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HAVANA, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The world's leading rum producer Havana Club International (HCI) on Monday presented a new design for its seven-year-old dark rum, one of the company's most popular products worldwide.
With new colors being used to highlight the product's Cuban origin, the label includes the image of Jose Navarro, Cuba's first master rum maker and creator of this dark rum.
During the new bottle's presentation, Navarro highlighted that this is "the most complete rum" made on the island and "the one that requires the most patience" as its manufacturing process is very laborious and is planned years in advance.
Out of all the drinks sold by HCI, which claims 40 percent of rum sales in the world, the seven-year-old dark rum sells over four million bottles per year, according to figures released by the company.
The company's managing director, Jerome Cottin-Bizonne, said the image redo is meant to boost sales.
"We have the capacity to double production," he said, adding that the United States is among the new markets the company hopes to explore. Production increase will happen "when they (the United States) decide to allow Havana Club to be sold in their country," said the Frenchman.
In January, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office decided to allow the state-owned Cubaexport to register the Havana Club brand in the country by removing the rights from Bacardi, ending a dispute that had lasted over 20 years.
However, Cuba still cannot sell its rum or any other product in the United States due to the ongoing embargo, which has lasted for more than half a century.
