German Rum Fest

It’s that time of year again. Our friends in Berlin are getting ready to host the 4th annual German Rum Festival.

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imageOver the last four years the GERMAN RUM FESTIVAL in Berlin has developed into one of the top cane spirits events in Europe and beyond. Visitors to the 4th installment of the GERMAN RUM FESTIVAL on October 4th and 5th will be able to learn everything they’ve always wanted to know about rum from top industry professionals.

This year’s festival motto is “Colors of RUM“ not only focusing the variety of taste but also the multifaceted origins of the fest’s exhibitors. Caribbean and South America are still the cradle of rum, but excitement for the category and skilled production are also growing in many other parts of the world. The German Rum Festival team are looking forward to welcoming exhibitors from Japan, Scandinavia, the Philippines as well as Germany and Austria this year.

The Festival will once again be taking place at Station Berlin. More than 80 brands from all over the world will present 300+ different rums in 3000 square meters of exhibition space. You can expect to take part in professionally guided rum tastings, watch the final stage of the BOTUCAL GERMAN TOURNAMENT cocktail contest, relax in the expanded cigar lounge, enjoy wonderful food, mingle with fellow rum aficionados and more.

The German Rum Festival in Berlin takes place on October 4th and 5th, 2014. from noon until 8pm. For tickets and more, check out the Festivals website.

See you there!

Mauritius Rum Festival

Some of the finest rums from Mauritius are set for a special exhibition in London’s Emirates Stadium.

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imageThe Mauritius Rum Festival will be making it’s first ever UK appearance as a collective rum exhibition at the Emirates Stadium on April 3rd and 4th, 2014. Leading brands will be displaying the best of Mauritian Rum including Green Island, Pink Pigeon, Tilambic, Chamarel, New Grove, Penny Blue plus the Citronella rums from Rhumerie des Mascareignes, which received the Gold Award during the Berlin Rumfest in 2013.

The Mauritius Rum Festival is on it’s first international outing since it’s inception in Mauritius in August of 2013. It has been carefully curated for the industry to taste and discover the finest of this burgeoning market’s rum products. Brilliant tasting sessions, pairings, cocktail competitions, special guests with in-depth seminars from Global Rum Ambassador, Ian Burrell plus the incredible fashion fiesta will be part of the program at the inaugural event held at London’s famous Emirates stadium.

The event will also host a very special product launch with all to be revealed across the two days. The event is free, inviting the industry, press & buyers to an exclusive and one-off taste of the true Mauritius. For more information and tickets please register here.

Caribbean Rum & Beer Festival 2013

The annual Caribbean Rum & Beer Festival is heading back to Grenada this weekend!

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imageWith Grenada debuting as the host country last year, the Festival organizers are excited to return to the ‘Spice Isle.’ According to the Festival Director Ms. Cheryl Collymore, the reasons for once again choosing Grenada were clear. She noted that “It really comes down to being back by popular demand. We have been overwhelmed by the response from last year’s exhibitors, rum and beer expert judges, sponsors, and visitors all imploring us to return to Grenada.”

The Caribbean Rum & Beer Festival is an enticing mixture of rum and beer exhibitors from across the region, product sampling, an annual CAB Tasting Competition, master classes on rum and beer, as well as Caribbean music and food. Since its launch in Barbados in 2010 the festival has proved to be increasingly popular both with exhibitors and visitors.

The festival organizers, Azure Management Services, are promising that the 2013 Caribbean Rum & Beer Festival will be the best yet. Operations Director Dr. Glyn Williams added “We get some of the world’s finest rum and beers on offer at the festival; they represent the Caribbean region at its best. To compliment these great products we plan to create an entertainment package of equal value.”

Recognizing the growing power of social media, Azure Management has engaged the services of a Miami based social media marketing company to create an innovative marketing campaign aligned to the target audience for the festival and Grenada

The blue ribbon event of the Caribbean Rum & Beer Festival will be the 2013 CAB Tasting Competition. Submitted rum and beers will be subjected to a blind tasting evaluation by a leading team of experts in the rum and beer industry. Over 10 international expert judges will travel to Grenada specifically to be a part of the event. The gold, silver and bronze medals awarded to winners are a tribute to the world class beverage products of the Caribbean.

The festival schedule for the 2013 Caribbean Rum & Beer Festival includes; a gala charity silent auction to raise funds for the Grenada based Queen Elizabeth Home (QEH) for children, as well as the annual Caribbean Rum & Beer Festival golf tournament which will be held at the Grenada Golf Club on the final day of the festival.

