The sale of Puerto Rican rums in the US is a fundamental revenue stream for the island. “As part of the Rums of Puerto Rico program, we focus 100% on promoting our brands in the USA. Every time our fellow Americans purchase a bottle of Puerto Rican rum in the US, a percentage of the collected federal taxes are refunded to support our economy,” says Alexandra Salgado, director of the Rums of PR program. The government established Rums of Puerto Rico in 1948 with two goals: 1) To promote all rums made in Puerto Rico in the US, and 2) to ensure the quality of all rums made on the island.

Like the majority of organizations, Covid 19 has caused 70%+ of its marketing efforts to be put on hold. The program has responded by seeking out strategic ways of doing campaigns and promotional endeavors. Now, Rums of Puerto Rico, together with TheRumLab.com, seems to have figured out a way to pull off one of the program’s key promotional initiatives called the Rums of Puerto Rico Pop-Up Tour. 

The tour will visit four key cities of the US east coast with the goal of promoting (1) the premium portfolio of the rum brands produced in Puerto Rico, and (2) Puerto Rico’s national rum festival, the Taste of Rum Festival. 

The pop-up tour will offer 20 rum aficionados the opportunity to participate in a 2-3 course Caribbean meal, accompanied by a guided rum tasting flight conducted by Ramon Diaz, Rums of Puerto Rico’s Brand Ambassador. Extreme safety measures will take place at each event. Guests who don’t make the list will still be able to enjoy and participate in the seminar online via live streams powered by Zavvy.co.

The US pop-up events will take place on the following dates in the following venues and cities: 

  • Nov 11th – Doña Habana – Boston, MA
  • Nov 12th – Nobody Told Me – NYC, NY
  • Nov 14th – Cuba Libre Rest – Philly, PA
  • Nov 15th – Cuba Libre Rest – Wash, D.C. 

One of Rums of Puerto Rico’s top priorities is communicating that rum making in Puerto Rico is serious business, governed by strict quality control guidelines. Under the supervision of the program, all Puerto Rican rums must adhere to strict legal standards: all rums must be aged at least one year, the use of white oak barrels to age the products, and the use of continuous distillation. Additional quality standards include the requirement of using only molasses to produce rum. All of these processes contribute to the style and quality for which the island’s rums are known.

For more information about the tour,  visit www.tasteofrum.com or www.therumlab.com 

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About Rums of Puerto Rico

Rums of Puerto Rico, a division of the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO), was created in 1948 to promote the sugar cane industry and portray the excellence in craftsmanship and dedication of all the rums manufactured in Puerto Rico. The Rums of Puerto Rico program provides marketing incentives, which are used by the brands to advertise and promote events as part of co-branding campaigns.  

About The Rum Lab 

The Rum Lab is a creative and production agency focused on the rum industry. The company organizes Puerto Rico’s national rum festival – Taste of Rum – in addition to the California Rum Festival, Chicago Rum Festival,  New York Rum Festival, and Miami Rum Congress. Events produced by The Rum Lab attract hundreds of guests, including beverage trade professionals, rum aficionados, tourists, and local consumers. Learn more at www.therumlab.com.