Updated Feb. 14
Since launching in 2019, Miami Rum Congress has strategically expanded from its humble beginnings, moving from a small event center to a resort beachside hotel, then to the state-of-the-art Miami Beach Convention Center in 2024. The festival continues to grow and add related activities and days, culminating this year with the first Rhum Week Miami, running Thursday through Monday, Feb. 5-9.
Jump below: Pre-party, seminar at the Mai-Kai | Rum Congress highlights
• Tiki Master Cocktail Competition | More rum events
Social media coverage: Photos, video from Miami Rum Congress and related events UPDATED
Miami Rum Congress 2026 – Feb. 6-8 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
• Quick links: Tickets | Overview, FAQ | Speakers & special guests | Rum 101
More than 600 rum producers, bartenders, brands and enthusiasts are expected for the seventh annual event organized by Federico Hernandez and The Rum Lab, which also produces events in Puerto Rico, Chicago, New York, and elsewhere around the U.S. and Europe. [Past event photos] The Rhum Week schedule includes events from Fort Lauderdale to Key Biscayne, allowing more people to get a taste of great rums and cocktails from some of the industry’s top brands and VIPs.
The centerpiece remains the official Rum Congress seminars on Friday and “Grand Tasting” on Saturday at the convention center in the heart of South Beach. Experts from around the world will participate in eight seminars, while the tasting rooms will feature more than 85 brands offering samples of some 200 distinct rum expressions, available neat and in a “Twisted Daiquiri.”
Mai-Kai pre-party to include seminar, rare Tahiti rum release
Rhum Week activities kick off Thursday (Feb. 5) at the historic Mai-Kai in Oakland Park, northwest of Fort Lauderdale. The restaurant’s Bora Bora and Molokai bars will host the South Seas Soiree, presented by the Florida Rum Society in association with Planteray Rum. The event will feature a talk by master blender Alexandre Gabriel along with complimentary tastings.
The rum society will also celebrate a special new release, produced by Down Island Spirits and sourced from Tahiti. It’s the perfect location to launch the Maiden Voyage expression, believed to be the first Tahitian single barrel rum ever sold in the United States. The Mai-Kai’s founding Thornton family has deep ties to Tahiti. The 69-year-old Tiki temple features artwork from the Pacific island, plus authentic music and dance as part of the nightly Polynesian Islander Revue, the oldest continually-running authentic South Seas stage show in the United States (including Hawaii).
Gabriel will discuss “the technical secrets behind the blends designed to match the high-octane energy of the Mai-Kai’s iconic cocktail program while meeting the exacting needs of the modern drink-smith,” according to an event invitation. Guests will also get a taste of Planteray’s Mister Fogg Sail No. 2, an inventive new blend that follows the historic methods of Britain’s Royal Navy rum.
Also on hand will be guest bartenders from Hidden Harbor in Pittsburgh. You can pick up a bottle with the purchase of the exclusive Tahitian Shark Bite cocktail, while supplies last. Click here to reserve a seat for Gabriel’s talk at 4 p.m. in the Molokai. The rum tastings and happy hour event that takes place in both bars is open to the public, no reservation necessary.
The Florida Rum Society is stepping up its involvement in Miami Rum Congress events in 2026. In addition to the South Seas Soiree, the group will host two events not far from the main events on South Beach. On Friday, “Four on the Floor Tiki Disco” at Chisme in The Tony Hotel is sponsored by Spiribam and Holmes Cay Rum. On Saturday, “A Worthy Final Pour” with Jamaica’s Worthy Park takes over Sweet Liberty. Both start at 8 p.m. The group’s leader, Jay Cocorullo, will also participate in a seminar on Friday, Feb. 6, on the next generation of rum consumers.
Below are just some of the many events happening throughout Rhum Week Miami and Miami Rum Congress. Check MiamiRumCongress.com for the full schedule and more information.
Miami Rum Congress highlights
Thursday, Feb. 5
4 p.m. – South Seas Soiree at the Mai-Kai in Oakland Park. [See details above]
8:30 p.m. – Welcome cocktail party at Cafe La Trova in Little Havana.
Friday, Feb. 6
Events at the Miami Beach Convention Center:
11 a.m. – Seminar: The Next Rum Consumer: Demystifying Gen Z, RTDs, and More.
Noon – Seminar: Boom, Bust, and Rebirth: Cycles in Distilled Spirits.
4 p.m. – Seminar: Beyond Tropical: New Rums Redefining the Category’s Role In Cocktails.
5 p.m. – Seminar: Miami’s Next-Wave Rum Drink Trends.
6:30 p.m. – The Ultimate Awards, recognizing the best in the rum industry. Winners will be announced in the Ultimate Sipping Rum – Miami Blind Tasting Competition.
• See the full Friday-Saturday schedule
Evening event in Miami:
6:30 p.m. – The Navy Rum Summit at Kaona Room, an “ultra-exclusive” exploration of 18th century Royal Navy Rum with Alexandre Gabriel (master blender of Planteray’s and Mister Fogg Navy Rum) and Matt Pietrek (Modern Caribbean Rum author and Wonk Press publisher). The pair co-wrote the new book, The Rum Never Sets. The evening will be hosted by Kaona Room owner and Tiki cocktail maestro Daniele Dalla Pola.
Saturday, Feb. 7
Events at the Miami Beach Convention Center:
1:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. – Grand Tasting at the Miami Beach Convention Center featuring hundreds of rum and cocktail samples. Includes four sessions for VIPs, industry, and general public.
3:30 p.m. – Seminar: Planteray Extreme Series VI – The Legends of Rum with Alexandre Gabriel and Adrienne Stoner.
TBA – The Great Blind Taste Off with John Gulla, co-host of The Rumcast. Compete and win prizes.