For more information, check out the event website. (www.rumandbeerfestival.com)

Caribbean Rum & Beer Festival

Four days of seminars, outings, auctions, rum tastings and a spirits competition right in the middle of Grenada’s main tourist district.

Caribbean Rum & Beer Fest

Today is the day! Whether by boat, plane or swim, be sure to drop by the Caribbean Rum & Beer Fest.

For the first time ever, the annual Caribbean Rum & Beer Festival will be held in Grenada. After two consecutive years in Barbados, the Festival is heading to the ‘Spice Isle’ to continue to raise the profile of the region’s divers range of rum and beer.

The move to Grenada has been welcomed by the Grenada Board of Tourism who will be partnering with Festival organizers, Azure Management Services, to market the festival to the regional and international visitor market.  Operations Director for the festival, Dr. Glyn Williams commented, “We are very pleased to be partnering with the Grenada Board of Tourism. Their marketing expertise and penetration will help to grow international attendance at the festival; this will be of benefit to Grenada’s tourism industry and Festival exhibitors.”

The  2‐day  festival will be held on November 2nd and 3rd, 2012 at The Cultural Centre in the heart of Grenada’s tourist area of Grand Anse.  The Caribbean Rum & Beer  Festival is the only event of its kind in the world which showcases rum and beer products  from across the Caribbean region and beyond.

Grenada’s three (3) local rum producers and brewery are expected to feature at the event. One of the distinguishing factors of the Caribbean Rum & Beer Festival it the hosting of  the annual Caribbean Alcohol Beverage (CAB) Tasting Competition.  The contest  involves international judging panels for both rum and beer, made up of industry experts  from the US, Canada and Europe.  The panel members will travel to Grenada to take part  in the blind tasting of all the submitted products.  Scores from the tasting will be used to award gold, silver and bronze accolades.

The official festival charity for 2012 will be the Grenada based Queen Elizabeth Home for  children.  In support of the charity a raffle will be held during both days of the festival with  all proceeds going to the children’s home. (www.rumandbeerfestival.com)

Philly Rum Week

We’re off to Philadelphia tomorrow for Rum Week, a cane spirits bonanza hosted by the legendary Rum Bar.  Here’s what to expect.

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Attention East Coast rummies!!!  Philly Rum Week is about to begin so get ready for 5 days of rum-soaked fun.  For the third year, Rum Bar is hosting a variety of parties and activities to quench your thirst for fine rum and great cocktails.

The week kicks off tomorrow with the Brugal Bar Crawl.  The team behind the Dominican Republic’s Brugal Rum brand is hosting an area bar crawl for invited rum experts and a few lucky contest winners.  We’re happy to  have scored VIP access to this event and look forward to drinking our way through Philly one Brugal cocktail at a time.

The fun continues Thursday when tiki returns to Philadelphia after a 35 year hiatus.  That’s right, Duke’s Surf Bar will open for a one night stand at Rum Bar and promises a crazy evening of old school tiki drinks, rockin’ music and good times.

Friday, break out your Members Only jacket and leg warmers and join the fun at Rum Bar’s 80’s Dance Party.  We can’t wait to dig into the all 80’s rum cocktail menu.

Finally, on Saturday join the fun back at Rum Bar for the Pineapple Social, a party celebrating 54 years of the Piña Colada.  Choose from a menu of Coladas made with only the best ingredients and served up in pineapples.  Woohoo!

For more information check out the Philly Rum Week website.  See you there!!

 

Off and Running

The 4th annual Miami Rum Week kicked off with a bang yesterday with rum soaked brand briefings and VIP parties.  Here’s what happened…

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We made the beautiful drive north from Key West to Miami yesterday, checked into the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach and immediately got mixed up in all the Rum Renaissance fun.  First on the agenda was a VIP rum tasting hosted by Ron Botran.  This premium Guatemalan brand has come a long way in just a few years and we were fortunate enough to see what they have in store for the near future.  Let’s just say that you won’t be disappointed. 

After our formal Botran briefing we made our way to the Broken Shaker Bar at the Indian Creek Hotel.  We’ve heard a lot about this little place and we were not disappointed.  Botran cocktails flowed freely into the night and we eventually stumbled home exhausted wondering how we would survive a full week of this kind of fun.

