The Rum Collective: Rum Renaissance 2012: Rumming Through the Days

Brugal VIP Party at the Soho Beach House

Brugal knows rum and they also know how to throw a party! Remember last year? This year, the view from the private club on 8th floor in the Soho Beach House left many with their mouths open in awe, just in time for a sip of a delicious cocktail. Six specialty concoctions to choose from including a glass of their premium Brugal 1888. Oh yeah!

Some went to the pool to view the Brugal girls (yes, in bikinis) staying dry under their see-through umbrellas. Like the rum, it was a refreshing sight.

Some went to the bar to cool off with a cocktail titled Caribbean Kiss. Either way, the view of a sea of cocktail glasses being raised as the sun went down marked the beginning of a rumtastic night!

Bacardi VIP Party at Penthouse Bacardi U.S.A.

Penthouse Bacardi U.S.A.

One needs only an appetite for rum, fun and nostalgia when entering Bacardi's Penthouse. Images of a perfect daiquiri fill my mind, but then a distraction in the form of a barrel-aged El Presidente changed that. This rum-based lovely was on the menu among several other libations to indulge in while going back in time as you walk in their side rooms loaded with historical information and artifacts. Speaking of age, this year marks 150 years of Bacardi Rum and a perfect time to raise your glass to toast one of the most successful brands in history. Celebrating with a live DJ, tasty appetizers, and of course, copious amounts of rum is my kind of birthday party! Happy 150th Bacardi!!

Diplomatico VIP Party at Surfcomber

It started with a long visually captivating walkway past a pool to get up close and personal with Ron Diplomatico. Set outside with three bars, rum began to flow as the stage filled with women dancers wearing palm skirts. Yes please!

Darkness came, but the ladies on stage showed us the way with exotic fire dances. Sipping Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva over ice was necessary to maintain "order and balance" as the Hawaiian dances and music intoxicated the soul.

Who doesn't love a full 'Diplomatico' moon to light the path to the next rum cocktail?

Appleton VIP Party at National Hotel

This year, the Appleton party made it clear; do it Jamaican and do it properly. The setting was fit for leisure and relaxed imbibing. Cocktails with swagger, freshly made with Appleton Estate Reserve and live reggae played by Jamaican musicians? Ya' Mon!