05:15 AM
Best moments of the Havana Club Grand Prix
It has been a week since my return to English shores and the Havana Club Grand Prix is ever present in my mind. The imagery and atmosphere of Havana still regularly dances across my thoughts. As I had mentioned Cuba had been long held dream destination of mine.
I'm going to go with my top 5 moments of the Havana Club Grand Prix but I must say that it was one of the most impressive competitions I've ever been a part of, it will only grow in popularity, global involvement and awareness year by year.
Moment 1 - meeting all my fellow judges and walking across Havana to the Gran Teatro, a beautiful and majestic building. We were escorted by Havana Club models and you could feel the buzz of excitement amongst the judges, we had been fully briefed and throughout the day would see 10 contestants per group. Walking into the room with the beautiful mahogany bar with the immaculately dressed Cantinero's standing behind it and looking at the room full of nervous contestants, press and visitors.
I'm going to go with my top 5 moments of the Havana Club Grand Prix but I must say that it was one of the most impressive competitions I've ever been a part of, it will only grow in popularity, global involvement and awareness year by year.
Moment 1 - meeting all my fellow judges and walking across Havana to the Gran Teatro, a beautiful and majestic building. We were escorted by Havana Club models and you could feel the buzz of excitement amongst the judges, we had been fully briefed and throughout the day would see 10 contestants per group. Walking into the room with the beautiful mahogany bar with the immaculately dressed Cantinero's standing behind it and looking at the room full of nervous contestants, press and visitors.
By Emma Davis
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05:10 AM
Moment 2 - The Judging
Judging 10 contestants from all over the world. I was lucky
enough to be put in a group with Tony C and Dave Broom both of which
kept me entertained and cool in the sweltering heat of the 4 hour
judging stint. The contestants were so inspiring, they had all put so
much effort into their creations and presentations, we even had the
contestant from India!
By Emma Davis
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04:30 AM
Moment 3 - The Gala Dinner
The Gala Dinner - the scale of every evening and dinner laid
on by Havana Club was of the highest standard with great cocktails
provided by the Cantinero's. As mentioned in one of my previous blogs,
they went through a huge amount of limes and mint over the 5 days. The
Cuban dancers that entertained us after dinner were incredible, their
skill and energy hard to match and the setting, a huge vaulted ceiling
room upstairs in the Gran Teatro, white clothed tables and views across
Havana.
By Emma Davis
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04:10 AM
Moment 4 - Dinner Chez Meimi
Dinner Chez Meimi. Meimi Sanchez, the UK Havana Club
Ambassador, very kindly invited me to dinner at her father's house on
my 2nd night in Havana. She had been fishing with Tony C during the day
and they had caught a couple of large Mahi Mahi so not only did I get
to eat the freshest fish I've probably ever eaten but I also got to
enjoy the hospitality of a real Cuban home. It was a magical evening,
with a group of us drinking mojitos and cuba libres sharing stories of
our travels through the drinks industry.
By Emma Davis
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04:05 AM
Moment 5 - Walking in Havana
Walking in Havana - on my last day I spent the day walking
through the many streets of Havana, there is no better way to drink in
the feel and energy of a city than pounding the pavements for several
hours. My walk culminated in lunch for a couple of hours eating rice
and beans, drinking more Cuba Libres and 'people watching' the people
of Havana.
These memories will last a life time but I hope to be back in Havana again sooner rather than later.
To top it all off, the overall winner of the Havana Club Grand Priz 2010 was an English bartender called Marcis from Quo Vadis!
These memories will last a life time but I hope to be back in Havana again sooner rather than later.
To top it all off, the overall winner of the Havana Club Grand Priz 2010 was an English bartender called Marcis from Quo Vadis!
By Emma Davis
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