California Rum Fest shares 2026 agenda
The Rum Lab’s California Rum Festival will return to Trader Vic’s in Emeryville, San Francisco, on 19-20 September.
This year’s festival will return to a unified format, bringing together northern and southern California rum enthusiasts under one banner.
The event will once again be hosted at Trader Vic’s in Emeryville, ‘the birthplace of tiki culture’ and home of the original Mai Tai cocktail.
A fitting setting for the festival, California is reportedly the second-largest market for rum consumption in the US.
The 2026 edition will unite brand founders, master distillers, trade professionals, and enthusiastic consumers for two days of tastings, industry networking, and in-depth masterclasses led by global rum experts.
Federico J Hernández, founder of The Rum Lab, commented: “Reuniting our California footprint under the unified California Rum Festival banner brings us back to the heart of what this community is all about.
“San Francisco has always been an epicentre of cocktail heritage. Bringing together elite independent bottlers, rare single-cask drops, and visionary producers at Trader Vic’s gives both industry veterans and curious drinkers an unrivalled look at where rum is headed next.”
Alongside hundreds of rum expressions available for tasting throughout the festival, the educational congress offers an exclusive lineup of seminars, rare pours, and panel discussions.
On Saturday, 19 September, the agenda includes three masterclasses. ‘When In Rhum’, hosted by Kate Perry from La Maison & Velier, will be followed by a session ‘Independent Bottlers: Small to Large Scale’ with founder of Helmsman Imports Jeff Diego, founder of Mainland Rum, Seth Benhaim, and Rafael Rodriguez from Rum Dos Maderas.
The first day will close with a masterclass, ‘Aguardiente: An Undiscovered Spirit’, with Ricardo March, founder of Bacan Guaro.
Sunday’s conference includes five sessions, including ‘North American Rum Spotlight’, hosted by Benhaim and founder of Superlative Spirits Ryan Gilbertie, and ‘Planteray Extreme Series VI: The Legends of Rum’ with Adrienne Stoner from Maison Ferrand.
Tickets for the California Rum Fest are now available on the event’s website.
Ticket tiers include Industry Trade Session, VIP Rum Experts, VIP Rum Enthusiasts, and General Admission.
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