As November approaches and most of the country starts to buckle down for the winter, South Florida’s thoughts turn to … RUM, of course. More specifically, the Miami Rum Festival in Coral Gables, which celebrates the world’s most diverse spirit with three days of seminars and tasting events that target everyone from newbies to high-end enthusiasts, to industry professionals.
But the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival is the grand daddy of them all in the hottest of the rum hotbeds, launched in 2009 by longtime rum collectors and enthusiasts Robin and Robert Burr, author of Rob’s Rum Guide. This year’s gathering will be fifth at the historic Coral Gables Woman’s Club and the 15th overall.
Rum giant Bacardi, which has its American headquarters in Miami, regularly sends representatives to the Miami Rum Festival. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / Nov. 12, 2023)
“South Florida is the number one rum market in the world and its only fitting that we present Miami Rum Fest as the best rum tasting program in the United States once a year in this location,” Robert Burr is quoted as saying. “Its also a chance for the international rum community to come together, from the islands of the Caribbean and the Americas to Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and beyond.”
The participating brands are carefully curated by the Burrs, reflecting both their interests in the global variety but also boutique and local producers who may not yet be major players. The website lists 68 different brands, and you can expect most to bring multiple expressions of their rum to the grand tasting, set for 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 10. If you buy a VIP ticket, you get early entry at 12:30.
If you want to dive deeper into the history and techniques used to create today’s finest rums, be sure to check out the seminars on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Marriott. One ticket allows you access to all three, including Tiki Evolution: The Historic Rums and Iconic Cocktails of The Mai-Kai, which I’ll have the pleasure of presenting along with Kern Mattei and Cory Starr, the longtime manager and new beverage director at the Fort Lauderdale restaurant (est. 1956).
While I’ve attended and covered the festival for the blog nearly every year (see links below), this will be The Atomic Grog’s first seminar and our first time participating since the memorable Zombie Jamboree cocktail competition hosted by Jeff “Beachbum” Berry in 2011. We hope to see you there!
Robert and Robin Burr (center) with their staff at the 2019 Rum Renaissance Festival. (Photo by Miles Maximillian Vrahimis)
Following is a rundown on what you can expect at the 2024 festival.
Saturday’s seminars
The Miami Rum Festival has always offered a wide array of seminars and expert master classes for its participants. In recent years, these educational opportunities have been held on the event’s first day at the Marriott Courtyard Coral Gables, less than a mile from the tasting venue at the Coral Gables Woman’s Club.
That’s not to say the seminars don’t involve tasting rums. To the contrary, many of the intimate events have featured numerous samples of rare and exclusive spirits. The all-inclusive ticket ($79) also includes food and refreshments served during the breaks between seminars. Seating is limited, so advance reservations are encouraged. Get your seminar ticket now.
You know the summer event season is underway when The Hukilau blows through South Florida in early June, serving up a whirlwind weekend of live music, expert symposiums, pool parties, vendors, and cocktails crafted by notable bartenders from around the world. As a bonus this year, hundreds of Hukilau passholders were invited to attend an event inside freshly renovated spaces of the historic Mai-Kai restaurant for the first time in five years. RELATED:The Hukilau 2024 live coverage, photos and video from social media
A power trio of authors at The Hukilau 2024 (from left): Matt Pietrek, David Wondrich and Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / June 8, 2024)
The Hukilau 2024 – June 6-9 at the Beachcomber Resort & Club in Pompano Beach. Featuring live music (Messer Chups, Surfer Joe, L’Exotighost, Slowey and the Boats, Lords of Atlantis, The Intoxicators, The Disasternauts, The Mermers, Skinny Jimmy Stingray), symposiums and classes (Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, Ian “Rum Ambassador” Burrell, David Wondrich, Matt Pietrek, Daniele Dalla Pola, Spike Marble, Marie King, Lucky Munro), 20+ guest cocktail bars, pool parties, Tiki Treasures Bazaar, plus more.
• The Hukilau on social media: Instagram | Facebook page and group
The location is also hard to beat. While South Florida’s heat and humidity can be stifling at this time of year, the location of a boutique hotel directly on the Atlantic Ocean with its gentle breezes and beachfront access makes up for that. The Hukilau takes over the entire 140-room Beachcomber Resort for three nights and parts of four days, meaning the immersion in a tropical paradise is complete. Attendees spill over into other beachfront hotels, and classes were also held this year in a nearby event space.
