It is that time of the year again … Who is ready for some rum? The Rums of Puerto Rico is holding its second annual Taste of Rum "festival" on Sunday, March 21, 2010.

Officially called Taste of Rum – An International Rum & Food Festival, it is a an evening of fun and delicious food and drinks. This event is actually two separate events — a Rum Festival and a Rum Competition.

The Rum Festival

The rum festival will be held from 3:00pm until 11:00pm along the Paseo de la Princesa in Old San Juan. From the description, it looks like it will be similar to last year’s event, with the opportunity to try lots of different rums from Puerto Rico, local food, some seminars, shows and music. They will have tents set up all along the Paseo de la Princesa, and some of the stuff will be inside the Puerto Rico Tourism Company building.

There will be many bars and tables set up where you can taste all the different kinds of rums Puerto Rico has to offer, as well as a bunch of other rums from around the region. There will also be a number of restaurants participating, making many tasty things — some using rum as an ingredient. And don’t miss the big Rum BBQ contest — 3 teams will be competing. Yum!

There will also be live music, dance shows, a flair-tending show and competition, and a walk-through rum "museum". They have a tentative schedule for the shows and seminars, but it is subject to change. But, from the schedule, it looks like there will be something happening at all times (besides the food and rum samples) during the evening.

The Rum Competition

The International Rum Competition is a competition in which rum-makers pit their products against other rums from around the world. The rums are judged by a panel of rum experts and celebrities. This part is not open to the public. It will be held at Hotel Casa Herencia, in Old San Juan, on both March 20 and March 21, 2010.

So mark Sunday, March 21st on your calendar — don’t miss the fun and rum!

Details

Tickets are $45 plus tax per person. This includes unlimited rum & food samples, access to all seminars, the BBQ & flair-tender competitions, and the music & dance shows. You can buy tickets ahead of time at Ticket Center, either online or in person at a Ticket Center location (including many Sears stores). Or you can buy tickets at the door the day of the event. All proceeds for ticket sales made after 8pm will benefit SAPIENTIS, a non-profit organization that works to improve the quality of Puerto Rico’s public education system.

You can visit the Taste of Rum web site for more information and an entertainment schedule.

As always, drink responsibly and don’t drink and drive.