New US-Cuba ties fuel bitter Havana Club rum trademark fight

By contrast, an online gallery of portraits of employees at the distillery in Cuba of a rival brand of Havana Club jointly run by Pernod Ricard and the Cuban government shows Cubans proud to show the craft and heritage their country offers now, without looking back.

The fresh marketing campaigns for the two brands are the latest escalation in the liquor industry giants' 20-year fight to secure the exclusive right to sell Havana Club throughout the U.S. when the half-century-old embargo on Cuban goods ends.

After President Barack Obama announced a detente in December 2014, Pernod Ricard's chairman and CEO said the thaw was good news for Cubans and Americans, and the company hopes to finally sell its Havana Club in the United States.

U.S. rum sales generated $2.3 billion in revenue for distillers last year, and premium brands meant for sipping are gaining on popular flavored and spiced rums, according to figures from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

When Havana Club was acquired, then-Chairman Manuel Jorge Cutillas felt obligated to help the Arechabalas, who lacked facilities outside Cuba to sustain their business, said Rick Wilson, Bacardi's senior vice president of corporate affairs.

Havana Club's sales, buoyed by promotions featuring Cuban artists and classic cocktails, totaled 4 million cases for the 2015 fiscal year, according to Pernod Ricard's annual report that listed $9.7 billion overall in net sales.