After more than 20 years (this was the 21st live event in South Florida and 22nd overall), event attendees (known as “villagers”) know what to expect with the weather. Sporadic showers are welcome to cool things off, but this year was even hotter than usual, averaging around 90 in the day and 78 in the evening. Many activities are held outdoors, which can be a challenge.
The Hukilau’s Saturday’s pool party at the Beachcomber Resort. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / June 8, 2024)
But the resort’s pools and shaded areas, not to mention all the cool beverages, gave guests ample ways to beat the heat. Other than an early Saturday storm, the event was free of rain and nobody seemed to mind the challenges Mother Nature presented. Like Tiki itself, the event was the perfect escape from the daily grind.
As detailed in our full preview in March, the lineup of bands performing this year had an unprecedented global flair. Surf and exotica groups dominated, and musicians hailing from Russia, Spain, Italy and around the United States made the trek to perform on the main poolside stage as well as several other spots around the Beachcomber property.
The performances lived up to the hype and anticipation with all the bands delivering top-notch sets, from the Mermers on Thursday night to the Saturday night headlining hijinx of The Disasternauts. Saturday’s early afternoon rain slowed the momentum but couldn’t stop the party. Slowey and the Boats shifted to an evening set under the courtyard tent, where they also played Friday night to give the bungalow parties a perfect laid-back soundtrack. They also performed poolside on Friday afternoon.
Russia’s Messer Chups enjoy their debut set at The Hukilau on Friday night. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / June 7, 2024)
Messer Chups, L’Exotighost and Lords of Atlantis all played The Hukilau for the first time, while Surfer Joe made his second appearance. They peformed on the main stage both Friday and Saturday, allowing villagers more opportunity to catch these rare treats. Hukilau stalwarts The Intoxicators also played twice, headlining Thursday night under the South Tiki Hut and returning for a blistering afternoon set poolside on Saturday. And don’t forget local guitar slinger Skinny Jimmy Stingray, who kicked off Saturday’s party on the main stage.
Below you’ll find photos of all the bands presented in chronological order. We also captured six of the nine bands on video. You can watch the full song clips below, or click here and bookmark our Hukilau 2024 playlist on YouTube for future enjoyment.
Returning to The Hukilau seven years after their 2017 debut, The Mermers bought tons of talent and creativity to their set of instrumental alternative surf and exotica. The foursome from Gainesville, Fla., has two albums to its credit and performs extensively across the region.
The Mermers open The Hukilau’s Thursday night festivities under the South Tiki Hut. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / June 6, 2024)
Hailing from Madrid, Spain, L’Exotighost brought a new spin on classic exotica to The Hukilau with a distinctive style that employed guitar, drums and bass ukulele, plus vibraphone, theremin and other exotic sounds. The four-piece band’s poolside sets Friday and Saturday featured songs from its latest album, Kamongo (2022), available on Hi-Tide Recordings.
L’Exotighost performs Friday afternoon on The Hukilau’s main stage. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward / June 7, 2024)
When rum enthusiasts Robert and Robin Burr hosted their first tasting event in 2008 in South Florida, little did they know that 15 years later there would be a plethora of similar events worldwide, with more springing up every year. They had confidence in the often misunderstood spirit’s potential, however, dubbing their event the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival and growing it into one of the largest such gatherings, setting future trends for the industry.
* Jump below: Q&A with Robert Burr
If seems like there’s a rum festival every month of the year, that’s probably because there likely is. In just the next few weeks, fans of cane spirits will gather for the Miami festival, plus events in Barbados, St Barth, Denmark, and Australia. Next year’s calendar already includes more than a dozen events, from Puerto Rico to Paris. For that, we can thank the Burrs and other OG rum festivals, such as the massive UK RumFest (est. 2007), recently held in London.
* See the full rum events calendar below
This year will mark the 14th Miami Rum Renaissance for the Burrs, who are content to keep their event at a more manageable size with an intimate venue and boutique-style vibe. The rum tastings will be held for the fourth straight time at a historic building in the suburbs with a small schedule of educational seminars offered at a nearby hotel the day before.
The event offers a rare opportunity for hundreds of rum connoisseurs to meet and mingle in an intimate setting with producers, distillers, importers, distributors, retailers and other members of the spirits trade.
Seminars feature experts from Bacardi, Barbancourt, National Rums of Jamaica
If you’re interested in more than just tasting rum, Saturday’s schedule is for you. Learn about blending, rum history, modern innovations, and how sugar cane can influence the final product. The Miami Rum Festival will offer four 45-minute presentations, running from noon to 5:15 p.m. at the Marriott.
