According to PR Newswire, the success of the 2011 Taste of Rum Festival in San Juan has proven that rum is more than just a drink, it is an economic and tourism driver for Puerto Rico. The third annual Taste of Rum provided patrons with the opportunity to celebrate Puerto Rico’s centuries old rum industry. The festival has become so popular that it was extended to two days this year.
Visitors from the mainland United States and the Carribean are now traveling to San Juan to learn more about their rum culture. “Our goal with the Taste of Rum festival is multi-faceted,” said Nicole J. Rodriguez, Director of Rums of Puerto Rico. “The festival started as a way to showcase all rums produced internationally. This year we’re highlighting only the finest rums in the world, Puerto Rican rums. The festival gives us the opportunity to show the impact that the rum industry has on our economy and promote rum tasting as an additional reason for rum fans to visit Puerto Rico on vacation.”
The two-day event attracted 3,000 visitors, which is double the amount from 2010, and approximately a third of the visitors came from outside Puerto Rico. Visitors were able to sample rum drinks created by celebrity mixologists, enjoy foods made with rum, listen to local music, watch skilled flair tender competitions and participate in seminars to learn more about what makes Puerto Rico’s rums so special.
“Our goal is to establish the Taste of Rum festival as the preeminent rum event in the world,” said Rodriguez. “We want rum fans to think about coming to Puerto Rico in the same way that wine fans plan to travel to Napa Valley or scotch whiskey fans schedule a vacation in the United Kingdom. Taste of rum is the backbone in this effort.”