The next several days are going to be busy.  Today we have a rum tasting with Zacap followed by the Great Rum Challenge and a tour of Caneca Rum Distillery in downtown Miami.  Wednesday starts with a breakfast hosted by Panamonte, lunch with Louisiana Spirits, then it’s tiki time at the Mai Kai in Fort Lauderdale.  The parties and brand briefing continue through the week along with six judging sessions for the Rum XP Tasting Competition.  This is going to be fun, if it doesn’t kill us!!

More soon.  Cheers!

Rum Run to Rum Ren.

The Rum Bus is packed to the roof and patiently idling in front of Rum Connection headquarters.  The road trip to Miami for Rum Renaissance starts right now!! 

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We’ve been talking about it for weeks and the time has finally come to pack up our cameras and computers and make our way north to Miami for the 4th annual Rum Renaissance Festival.

A week of sampling new rums and meeting interesting people is hard work, but as they say, someone has to do it.  The action gets started tonight with a rum tasting and VIP party in Miami Beach and continues all week.  The main event will be held Saturday and Sunday in the ballroom of the Deauville Hotel where hundreds of rums will be on offer for thousands of rabid rum enthusiasts at the Grand Tasting.

We’ll be sure to keep the Rum Connection family fully informed all the way.  Tune in daily for updates of all the rummy action in Miami.  Cheers!

Denizen Sunset

Two weeks of parties in KW means the official beginning of tourist season.  How did we celebrate?  By introducing a few hundred people to good rum and cocktails.

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What a week it was.  Thousands of Parrotheads invaded Key West for the annual Meeting of the Minds music conference.  Every day was packed with concerts, parties and every sort of tropically themed happening imaginable.  

The Rum Bar on Duval Street rolled out the red carpet for our feather friends and introduced them to two wonderful rums.  First up was Denizen, a fantastic blend of Jamaican and Trini rums  that are aged, filtered and blended in Amsterdam.  You’ve heard a lot about it here before.  A menu of specialty drinks was created and people packed in for a taste.  Here’s a look.

If you think you might want to throw a Denizen party for yourself, here are a few more drink recipes you might like.  Cheers!

Rummy London Town

The next stop on the Rum Connection European Vacation was London, where Cocktail Week and the UK Rum Fest were on tap.

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As I rode the Heathrow Express into central London, my head was filled with memories of the events of the last four days in Berlin.  I wondered how London Cocktail Week and the UK Rum Fest could possibly stack up. 

After a transfer at Paddington Station, a quick tube ride to Ladbroke Grove and a few minutes walk up the tree lined streets of Notting Hill,  I arrived at the Rum Frat House.  This beautiful 5 bedroom house would be my home for the next 7 days along with several of my friends from the Rum XP group.  

Within a few hours, The Rum Frat was occupied by The Floating Rum Shack crew, Rum Dood and the Gifted Rums family.  Laptops were fired up and minutes later nerdy posts were flying on social media and several blogs.  Almost immediately we were paid a visit by the local brand ambassadors of several rum companies.  By the end of the day, The Rum Frat House was fully provisioned with products from Plantation, Appleton, Wray & Nephew, Siesta Key, Havana Club, Santa Teresa, El Dorado and many more.  Research quickly ensued and the mixologists in our group whipped up rounds of delicious cocktails.  A very good start to what would surely be a long exciting week.

The fun continued day after day with Cocktail Week rum tastings and media parties, always followed by late night bar crawls to some of London’s best cocktail spots.  Crazy nights at Kanaloa and Barrio Central were high points as was all of the time we spent at legendary tiki bar, Trailer Happiness, which was dangerously close to The Rum Frat House.

As Friday rolled around we were all excited to attend a new addition to the UK Rum Fest festivities, the Boutique Rum Show.  This trade and media only event showcased smaller brands in a more intimate location at the Olympia Hilton.  We made the rounds to each booth, sampled many interesting rums and then had the opportunity to vote for our favorite.  In the end, Doorly’s XO took home the most votes for Best Boutique Rum.  Well deserved!!

Saturday and Sunday were the main event and everyone was charged up about the UK Rum Fest.  This year more than 400 rums were represented.  Elaborate bars, displays and chill out areas were constructed inside the Olympia 2 event facility and at noon thousands of people quickly got there drink-on.  By 4pm the place was absolutely packed with happy people sampling an endless amount of world class rum.  Cocktail seminars were hosted throughout the day along with cocktail competitions and main stage interviews.  

