I get many emails from you rum folks about what rum do i recommend to take home from your vacation in the Dominican Republic. I decided to write down a list of my rare favorites just to make your decisions easier. I understand that most of the time you cant take home more than 3-4 bottles due to the customs, but you never know if you find all of those on the list so its better to have more to choose from than having extra space left.
MIAMI, FL — The fifth annual Miami Rum Renaissance Festival — the largest gathering of rum experts, professionals and enthusiasts in the world — will span Monday, April 15 to Sunday, April 21, 2013 at the Doubletree by Hilton Miami Airport Convention Center.
The following history is from a document i received from Oliver & Oliver which was published on my previous rum blogs back in 2010. Since its history there is no need to change things. I can only add that they are successfully collecting international rum awards till this day.
The journey started early in the morning from Santo Domingo. We met at the airport to catch the Brugal plane to Puerto Plata. One hour in the air and we were there – at the birthplace of Brugal rum. It was a great trip filled with history, details and rum.
Part of my Europe rum trip was also a visit to Czech Republic’s capital – Prague. I was invited by my fellow rum friend Pedro Ortiz to make a presentation on Dominican Rums. Without any time wasted thinking about it I agreed right away. I always say that Dominican rum is one of the best rums in the world and it would be a sin not to try it. We were lucky enough to get the help from the Dominican consulate in Prague, which provided original Dominican food during the whole tasting. It was a great rum themed day i want to thank everybody for coming and tasting the true spirit of the Caribbean.
And the month of Rum Festivals officially started! October being the craziest month of them all being full with Rum Fest Berlin, Bar Convent Berlin, London Cocktail Week and the UK Rum Fest. Lots to see and lots to drink. I went to Berlin and this is what i remember.
Originally used by the native Tainos as a herbal tea and later modified to perfection by adding rum, Mamajuana is believed to be a cure all and a treasure of Dominican Republic. I found this article in my rum folder introducing the pre-made Mamajuana Kalembu. It is a fine tasting blend worth a while.
I heard about Cayrum and the Kane family a while ago thanks to the RumXP group. When I read that a new brand of rum is being produced in Cabarete I had to find out what is behind all that. Mr. Todd Kane spent 30 years in the restaurant industry and now started his own rum brand. It took some time but at the end we got to meet for the following interview.
Every page on the history of the Barceló family shows their rum journey through Dominican Republic. I was lucky enough to get in touch with Jose Antonio Barceló the president of DuBar & Co, CxA who produces the rum Columbus, a descendant of the Barceló legacy. As he said: “Here is where the brand Barceló started, we made the formulations and started the export business.”
The first Sugarcane mill was established in 1516 on la Hispaniola a little bit after Columbus brought the first sugarcane in 1493. In the 17th century this wooden tool became an important part of the sugar production. You can find some antique models in the Museum of Rum, the Brugal warehouse in Puerto Plata or in front of the BEICA offices in Santo Domingo. This piece of wood later became the symbol of rum production!