March 18, 2022
Island to host epicurean event June 14-17, 2022
The Dutch Caribbean Island of Bonaire is excited to announce a new event for rum and travel enthusiasts alike.
Bonaire Rum Week, a celebration of the world of Caribbean rum, featuring cocktail competitions, exquisite rum pairing dinners, beach parties and the chance to taste some of the world’s finest rums.
Set for June 14-17, 2022, Bonaire Rum Week is hosted by Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB) and organized by Caribbean Journal, the world’s leading Caribbean travel media company and the team behind the annual Caribbean Rum Awards festival in St. Barth.
The Bonaire Rum Week was announced on Friday February 11th, 2022 in the presence of the CEO of TCB Miles Mercera, Commissioner of Tourism Hennyson Thielman, and from Caribbean Journal, editor and publisher Alexander Britell and managing editor and EVP Guy Britton.
“We’re so excited to bring a high-end rum event to one of the most authentic, naturally beautiful and eco-adventurous islands in the Caribbean,” said Alexander Britell, editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal. “Bonaire has long had a world-class culinary scene, and this week of rum-fueled fun is the perfect way for the destination to help spotlight it while elevating it to the next level.”
Bonaire Rum Week Partner Tourism Corporation Bonaire CEO, Miles B M Mercera,“We are proud to introduce Bonaire Rum Week as a new signature gourmet experience on the island. Besides being known as the world’s divers’ paradise, we are also being discovered and recognized by foodies around the world for our culinary offerings. Our first annual Bonaire Rum Week serves as our invitation to adventure seekers around the world to come and experience our authentic cuisine, local rum and our island life.”
The festival will kick off with an opening celebration, followed by an island-wide cocktail competition at the island’s premier cocktail bar, Tiki & Co, featuring Bonaire’s top bartenders; a rum-infused lunch; a spiced rum Happy Hour; a multi-course rum-pairing culinary experience followed by a rum-and-cigar pairing event.
“This event is a great way to showcase another side of Bonaire, as one of the Caribbean’s foremost destinations for foodies and spirits lovers alike,” said Guy Britton, managing editor and EVP of Caribbean Journal.
Bonaire has a thriving cocktail culture, from signature rum punches to microbreweries and beach bars.
The island is also home to the Cadushy Distillery, which makes Rom Rincon, Bonaire’s sought-after, award-winning and locally-made rum, which is the event’s Host Rum.
Bonaire Rum Week is set for June 14-17, with a full slate of events that give travelers and locals the chance to sample some of the Caribbean region’s top rums and indulge in Bonaire’s culinary culture.
The event kicks off with an opening party by Rum Papiamento at Rum Runners; that’s followed on June 15 by a rum-on-the-beach tasting at the Plaza Beach Resort and a cocktail competition at Tiki & Co.
June 16 features a rum lunch prepared by the Harbour Village Beach Club’s talented Chef Britt Thomassen, followed by a Happy Hour at Buddy Dive by the celebrated Clifton Estate Rum from Nevis.
On the morning of June 17 at the Delfins Beach Resort, there’s a rum tasting seminar for local bartenders; and then there’s the party piece: a final Bonaire Rum Week dinner at the Brass Boer, the Caribbean outpost of the three-Michelin-star culinary team of Johnny and Therese Boer, followed by Papa’s Pilar’s rum-and-cigar pairing evening at the Delfins Beach Resort.
The festival’s host rum is Bonaire’s Rom Rincon.
Caradonna Adventures is the official travel partner for Bonaire Rum Week (you can find more on packages here).
To reserve the final dinner at the Brass Boer, please contact reservations@delfinsbeachresort.com.
For the Harbour Village Rum Lunch, contact reservations@harbourvillage.com.
Participating rums include: Papa’s Pilar; Papiamento Rum; Gosling’s Rum; Don Q; Ron Barcelo; Clifton Estate; Rom Tambu; Havana Club; Dutch Head Rum; Ron Carupano; Ron Brugal; Siesta Key; San Juan Artisan Distillers.
Bonaire Rum Week Partners include Tourism Corporation Bonaire; Caradonna Adventures; Delfins Beach Resort Bonaire; Captain Don’s Habitat; Buddy Dive Bonaire; Harbour Village Beach Club; Plaza Beach Resort Bonaire; Bellafonte Bonaire; Bamboo Bonaire; Bonaire Tours & Vacations; Tiki & Co; Cadushy Distillery; JC Herrera; Bottles Bonaire; The Wine Factory Bonaire; Bonaire Tobacco & Liquor; Best Cellars and Best Brands Bonaire.
For the most up to date information, schedule, events and partners about Bonaire Rum Week, visit www.bonairerumweek.com