By the end of the weekend a staggering number of people filtered through the UK Rum Fest.  Would you believe that there were….

  • 6,450 attendees over three days
  • 8,000 bottles of rum were consumed
  • 75,000 tots of rum were sampled (10ml measures)
  • 55,000 cocktails were samples
  • 10,000 bottles of rum were sold (1.5 bottles per person)
  • 24,000 tweets on twitter
  • 2,500 samples of Pina Colada from the Coco Re’al Rumshack
  • 2,000 Tiki Coladas from the Mahiki stand
  • 1,000 chocolate samples matched with rum
  • 4,000 Caribbean dinners served
London is one of the top cocktail cities in the world and is a perfect place for the world’s largest rum festival.  Aficionados, media reps, bar owners, bartenders and complete novices all show the same enthusiasm for quality spirits and their passion is inspiring.
 
We’ve already marked the calendar for the 2012 Rum Fest, made arrangements at the Rum Frat House and look forward to seeing what kind of tricks Ian Burrell and the Rum Fest team have up their sleeves for an even bigger and better event.
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See you next time, London.  Thanks for the memories, the very fuzzzzy memories.  Cheers.

Four Daze in Berlin

It has taken a week to catch up on sleep and readjust to Eastern Time, but the Rum Connection European Vacation was a blast.  Here’s the rundown.

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I’m still not quite sure how it all came together, but the stars aligned, I was blessed by the rum Gods and off I went on a 12 day cocktail-fueled journey to England and Germany; all in the name of rum research.  First stop, Berlin.  

After landing and unsuccessfully trying to locate my luggage (it showed up 24 hours later) I was whisked through the morning rush hour streets of Berlin directly to Dirk Becker’s Rum Club.  Along with several of Germany’s top spirits experts, I was here to participate in a rum tasting competition.  By day we sampled, scored and judged more than 80 rums and by night we studied the city’s bar scene, which is super-impressive by the way.  I had one of the best Hemingway Daiquiris of my life at a bar named Galandar, explored and sipped from a mammoth rum collection at Lebensstern and drank a Zombie from a laboratory beaker at the intentionally creepy Zyankali Bar, all in the same exhausting night.  Awesome!

As the weekend arrived, anticipation was high for the first ever German Rum Festival.  Hundreds of brands set up at a giant event facility called Station Berlin and when the doors opened at noon on Saturday, the space quickly filled with a thirsty crowd of veteran and novice rum enthusiasts.  A salsa band provided the perfect soundtrack as people mingled from one booth to another exploring the wide selection of rums from around the world.

Most of the mainstay premium brands were in attendance but the wonderful part of this event was being able to sample so many brand new rums.  Some will become available in the US, but due to complicated state-by-state liquor laws, most will not.  Keep an eye out for new booze from Rum Company, Wild Geese, Dos Maderas, Tiki Lovers, QRM, Rum Fire and New Grove.  They’re all pushing the category to completely new heights and it’ll be interesting to see how each market responds. 

After two days of Rum Fest and a few more evenings checking out local bars and pubs, I became more and more impressed with the Berlin cocktail scene.  We met some wonderful bar owners and bartenders who take immense pride in providing their customers with great drinks made with only the best ingredients.  Their scene rivals that of any major city in Europe or the US and I can’t wait to get back for more exploration.  

A big shout out and thank you goes to my friend Dirk Becker, the visionary behind the German Rum Festival, as well as all of my new German drinking buddies.  Your hospitality and graciousness was amazing and I look forward to the next time we can get together and have some laughs.  Cheers.

Tune in tomorrow for a look at how the party continued in London.

Centenario 7 Años

Following a rebranding of the entire line, Costa Rican distiller Ron Centenario releases their latest drop to rave reviews from loyal fans of the brand.

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Añejo Especial

Costa Rica is a bridge between the cultures of the Americas, a small piece of land surrounded by two oceans. Its huge biodiversity and tropical weather are one of a kind and a favorite among surfers and eco-tourists.

Like much of Central America and the Caribbean, rum is the traditional spirit of Costa Rica and is the preferred element in cocktails.  Locally made rum benefits from the sub-tropical climate and volcanic soil in the region.  It is ideal for the cultivation of sugar cane, and therefore the best crops are utilized for the production of their award winning rum: Centenario.

The well-balanced flavor of Centenario Añejo Especial 7 Años comes from the careful selection of used whisky barrels and precise blend of aged rums.  It is well known for its versatility and is the perfect rum for sipping and in premium cocktails. 

