Taste of Rum returns to Puerto Rico

The 13th edition of Puerto Rican festival Taste of Rum is expecting more than 3,000 attendees when it returns on 25 March.

The 2023 Taste of Rum festival will be held at the Puerto Rico Convention Center in San Juan later this month.

More than 60 rums will be on offer, including expressions from Saint Lucia, Martinique, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Barbados and the Dominican Republic.

Brands that will be featured at the event include Rhum Clément, Chairman’s Reserve, Flor de Caña, Bacardí, Ron Abuelo, Ron Barceló, Plantation Rum, Zacapa and Mount Gay, among others.

Festival-goers can also participate in rum masterclasses throughout the day.

In addition, the festival will feature live performances, such as a tribute to Bon Jovi from American classic rock bands, salsa and merengue bands, DJs and batucada shows.

At least six local restaurants will sell traditional food for around US$6 per serving.

The ‘Rum Bazaar Experience’ (Plaza de Artesano) part of the festival will house more than 25 Puerto Rican artisans selling their arts and crafts.

Rum Congress programme

The festival will also host its first Rum Congress programme, featuring seminars with speakers from across the rum and spirits sectors. Four seminars have been confirmed so far, including one focused on the rum industry in the Dominican Republic and another on agricole rum.

Visitors can purchase a general admission ticket for the Grand Tasting Experience, which will allow them access to the event until 7pm with unlimited rum tastings. Tickets are priced at US$67.45 (including all extra fees) and are available to buy online from tasteofrums.com.

Rum aficionados can also buy tickets for US$90.86 (including all extra fees) to access the event two hours earlier at 5pm. Unlimited rum tasting is included with the ticket as well as a US$1 discount from all food vendors.

Federico Hernández, founder of The Rum Lab, organiser of the event, said: “During this time, music will be low, as we want the attendees to talk with the brand ambassadors and learn about the attributes of the rum expressions they will be able to taste.”

Furthermore, the festival will host a rum blind tasting in partnership with The Ultimate Rum Awards.

A bartender competition will also be held during the event to discover the ‘best Puerto Rican mixologists in the rum industry’.

In December last year, The Rum Lab revealed its US festival schedule for 2023, including events in New York, Chicago, Los Angles and San Francisco.