Over the past few years I have been extremely fortune to have the opportunity to try many wonderful rum expressions. This past year has not been any different. While so many of them have been wonderful, these five really gave me something extra and surprising. The only criteria is that the rum expression, while maybe others have tried them prior to this year, has to be “new to me”. #5 – Transcontinental Rum Line Friendship Barrel (19 Year Trinidad): The story of this rum is proof that “Rum Friends are the Best Friends”. The FRS was presented with a number of TCRL Single Barrel selection optio ..read more

FRS Members & Rum Lovers, I wanted to share with you an exciting initiative that the Florida Rum Society and other leading rum clubs across the country are launching at the end of April. Myself, along with Eric “Rum Doc” Carter & John Gulla, will be joining the leaders of many US-based rum clubs at the Privateer distillery in MA to launch The Rum Round Table (RRT) – a cooperation between independent rum clubs coming together in one room to discuss how to better pursue our shared goals. Clubs have largely developed themselves independently to this point, and often with great success. Th ..read more

There is little doubt, in my mind and opinion, that 2021 was one of the best rum years for the state of Florida in recent memory. There were a ton of new rums brought into the state as well as a great slate of limited run rums… not to mention the insane lineup of Single Barrel releases that the Florida Rum Society brought us all.  After much deliberation, here are my Favorite Five of 2021 (with some honorable mentions thrown in there for good measure). #5 – Worthy Park 109: This new standard offering from my favorite distillery had been anticipated for over year.  Whispers of it st ..read more

FRS: Many of our members know you both as being the dynamic duo behind Holmes Cay Single Cask Rum but can you give us a quick bio on yourselves leading up to the creation of HC? Eric Kaye: My entire career up to the launch of Holmes Cay Rum in 2019 has been in music, composing and producing music for advertising, film and TV. When I wasn’t in the recording studio, I’d usually be out of the country, having visited over 100 countries to date. I’ve been a rum fan since my first trip to the Bahamas in high school on Spring Break. (Shh!) Maura and I are married and have two kids together, so we sta ..read more

FRS: Jason, would you mind providing a quick, 3 sentence introduction of yourself? JB: I’ve been blessed in life with a wonderful career, great friends, and an incredible family. In my fifty years, I’ve learned to appreciate the details in life that are underneath the experiences we share – the actual building blocks of things. For the last decade, I’ve lived in Hawaii, growing 1,000 year old heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane varietals and distilling the pure cane juice into one of the finest rums in the world. FRS: Would you mind telling us about your personal rum journey and background?  Wha ..read more

Don Benn is the Operations Manager and Master Distiller at the West Indies Rum Distillery.  He has been part of the team for over 22 years. When not making wonderful rums he enjoys watching squash and cricket (and most other spots) as well as relaxing in the company of close family and friends. FRS: Tell us about your personal rum journey. Don: Started in 1998 right out of university. My first role at the distillery was supervising fermentation at the plant and then within a year being also responsible for the distilling from our main column still.  In the first 3 years I was ..read more

Zan is the Commercial Manager – Spirits for Worthy Park Estate. He comes from a Chinese – Jamaican background, grew up just outside of Toronto, Canada… the first generation of his family to be born in Canada. He grew up there but left once he graduated university to work in the hotel industry… which, eventually, brought him to the beautiful Worthy Park Estate… FRS: Tell us about your personal rum journey. Zan: I’ve been surrounded by rum throughout my life. It was always interesting to see the contrast towards rum (and alcohol in general) growing up in Canada but spending almost all of my vac ..read more

Chris Funk is the Florida/Puerto Rico Regional Manager for SPIRIBAM As part of our month long celebration of Chairman’s Reserve St. Lucia Rum and their upcoming FRS Master’s Selection bottling, we wanted the Florida Rum Society to meet Chris and have a chance to learn more about him… Chris is originally from Panamá- his father is American and his parents met in the 70’s there- and have been living in Miami since 2000. After closing a start-up business in 2009, he returned to bartending and hospitality but made it a career instead of a side-gig, working and opening some notable restaurants and ..read more

FRS Members & Rum Lovers, I wanted to share with you an exciting initiative that the Florida Rum Society and other leading rum clubs across the country are launching at the end of April. Myself, along with Eric “Rum Doc” Carter & John Gulla, will be joining the leaders of many US-based rum clubs at the Privateer distillery in MA to launch The Rum Round Table (RRT) – a cooperation between independent rum clubs coming together in one room to discuss how to better pursue our shared goals. Clubs have largely developed themselves independently to this point, and often with great success. Th ..read more

There is little doubt, in my mind and opinion, that 2021 was one of the best rum years for the state of Florida in recent memory. There were a ton of new rums brought into the state as well as a great slate of limited run rums… not to mention the insane lineup of Single Barrel releases that the Florida Rum Society brought us all.  After much deliberation, here are my Favorite Five of 2021 (with some honorable mentions thrown in there for good measure). #5 – Worthy Park 109: This new standard offering from my favorite distillery had been anticipated for over year.  Whispers of it st ..read more