We’ve spent a few hours in the Rum Lab studying Centenario 7 and found that it is incredible in a long list of drinks.  We’ll be rolling out several of them right here over the next few weeks, but I still prefer to keep things uncomplicated and to the point.  2 ounces of Centenario 7 Años, 2 ounces of coconut water, ice and a squeeze of lime is just about perfect.

Centenario 7 Años retails for just 16.99, making it one of the best rums on the market in that price range.  If you want to get a taste of this fine Costa Rican rum, swing by the Rum Bar at 1117 Duval Street in Key West on November 4th.  We’ll have drink specials, door prizes and plenty of conversation about Centenario all afternoon.  Cheers!

London Cocktail Week

After four amazingly rummy days in Berlin, we are off to London for a taste of Cocktail Week, a 10 day celebration of the city’s drinking culture.

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LONDON COCKTAIL WEEK – YEAR 2 Bigger, Better, Extended

In its inaugural year, London Cocktail Week welcomed trade professionals from Europe,  America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. To best accommodate all the trade visitors in 2011, the event will focus around one pop-up space in Shoreditch – the ‘Trade Hub’ – where all seminars, master classes, meetings and mingling can take place. 

Centered around two beautiful photographic studios, Studio One will become a pop-up bar and meeting space – serving delicious drinks to all those wearing a ‘trade’ wristband (available online at LondonCocktailWeek.com). Studio Two will house the official London Cocktail Week seminars – just ten in total over the course of the week. These seminars will be hosted by some of the most famous faces in the drinks world and tickets will be on sale via the LCW website

Because the week is so jam packed with both consumer and trade events, last year there weren’t enough days in the week so in 2011 the festival has extended to incorporate the weekend before as well. London Cocktail Week is now partnering with The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show at Vinopolis during the opening weekend (Friday 7th & Saturday 8th October) and finishing the week in style with RumFest at Olympia (Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th October).

Founder of London Cocktail Week, Simon Difford says: “London is home to some of the world’s best bars and most skilled bartenders who will take centre stage for ten days in October as the most respected drinks professionals – from master distillers to brand owners and global bartending greats – descend on the city for a series of events, seminars and master classes. 

“This year, London Cocktail Week promises to be bigger and better with consumer events supported by a high-profile PR campaign and extended Cocktail Tours to drive traffic to the 100+ partnering bars across the city. In addition we are delighted to be working alongside The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show and RumFest. Both these events will add depth to our existing schedule and put London firmly at the centre of cocktail excellence. We believe this event will provide a great boost for the industry as a whole by encouraging high standards in cocktail bars and raising consumer interest in quality spirits and liqueurs.” 

German Rum Fest!

RUM, a millennia-old tradition, will receive special honor this weekend in Berlin with its very own trade show….and we’ll be there.  Here’s more…..

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For the first time ever, the GERMAN RUM FESTIVAL will take place on October 8th and 9th in Berlin. For two days, the noble spirit will be winding up the capital to a fever pitch. 

Berlin is not only the federal capital, but also a culinary metropolis. Apart from 12 exquisite Michelin-starred restaurants, Berlin is incredibly rich in its culinary offerings and can certainly compete internationally. With the GERMAN RUM FESTIVAL, the event organizers hope to add another extraordinary facet and promise festival goers a rummy-good time!

To give festival a special image, a Berlin-based embassy is invited each year to be a patron for the festival by representing their country. Apart from connecting countries through embassies and introducing a variety of international cultures, the GERMAN RUM FESTIVAL offers an exquisite platform for various opportunities in tourism.

This year, the Dominican Republic is the partner country. Besides a common interest in rum, the Dominican Republic will also be presenting opportunities for tourism.

Dirk Beck, international rum expert and the event’s organizer is incredibly happy about the immense popularity of and international interest in the GERMAN RUM FESTIVAL. As an internationally renowned rum expert and juror at the Miami Rum Renaissance as well as the UK Rumfest, among others, he has connections to many experts and can offer his partners outside the rum scene – like the patron country – a unique platform.

“For me, rum is liquid history – vibrant, passionate, traditional. Rum is also a symbol for closeness – a warm, smooth drink – a drink with soul” says Becker.