We won’t even venture to guess what a night out on the town in Miami costs these days. Sure, the bars and clubs are top-notch. But so are the prices. After parking, cover charge and a drink or two, you’re likely already down $100 without even getting warmed up. Never mind the icy stares of the too-hip-for-you crowd jostling for space at the bar.
Organizers Robert A. Burr and Robin Burr at the 2021 festival. This year will mark their 13th event. (Miami Rum Festival official photo)
Here’s a refreshing alternative: You could spend two full days tasting some of the world’s best spirits, learning from premiere industry experts, and hanging out with a friendly gang of easy-going rum enthusiasts. All for not a whole lot more than that C-note.
Our course, we’re talking about the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival, returning to Coral Gables this weekend for its 13th event spotlighting the underappreciated spirit in the perfect setting. Miami may have many vices, but the city’s appreciation for rum is certainly one of its most endearing.
“South Florida is the No. 1 rum market in the world, and its only fitting that we present Miami Rum Fest as the best rum tasting program in the United States once a year in this location, festival co-organizer Robert A. Burr said. “Its also a chance for the international rum community to come together, from the islands of the Caribbean and the Americas to Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and beyond.”
One of the grand tasting rooms at last year’s event at the historic Coral Gables Woman’s Club. (Miami Rum Festival official photo)
The traditional “grand tasting” event, which offers guests free samples from dozens of new and established brands, will return for a third time to the quaint Coral Gables Woman’s Club on Sunday, Nov. 13. For at least four hours, you can enjoy tastes of premium spirits and a wide selection of cocktails, chat with reps and label owners, attend seminars and workshops, and simply immerse yourself in the laid-back atmosphere. All for just $49 (or $59 for a VIP pass).
After 18 months of tasting rum in the privacy of our home bars, it’s about time that South Florida offers a small gathering where enthusiasts can sample dozens of new and long-standing products. Luckily for us, the Miami Rum Festival makes its return this weekend for its first event since May 2019.
Billed as the 2021 “Rum Renaissance Tasting Event,” it’s limited to one four-hour general session on Sunday at the Coral Gables Woman’s Club, but that’s more than enough reason to celebrate the safe return of one of the rum world’s longest-running festivals.
Established in 2009, the Miami fest pre-dates the recent fascination among fans of craft spirits and the expansion of premium rum brands and events around the world. It presciently anticipated rum’s renaissance in the past decade and offered both enthusiasts and industry VIPs a high-quality gathering place every year, without fail.
The coronavirus pandemic put all that on hold in 2020, but founders Robert and Robin Burr are ready to welcome back their rum family for a scaled-down, one-day event that will continue to celebrate the ongoing renaissance. The general public is welcome from 2 to 6 p.m. Doors open for industry and trade at 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 14 – Miami Rum Renaissance Festival at the Coral Gables Woman’s Club, 1001 East Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables. Tickets $39 to $49 per person. Limited free parking. For safety reasons, attendance is limited. Tickets may sell out in advance, so be sure to get them now or by phone at 305-350-0764. PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE
Lemon Hart Rum’s Miles Maximillian Vrahimis and Angelina Maria Correa (right) are serenaded by Melissa Davis of the RumTraveler.com website at the 2019 Miami Rum Festival. (Courtesy of Lemon Hart Rum)
The festival includes unlimited small samples of more than 150 products from dozens of brands, from Antelope Island to Zacapa. Participants include such well-known labels as Cockspur (Barbados), El Dorado (Guyana), Plantation (Caribbean and elsewhere), Rhum Barbancourt (Haiti), Ron Diplomatico (Venezuela), Saint James (Martinique), and Tanduay (Philippines).
But you’ll also spot up-and-coming products from craft distillers including Copalli (Belize) and Prichard’s (Tennessee), along with many other small brands. It’s a chance to taste many new releases just coming to market, along with older expressions that are often hard to find.
Hundreds of connoisseurs, collectors, judges and rum lovers are expected to flock to the historic venue, which first hosted the event in 2019. They’ll have the rare chance to mingle with a room full of rum producers, master distillers, importers, distributors, retailers and other members of the spirits trade. All attendees also receive a free tasting glass.