TBA – DaiquiriMANIA PopUp, a celebration of the classic cocktail, reimagined with a modern twist.
Sunday, Feb. 8
1 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Industry Sunday Soiree at Gramps Getaway on Key Biscayne featuring music and cocktails, plus celebrity bartenders.
Monday, Feb. 9
6 p.m. – Cantineros Games, a cocktail competition influenced by traditional Cuban drinks culture and hosted by Chelotiki at Odd Birds in Little Havana.
More from The Rum Lab
• Miami Rum Congress 2026 is almost here: What to expect
• The best rum bars in Miami
OFFICIAL SITES
Miami Rum Congress
• Official website | Instagram | Facebook
The Rum Lab
• Official website | Facebook | Instagram
International Tiki Master Cocktail Competition to crown U.S. champion
The first U.S. edition of the Tiki Master Cocktail Competition is sure to attract many of the Miami Rum Congress participants and attendees to the Moxy South Beach hotel on Sunday, Feb. 8, for a showdown between professional bartenders from around the region. Previous competitions were held in Italy (during Tikitaly) in May and Fiji in October.
The competition was created by globe-trotting Tiki cocktail ambassador Daniele Dalla Pola, owner of Miami’s Kaona Room and founder of Nu Lounge Bar in Italy. The native of Italy has plans for a new project in Mexico as well as an upcoming cocktail book. Dalla Pola designed the contest to celebrate both the history of classic Tiki cocktails and modern creative mixology.
Past coverage: Daniele Dalla Pola’s cocktail and rum adventures
“We’re looking for the modern beachcomber, an adventurer behind the bar, someone who can mix imagination and rum in equal measure,” according to the Tiki-Master.com website. There are multiple prizes for first, second and third place, plus best overall presentation. They include a custom one-of-a-kind Tiki bowl by Florida mug-maker John Mulder of Eeekum Bookum, other mugs and barware, plus rare and special-release rums.
The judges are Mulder, fellow Floridians Joe Horstkamp and Myssi Davis (aka the Rum Traveler), and Jim “Hurricane” Hayward of The Atomic Grog. Nine bar professionals will create new cocktails featuring a wide range of rum brands and other sponsor ingredients. Drinks will be judged on creativity, flavor, execution, storytelling, Tiki theme, and replicability.
The nine confirmed competitors are:
• Alfonso Beliz (Marabu)
• Michael DeMahy (ex-Mai-Kai)
• Kike Diaz (Uchi Miami)
• Dizz Fernandez (Trader Sams Grog Grotto and Permanent Vacation)
• Parker Jochum (The Edison)
• Ryan Jones (Morgan’s Cove and Don the Beachcomber)
• Gustavo Pena (Casa Gianna Gale Hotel)
• Frank Santiesteban (Cafe La Trova)
• Ksenia Serebrennikova (Panamericano bar)
A welcome cocktail will be served when doors open at 5 p.m. The competition begins at 5:30, followed by the crowning of the winner at 7:30. A dinner and Kaona Room cocktail party will follow at 8 p.m. We hope to see you there!
2026 event recap
• Miami Rum Congress 2026: Solidifying its standing as a preeminent rum event in the USA (The Rum Lab)
Miami Rum Congress events on social media
2026 rum events calendar
Feb. 11-13 – Mondial du Rhum in Paris.
Feb. 21 – The Rum Curious Summit in San Diego.
March 7-15 – Rum Traveler Cruise, roundtrip from Bridgetown, Barbados.
March 28 – Taste of Rum festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
April 14-18 – Madeira Rum Festival in Funchal, Portugal.
April 18-20 – Rhum Fest Paris
April 25 – Chicago Rum Festival
April 25 – Oslo Rum & Whisky Festival in Norway.
May 6-11 – Mad Ron Week in Madrid.
May 7 – Spain Rum & Gin Expo in Madrid.
May 9 – Stockholm Rum Fest in Sweden.
May 29-30 – Gin & Rum and More Festival in Lucerne, Switzerland.
June 6 – New York Rum Festival & Conference in New York City.
June 12-13 – Rum Love Festival in Wroclaw, Poland.
June 27 – Birmingham Rum Festival in the UK.
July 4 – Manchester Rum Festival in the UK.
July 10-11 – The Rum Show in London.
Aug. 12-16 – Key West Rum Festival in Florida.
Aug. 21-22 – Gin & Rum Festival in Glasgow, Scotland.
Aug. 29-30 – German Rum Festival in Berlin.
Sept. 19-20 – California Rum Festival & Congress in Emeryville, Calif.
Sept. 13-20 – Boston Rum Week
Oct. 3-4 – Salon Du Rhum in Belgium.
Sept. 18-19 – Vienna Rum Festival in Austria.
Oct. 17-18 – The UK RumFest in London.
Nov. 6-7 – Danish Rum and Whisky Festival in Denmark.
Nov. 14-15 – Miami Rum Renaissance Festival in Coral Gables.
• Click here for more global rum and spirits events (The Rum Lab)
MORE UPCOMING EVENTS
UPDATES: The Tiki Times: Exclusive events guide
Check the calendar for all of the major happenings around the world, from Tiki weekenders to rum festivals to marketplaces and music fests.
PAST MIAMI RUM CONGRESS COVERAGE
Mai-Kai joins Miami Rum Congress 2005 festivities
The Mai-Kai was once again at ground zero of the rum world as brands, VIPs and enthusiasts flocked to South Florida. The restaurant hosted a special event and participated in several events in Miami Beach.
In year 5, Miami Rum Congress matures into more complex and accessible spirits event
By moving to a major convention center on South Beach and expanding its scope, the event showed potential for an expanded audience.
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2022 – March 11-12 at the Hilton Cabana hotel, Miami Beach.
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