Varadero, Cuba.-The blind tasting contests of Cuban rums; cocktails, beers and taps; New cocktails; and Cuban Classics, close their respective competitions here today at the 9th Varadero Gourmet Festival 2017.

The event began on June 27 and ends tomorrow in the Conference Center Plaza América of this touristic city, the most important in Cuba, on the north coast of the province of Matanzas, 140 kilometers east of Havana.

80 delegates from 16 countries are participating, while 43 firms display their products, inputs, and services in this activity of the so-called leisure industry, according to information provided by the organizers.

Jorge Luis Acosta, president of the extra-hotel company Palmares, one of the managers of the event, stressed that each year the event gains in experience and collaborates with the constant evolution of the gastronomy of this Caribbean nation.

It is an opportunity to learn -he said- in a Festival that promotes ‘the taste of the country on the palate.’

Keynote lectures, product presentations, workshops, panels of experts and exhibitions complete the program that includes topics such as a combination of gourmet and traditional, and trends in food and beverage management.

This edition aims at using the culinary roots and brands of the island of recognized prestige abroad and promoting the exchange of experiences and knowledge between entrepreneurs and professionals of the cocktail and gastronomy.