Robin and Robert Burr welcome guests to their VIP Tasting Bar at the Coral Gables Woman’s Club during the 2019 festival. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
“We’re excited that Miami Rum Fest is celebrating its 12th anniversary of bringing the world of rum to South Florida,” organizer Robert Burr said in an announcement on his longtime resource, Rob’s Rum Guide. “We’ve been visiting rum producers to gather an incredible collection of fine rums to sample for this grand tasting event. It’s an opportunity for rum enthusiasts to enjoy their favorites and discover some delightful new expressions, gain a greater appreciation and share the enthusiasm of these fine spirits with friends.”
Beyond all the booths hosted by visiting rum brands, another highlight of the event is the VIP Tasting Bar, a selection of rare, collectable, and limited-edition rums from the Burrs’ own private stash. There’s an extra fee to sample these hard-to-find and expensive rums, but proceeds benefits a local non-profit organization. If you’ve seen the Burrs’ home collection in their Rum Wreck Dive Bar, you’ll know they have a wide assortment of spirits to choose from.
The venue is a charming historic building that dates back to 1935. With wood flooring and rustic touches, it’s unlike most modern event spaces. The surrounding downtown Coral Gables district features a half-dozen hotels within a short distance of the festival. There are also many restaurants, bars and entertainment venues in the area for mingling after the event.
2019 PHOTOS AND RECAP: Smaller Miami Rum Festival offers quality, not quantity
Downsized to a smaller but classier venue after six years at massive convention centers, the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival fit into its new environment like a classic cocktail in vintage glassware. Instead of an over-the-top Tiki drink, guests were treated to a rum Old Fashioned. But the end result was ultimately just as satisfying.
The crew from Rum Java presented their full line of coffee-flavored rums, hand-crafted in small batches using roasted Java’Mon Coffee beans from the U.S. Virgin Islands. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
While “less is more” could be a cliché, it seems to work fine in the context of a rum-tasting festival. After all, how many rum samples can you really drink in one or two days? As long as the exhibitors and brands provide top-notch products, including a nice mix of new and classic offerings, attendees should find the festival fulfilling. This was certainly the case at Rum Renaissance Festival, circa 2019. 2019 event preview:Miami Rum Renaissance Festival returns to its roots after 10 years
The Burrs held their first rum-tasting event in 2008 at the historic Venetian Pool in Coral Gables. The return to the Miami suburb in 2019 brought the festival full-circle after a decade in large event spaces across South Florida.
The Coral Gables Woman’s Club may seem like an unlikely site for a rum fest, but it worked out nicely. The crowds taxed the air-conditioning system in the 100-year-old building during the peak afternoon hours and sweltering heat of mid-May, but that’s an issue that can easily be rectified. The charm of the building, which was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1990, outweighs its faults.
Longtime Plantation Rum ambassador Rocky Yeh presents Hurricane Hayward with a sip of one of the brand’s latest blends at the Miami Rum Festival in May 2019. The much-loved industry veteran sadly passed away later that year. (Atomic Grog photo)
As for the event itself, our afternoon visit was marked by a deep dive into an array of spirits, a reunion with old friends and a general feel of an easy-going industry gathering. Sadly, it was our last time seeing the beloved Plantation Rum ambassador, Rocky Yeh, who passed away Dec. 1, 2019, at age 42. He left a huge mark on the industry during his short but vibrant life and will always be remembered.
While it’s technically not a rum, I was thrilled to pick up a bottle of Kronan Swedish Punsch. I had seen mentions of this classic rum liqueur in cocktail books for years, and it was great to finally have one in my arsenal. Another flavored rum product, Rum Java, wowed us with its distinctive flavors. Distilled from Florida sugarcane, it was the best of several coffee rums we sampled – definitely one of the top trends of the festival.
Lemon Hart & Sons made a rare festival appearance, touting its new Blackpool Spiced Rum and the long-awaited U.S. market return of Lemon Hart 1804, the classic Demerara rum from Guyana. Ambassador Miles Maximillian Vrahimis also mixed up some of the tastiest cocktails of the day.
Many events have been held at The Mai-Kai during its colorful 64-year history, from star-studded Hollywood parties to multi-day conventions of Tiki culture and cocktail enthusiasts. Now, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and an unprecedented closure for repairs and refurbishment, the historic Polynesian restaurant has been forced to puts its creativity to the test.
Following a string of successful gatherings in its vast parking lot, The Mai-Kai is hosting its first-ever Tiki Marketplace this weekend, welcoming guests to a safe and fun-filled environment chock full of art and collectibles, music and fire-dancing, tasty cane spirits, and a generous spirit of ‘ohana. It’s almost as if The Mai-Kai never closed.
