Bloody Caesars Have Arrived in Cuba

                   During my last couple of trips, maybe around a years time, I've been noticing more and more, a product on the shelves of most store coolers. I can't miss it because it's practically next to beer. There must be a lot of it on the island because some shops have a whole shelf dedicated to it. It's sold in cans the same size as a canned beer or soft drink. At first glance it looks like tomato juice or at least something tomato-like. The name always made me wonder...."Kermato", made me think of "Clamato". One day I picked-up a can and read the ingredients, besides all of the herbs & spices & the usual chemical jargon which I hardly understand in English (never-mind Spanish), there it was among the list, 20% jugo de tomato and almeja (clam). Upon closer inspection it was right there under the word Kermato in slightly smaller letters "coctel de Tomate y Almeja" (Tomato and Clam Cocktail).  This was a knockoff of Clamato Juice, produced by The Nestlé company & made in Mexico (if I'm not mistaken). I mixed it with some Stoli I got from the corner store for $16cuc and the Worcestershire sauce I brought from home and there it was, a Bloody Caesar in Cuba. I was getting into Gin & Tonics this last year, since three varieties of tonic water are now easier to find, schweppes being one of them. Many varieties of Gin are available today now that Gin & Tonics are the 'in' drink with the hip & affluent (monied) Cuban crowd. You can even find Hendricks Gin on some bar shelves and in some Supermarkets. It's nice having another Cocktail option while smoking a cigar on my terrace in Havana, I can only drink so much Rum & Beer. Cheers