By Roy Lie Atjam
A Cigars, Rum, Coffee, Bolero Night in The Hague. It all started with a passion for cigars, rum, coffee and bolero.
Consequently, Diplomat Magazine, Leonardo Royal Hotel and Casa del Habano hosted a cigar rum and coffee tasing event along with a bolero presentation that brought together diplomats, Dutch civil servants, producers of cigars, rum, coffee, connoisseurs, neophytes and bolero enthusiasts.
The rum lovers were spotted swirling, sipping and savouring rum and cigars offered by exhibitors from the producing countries.
An eventful afternoon kicked off with an exclusive tasting at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in The Hague on the sunny Friday afternoon of 17 June 2022.
Ambassadors of the participating countries briefly introduce their products.
Guatemala by H.E. the Ambassador of Guatemala, Jorge Skinner-Klée Arenales
I hope the tasting experience will result in a better understanding of the wealth that Guatemala and Latin America have to offer. So please delight your senses with a taste of our region. Guatemala is the heart of Mesoamerica. One of the world’s 17 Megadiverse countries, both as a tourist destination and as the perfect environment for rum production.
It is precisely Guatemala´s ecological diversity that gives its Rum a distinct and intense flavour. Guatemala´s rich volcanic soil, varied landscape and climate are perfect conditions for growing sugar cane and creating ageing Rum.
Thank you, Diplomat Magazine, La Casa del Habano and Leonardo Royal Hotel for hosting this magical night. I also want to make a special mention to our main sponsor, Botran – Ron de Guatemala for its commitment to bringing the best of Guatemala abroad, a success story. Quote: Our land makes it, our climate shapes it, our methods transform it, and our Rum is one of a Guatemalan kind.
Panama by H.E. the Ambassador of Panama, Ms. Elizabeth Ward Neiman
Panama has more to offer than straw hats.There is the canal of course. However, the Ambassador promulgated the high quality of her country’s rum El Abuelo, cigar, tourism, ground provisions, services and much more.
Dominican Republic by H.E. Ambassador Juan Bautista Duran.
The Dominican Republic is currently one of the world’s leading producers of quality cigars due to the careful management of its crops and the innovative attitude of producers, which has made Dominican cigars receive numerous awards and prizes from tobacco lovers and experts around the world. Dominican tobacco is Culture, Art and Tradition but also the economic and social growth of the country, providing more than 110 thousand direct and indirect jobs.
In 2021, cigar exports accounted for 85% of total exports and reached an all-time high of over one billion pesos.
Besides Rum and cigars, the Dominican Republic had a marketing gimmick that attracted attention. The Ambassador gave renditions of various popular tunes, which went down well with the crowd, they kept asking for more.
Huge thanks to Diplomat Magazine, in the person of director Dr Mayelinne De Lara, and Leonardo Royal Hotel for this beautiful initiative and the excellent organization of the event.
A big thanks to our commercial partners – Ron Barceló with its Gran Barceló Imperial – Pablo Grimaldi from cigars La Margot, Torres Garcia and Linga cigars and La Casa del Habano Cigar Store and Cafe Santo Domingo for their support and accompaniment. Designing the spaces StyleMeCocco, art from Dominican painter Chichi Reyes.
Cuba by The Ambassador of Cuba, H.E. Ms Anet Pino Rivero
Cuba with Cuban Cigars (Cuban tobacco) and Rum. We will also have the opportunity to enjoy Cuban music, dance with the Cubans Mr. Jorge Martínez Galán and Rafael Cala.
I thank Diplomat Magazine and La Casa del Habano for organizing this wonderful event.
Further, Cuban Rums Perla del Norte and Cubay, in cooperation with Casa Ron. I thank Guillermo for being with us tonight.
Ron Perla del Norte. Applies a unique technology of spirits and aged bases, exposed to different stages of mixing and ageing in white oak, some components have reached up to 7 years of ageing.
Ron Cubay. This award-winning rum house was founded in 1964 in Villa Clara, primarily intended for domestic consumption. Now worldwide available in 5 different flavours. Cubay rum elevates the typical expression of the sweet taste of the Centre island, which preserves the tradition of the Cuban light rum.
Cuban cigars. In 1492 the Spanish expedition commanded by Christopher Columbus saw tobacco for the first time in the New World. The Taino Indians rolled and burnt some mysterious leaves called “Cohiba”.
From that starting point five hundred years ago, tobacco has been traded and planted throughout the world.
Tabaco Negro Cubano or Cuban Black Tobacco has been considered one of the best in the world because of the unique growing conditions in some areas of the Island. This distinction remains incontestably valid after more than five centuries.
All Habanos are experienced in using methods that were pioneered in Havana two centuries ago and remain virtually unchanged to this day.
I invite you to enjoy the Cuban flavour through its tobaccos, Rums, and cultural performances.
Diplomat magazine, Leonardo, Habanero have embarked on an ambitious project to shine light on the Latin America-Caribe region’s historic acclaimed artisan products of cigar and rum. Well, let me tell you, shining it did!
Venezuela by Mr. Wilhen Diaz Lara, Charge D’affaires
We are here not only to meet our friends, but also to taste some products from the exportable supply of our countries. From the Embassy of Venezuela, we are very happy to present you on this beautiful afternoon a Caribbean experience from Venezuela, offering a taste of at least two of our national items of production whose exportable quality maintains remarkable value, regardless of the coercive unilateral measures applied to Venezuela.
The export of these products is one of many example of how we work hard hand in hand with our best asset, our people. We have rum the export and transformation of national cocoa, a particularity that comes from the passion that is instilled in each step of the production process, able to appreciate throughout the process as a very important aspect that represents our nation, such as responsibility, integrity and preservation of the environment.
Diplomático Rum, a recognized brand, winner of multiple awards and international recognitions that demonstrate family values. Here is a company that recycles 100% of its solid and liquid waste, using the latter as organic fertilizer for the sugar cane fields.
With a special touch, these Venezuelan rum have a special aging process that can vary between 4, 8 and 12 years of maturation, unique in its style and in different types of barrels, predominantly ex-bourbon and ex-malt whisky. A selection of Spanish sherry butts is used to refine the finish of the Single Vintage and Ambassador rums.
Also, Ada Romero joins us today, a Venezuelan Master chocolatier and quantum therapist.
in the same spirit that you enjoy this beautiful sunny afternoon, I hope you will also enjoy the Boleros. I have the pleasure to introducing you to a Venezuelan singer who merges music and culture of Venezuela and the Netherlands. Creator and founder of Mildred Wiersma, Latin Show and with her years of experience in Venezuela she decided to bring her music to the Netherlands.
A walk-around the tasting kiosks on the lawns of the Leonardo Royal Hotel showed guests chatting with the producers trying to understand the flavor , aroma and showing keen interest in the aging process technics of the various textures of rum.
The afternoon was vivified by Latino-Caribe music, song, dance demonstrations, buffet, and beautiful finger food and topped off with a surpassingly joyous ambience.
Ambassadors and diplomats from all continents, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cameroon, South Africa, Belarus, Nicaragua. Further representatives of the ex-pat, international and Dutch community.
The Cigars, Rum, Coffee and Bolero Extravaganza is just a sparkle there are further activations planned to put Latino-Caribe Rum and Cigars on the map in the Netherlands and beyond.
All left the Leonardo Hotel in high spirit!