While marketplaces are a staple of Tiki establishments in California, they’re a new concept in stormy South Florida. But mid-April is the perfect time for such an event, a typically mild period before the rainy season and oppressive summer heat kick in. Saturday’s forecast for Fort Lauderdale calls for partly cloudy skies with highs in the upper 80s and a 20 percent chance of rain.
The Mai-Kai is batching up four of its most popular tropical cocktails for pick-up in advance of the upcoming Tiki Marketplace. Clockwise from upper left: The Black Magic, Barrel O’ Rum, Mai Tai and Jet Pilot will also be available at the event on Saturday, April 17. (Mai-Kai photo)
Fans of The Mai-Kai’s famous cocktails have even more reason to rejoice this week. As has been the custom before recent parking lot events, a window of opportunity opened for locals (or ambitious enthusiasts) to pull into the distinctive porte-cochère and take home their own ample supply of four different signature tropical drinks.
Similar to Cruise-In Classic Car Show on March 28, The Mai-Kai is again batching up quarts and gallons of the Barrel O’ Rum (gallon $80, quart $25), Mai Tai (gallon $120, quart $35), Jet Pilot (gallon $131.50, quart $35) and Black Magic (gallon $80, quart $25) for pick-up Friday from 3 to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Also available: 750 milliliter bottles of The Real McCoy 12-year-old Distillers Proof Mai-Kai Blend ($85.60), the special 92-proof rum produced by the craft brand along with the Foursquare Distillery in Barbados. Orders must be placed by 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 14, by calling Pia Dahlquist, The Mai-Kai’s director of public relations, at 954-646-8975. You can also email her with any questions.
It’s now been a year since The Mai-Kai launched the ambitious “Gallons to Go” program during the height of the pandemic shutdowns in South Florida. And it remains a vital source of revenue in trying times, as well as a much appreciated treat for loyal customers, some of whom travel long distances to pick up their favorite cocktail.
A take-out quart of the Black Magic from The Mai-Kai’s car show on March 28 was good to the last drop. (Photo by Hurricane Hayward)
And what a great deal for the price. If blended or shaken with crushed ice and served in the appropriate glassware, you can enjoy eight Rum Barrels and Black Magics, 12 Mai Tais, and 14 Jet Pilots from each 128-ounce jug. If you want to sample multiple drinks, grab some 32-ounce containers . They stay fresh in your fridge for at least a week and are impeccably mixed by manager Kern Mattei.
The second generation manager told us he’s personally batching the cocktails, closely following the classic recipes. We can confirm this, rating the Black Magic we picked up March 28 as among the best we’ve ever tasted. All four drinks (in single servings and quarts) will also be available for walk-up ordering at Saturday’s event. You can also grab a beer, wine and water. And as a special treat for the kids and teetotalers, virgin Piña Coladas will be available by the drink and quart.
There will also be plenty to nosh on and pair with your drinks. Dahlquist and The Mai-Kai have lined up three food and ice cream trucks:
* M.C.K. Fusion from Mobile Culinary Kitchens serves Colombian and Latin fusion dishes including tacos, quesadillas and more.
* Inspir-Asian features Chinese dishes done street-food style, such as tacos and shrimp fried rice.
* Good Humor Ice Cream is a throwback treat featuring classic bars, cones and cookie sandwiches.
Vendors include exotic art, Tiki-inspired gifts, clothing, glassware and more
Two dozen artists, craftspeople, collectors and small retailers have signed up to be part of The Mai-Kai’s first Tiki Marketplace.
The Molokai is a new digital print by Pooch of Altered State Tattoo. A limited number will be available on April 17.
The Mai-Kai Trading Post will also have a vast assortment of branded merchandise and other items for sale, including clothing and glassware. Look for new T-shirts and many goodies released exclusively at the event along with favorites from the restaurant’s gift shop. Help The Mai-Kai directly with your purchase. Leftover items will be available in the online store, but many sell out during the event, so don’t miss out.
After taking a detour to Fort Lauderdale in 2018, the Rum Renaissance Festival is back in Miami-Dade County for its 11th annual “celebration of cane spirits in the new world” at the Coral Gables Woman’s Club.
The country’s largest and longest-running rum festival moved to Broward County last year to be closer to the center of the South Florida market, and also sidle up to The Hukilau, the annual Tiki weekender in Fort Lauderdale. It created the ultimate rum and Tiki weekend in June 2018, but organizers Robert A. Burr and wife Robin Burr decided to return to their roots for a more intimate experience in 2019.
