"Cuba has one of the richest cocktail histories in the world, and at the center of it is the cantinero—a rigorously trained breed of Cuban bartender. Within Cuba, cantineros are known for their throwing of cocktails (a flashy technique originally from Spain, where cantineros toss a drink from one tin to another); their memorization of over 200 traditional recipes; and for a commitment to the work as more of a lifestyle than a career. Naturally, it’s a role held with great pride. There are just over 1,200 cantineros remaining, and about 100 of them work here in the U.S. To find them? Head to Miami's Little Havana neighborhood, where the cantinero’s legacy continues in the form of the award-winning Café La Trova—named after Trova, a style of guitar-led Cuban music that originated in Santiago de Cuba. Here, Cuban-born cantinero Julio Cabrera pays homage to his home country by way of a full-service café with a ventanita window, live Cuban music, quintessential Cuban bar snacks like empanadas and croquetas, and a traditional cantinero bartending school led by Cabrera himself. It’s a rare microcosm of Cuban cocktail culture in America (and offers some of the best mojitos in the country)."
