The Miami Rum Renaissance Festival returns to Coral Gables for its 17th year on Friday and Saturday, November 13 and 14, with a day of rum seminars followed by a Grand Tasting at the Coral Gables Woman's Club. Discounted online tickets are available through November 1.
Founded and hosted by Robert and Robin Burr, the festival has become one of the longest-running rum-focused events in the United States, drawing producers, importers, trade members and enthusiasts to South Florida each November. This year's Friday program leans heavily on the business of rum: how a brand gets built, how an old one gets brought back, and how a new one comes to market.
Friday, November 13: Rum seminars
Seminars run from 12:30 to 5 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott Coral Gables, 2051 South Le Jeune Road. Three sessions are on the schedule, according to the festival:
12:30 p.m. — "Building the Brand: RumChata – Tastes Like Money." RumChata founder Tom Maas discusses his business memoir, Tastes Like Money: RumChata and the Making of a Beloved Brand (Wiley), and the path from a kitchen experiment to an internationally distributed cream liqueur. The festival notes the session also covers his departure from Jim Beam at 49, before he started the company.
2 p.m. — "Rebuilding the Brand: The Renaissance of Cockspur Rum." The session looks at the U.S. relaunch of Cockspur, the Barbados rum the festival dates to 1884 and to Danish seaman Valdemar Hanschell, along with its production history, including coral-filtered water and continuous distillation.
3:30 p.m. — "Round 2: Diplomático Team Launches Ron Tepuy." The Diplomático team presents Ron Tepuy, a super-premium Venezuelan rum from Destilerías Unidas (DUSA). The festival lists two expressions, both bottled at 40% ABV: Destino, aged up to 8 years and finished in Amontillado sherry casks, and Monumento, aged up to 12 years with a triple-sherry finish.
One seminar ticket covers all three sessions, with food and refreshments served during breaks. The festival lists the price at $69 online through November 1 and $89 after that date or at the door. Seating is limited.
Saturday, November 14: The Grand Tasting
The Grand Tasting takes place at the historic Coral Gables Woman's Club, 1001 East Ponce de Leon Boulevard. According to the festival's press materials, VIP and trade guests enter at 12:30 p.m. and general admission runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Advance tickets are listed at $69 for general admission and $89 for VIP early entry, with higher prices after November 1 and at the door.
Organizers say several hundred rums will be available to sample from several dozen exhibiting companies, alongside a Caribbean-themed catering menu designed to pair with the rums. Brands shown on the festival's website range from large houses such as Bacardí, Mount Gay, Don Q, Ron Barceló, Zacapa and Planteray to Florida producers including Siesta Key and Wicked Dolphin. The final 2026 exhibitor list had not been published at the time of writing.
Inside the tasting, the Private Collection bar pours rare, limited-edition and collector rums drawn from private collections. Samples there are purchased with $5 tasting tickets, and the festival says the proceeds benefit a local nonprofit organization.
Why it matters behind the bar
For working bartenders and beverage buyers, the Friday sessions are the draw. Brand building, a heritage relaunch and a new super-premium launch in one afternoon is a compact look at how rum reaches a back bar, and the Ron Tepuy session offers a direct comparison of two sherry-finishing approaches from the same producer. Saturday's floor is a chance to taste across styles and price points before winter and holiday menus are set, and to talk with the brand representatives and distributors who pour them.
South Florida's long ties to Caribbean and Latin American rum culture make Miami a natural home for the event. Readers interested in that history can start with our look at the Mojito and its Cuban roots and our explainer on why there are two Havana Clubs.
If you go
- Seminars: Friday, Nov. 13, 12:30–5 p.m., Courtyard by Marriott Coral Gables, 2051 S. Le Jeune Road
- Grand Tasting: Saturday, Nov. 14, Coral Gables Woman's Club, 1001 E. Ponce de Leon Blvd. (VIP and trade 12:30 p.m.; general admission 2–5 p.m)
- Tickets: Discounted online through Nov. 1 at rumrenaissance.com or by phone at 305-350-0764
- Information: 707-278-6736
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