Last year’s event at the Broward County Convention Center was the sixth straight year at a large venue, reflecting rum’s ever-expanding popularity in South Florida, one of the world’s major markets for cane spirits. From 2013 through 2017, Miami Rum Festival (as the event was also known) spent five successful years at the massive Doubletree by Hilton Miami Airport Convention Center. [See our past coverage below]
Miami Rum Renaissance actually started as small, boutique event at the Shore Club Beach Resort on South Beach in May 2009. It stayed on Miami Beach at the Raleigh Hotel Beach Resort in 2010 and Deauville Beach Resort in 2011-2012. The festival’s origins go back to 2008, when the Burrs held their first major rum tasting event for a modest 150 people at the historic Venetian Pool in Coral Gables.
Alexandre Gabriel, owner of Maison Ferrand and Plantation Rum, pours samples for guests at the 2018 Rum Renaissance Festival in Fort Lauderdale. (Atomic Grog photo)
With industry trends encouraging exploration of higher-end rums and smaller events popping up across the world, the Burrs decided to make the move back to a smaller venue in their home turf of south Miami-Dade. It’s serendipity that they ended up back in Coral Gables at another historic venue. The Coral Gables Woman’s Club was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
Instead of accommodating the thousands of people who attended the convention center events, the 2019 festival will be limited to 500 people per day “for a more intimate and elegant experience,” Robert Burr said in a recent interview with Caribbean Journal. “We’ll feature a lot of new producers, some old favorites and a fine selection of rare, limited edition luxury rums from my collection.”
Venue and tickets:The Coral Gables Woman’s Club is at 1001 E. Ponce de Leon Blvd. Festival hours are 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, with VIP admission at 2 p.m. Tickets are $50 per day for unlimited samples, $75 for VIP access. Friday trade admission is $25.
* Buy tickets online in advance
Miami Rum Renaissance Festival highlights
Rum tastings: For the price of admission, guests can sample hundreds of rums from the Caribbean and beyond, from Abuelo to Zaya. Dozens of distilleries, importers, producers, distributors and boutique brands will show off their products.
* See all the brands attending
VIP Rum Bar: Robert Burr brings back his popular den of rare and high-end offerings, available for $5 for a healthy sample. Among the more than 60 offerings are such gems as Facundo Exquisito (Puerto Rico); Foursquare’s Premise, Probitas and Zinfandel releases (Barbados and Jamaica); Rhum JM Cuvee 1845 (Martinique); plus Velier Caroni 15 (Trinidad) and Velier Worthy Park (Jamaica).
Rum Education: Seminars will be offered on a variety of topics, including a deep dive into the production of Mount Gay rum in Barbados, and an exploration of the diversity of rum with Plantation’s Rocky Yeh. New for 2019, Miami Rum Renaissance is teaming up with Will Hoekenga of American Rum Report to present two seminars (5 p.m. Friday and Saturday) on the emerging U.S. market, which now includes more than 230 distilleries. Also participating in the seminars will be Phil Prichard of Prichard’s Rum (Tennessee), Tim Russell of Maggie’s Farm (Pennsylvania), and Jonny VerPlanck of Three Roll Estate (formerly Cane Land Distilling, Louisiana). In the Caribbean Journal. interview, Robert Burr predicts a “new American Rum Revolution as distilleries pop up in every corner of North America with boutique offerings often made with great pride and ingenuity. The number of rum distilleries in the USA will easily eclipse all those in the Caribbean region.”
* See the schedule of seminars
After nine years in Miami-Dade County, the country’s largest celebration of cane spirits is moving up the coast to link up with the East Coast’s most esteemed gathering of Polynesian Pop and Tiki enthusiasts. June 2018 promises a monumental mash-up when the Rum Renaissance Festival and The Hukilau collide near Fort Lauderdale Beach.
The thousands attending the Rum Renaissance Festival on June 9-10 at the Broward County Convention Center will be just a mile from the hordes of Tikiphiles at the 17th edition of The Hukilau at the iconic Pier 66 Hotel, separated only by the whims of the 17th Street Causeway bridge. For the past five years, the Miami Rum Festival was held in April at the DoubleTree Hilton Miami Airport Convention Center.
Organizers of both events say the move will create a synergy beneficial to everyone (with the possible exception of the temperance movement). Just 7 miles away is the historic Mai-Kai Restaurant, the icing on the cake of any rum and Tiki lover’s ultimate weekend. See below:Hotels, pricing, schedules | Rum XP Awards revamped
“There’s lots of crossover potential,” said Robert A. Burr, who with wife Robin founded the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival in 2009. “We can bring more people in” to the rum, cocktail and Tiki scenes, he said, noting that cooperation is the key. While logistics are still being worked out, “we’re going out of our way to not step on each other’s toes” and “not cross swords,” he said.
