Get Your Rum On

Rum Fest Key West founders Dr. Leon Garner and Neil Lindley enjoy some of their favorite rums . RUM FEST KEY WEST /COURTESY PHOTOS

The inaugural Rum Fest Key West is set to welcome rum drinkers and visitors for the first time with a multi-day schedule that highlights the history of rum and its enduring popularity.

The Florida Keys’ history of rum running dates to the Prohibition Era when the landscape’s remoteness and many twisty waterways proved advantageous for such exploits.

Today the love of rum endures not only as a popular drink at Lower Keys bars and restaurants but also as a must-have souvenir for visitors to one of Key West’s Rum distilleries.

Rum Fest Key West is being put on by Rum enthusiasts and Key West residents Neil Lindley and Dr. Leon Garner, an emergency physician and self-proclaimed Tiki-phile.

Lindley, a bartender who has written about rum, admits to personally having over 300 rums at home. He explained that while many rum festivals are held in banquet rooms of hotels and other large indoor rented spaces, he wanted to use the unique outdoor elements of Key West to enhance the presentation. The festival will include island sails, sandbar trips, trolley bar crawls, outdoor concerts, and of course, the year-round bars that offer various rums.

The festival will showcase the best of rum from around the world.

Lindley admits getting Rum Fest Key West up and running took a lot of work. “The rum festival was anything but straightforward, I have two companies, but doing this one was a solid 20 to 30 hours a week of work: following up, introducing, marketing, events, things that you would not consider.”

As with many Key West-centric events, activities are typically clustered around known downtown spots. But the rum fest is spreading it out, taking people on trolley tours from Cow Key to Big Pine, with stops at Purple Porpoise and Mangrove Mama’s.

“We want to celebrate the entire Lower Keys and support our area. Everyone sees these bars along the way but many have not been to them because of many reasons, driving from the area after drinks, unfamiliarity,” Lindley explains.

The list of sponsors for the first-ever Rum Fest Key West include The Perry Hotel, Key West First Legal Rum Distillery, Papa’s Pilar, Key West Trading Co., Marsh House Rum, Probitas Rum, Pa’lante, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and many others.

Troy Talpas, general manager at The Perry Hotel & Marina says the hotel was eager to partner with the festival and bring the community and visitors together for this inaugural event.

“The destination-wide cultural events are a special part of the charm of Key West, and The Perry’s history of rum through Commodore Perry and the US Navy’s tradition of providing sailors with a daily rum ration makes this a synergetic partnership,” Talpas says.

Rum Fest Key West benefits the MARC House, a nonprofit that serves adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Keys.

Lindley himself worked with the developmentally disabled for 20 years, in addition to owning a company that performed mental health training in North Carolina. “I’ve witnessed firsthand the resilience and talents of individuals with developmental disabilities. Partnering with MARC for the Key West Rum Festival is not only an honor but also a meaningful opportunity to give back to a cause that holds a special place in my heart,” Lindley says.

The festival kicks off Wednesday, August 14 with a tour of the First Legal Distillery, followed by a sunset sail. Four days of rum-soaked events follow. And don’t forget August 16 is National Rum Day!

RumFestKeyWest.com | AUG 14 – 18 ¦

The post Get Your Rum On first appeared on Key West Florida Weekly .