I acknowledge that I suffer from FOMO [Fear Of Missing Out]; I have for my entire life. So deciding where too spend my money and time dedicated to the rum industry is never easy but planning my 2017 rum travel schedule has been especially difficult. My day job, family, and other life commitments all require time, money and energy and can be difficult to balance. My loving wife often tells me “I know you want to do it all but you can’t”.
Looking back, 2016 was a big year for The Rum Trader. I…
- Was a Guest RumXP Judge at the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival
- Attended the Midwest Rum Festival, Chicago, IL
- Attended The Hukilau, Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Covered Rum Runners, Charleston, SC
- Covered BevCon, Charleston, SC
- Gave my first rum presentation, From Rum Fan To Rum Judge – Evaluating and Judging Rum, The Aiken Rum Club, Aiken, SC
- Attended presentations by Ed Hamilton (Hamilton Rum) and Tim “Swanky” Glazner (Mai-Kai: History and Mystery of the Iconic Tiki Restaurant), Cane Rhum Bar, Charleston, SC
I have selected a few events from the 2017 Rum, Tiki & Cocktail schedule to attend. It is my plan to visit as many South Carolina rum distillers as possible this year. I will be back in Miami, Chicago and Ft. Lauderdale. I will also be in Charleston quite a bit attending events at Cane Rhum Bar and possibly the Rum Runners and BevCon events.
For 2017 I will be:
- Visiting most, if not all, South Carolina Rum distillers
- Serving as a Guest RumXP Judge at the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival
- Attending the Midwest Rum Festival, Chicago, IL
- Attending the Chicago Area Tiki Tour (CATT), Chicago, IL
- Attending The Hukilau, Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Talking Tiki Cocktails, The Aiken Rum Club, Aiken, SC
- Visiting Cane Rhum Bar, Charleston, SC
I would like to add at least one other rum event, possibly the California Rum Festival in San Francisco, CA. I need to experience San Francisco’s bar scene including Smuggler’s Cove, Longitude, Tonga Room, etc. in person. Plus my wife and I would like to celebrate our 20th Wedding Anniversary in Hawaii and we have talked about taking a cruise this year too. 2017 is shaping up to be another big rum year and I look forward to sharing it with all of you through the website and all of my social media channels.
Scott French
The Rum Trader