The Hukilau’s head honcho, Richard Oneslager, stressed that the longstanding Tiki event is not changing. “Our first priority is to our villagers and The Mai-Kai,” he said. “We’re not a joint venture.”
However, he was quick to add: “We want to make it beneficial to guests of both events. We’re neighbors. I don’t see them as being competition. I want to work with them as best as we can.” Many villagers will enjoy both, he said. “If The Hukilau isn’t enough, rum fest is close.”
One possible benefit will be the drawing power of the tandem events among industry VIPs and experts. Why wouldn’t a rum company send representatives to both, killing two Tiki birds with one stone? “We hope brands are receptive to coming to both,” Burr said, adding that there may also be some co-branded events.
Global rum ambassador Ian Burrell, founder of the UK Rumfest, presents a symposium at The Hukilau in June 2017. (Atomic Grog photo)
“There will be economies that make sense for everyone,” Oneslager said, adding that The Hukilau will focus more on cocktails than rum, along with the event’s core emphasis on music, art, history and Tiki culture. “We’re still working out details on how to best work together.”
One possibility are perks for people who attend both events. “There will be some sort of benefit if people hold tickets to both,” Oneslager said. Burr also mentioned “fringe benefits” for attending both.
Burr agreed that the move to Fort Lauderdale and close proximity to The Hukilau and The Mai-Kai “will be much better for the Tiki junkies.” The host hotels are just across the Intracoastal Waterway bridge from each other. “It’s an easy walk,” Burr said. There’s also the possibility of a dedicated bus shuttling guests between the festivals, he said.
According to Google Maps, the Rum Renaissance Festival and the Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center are almost exactly a mile from The Hukilau and the Pier 66 Hotel. The trip takes roughly 6 minutes by car, 9 minutes by bus, and 17 minutes on foot. The rum fest’s official hotel, the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, is near the mid-point between the two.
Both sites are also conveniently located within 5 miles of Fort Lauderdale International Airport and the cruise ships at Port Everglades. The public beach near the B Ocean Resort (home of the famous Wreck Bar and Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid‘s swimshows) is just a mile north of Pier 66 on Seabreeze Boulevard (aka State Road A1A). [See map] Roughly 7 miles due north is The Ma-Kai, the 60-year-old historic landmark that serves equally historic rum and Tiki cocktails. [See map]
Rums of Puerto Rico representatives at the 2017 Rum Renaissance Festival in Miami. (Atomic Grog photo)
Before the name change to Miami Rum Festival and the move to the Airport Convention Center in 2013, the Rum Renaissance Festival spent its first four years at Miami Beach hotels. The Burrs have always run their event with assistance from son Rob V. Burr, who also contributes to his father’s rum guide and online video show (Rob’s Rum Guide and Rum Minute).
Since the change to the larger convention space, they’ve constantly received requests to move back to more of a beach setting. “The main reason we are moving is people did not like the atmosphere at the DoubleTree after time,” Robin Burr said. “They want to be back by the water again.”
From the ashes of the Week in Tiki (and, later, the Month in Tiki) rises The Tiki Times. Still ambitious, but more practical, this monthly guide to what’s going on across the world of Tiki culture will hopefully be a definitive resource of where to find special events that touch on topics of interest to many Tikiphiles. You’ll find all the major Tiki festivals, plus smaller gatherings along with events that scratch our itch for rum and cocktails, surf and rockabilly music, mid-century modern design, even Disney. And don’t forget authentic Polynesian culture, the well from which Tiki springs. The biggest will get extended coverage as “spotlight events.” Social media:Follow our Facebook page for daily news updates Pinterest | Coming soon: Twitter and Instagram March events:Shag art shows, Tiki bars and festivals, surf rock and more February recap:Bar openings and closings, cocktail competitions, Modernism Week
April 1 – Surfeño 2017 in Mexico City. The annual surf music festival features live performances by Daikaiju, The Volcanics, Los Elásticos, Hikury Beach, Los Granujas, Dr. Tritón, The Sonoras, Los Caguama, and many more.
April 2 – Surfin’ Sundays at the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum. A free, all-ages summer concert series at the Huntington Beach Pier in Southern California. Featuring Neptune Cocktail, The Curl Riders, The Riptides, Par Avion, Tiki Creeps, and Tikiyaki 5-0.
