Key West Rum Fest
Key West, Florida | August 10 - 16, 2026
Various Locations in Key West, FL
Key West Rum Fest is unlike any other rum event, with unique a-la-carte activities like boat excursions, concerts, and pool parties as well as a more traditional grand rum tasting. All proceeds for this event benefit the local MARC House charity. Here's a look at the full itinerary for 2026:
Monday August 10:
- Chartered day trip to the Bahamas
Tuesday August 11:
- Chartered day trip to the Havana, Cuba
Wednesday August 12:
- Chartered day trip to the Havana, Cuba
- Daiquiri Sunset Sail featuring unlimited cocktails from Rhum J.M, Rhum Clément, Chairman's Reserve, Down Island Spirits, and Richland Rum
Thursday August 13:
- Chartered day trip to the Havana, Cuba
- Five-course rum luncheon hosted by Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, Ian Burrel, and Ed Hamilton at Casa Marina Key West
- Art Show and Meet the Key West Rum Fest Owners at SALT Gallery (no ticket needed)
- Sunset Sail featuring Key West First Legal Distillery and the Cory Heydon Band aboard the Fury catamaran
- After-party featuring Worthy Park Estate Rum at Tiki House (no ticket needed)
Friday August 16:
- Chartered day trip to the Havana, Cuba
- Sandbar day trip featuring unlimited cocktails from Bombarda Rum and Nauti Beach with live music by Dawson Wright music
- Book signing with four famous rum authors (Ian Burrell, Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, Shawn Dean, and Greg D. Hill) and a rum tasting with Down Island Spirits (no ticket needed)
- Cliff Cody performance of "Landsharks at Lagerheads" live at Lagerheads Beach Bar (no ticket needed)
- Mojito Pool Party featuring Nauti Beach rum and live music by Sharese at Southernmost Beach Resort (no ticket needed)
- Jesse Rice Meet & Greet concert at Key West Theater
- Rum dinner featuring Papa's Pilar Rum at Four Flamingos
- Rum cake competition and concert with live music by Dawson Wright, Cliff Cody, and Sharese
- After-party at Sloppy Joe's Bar (no ticket needed)
Saturday August 17:
- Sandbar day trip featuring unlimited cocktails from Marsh House Rum with live music by Dawson Wright music
- Seven-course rum brunch hosted by Ed Hamilton at Hot Tin Roof
- Grand rum tasting featuring over 40 rum brands at Key West Theater
- Jesse Rice concert at Key West Theater with openers Berkley Lindley and Dawson Wright
- VIP after-party featuring live music by Jesse Rice at Margaritaville Key West
- Secret after-after party - contact Neil Lindley for more details
Sunday August 18:
- Seven-course rum brunch with cocktails by Rhum Clément hosted by Bahama Bob Leonard at Hot Tin Roof
- Going away party featuring Captain Morgan rum at Southernmost Beach Resort
Participating rum brands for 2026 include:
- Afrohead (Panama)
- Appleton Estate (Jamaica)
- Blue Chair Bay Rum (Barbados)
- Bounty Rum (Saint Lucia)
- Bombarda (various countries)
- Brugal (Dominican Republic)
- Bumbu (various countries)
- Captain Morgan (various countries)
- Chairman's Reserve (Saint Lucia)
- Crossfire Hurricane (Jamaica)
- Don Q (Puerto Rico)
- Dos Maderas (various countries)
- Down Island Spirits (various countries)
- Flor de Caña (Nicaragua)
- Hamilton Rum (various countries)
- Kahlua (Mexico)
- Key West First Legal Rum (Florida)
- La Favorite (Martinique)
- Mai Kai Rum (Barbados)
- Malibu (Barbados)
- Marsh House Rum (various countries)
- Otherland Society (Florida)
- Navèt (Haiti)
- Nauti Beach (Florida)
- Papa's Pilar (Florida, USA and various countries)
- Pusser's (various countries)
- Reif Rum (Florida)
- Rhum Barbancourt (Haiti)
- Rhum Bologne (Guadeloupe)
- Rhum Clément (Martinique)
- Rhum Neisson (Martinique)
- Rhum J.M (Martinique)
- Richland Rum (Georgia)
- Ron Abuelo (Panama)
- Ron Diplomático (Venezuela)
- Ron Zacapa (Guatemala)
- Rumcast Reserve (various countries)
- Severessence Distilling (Florida)
- Siesta Key Rum (Florida)
- Smuggler Premium Spirits (Florida)
- Trendsetter Spirits (Maryland)
- Wicked Dolphin (Florida)
- Worthy Park Estate (Jamaica)
Check out the Key West Rum Fest website for more information and to purchase tickets:
Previous Event Coverage
August 2024
The Inaugural Key West Rum Fest is coming to Key West this summer and it is unlike any other rum event, with unique a-la-carte activities and proceeds benefiting the local MARC House charity. Here's a look at the full itinerary:
Wednesday August 14: The event kicks off with a tour of the Key West First Legal Rum Distillery followed by a sunset sail aboard a 65-foot catamaran with live music and rum cocktails.
