Ron Legendario, Brand Ambassador: OSNIER SOÑORA ALMAGUER

From its birth in 1946 to the present day, Ron Legendario has been making changes at all levels of the organisation to achieve total adaptability to the market. The current format achieved in 2010 for the restyling of the packaging brings together and expresses the signs of Cuba’s identity. Osnier Soñora Almaguer is the Ron Legendario, Brand Ambassador. Learn more about him in this interview:

TRL: Who is Osnier Soñora Almaguer?

My name is Osnier Soñora Almaguer, I was born on 31 October 1990, in the province of Camagüey, Cuba. Graduated in Computer Science, I have taken courses in Marketing and Communication, and I am passionate about mixes and cocktails. My beginnings in the rum industry were at the beginning of 2013, when I first met the Cuban Rum Masters, who made me passionate about such an important world and I agreed to defend such a genuine cultural legacy, occupying important positions in the commercialisation of rums and areas of Communication and Marketing.

Currently, I am the Brand Ambassador of Ron Legendario and responsible for our “Rockfruit” line of cocktail mixers, spreading the history and quality of our rums with all my passion and dedication.

TRL: What does rum mean to you? What made you fall in love with rum and when did it happen?

For me, rum is a culture and an inherited tradition that dates back more than 160 years, this is the importance of defending it and passing it on to our consumers.

My union with rum, that bond that integrates us, is 10 years old. I confess that I am in love with that world and that syncretism that makes those factory spaces make a unique drink in flavours and nuances. Our legacy is linked to that cultural love, which makes you part of it, to feel proud of this great family.

TRL: Three essential characteristics that define rum from your perspective.

There are characteristics around rum that define these spirits. But for us, it is the culture inherited from our great Cuban Rum Masters, natural ageing and the art of blending.

TRL: What is the most important contribution you have made to the rum industry?

I am proud to have played a part in the development of new products and above all to consider myself a great advocate of our Legendario brand.

TRL: Benefits the rum industry has brought you.

Countless benefits, but the greatest I think is the knowledge and the feeling of being the custodian of the transmission of the communication of a brand, of a product with a unique origin.

TRL: What else are you passionate about besides rum? Why?

What I’m most passionate about is cocktails, the art of mixing like our Cuban Rum Masters do, but made into a good cocktail or a cocktail mixer, our rum is to be enjoyed; every product is linked to that end.

TRL: Where is your favourite place to drink rum?

To enjoy a good rum, the first thing is the company, the place must be pleasant, and I always try to have it with a Habano and a game of dominoes. Definitely, every time I sit down to enjoy a good Cuban rum, it never ceases to surprise me; its nuances and its history bring me closer to the island, even though I’m thousands of kilometres away.

TRL: Favourite drink + Recipe.

For me, ginger-based recipes are the best. I have a very particular recipe that I love.

6cl Legendary Elixir of Cuba.

½ cl Rockfruit Ginger.

10cl Schweppes Ginger Ale.

TRL: Why is it important to educate the rum drinker?

Drinking culture is essential. Knowing what we like or what we are looking for in a spirit is the basis. If we were all capable of knowing the love and care that is dedicated to rum at each stage of its production, we would consider rum to be a special drink.

The history of rum is a mixture of adventure, culture and romance, evoking pirates, merchant seafarers, treasure islands, etc. Its history also shows us the intimate link between the human factor and rum, essential facts that lead us to the light rum we know and enjoy today. If there is one thing that should be considered key to the birth, development and evolution of rum up to the present day, it is the geographical environment of its origin and the man with his “know-how”. Rum was lucky enough to find its perfect place in the Caribbean. The soil, the climate, the water, the sun, the temperatures and other factors make the Caribbean the ideal geographical area for the cultivation of sugarcane, the raw material for rum. That is why Cuba, culturally, is rum and rum is Cuba.

We are passionate about making quality rums and we want our consumers to prefer them for their bouquets, and because they are always the same, the rum we consume is the original recipe from the moment it was created. That is why we always emphasise our origin in our communication, our brand identity carries with it our insignia, that flag that identifies a country.

We are worthy advocates of not drinking in excess, we must enjoy every sip. And if we are going to drink something unique, we have to drink Legendary.

TRL: Do you have any tips for training the palate and tasting a good premium rum?

The timing is very important, and above all the way to do it. All rum should be tasted at room temperature and in the right container. A premium rum will make us enjoy it, sensorially it will bring unimaginable notes to the palate, but it will never irritate.

TRL: How can rum contribute to improving the crisis in some countries?

For many rum-producing countries, rum is often one of their major export production sectors, and this becomes an inflow of foreign exchange that has a positive impact on the national economy.

TRL: Is a commitment to sustainable development the key to the rum industry’s continued success in the world? Why?

Sustainable development and our contribution to caring for the environment is everyone’s task and it is essential to continue along this path of investments that make the rum industry a source of renewable energy and zero carbon emissions. This is our commitment, and we are moving towards it.

TRL: Who would you like to meet in the rum industry? What would you say to him/her?

Rum Masters of Ron Abuelo, for them all my admiration.

TRL: What are your next goals in the rum industry?

To continue growing and communicating about our rums, in the tireless task of educating worthy palates that recognise good rum. 

TRL: What plans do you have when you leave the rum industry?

I would never leave it, it’s my passion, it’s a world that doesn’t let you escape.

TRL: Why is the role of the bartender important in the rum industry?

They are our most direct ambassadors, they are the ones who are in charge of educating the end consumer. They are often the ones who discover our “perfect serve”.

TRL: What is your advice to the new generations in the rum industry?

Maintain that legacy and don’t sacrifice products for ever-increasing demands. We have to prepare the industry so that those barrels in their natural ageing process provide the declared age. Be worthy advocates of bottling rums of authentic quality and bouquets.

TRL: How can people learn more about you? Website? Social media page?

Website: https://legendario.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/ronlegendario

Company Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/legendario/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/osniers

Instagram: https://instragram.com/osnierss