The Caribbean’s leading celebration of fine rum is set for the first week of November in St Barth. 

Caribbean Journal’s Caribbean Rum Awards a week-long series of rum (and cigar) events in the heart of Gustavia, is back for its fourth annual edition. 

The event, presented by WIMCO Villas, Tradewind Aviation and Accutron, is centered around the Caribbean Rum Awards competition, a blind-tasting of the most elite field of rums of any festival on the planet. 

For rum lovers, there’s an unmatched slate of master classes, cocktail parties, private tastings and rum and cigar pairings throughout the week; that includes a pair of cocktail-pairing dinners at the island’s buzziest restaurant, the Quarter Kitchen and Cocktail Lab. 

It’s part of what the island is now calling “Gourmet Month,” with the culinary-focused St Barth Gourmet Festival set for the following week on the island. 

It’s set at the Rhum Room, world-renowned rum expert Christopher Davis’ full-fledged temple of rum, home to the largest collection of fine rums of any bar in the Western Hemisphere.

“We’re so excited to be back for another edition of the Caribbean Rum Awards, following what was one of the world’s only in-person rum events last year,” said Alexander Britell, editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal and co-founder of the Caribbean Rum Awards. “This year’s event has an exciting lineup of some of the world’s leading rum producers. If you love fine rum, this is an event not to be missed.”

That includes master classes from rum luminaries like Gregory Vernant of Martinique’s Rhum Neisson and Eduardo Bacardi of Ron del Barrilito, among others. 

And then there are the nighttime festivities, which include a rum and cigar pairing by Davidoff on Nov. 2 and special tasting parties at the Rhum Room each night.

While the Accutron Rum Expo on Nov. 4 is open to the public, only VIPs have access to the full slate of events (here’s how to attend the festival). 

WIMCO is the official villa provider of the event, and there are a number of terrific villas still available for that week (here’s how to find out more). 

And if you’re flying to St Barth, the best way to get there is on Tradewind Aviation via San Juan. 

For more visit the Caribbean Rum Awards or visit the Ticket Page.

— CJ