 

GERMAN RUM FESTIVAL BERLIN
from October 8-9, 2011
Location: Station Berlin
Luckenwalder Straße 4 – 6,10963 Berlin

Hours:
Saturday, October 8, 2011 from 11.00 a.m. – 08.00 p.m.
Sunday, October 9, 2011 from 11.00 a.m. – 07.00 p.m.
www.rumfestival-berlin.de

Stay tuned to Rum Connection for full coverage of the German Rum Fest, Tasting Competition and Berlin Pub Stroll.

It’s National Rum Day

Happy Rum Day!!  That’s right, it’s another quasi-holiday observing liquor and good times.  Here’s how we celebrated in Key West.

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These made-up holidays just keep getting more interesting.  A few months ago we had National Daiquiri Day, then Hammock Day which was followed a week later by National Pina Colada Day.  We set out to celebrate each one according and are happy to report that we succeeded each time.

So, today is National Rum Day and we plan to spend it in the company of a variety of well-aged spirits and maybe a few of our favorite cocktails.  Actually, we think “National Rum Week” is a more appropriate way to celebrate and if someone starts that petition, we’ll sign it!  

This year, our regular National Rum Day celebration in Key West coincided with a tasting event that we were hosting for Denizen Rum, so we combined the two and had one big party.  On Saturday, with a crate of Denizen and a tablet filled with cocktail recipes, we set up shop at The Rum Bar on Duval Street and invited the entire island over for a party.  Here’s what happened.

[youtube width=”700″ height=”400″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHPMqJJPXtE[/youtube]

If you get the urge to throw a rum party today, try a few of the following cocktails and let us know what you think.  Happy Rum Day, everyone.  Enjoy!

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Conched in Key West

Mark your calendars! On September 17th we’re drinking our way through the vast Key West bar scene for a very good cause and you’re invited!!  Here are the details.

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Bar Crawl for a Cause

Wanna get Conched in Key West? We do! So, what started out as just a fun bar crawl amongst friends has now turned into what is sure to be an epic event! Join our awesome list of sponsors as we bar crawl our way through Key West, all while raising money for a great cause!

While a bar crawl in Key West might not be a unique idea, with this group it is sure to be a great time. On September 17th we’ll be starting the crawl in the early afternoon and will be making our way down Duval street. We can’t wait to see who will be the last ones standing! Each bar stop will feature a new sponsor with prizes, games, drink specials…and who knows what else!

Sponsors include:

Team Cocktail
RumShopRyan
Conch Republic Bikinis
Rum Connection
Shot Doctor
Shawn Martin
Hoffman Publications

$30 is the ticket price! That will get a you a Conched in Key West T-Shirt plus drink specials at all the bars. We will be donating a portion of all ticket sales to helping Naval Air Station families living in Key West.

Tickets can be purchased here.

So, book your ticket and start packing because this is one bar crawl you don’t want to miss. Also, keep checking back for updates on bars we’ll be visiting, hotel information and more!

We hope to see you there!

Cheers!

Marley Tribute @ Rum Bar

Rum Bar in Philadelphia (1 of our favorite drinking spots) is hosting a Bob Marley Tribute next week.  Stop by for a night of rum, reggae and good times.

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Rum Bar is hosting its 3rd Annual Bob Marley Tribute party, complete with live jams, tempting drink specials and festive fare in honor of the Jamaican legend on the anniversary of the day the world lost a legend.

The tribute, scheduled for 9 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11th, 30-years to the day Marley died prematurely of cancer, Rum Bar will feature a live performance by Therapy Band who will play everything from Marley’s hits to additional reggae favorites.

Festivities continue with a taste of Jamaican cuisine, including $1 jerk wings and $2 beef empanadas. Drink specials—$4 Red Stripe and an array of $5 cocktails named for Marley melodies, including “Stir It Up”, “Buffalo Soldier” and “One Love.” There is no cover charge.

“As a huge fan of Bob Marley, I wanted to help keep his message of love and peace alive,” says Rum Bar’s Adam Kanter. “We wanted to honor his legacy and spirit — and have a good time,” he says.

Everyday Rum Bar offers a unique escape, striking a pleasing balance between upbeat and intimate, lively, but laid back. Music ranges from contemporary rock to reggae to late-night lounge. Freshly installed B&W photography featuring Kanter’s recent visits to Caribbean rum distillers is on display, bringing even more Caribbean warmth and flare to Rittenhouse Square.

Now with more than 200 rums, Rum Bar is Philadelphia’s premiere place for sampling this complex and spellbinding spirit.  Two infused-rums change weekly and range from pineapple to cucumber to cucumber and more.

