a bamboo mug with the Bucanero logo on it for myself.

Of course, none of these could hold a candle to the coladas we bought from a rest stop at Bacunayagua on our way to Havana, as these ones came in a fresh pineapple, and we could drink them while watching traffic cross Cuba's tallest bridge (112 m).

While in Havana, we also had the chance to try a daiquiri in a restaurant that shares a kitchen with Hemingway's favourite bar, where many a daiquiri was vanquished by the famous writer during his time residing here.

Back at the resort, Audrey tended to stick to the pina coladas, while I was intent on trying as many different tropical drinks as possible: margaritas, Cuba libres, Havana especials, and mojitos. There is also a rum-based liqueur called Elixir de Cuba which I tried straight up over ice, and enjoyed enough that I brought home a bottle.

The town of Varadero, close to our resort, has a place called The House of Rum, selling a wide selection of rums and cigars. But with prices set by the government, the small shop in our hotel had much of the same product at the same price.

Such easy access is a real mixed blessing, as my relationship with Demon Rum has been tumultuous, and even fractious at times. I like to think of this picture as showing the two of us making amends, but only time will tell, I suppose.

In terms of rum, Havana Club is the brand you see advertised the most, and see on the most t-shirts and bath towels and the like. Julio, our Havana tour guide, assured me that, given the choice, most Cubans would actually drink Santiago, so I purchased a small bottle of their añejo (aged rum) as well.

Back in the lobby bar of Arenas Doradas, we spent a couple of evenings making our way though the drinks menu and playing a very pleasant game of cribbage.

Not particularly fancy, but like I said, friendly staff, no tab, and some occasionally interesting characters who would pass by:

And in the morning, the coffee bar would only too willing to serve up a café español (coffee with rum and brandy) with a little flourish on top.