Updated Feb. 14
Miami Rum Congress adjourns for its fifth gathering of industry and brand VIPs in February 2024 with two new venues and an expanded schedule of evening activities. Like a vintage 5-year-old rum, the event is approaching its prime years of maturity and showing potential for an expanded audience.
* Jump below: Daily schedule | Q&A with organizer Federico Hernández
Miami Rum Congress 2024 – Feb. 9-10 at the Miami Beach Convention Center and Feb. 11 at The Gates Hotel South Beach.
* Click here for tickets | Overview, FAQ
Social media recap: Photos, coverage of Miami Rum Congress events UPDATED
The event is geared toward professionals and hardcore enthusiasts, but it also appeals to amateurs who want to dip their toes into the ever-popular spirit. The new main venue will help draw a broad audience. No longer confined by the ritzy yet cramped Hilton Cabana hotel in the Mid-Beach area, the event is moving 4 miles south to the more versatile Miami Beach Convention Center in South Beach for most of its events.
The Gates Hotel, which will host guests as well as a Sunday party, is a half mile away, roughly a 12-minute walk. The convention center, home of such varied events as the Miami International Boat Show and Florida Supercon, has ample space to host multiple groups simultaneously.
The convention center recently completed an extensive renovation and expansion that has been nominated for an Urban Land Institute award, honoring projects that elevate the standards of the industry. The center hosts more than 600,000 visitors a year and is home to $10.2 million in public art acquired by the city. There’s also 12 acres of green space, including a lush tropical park.
But beyond the spiffy new facilities, what should excite locals and others who must drive to Miami Rum Congress is the convention center’s 6 acres of surface parking. No more wasting valuable rum-tasting time doing endless circles around the Hilton’s neighboring streets and tiny municipal lots, hoping for an empty space. Beachside hotels notoriously have limited guest parking.
The new location is also closer to downtown Miami and its nightlife, most notably the acclaimed tropical cocktail and rum havens owned and operated by Daniele Dalla Pola: His flagship Esotico Miami and the adjacent hidden Tiki speakeasy, the Kaona Room. Dalla Pola and his team will host rum dinners and other special events before, during and after the main Rum Congress.
It’s roughly 4 miles (around 30 minutes in peak Miami traffic) across the lesser-known Venetian Causeway (a $2.25 toll) from the convention center area to Esotico. There are larger, free causeways (195 and 395) to the north and south, but those routes are longer and less direct. On the Venetian route, it’s also a quick 5 minute jaunt from Esotico to Wynwood, the area’s vibrant art district.
Now that we’ve covered the logistics, let’s break down the activities day-by-day. Industry attendees and hardcore devotees will likely be attending many, if not all, of the happenings. But locals and rum fans across the state might want to pop in for just a day or two. There’s plenty going on for all levels of interest. Check MiamiRumCongress.com for the latest updates and more information.
Thursday, Feb. 8
6:30 p.m. – Name that Rum! hosted by Matt Pietrek (aka Rum Wonk) at the Kaona Room. Rum tasting, dinner and cocktails (RSVP only / sold out).
7 p.m. – Kickoff Celebration at Cafe La Trova featuring The Green Zone (Washington, D.C.) pop-up.
7:30 p.m. Bare Bones Tiki (South Florida) pop-up at Esotico Miami.
Friday, Feb. 9
Daytime events at the Miami Beach Convention Center:
9-11 a.m. – Registration and welcome cocktails.
10 a.m. – Seminar: Le Décollage – Cane Rules Everything Around Me C.R.E.A.M (Ben Jones and Philip Gillier).
11 a.m. – Seminar: Finding the Right Route-To-Market (Danielle Zighelboim, Alexander “Zan” Kong, Scott Rosenbaum).
Noon – Seminar: Crafting a Retail Presence For Your Rum Brand (Fletcher Tate, Sarah Nagel Sisisky, Gabriel Urrutia).
1 p.m. – Seminar: The Alchemy of Aging (Deny Duplessis, Ian Hoyles, Alexandre Gabriel, Matt Pietrek).
3 p.m. – Seminar: The Role of Travel Retail in Your Rum Startegy (Alexandra Alfaro, Walter Aguilar, Fede Hernández, Irella Casco).
4 p.m. – Seminar: Current On & Off Trade Trends (Diana Arellano, “Trader Jay” Cocorullo, Daniele Dalla Pola).
5 p.m. – Seminar: Rum and Literary Cocktails from Dickens to Hemingway (Mitch Wilson, Jim Wrigley, Julio Cabrera, Adrienne Stoner).
5:45 p.m. – The Rare Spirits Society Adventure (Antonio López, Luigi Rockets).
6 p.m. – Rum Congress Awards, recognitions and cocktails.
Evening events in Miami:
5:30 p.m. – Boat Drinks (St. Augustine) pop-up at Savage Labs.
7:30 p.m. – The Golden Tiki (Las Vegas) pop-up at Esotico Miami, plus live music by Surfer Joe from Italy.
Saturday, Feb. 10
The event’s first Spanish-language programming, dubbed Congreso de Ron in the Americas, will be held at the Convention Center.
10:25-10:55 a.m. – Congreso de Ron registration
10:55 a.m. – Congreso de Ron seminar: Creation of New Products (Don Pancho).
11:55 a.m. – Congreso de Ron seminar: Master Class de Ron Botran (Ivan Valdez).
12:55 p.m. – Congreso de Ron seminar: Rum and Revelations (Noidys Herrera).
1:55 p.m. – The Spirit of Saint Lucia Cocktail Competition.
