San Francisco Rum Fest unveils schedule

The Rum Lab has revealed the seminar programme for its upcoming San Francisco Rum Festival this weekend.

The eighth edition of the San Francisco Rum Festival in California will be held on Saturday 16 September at Hibernia Bank in Jones Street.

Several seminars will also be hosted on the following day, Sunday 17 September, at Trader Vic’s in Emeryville.

The festival will kick off with The Spirit of Haiti event at 2.15pm (local time PT) on Saturday, presented by La Maison and Velier, which will explore the styles of five individual producers from different villages in Haiti.

It will be followed by a VIP seminar dedicated to Monymusk Overproof rum, hosted by blenders Robert Gordon and Kimberly Williams from 3.15pm.

From 4.15pm to 5pm, a panel will discuss ‘Why Rum is Capturing the Attention of Whiskey Enthusiasts’, featuring rum experts Liz Rhoades, Astrophel ‘Troy’ Arquiza and Karthik Sudhir.

The topic of ‘100% own-grown rum’ will be the focus of a seminar at 5.15pm, looking at how rum distilleries are using raw materials grown locally.

A talk on ‘The Holy Trinity and Other Tropical Potions’ will be covered next (6.15pm-7pm), exploring the history and rituals behind rum-based drinks from different Caribbean islands.

The next day will include a seminar looking at Jamaican flavours in cocktails from 12.30pm at Trader Vic’s.

Afterwards, a dedicated Mai Tai cocktail party will be held at 1.40pm, delving into the history behind the serve in Hawaii.

The ‘Conceptual Mistake of Spanish-style Rums’ will be explored from 2.50pm to 3.40pm, featuring panellists Fede J Hernández, Miguel Sequeira Torres, and Otto Flores.

Drinkers aged over 21 can purchase tickets for the festival from Eventbrite.

Last week, The Rum Lab hosted the Los Angeles Rum Festival for the second year in a row.