Thursday August 15: To begin the day, attendees have a choice between a cocktail cruise to a sandbar hosted by Pusser's Rum or a Lower Keys bar crawl on a trolley. In the afternoon, there's a rum and reggae pool party at The Marker featuring Reif Rum followed by a four-course, rum and cocktail-paired dinner at Hemingway Social Club with Papa's Pilar Rum. The evening concludes with a rum cocktail competition at Tiki House sponsored by Liquid Alchemist.
Friday August 16: It's no coincidence that this is National Rum Day and there is a full line up of activities to celebrate it. The day kicks off with another pair of options: a sandbar cocktail cruise, this time with Bombarda Rum, or a bicycle and rum tour of Key West. In the afternoon, there's a Rodriguez cigar and Papa's Pilar Rum pairing at the Key West Cigar Company, a fresh fruit mojito bar featuring Nauti Beach Rum at the Lighthouse Inn, and a reggae concert, pool party, and cocktail contest hosted by Papa's Pilar Rum at The Marker. As those events are wrapping up, guests can head over to the Key West Collective Art Studio to meet the Key West Rum Fest owners Leon and Neil, taste La Marielita Rum, and enjoy local artwork. That evening, singer/songwriter Jesse Rice will perform at the Key West Theater in a concert sponsored by Bacardi. For those still standing after all of that, the after-party will be at Tiki House.
Saturday August 17: Attendees can start the day with a good deed by participating in a beach cleanup at Smathers Beach sponsored by Demon Rum. Next up is a trio of educational rum seminars, each paired with a small plate and cocktail: a presentation on George Washington's rum by Steve Bashore; a discussion on the complexities of barrel aging with Paul Menta; and a class on rum distillation led by Shawn Martin. The Grand tasting event will be held in the evening at Hemingway Rum Company Distillery, where guests can meet distillers and brand owners while tasting expressions from over 30 rum companies. There will also be a rum cake competition featuring both professional and amateur bakers.
Sunday August 18: To wrap up the week, there will be a rum punch brunch at the Perry Hotel followed by a farewell reggae concert and pool party at the Southernmost Beach Resort hosted by Captain Morgan.
Participating rum brands for 2024 include:
- Bacardi (Puerto Rico)
- Big Cypress Distillery (Florida)
- Bombarda (various countries)
- Brugal (Dominican Republic)
- Copalli Rum (Belize)
- Demon Rum (various countries)
- Don Q (Puerto Rico)
- Dos Maderas (various countries)
- Down Island Rum (various countries)
- Flor de Caña (Nicaragua)
- George Washington's Mount Vernon Rum (Virginia)
- Goslings (Bermuda)
- Havana Club (Puerto Rico)
- Holmes Cay (various countries)
- Idle Assembly (various countries)
- Key West First Legal Rum (Florida)
- La Marielita (Panama)
- Marsh House Rum (various countries)
- Mount Gay (Barbados)
- Mur Mur Coconut Rum (various countries)
- Nauti Beach (Florida)
- Noxx & Dun (Florida)
- Pa'Lante Rum (Mexico)
- Papa's Pilar (Florida, USA and various countries)
- Planteray (various countries)
- Pusser's (various countries)
- Reif Rum (Florida)
- Severessence Distilling (Florida)
- Temple Pent's Rum (Florida)
- Wild Hare Distillery (Arizona)