April 2 – Tonga Hut Parking Lot Sale & Art Show in Los Angeles celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Kon Tiki expedition. See an original piece of rope from the Kon-Tiki raft, on public display for the first time. Also featuring DJ Tonga Tom, food and drinks, Jason Lee and the Black Tides, vendors and artists, plus more.
April 8 – Midwest Rum Festival in Chicago. Featuring industry events plus a public grand tasting, seminars, mixology demos and artist booths. Hosted by The Rum Lab at the Logan Square Auditorium with special guests including Richard Seale (Foursquare Distillery in Barbados) and Bryan Davis (Lost Spirits Distillery in Los Angeles). Pre-party on April 7 at Hala Kahiki.
* Press coverage: Chicago GoPride | The Spirits Business
EVENT RECAP: Tiki Caliente expands to four days of wall-to-wall Poly Pop parties in Palm Springs
The Tiki Caliente tribe gathers poolside at the Caliente Tropics resort in Palm Springs. (Photo by Kari Hendler of Poly Hai)
Like the first major college football bowl game (but a lot more colorful), Tiki Caliente kicked off the annual Tiki event season in style with its eighth gathering of the tribe in the tropical mid-century splendor of Palm Springs on May 12-15. Expanded to four days at the historic Caliente Tropics resort, the intimate, sold-out event also featured a pre-party at Tonga Hut as well as more symposiums, an eclectic lineup of performers, art shows, vendors and the usual festive room parties. Tonga Hut also served as Tiki Caliente’s on-site bar all weekend, keeping the party going with authentic Polynesian-style cocktails from 11 a.m. until 1 a.m.
* See below: Tonga Hut, bar of the week/month
Marina the Fire Eating Mermaid joins Marty Lush for his Don Ho tribute show at Tiki Caliente 2016. (Photo by Kari Hendler of Poly Hai)
Symposiums featured some of the most creative minds in Tiki cocktails, including “From the High Seas to High Tiki: Rum’s Cocktail Voyage” by Martin Cate of Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco, “Finishing Touches” by Marie King of Tonga Hut, and “Punch and the History of the Communal Cocktail” by Chad Austin of Bootlegger Tiki in Palm Springs.
Tiki Caliente organizer Rory Snyder (front) enjoys a Zen Tiki Lounge room party. (Photo by Kari Hendler of Poly Hai)
While not officially part of the event, the room crawl has become a fixture and allows guests to meet and mingle as well as show off their mixology skills. Many participants go all-in with full-blown Tiki decor, DJs, live music and more. Organized by the crew from the Zen Tiki Lounge podcast, this year’s crawl spanned three days and featured 15 rooms. Among the more noteworthy parties were hosted by Zen Tiki Lounge (celebrating their 10-year anniversary), Kevin Upthegrove of the 5 Minutes of Rum podcast (serving a riff on the Cobra’s Fang/Cobra’s Kiss called The Snakepit), and the faculty and students from Poly Hai (serving the “Wake Your Tiki Ass Up Coffee Grog” with sponsor Deadhead rum at 9:30 a.m.).
Artist Tiki Ray Kieffer sees one of his tikis installed at the Caliente Tropics in Palm Springs during Tiki Caliente 2016. (Photo by Kari Hendler of Poly Hai)
The Mulders collaborated with Horne on the Tiki Caliente 8 War Club, one of the most creative event mugs we’ve seen in a long time. Horne also created the official event limited edition print and limited-edition war club pedants. The art of Shag was also featured in a special reception and party for the massive “Trousdale Twist” painting. Shag, who owns a mid-century modern home in Palm Springs, was on hand to meet guests and soak in the Polynesian Pop atmosphere.
EVENT PREVIEW: Step back into the WWII era at Tiki Kon in Portland
The northwest Tiki scene is gearing up for the 14th annual Tiki Kon, happening July 8-10 in Portland. Themed to Polynesian Pop’s roots in the post-World War II era and the USO, the eclectic event is centered at a new host hotel, the Red Lion Hotel On The River. Guests can enjoy Tiki-themed music, art and fashion, with a rollicking camp show, surf and lounge bands, educational symposiums, themed food and drinks, vendors from around the world, and the longest-running home bar tour of its kind.
Here’s a look at the schedule and highlights of the vintage weekend. Unless noted, all events are at the Red Lion Hotel. Some individual events have tickets available at the door, while others are free and open to the public. Check the online schedule for details.
