An incredibly rare bottle of Havana Club 1519 sold for thousands at an online auction which raised more than £5,000 for the Distillers’ Livery Company Emergency Appeal in support of The Drinks Trust.
The luxury rum sold for £5,200 at The Worshipful Company of Distillers’ auction, hosted by online spirits auctioneers Whisky.Auction, for those in the drinks industry facing lost employment and severe hardship in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The prestigious Havana Club 1519 was one of 138 exclusive bottles donated by distillers and individuals for the auction where 15% commission on top of the hammer price of each sale was donated to the appeal.
The sought-after auction lot was one of 500 bottles released globally to mark the 500th anniversary of the city of Havana. It was presented in an individually numbered glass decanter inspired by the architecture of Havana and encased in an ornate wooden box with gold detailing designed to echo the ironwork found in historic Havana. The case included a certificate of authenticity written by Dr. Eusebio Leal Spengler, Historian of Havana City, and signed by the four masters who created Havana Club 1519. Led by Havana Club’s Cuban Rum Master Juan Carlos González, the masters began preparing for the city’s milestone anniversary as early as 1999 by selecting and blending barrels of rum from their maturing stock. Over the next 20 years, the maestros repeated this process every five years, re-blending the rums and filling back into the cask for further maturation to create the sublime Havana Club 1519.
The auction donation is part of Havana Club’s wider international support programme for the bar industry following the unprecedented challenges caused by the Coronavirus outbreak. The Cuban rum maker is currently hosting a series of online forums and is working with experts from key fields to host virtual debates for bar owners looking to support their teams and communities through the pandemic.
Nick Blacknell, International Marketing Director of Havana Club, explains: “Havana Club has always been passionate about supporting the bartending community and we want to reinforce that during this period of adversity by giving something back to the brilliant bartenders and bar owners who help make Havana Club a success around the world.
“It is an honour to donate one of our most rare and special creations and we are delighted that the proceeds from the sale of Havana Club 1519 will help make an important contribution to such a vital fundraising initiative.”
Isabel Graham-Yooll, auction director at Whisky.Auction, adds: “The Havana Club 1519 decanter was one of the real highlights of Whisky.Auction’s charity auction for the Distillers’ Livery Company Emergency Appeal in support of The Drinks Trust. As one of only 500 decanters ever made, its quality and rarity led to it raising an impressive £5,200 including commission. We are very grateful for such a generous donation and are proud to have been able to work with the Distillers’ Company and Havana Club to help those in need.”
Since 1886, The Drinks Trust, formerly The Benevolent, has provided support and services to the people who form the UK drinks industry and is today facing a significant volume of applications for help and assistance as a result of Covid-19.
