It’s the Caribbean capital of luxury and glamour: the tiny French Caribbean of St Barth, the premier jet-set stop in the region and an intoxicatingly beautiful vacation spot. 

And every November, the island kicks off its high season with the most exclusive rum party in the Caribbean: the Caribbean Rum Awards St Barth, a weeklong celebration of fine artisanal rums from around the Caribbean. 

In many ways, it’s the Cannes of Caribbean rum.

The festival, which includes an international panel that votes on the year’s best rums, includes everything from poolside cocktail parties to rooftop rum fetes to rum-pairing dinners on the beach. 

“It’s the ultimate rum event in the world,” said Alexander Britell, co-founder of the Caribbean Rum Awards St Barth and editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal. “If you like rum, or you’re a fan of rare bourbons and whiskies, this is paradise.”

Many of the region’s top producers personally attend, meaning you have a chance to learn and hobnob with the people producing some of the rarest expressions of rum in the world: from Gregory Vernant of Rhum Neisson to high-level team members from Flor de Cana. 

So how do you attend? 

The best way to enjoy the event is by staying in one of St Barth’s beautiful villas, with the island’s leading provider, WIMCO. 

Partner hotels include Le Barthelemy, Le Guanahani and Les Ilets de la Plage. 

And while navigating your way to St Barth isn’t always easy — Tradewind Aviation, which operates multiple flights each day between San Juan and St Barth, is the best way to get there. You can fly to San Juan on every major airline in the United States. 

To make sure you can get your spot at every event, make sure you get your tickets at the EventBrite page for the festival. 

For more, visit the Caribbean Rum Awards.