RumFest isn’t always about tasting new rums and enjoying the party.  It’s also the biggest gathering of rummies in the world – everything from the experts to the enthusiasts to the eager beginner.  If you’ve a question about rum and sugar cane spirits then this has got to be the best place to ask it!  To help the process and stimulate the mind, RumFest has always run a series of presentations and demonstrations on a diverse range of subjects.  The good news is that this year isn’t going to be any different.

At RumFest 2012 the Rum University runs on both days and will take you through the basics of how to taste rum (rather than just quaffing it!) and lead you into far more detail.  In parallel to this, there is also the Cocktail Academy: 8 fantastic cocktail bars, all with a serious liking for rum will give you a glimpse at the thinking behind the creation of the ultimate rum cocktails!

Of course if we are talking classic rum cocktails, then Anistatia Miller and Jared Brown’s presentation entitled Cocktail Time in Cuba has got to be an absolute must-see.  So many drinks are credited with absolute confidence in regard to their origin, but the careful research of Miller and Brown throw a certain amount of doubt on some and the credibility of the others right out the window.  Not to be missed!

The full line up is yet to be confirmed although rumours abound of one or two others giving a presentation such as Tito Cordero (Ron Diplomatico, Venezuela), Richard Seale (Foursquare Distillery, Barbados) and Prof. Frederick Smith (author of Caribbean Rum: A Social and Economic History) may be just too good to be true!

The biggest problem you’ll have is fitting it all in…

Pete