Rum Bar
2005 Walnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19103-4400
(215) 751-0404

Don’t forget to check out our review of Rum Bar.

Rum Renaissance Rundown

Our luggage is filled with dozens of bottles of rum and we haven’t slept in a week.  Yes, Rum Renaissance was a huge success.  Here’s what happened over the weekend.

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A Rummy Week Comes to an End

Friday started early with a breakfast hosted by Plantation Rum.  The Rum XP group relaxed around the Deauville Hotel pool bar to learn about this wonderful line of rums.  We had the opportunity to sample their entire line including the new blend from Guadeloupe and their Overproof.  A wonderful way to start the day!  At lunch our friends from Cockspur Rum gave us the scoop about some very cool things happening with their brand and the major push they’re making in the US.  If you haven’t tried their 12 year rum in a while, pick up a bottle.  It’s now the same blend as their VSOR, a fantastic rum that was previously only available in Barbados.

Friday night we found ourslelves at the SoHo Beach House in Miami Beach for yet another party.  Chester Brown, the Mount Gay Global Brand Ambassador, hosted us to a great night of rum, music, conversation and a feast created by the Rum Chef himself, Paul Yellin.

Our next stop was back at the Deauville Hotel Jazz Club for the Abuelo Rum VIP Party.  This was among the best gatherings of the week and Abuelo Rums flowed at a rapid clip all night.  Ricardo March, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, welcomed the group and presented the latest rum in the Abuelo line, Centuria, a wonderful 30-year Solera.  As the crowd grew and people lined up at the bar, bartenders and mixologists in the crowd jumped in to lend a hand and a wild party ensued.

Saturday morning started with yet another impromptu beach party at the Deauville Hotel and anticipation built for the big day, the Rum Renaissance Grand Tasting.  At 2pm, the doors opened to a crowd of thirsty rum and cocktail enthusiasts.  Brands from around the world were assembled to show off their products and it was nothing short of amazing.  It was great to see several new and interesting brands for the first time this year.  I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot about Banks 5 Island, Denizen, Siesta Key and Dzama Rums throughout the coming months.

Sunday was yet another day of rum sampling, seminars and competitions.  Crowds swelled and rum swilled freely all day until the event wound down around 8pm.  We say it every year, but Rum Renaissance just keeps getting bigger and better.  How they will top it next year is a mystery but we can’t wait to find out.  A special shout out goes to the new and old friends we connected with over the week.  We look forward to sharing another rum and smile with you soon.  Over and out from Miami.  Key West, here we come.  Cheers!

PR Rums @ Rum Renaissance

Rums of Puerto Rico makes a splash at the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival with an array of cane spirits and new marketing campaign.

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Island’s Quality Rums Remind Miami that Puerto Rico Does it Better

As part of its sponsorship of the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival, Rums of Puerto Rico, the umbrella marketing organization for the collection of the world’s finest rums, last night held a cocktail reception for local community and business leaders and the press to celebrate the Island’s popular rum brands at award winning chef Michelle Bernstein’s Sra. Martinez restaurant.

The reception was part of the government’s efforts to remind Miami spirit drinkers about the award-winning attributes that make Puerto Rican rums stand out from their competitors. Festival participants are encouraged to “Just Think, Puerto Rican Rum” when sampling rums this weekend and ordering a rum or rum-based drink in the future.

“We want to remind Festival participants, and spirits drinkers everywhere, that the rums produced in Puerto Rico are the best in the world,” said Nicole J. Rodriguez, director of Rums of Puerto Rico. “In addition to tasting great served neat or over ice, our rums are an important ingredient in a wide variety of drinks and food recipes, such as the ones that our Rums Ambassadors and Chef Bernstein created for today’s event.”

There are three attributes that make Puerto Rico’s rums superior to others: the Island’s centuries old tradition of rum making; the legally-mandated, one-year aging of certain rums in white oak barrels; and the Island’s commitment to excellence. The result: Puerto Rican rums – including Bacardi, Don Q, Ron Llave, Ron del Barrilito and Palo Viejo – comprise more than 70 percent of the rum sold in the United States and are the best selling rums in the world.

The event is part of Rums of Puerto Rico’s efforts to tell this story through print, digital and out-of-home messaging in Miami, New York and Washington, DC.  These ads will be supported by public relations and social media efforts and an upgraded web site (www.rumcapital.com). Rums of Puerto Rico is also executing a series of events and partnerships throughout the year, including sponsorship of this year’s Miami Rum Renaissance Festival and San Juan’s Taste of Rum festival.

