Last year’s Charleston Rum Runners was an enjoyable evening full of premium rums, quality cocktails, terrific food and an ultra premium tasting bar.

With that in mind, I had high-expectations entering this year’s now re-branded Charleston Rum Fest.  I was disappointed to find a much smaller rum selection and an overall lack of quality cocktails being served. Accept for Dos Maderas, Pussers, and Appleton Estates, most brands were serving basic rum and juice “cocktails”. 

The festival was supposed to run between 7pm-11pm,  but with less rum offerings, less festivities and lower quality cocktails the crowd seemed to lose interest quickly. Shortly after 10 pm, with the Blue Chair Bay bicycle raffle complete, most booths began packing up.

Afterward, a group of us relocated to Charleston’s first dedicated Tiki Bar South Seas Tiki Lounge for a few late night Tiki cocktails on their large deck. We enjoyed the clear October night drinking and talking until the final 2 am final call.