The Havana Special is said to be the forgotten train route that connected the United States and Cuba by sea, and the Habana Especial is to this day an authentic Cuban drink that contains all the typical ingredients of the island's cocktails: rum, fruit and of course the refreshing ice.
The history of this purely Cuban cocktail dates back to the second decade of the 20th century, exactly in 1912, when the American billionaire Henry Flagler built a railway that he called "The Havana Special."
The train route ran from New York to Miami, then through the islets of southern Florida until it reached Key West. The entire journey took about two days, depending on the weather, but it was an adventure well worth it. But the journey didn't end there. When the cars reached Key West, they were loaded onto huge ships prepared for the purpose, and transported for 10 long hours to Havana, before continuing their journey by train to the city of Santiago de Cuba.
Thanks to this route, thousands of North American tourists arrived, year after year, in the largest of the Antilles, as many were attracted by the idea of being able to visit the island without having to get off the train the entire way.
A feat of such magnitude took seven years to complete. To implement it, German steel and cement were used, as well as Cuban wood. It is estimated that 4,000 men were working simultaneously.
Despite the typical tropical weather, on January 22, 1912, the railway connecting the United States and Cuba was inaugurated.
Twenty-three years later, in September 1935, the structure of this enterprising road was damaged by a category five hurricane. The owners of the Havana Special sold the remains to the Florida government. This made it possible to lay out, in 1938, the roads that connect the Florida Keys to this day.
As it was a long and exhausting journey, when the ferries arrived in Havana, travelers sometimes took up to several days of rest in the capital before continuing their journey to the east of the country. During this break, tourists took the opportunity to go out and visit the capital, and surely stop at the Floridita bar which was already famous.
The owner of this bar, Mr. Constantino Ribalaigua, and king of bartenders in Cuba, had created the Habana Especial cocktail, with the aim of enchanting tourists on this route with this Cuban flavor, so that when they returned from the east, they would come back to his bar.
Today, the Havana Special is nothing more than the cocktail created by Constantino Ribalaigua, while in Key West, a bust of Henry Flagler recalls the history of his famous railroad.
Ingredients :
▪︎Ron Havana Club Añejo Blanco (45 ml) ▪︎Pineapple juice (45ml) ▪︎Maraschino (5 ml) ▪︎Crushed ice (to taste) ▪︎A slice of pineapple
Preparation :
Cut a slice of pineapple into a wedge shape.
Crush the ice in the electric blender.
Put all the ingredients in the shaker, except the pineapple slice, and shake vigorously until you get a homogeneous mixture.
Serve the strained mixture in a glass (6 ounces), place the pineapple slice for decoration and a straw.
Take note then and, while waiting for your next return, prepare this good Cuban drink at home; let yourself be carried away by this railway loaded with history, fruity and refreshing, ideal to happily endure the intense heat of the island.
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