The Caribbean Rum Festival has announced its inaugural edition, to be held in Barbados from 14-16 November 2026, bringing together fifty distilleries from across the Caribbean and Latin America for three days of tastings, masterclasses, and exclusive distillery access. The festival, organised by a consortium of Caribbean rum producers including Mount Gay, Foursquare, and St. Nicholas Abbey, promises to be the most significant rum event ever staged in the Caribbean.
The event will be centred at the Barbados Hilton, with satellite events at distilleries across the island. Ticket holders will have access to a grand tasting featuring over 300 rums, masterclasses led by master blenders from the region's most prestigious distilleries, and exclusive behind-the-scenes tours not normally available to the public.
The Details
"The Caribbean makes the world's finest rum, and yet there has never been a festival that brings the region's producers together in one place," said Trudiann Branker, Mount Gay's Master Blender and one of the festival's organisers. "We wanted to create an event that celebrates Caribbean rum culture — not just the liquid, but the history, the people, and the craft that makes it special."
Confirmed participants include Appleton Estate (Jamaica), Foursquare and Mount Gay (Barbados), Angostura (Trinidad), Demerara Distillers (Guyana), St. Lucia Distillers, Clément and J.M (Martinique), Havana Club (Cuba), Diplomático (Venezuela), and Ron Zacapa (Guatemala), among many others.
Ticket prices range from £150 for a single-day grand tasting pass to £500 for a VIP weekend package that includes all masterclasses, a sunset dinner at a historic plantation house, and priority distillery tour access.
Industry Context
The festival arrives at a moment when rum tourism is booming. Caribbean rum distilleries collectively attracted over 2 million visitors in 2025, generating an estimated £300 million in tourism revenue. Barbados, with its concentration of distilleries and established tourism infrastructure, is a natural host.
"Rum tourism is no longer a niche interest," said the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. "It is a primary driver of visitor spending, particularly among the high-value travellers that we want to attract. The Caribbean Rum Festival will position Barbados as the global capital of rum culture."
What's Next
The organisers plan to make the festival an annual event, rotating between Caribbean islands. Jamaica and Martinique are reportedly in discussions to host future editions. Early-bird tickets go on sale on 1 April at caribbeanrumfestival.com.
For serious rum enthusiasts, this is likely to be the event of the year. I will be there, and I suspect I will not be alone.
