Raise a Cuba Libre for a #FreeCuba

A weekend cocktail promotion aims to raise money for the Cuban cause.

July 16, 2021

Image: Order a $10 Cuba Libre for a free Cuba.

Order a $10 Cuba Libre for a free Cuba. Photo courtesy of the Real Havana Club

Audio By Carbonatix

[
          {
            "name": "GPT - Billboard - Slot Inline - Content - Labeled - No Desktop",
            "component": "22004575",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "STN Player - Float - Mobile Only ",
            "component": "22595215",
            "insertPoint": "2",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
          },{
            "name": "Editor Picks",
            "component": "17482312",
            "insertPoint": "4",
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18711090",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - 2x Rectangles Desktop, Tower on Mobile - Labeled",
            "component": "23181625",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 8,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          
          },{
            "name": "Inline Links",
            "component": "18711090",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          },{
            "name": "GPT - Leaderboard to Tower - Slot Auto-select - Labeled",
            "component": "17720761",
            "insertPoint": "8th",
            "startingPoint": 12,
            "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
            "maxInsertions": 25
          }
        ]

Havana Club Rum and Bacardi brand ambassador Gio Gutierrez are asking Miamians to toast Cuba this week — for a cause.

Earlier today, Gutierrez, whose Chat Chow video podcast covers the South Florida food scene, took to Instagram to announce a weekend-only fundraising event that brings together Miami's Cuban establishments in an effort to raise money for the Center for a Free Cuba, a local nonprofit that works toward peaceful reform in Cuba via political and economic freedoms.

The idea: Drink a cuba libre cocktail to support the return of a Cuba libre nation.

"We wanted to do something to help Cuba during this time," Gutierrez tells New Times. "The best way was to find a nonprofit that could really help — one that would be able to assist the people in the ways they need it most right now. We’re really excited about this initiative, and really just trying to amplify the #SOSCuba message and the fight for freedom in Cuba any way we can."

It doesn't hurt, he adds, that cuba libres for a Cuba libre makes for a natural tie-in with Bacardi's Havana Club rum, the main ingredient in the classic rum-and-Coke beverage.

Today (Friday) through next Friday, July 23, participating bars and restaurants will sell their take on the barroom mainstay for $10 a pop (excluding tax and gratuity), using Bacardi’s Havana Club rum. Those who order the drink are encouraged to share photos with the hashtags #PatriaYVida, #SOSCuba, and #ForeverCuban.

All proceeds will be donated to the Center for a Free Cuba, which is spearheading programs and campaigns to help Cubans during the recent Patria y Vida movement. Bacardi will match the total raised, up to $10,000.

Several Miami establishments have signed on to participate, including Latin Café 2000, Balans, BarAbi Maria, Cafe La Trova, Finka Table & Tap, Islas Canarias, Scape Goat, and Tobacco Road.

Anyone interested in joining the cause is asked to DM @ChatChowTv on Instagram for information.

Nicole Danna is a Palm Beach County-based contributor who began covering the South Florida food scene for New Times in 2011. She began covering food and beverage news as the entertainment editor and reporter for the Colorado Daily. Her work has also appeared in the New York Times, the New York Post, New York Moves, and her hometown newspaper, Darien Times, among others.

A message from Food & Drink Editor Nicole Lopez-Alvar: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of Miami's evolving dining scene and the latest culinary innovations our community offers.

Support Today