“Puerto Rico’s rums are not just a culinary ambassador for Puerto Rico, they are also an important economic driver for the island’s economy,” Rodriguez added.   “Whether it is our island’s beautiful beaches, our superior rums or the many other goods and services produced by our friendly, bilingual workforce, we want Americans to say the same thing when they think aboutPuerto Rico: Puerto Rico equals quality.”

The “Just Think, Puerto Rican Rum” tagline is tied to other Puerto Rico economic development and promotional efforts, including the Puerto Rican Tourism Company’s “Just Think, Puerto Rico” campaign, which launched last fall in New York City. Both campaigns also employ the green and black “Puerto Rico Does It Better” logo that is now appearing on all of the government’s promotional materials.

A Rum-tastic Week……so far

Late night parties, early morning brand meetings, tasting competitions and impromptu pool gatherings have made this an action packed Rum Renaissance.

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Day and Night, Rum Renaissance Never Stops

The Rum Renaissance kick-off at Mai Kai on Monday will go down as one of the coolest rum events of the year.  Tuesday evening’s party and cocktail competition at the Deauville Hotel pool deck wasn’t half bad either and a real treat for anyone interested in rum and good drinks.  Watching a team of bartenders create original cocktails is always fun, but this competition was particularly interesting with the help of Barritt’s Ginger and Fee Brothers products.

Wednesday morning started early with a presentation and breakfast with the guys behind the new Banks 5 Island Rum.  This is an interesting new blend made with rums from five different distilleries and a brand that you’ll surely be hearing much about over the next year.  In the evening we found ourselves at the beautiful Palms Hotel in Miami Beach at a party hosted by Brugal Rum.  Premium cigars were plentiful, a Latin band played lively salsa music, people talked and danced and, of course, much Brugal Rum was consumed.  What a great night!

Thursday started with a presentation by Atlantico.  Tasting Dominican rums over breakfast is something everyone should try.  Thanks guys!  In the evening, the Rum Bus took our group from Miami Beach into downtown Miami for the Zafra party at Tobacco Road.  Zafra is a wonderful 21 year old Panamanian rum that has become popular since hitting the market last year.  It was great to catch up with their team and talk with Master Blender Don Pancho.

The next party was at the Bacardi penthouse in downtown Coral Gables.  We were treated to a full bar of Bacardi products and an endless stream of wonderful cocktails.  The biggest surprise of the night was being asked to sit in on a focus group that analyzed new Bacardi blends.  There are some very interesting new rums about to hit the market from Bacardi and being among the first to sample them will go down as a big highlight for Rum Connection.  If that wasn’t enough, we were treated to some outstanding late night Cuban food by the Dos Maderas team.  Thanks all.

Here we go.  Day 5 of a very rummy week at Rum Renaissance and the two biggest days are yet to come.  Stay tuned for more.

Miami Bound

We’ve been talking about it for weeks and the time has finally come to pack up our cameras and notepads and make our way to Miami for Rum Renaissance.

A week of sampling new rums and meeting interesting people is hard work, but as they say, someone has to do it.  We’ll be sure to keep the Rum Connection family fully informed all the way.  Tune in daily for updates of all the rummy action in Miami.  Cheers!

Brugal Battle

The first-ever Brugal Battle Cocktail Competition was held in Philadelphia last week to the delight of a crowd of thirsty rum enthusiasts.  Get the results right here.

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The top bartenders from across the city of Philadelphia came together at Mad River Bar last week for a rum-centric cocktail competition held by Brugal Rum of the Dominican Republic.

The Brugal Battle was split into two rounds.  The first challenged participants to put a new spin on old classics (Mai Tai, Mojito or Hurricane) using Brugal Anejo Rum.  The second round gave bartenders a chance to get creative and build an original drink using Brugal.  All drinks were scored on presentation, palate and speed.

After nearly three hours of competition the judging panel tallied their scores, debated the results and awarded cash, prizes and bragging rights to the top three bartenders.

In the end, Colin Shearn of Franklin Mortgage and Investment Co. took home 3rd place.  Marc Yanga for Liberte at the Sofitel came in 2nd and Andres Sanchez of Positano Coast won 1st place.

Congratulations to the winners!

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Here’s a look at some of the action by Drink Philly.