Rum lovers – get ready to experience the enjoyment of the spirit we call Rum. Edmonton’s 3rd Annual Rum Festival brings you distillers and importers who have rum brands to taste. Edmonton Rum Festival is your signature event to meet and greet experts in the field.
Guests will also have the chance to bid on a number of rum themed items in the silent auction, while snacking on delicious appetizers provided by the Delta Edmonton South.
Be sure to grab your commemorative Glencairn glass upon arriving, and enter in the Rum Bottle Per Month for A Year Draw!
All proceeds from this event will go directly to the MS Society of Canada.
The festival is brought to you by the great folks at Vines Riverbend Wine Merchants (who have produced the very successful Edmonton Whisky Festival for the past 7 years) and they have teamed up with Lexus Edmonton and Capital FM 96.3 to bring you the Edmonton Rum Festival for the third year in a row!
I am going to say it again because it is important:
All proceeds raised at the event will be donated to the MS Society of Canada – Alberta Division.
This is a great chance to taste a strong selection of rums produced from around the world as well as to meet and discuss the noble cane spirit with industry and distillery representatives.
Monies raised at the event will help those affected by MS in our community, as well as help to fund research towards a cure.
Where: Edmonton Delta South Hotel – Grand Ballroom
4404 Gateway Boulevard
When: Friday October 13th
7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Ticket Price: $85.00 each: available online here
(Call Riverbend Wine Merchants for more information (780 434 9444 ))
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Frequently asked Questions:
How do I order Rum tickets?
To purchase Edmonton Rum Festival tickets online, click here or call the MS Society at 780 463 1190.
What do you receive for the price of a regular admission ticket?
A commemorative Glencairn glass, an event program, a gourmet buffet throughout the evening, over 75 rums to sample, a chance to win a bottle of rum a month for a year and an opportunity to bid on a number of rum themed silent auction items. The price of a ticket includes entrance and rum sampling (you do not have to buy additional sample tickets).
Are tickets available at the door?
Although tickets will be available at the door, it is strongly advised that you order your tickets in advance to ensure your attendance!
Is there parking at the hotel?
The hotel has limited available free parking. However, it is encouraged that you use public transportation and cabs.
Can you get a preferred rate at the Delta as part of the Festival?
Yes! Stay at the Delta Edmonton South for the night at a rate of $135. Call the Delta Edmonton South at 780-434-6415 and ask to book in the Rum Festival open block.
Should I have a game plan?
Absolutely! Take a minute to study your program and decide which rums of the 75 being shown you have to try. You can only seriously taste and analyze a few before palate fatigue sets in. The key to surviving any event involving alcoholic spirits is not to over indulge, practice quality over quantity. You can help yourself by drinking lots of water during the tasting and having a solid meal before the event.
Is there a Dress Code or What should I wear to the Edmonton Rum Festival?
Most people prefer to go in Business attire, although I prefer Business Casual. Rum really has no pretense.
What if I lose my nosing glass?
If you lose your nosing glass, we’ll have wine glasses available in the Grand ballroom. Sorry, we cannot replace any lost or broken nosing glasses.
There’s a rum on the list that I want to be sure to try. How can I find out which booth is pouring it?
The booklet you receive on entering is set out alphabetically by the local agent/importer responsible for that distillery. The tables in the ballroom follow that list in a clockwise direction. Each table is marked with the name of an agent/importer.
Do I need purchase drink tickets to be able to taste the rum I want to try?
Through the purchase of your General Admission ticket, you will receive 30 sampling tickets. For each sample that you take, you will give the vendor one sampling ticket. If you go through all 30 sampling tickets, you can purchase more at the rate of 1 ticket for $2.75 (as per AGLC regulations).
Should I keep my ticket page?
Absolutely! Bring your page into Vines Wine Merchants by the end of November 2017 to receive 10% off any bottle of rum.
Is there a coat check available?
There is a coat check available by donation to the MS Society.
May I bring my briefcase with me?
Backpacks, briefcases, tote bags, or any other such items, are not permitted inside of Rum Fest. You will be asked to leave them at the coat check.
Will there be food available?
A gourmet buffet is provided throughout the evening, and we encourage you to eat from time to time.
When I discover a new rum that I love at Rum Fest, can I buy a bottle of it right there?
Rum Fest is a tasting event only. Your event program includes an order form which can be left with a Vines staff member. Please note your ticket stub when presented at Vines before the end of November 2017 will entitle you to a 10% off discount on any bottle of rum.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The folks at Vines do a fantastic job every year with both the Annual Edmonton Whisky Festival and the Annual Edmonton Rum Festival.
I encourage you to attend and enjoy yourself. It is a great atmosphere with Rum Insiders, Brand Ambassadors, and Rum Enthusiasts from across Canada and around the World. You might even run into the Rum Howler, as I have my two tickets reserved already!
Note: All proceeds raised at this event are donated to the MS Society of Canada – Alberta Division.
For more information please contact:
In 2009, the folks at Yukon Brewing decided that it was time to expand their horizons, and so they formed a sister company called Yukon Spirits, grabbed a still and began to make whisky. My understanding is that they make three basic expressions, a Classic Single Malt Whisky, a Peated Single Malt Whisky, and what they call their Two Brewers Single Malt Whisky (Special Finishes). Each expression will apparently vary over time as their whisky barrels season and are re-used.
Note: As indicated earlier, I will not be creating a posting for every whisky in my countdown on this website; but I am going to try to highlight every Canadian spirit that I have not reviewed previously.
In 2009, the folks at Yukon Brewing decided that it was time to expand their horizons, and so they grabbed a still, formed the Yukon Spirits Company, and began to make whisky. When I fist learned about this a few years ago I was a little surprised. The Yukon is quite a ways north and it is not a place where you would naturally think of folks making beer, let alone whisky. Then again it just might have been the perfect place for both the start-up beer and spirits companies. You see up in the North, they like to support one another, and it wasn’t long before Yukon Brewing and Yukon Spirits were doing a nice business supplying northern communities.
Ron Marques del Valle (8 Years) is produced in Colombia by 
To follow the countdown list on a daily basis, you should follow me on twitter (
Monymusk Classic Gold Rum is produced in Jamaica by a partnership called the National Rums of Jamaica. The spirit is produced at the Claredon Distillery (also called the Monymusk Distillery), near Lionel Town in the heart of Jamaica’s sugar cane producing region. The Claredon Distillery contains a modern column still plant and a second older plant with two double-retort pot stills.
The Rum Howler Blog 