Above: The Rum Line in Miami Beach (all photos by CJ)

MIAMI BEACH — “THIS IS a rum bar,” the server warned.

She meant a proper rum bar, meaning those in search of whiskey and vodka should search elsewhere.

For rum enthusiasts, it was a welcome warning: a rum bar — one devoted to the glory of rum.

And that’s precisely what we found at The Rum Line, set at the back of the Loews Hotel in Miami Beach.

While the bar’s official rum list is still in the works, the selection was impressive — Guadeloupe’s Damoiseau, the BVI’s Pusser’s, Martinique’s Rhum JM, Trinidad’s Scarlet Ibis among the rarer finds, joined by some rather creative cocktails aiming to bring the spirit of the West Indies to bustling Collins Avenue.

Happily, the bar feels like a bit of a secret — you have to wind your way through the Lure Fishbar eatery nearby to find it — giving it an air of mystery, an outdoor enclave surrounded by tall buildings, a portal to another time.

And on our first visit, the air was crisp and the rum was warm, and if you squinted for a moment in this tiny corner of Miami Beach you’d have sworn you were in the Caribbean.

— CJ