“Taste Of Rum” Tour ~ Rum-Tasting Party w/ DJ DNGR GRDN
Check Out the “TASTE OF RUM” Tour When it Rolls Up the East Coast (and Gives You a Chance to Win a Trip to Puerto Rico in Spring 2014!)
But first… give a listen to DJ DNGR GRDN’s booty-shakin’ mixtape!
We guarantee you won’t be able to resist getting up and dancing more than just a little when you hear it…and that’s just perfect, because along with a night of amazing music and rum, A Taste of Rum will also be offering free salsa lessons ~ plus a limbo contest! So practice now for the night of your life!!!
Now, some more about the guest of honor…top notch rum!
‘Tis the season to break out the dark spirits, as you gather family and friends ‘round the hearth ~ or keep each other warm on a sweaty dance floor (well, any season is good for that, but…) ~ and nothing says “holiday cheer” more than rum. But rum isn’t just convenient way to spice up your cider or eggnog ~ for true rum aficionados, rum qualities, types, and styles of drinking are nearly as varied as whiskeys or wines.
While many Americans are familiar with Bacardi and Don Q, few have tasted the exotic variety of rums coming out of Puerto Rico. Ron del Barrilito, Ron Palo Viejo, Ron Llave, Ron Caliche, Ron del Barrilito, Ron Reserva Añejo, Black Roberts, Pitorro, Ron Cañita and several Serralles brands are among the rums we’ll be exploring (many of which have a long and illustrious history steeped in colonialism, piracy and rebellion) and savoring.
This month, Rums of Puerto Rico brings the “Taste of Rum” Tour to the East Coast. The tour is an extension of their flagship “Taste of Rum” Festival, Puerto Rico’s official rum festival, sponsored by the Rums of Puerto Rico Program. The tour offers rum-lovers a chance to taste a wide variety of Puerto Rican rums and signature rum cocktails as they speak with rumerlier Eric Morales and enjoy great music provided by Puerto Rico’s own DJ DNGR GRDN. To kick the fun up another notch, guests in each city will have the opportunity to win a trip for two to the Taste of Rum Festival in San Juan in Spring 2014, courtesy of Puerto Rico Tourism Company!
Nobody knows for sure where the word “rum” comes from, but many believe it’s short for the now obsolete word “rumbullion,” which means uproar or tumult. The origins of rum date back to antiquity, with fermented sugarcane juice found in China and India. Marco Polo, in his travels in the mid-14th century, spoke of a “very good wine made from sugar” in what is now Iran. The first modern rum, distilled from sugarcane byproducts, is found in the Caribbean during the 17th century when slaves found that molasses could be fermented into an alcoholic beverage, and soon began to distill it in order to remove its impurities. But the real story of rum began with the first rum distillery in Puerto Rico: “Santa Cruz,” which was set up in 1548 by Don Gregorio de Santa Olaya in the town of Bayamon. Today rum remains a leading export of Puerto Rico; 77% of the rum consumed in the U.S. comes from the island.
As wine is to France, Rum is to Puerto Rico, which means that rum making in Puerto Rico is serious business, governed by strict quality control guidelines. In 1948 a governmental agency, Rums of Puerto Rico, was established to insure the quality of all rums being made on the island. Under the supervision of RoPR, all rums in Puerto Rico must adhere to a strict legal standards: all rums must be aged at least 1 year, gold rums must be aged at least 2 years, and premium rums no less than 6 years. Additional quality standards include the requirement of using only molasses to produce rum; the use of white oak barrels to age the products; and the production of rum made by continuous distillation only (not a still). All of these processes add to the flavor and quality of the final product.
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 quality and excellence of all the rums manufactured in Puerto Rico, and to maintain the region’s long-standing and highly demanding standard of quality for all Puerto Rican rums. The organization is a government Program managed by PRIDCO and is funded by a tax revenue program. Its aim is to market and promote the rums of Puerto Rico in the United States to increase sales and maintain image quality of member brands. ROPR represents five primary brands of rums: Bacardi Brands, Serralles Brands, Ron del Barrilito, and Ron Reserva Añejo, Ron Cañita and the new brands Black Roberts and Pitorro.
Rum Industry Fact Sheet
- In the United States, over 77% of rums consumed come from Puerto Rico.
- The first rum distillery in Puerto Rico was “Santa Cruz,” which was set up in 1548 by Don Gregorio de Santa Olaya in the town of Bayamon.
- The top-selling spirit in the United States is a Puerto Rican rum (Bacardi)
- The rum industry in Puerto Rico generated over 700 direct and over 4,500 indirect jobs in FY09
- The industry provides jobs for workers in the distilleries and related activities. It also helps to improve the way of life for workers through high wages and other benefits that in turn benefit the economy in general.
- The Industry uses raw material, equipment and local services contributing to the integration of Puerto Rico’s industrial activity.
All these facts are great, but remember the most IMPORTANT facts ~ festive music by DJ DNGR GRDN, salsa lessons, limbo contents, amazing rums to sample, and, in a nutshell, one hell of a party to usher in the holiday season and make you feel like you’re vacationing in sunny Puerto Rico! See you there!!!
Nov 20: Washington, DC @ Café Cintron
Nov 21: Philadelphia, PA @ Cuba Libre
Presented by El Zol & Azteca Philly
Nov 22: New York City @ SOBs
Nov 23: Boston, MA @ Mojitos