2-7 p.m. – Grand Tasting sessions will feature around 200 rum expressions from around the globe. These samples will be provided by dozens of rum brands, including Planteray (title sponsor), Rums of Puerto Rico (silver sponsor), Ron Carúpano, SelvaRey, Saint James, Dead Reckoning, Ron Barceló, Santa Teresa, Kaki, Camikara, Lemon Hart, Black Tot, The ImpEx Collection, El Dorado, Ron Centenario, Uruapan Charanda, Saint Benevolence, Ron Carta Vieja, Ron Cofiño, Bacardi”, Rhum Barbancourt, Worthy Park, Reif, Ron Matusalen, Romero, Monymusk, Bolivar, Down Island, Bacoo, Elia 625, Cane Rock, Grander, Stade’s, Angostura Rum, Kaniche, Coconut Cartel, Admiral Rodney, Chairman’s Reserve, Rhum Clément, Bounty, Rhum J.M, Marigot Bay, Rolling Fork, Ron Abuelo, Ron Botran, plus more!
4:30 p.m. – Unlocking Barbados’ Rum Evolution: Blending New Styles and Old Traditions (Alexandre Gabriel, Don Benn).
5:30 p.m. – Rhum Barbancourt: From Tradition to Innovation (Jean Marc Ewald).
7 p.m. – After party in the Rum Room bar at the convention center featuring Library by the Sea(Grand Cayman) and Mitch Wilson (Black Tot Rum).
7:30 p.m. – Cigars & Rum Experience at Esotico Miami.
Sunday, Feb. 11
1-5 p.m. – Industry Sunday Soiree at The Gates Hotel featuring music and cocktails, plus bartender competition.
7:30 p.m. – Island and Rum Stories with Myssi and Joe of the Rum Traveler (dinner and cocktails, RSVP only) at Esotico Miami.
Q&A with Federico Hernández
Miami Rum Congress is just one of many rum events around the world organized by Federico Hernández, who also runs the rum education firm and website The Rum Lab. His flagship event is the Taste of Rum festival, set for March 9 in his native Puerto Rico. Among his notable U.S. festivals are the New York Rum Festival & Congress (June 8) and San Francisco Rum Festival & Congress (Aug. 31-Sept. 1). This year, he’s also expanding to Europe for the first time with the Spain Rum and Gin Expo on April 26 in Madrid.
Hernández is a friendly, smiling presence at all of his events. We look forward to seeing him in Miami. He was gracious enough to answer five questions via email.
Question: Miami Rum Congress has two new venues this year: the Miami Beach Convention Center and The Gates Hotel. Did you simply out-grow the old space? What precipitated the move? I also see more events coming to Esotico Miami. Is that the official after-hours spot?
Answer: The Miami Rum Congress has been growing steadily year after year, at an average of 10%. This year, the space we have can fit 10 more booth spaces. In addition, we have been wanting to move closer to South Beach, where there are many great bars, hotels, and restaurants.
I also see more events coming to Esotico Miami. Esotico is simply a magical space. Bar owners, brands, organizations, or individuals organize the majority of the events that take place around the Miami Rum Congress.
Q: What cool amenities do the new venues have? Will there be more space for the seminars and grand tasting?
A: We have to see. I am a little scared that the space is bigger, as I believe we all like to be closer to each other. The venue indeed has its perks, like being in South Beach, lots of parking, easy access to public transportation and car sharing programs, plus plenty of restrooms. The Miami Beach Convention Center recently opened on their fairgrounds the Rum Room, which is one of the newest rum bars in Miami.
Q: Which presentations do you most looking forward to seeing and why?
Answer: On Friday, I am really keen on all the seminars that are data-driven. Plus, the seminars focused on getting into retailers and duty-free outlets. On Saturday, I am super excited to see Don Pancho in a seminar. He’s a legend in the rum industry.
Q: How do this year’s rum brands compare to years past? Are there more in the new space? Are there any new expressions you’re excited to have us taste?
Answer: A couple new things: A few brands are taking the opportunity to launch an expression that weekend, like, for example, Ron Barcelo. In addition to Planterey Rum presenting their new label, I am also interested in trying new brands like, for example, Elias Rum, Ron Romero, Reif Rum, Ron Cofiño, Kaka Clairin, and some of the expressions Total Wine and More are presenting.
Q: What do you see as the future of Miami Rum Congress? I assume there’s much more room to grow at the convention center.
Answer: When we started the Miami Rum Congress, I wanted to do an event that could be of benefit to the owners and professionals behind the brands and distilleries. Most of my events, both grand tastings and seminars, happen the same day. With Miami, I wanted to separate this experience. It fills me with pleasure to see how much brands enjoy this. In addition to these, there’s an opportunity with the Hispanic rum consumer, who is also eager to continue learning and trying new rum.
Related links
* The Rum Lab: The best rum bars in Miami
* The Spirits Business: Interview with Federico Hernández
Miami Rum Congress history
Hernandez chose Miami as a key location on his calendar of events for a good reason. It’s purported to be the largest consumer market for rum in the United States. According to Miami Rum Congress promotional materials, the region accounts for more than 2.4 million cases of rum sold annually.
According to an email announcement from The Rum Lab, last year’s event featured more than 160 rum experessions from more than 40 brands, with more than 10,000 samples poured. There were 160 attendees at the Friday seminars and 400 at Saturday’s grand tasting. The event included 22 speakers and 100 trade professionals.
2023 – Feb. 10-12 at the Hilton Cabana hotel, Miami Beach.
* Social media recap
2022 – March 11-12 at the Hilton Cabana hotel, Miami Beach.
* Social media recap
2020 – Feb. 7-8 at the Shane Center, Miami Beach.
2019 – Feb. 8-9 at the Shane Center, Miami Beach.
* Photo gallery, recap
OFFICIAL SITES
Miami Rum Congress
* Official website | Instagram | Facebook
The Rum Lab
* Official website | Facebook | Instagram
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