Presenting the largest rum festival in the world - attracting rum experts, professionals and enthusiasts from more than 30 countries.

Emerging rum brands from South Florida, Georgia, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, St. Vincent, Trinidad, Guyana, Suriname, Austria, Denmark, Japan, Philippines and India make their U.S. debut at Miami Rum Renaissance Festival and Trade Expo

The Miami Rum Renaissance Festival, now in its seventh year, is bringing new rum brands to the United States and Miami for the very first time. Held April 17 to 19 at the DoubleTree Miami Airport Convention Center, the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival and Trade Expo features three days of grand tasting events for consumers and members of the spirits industry trade.

This expanded annual gathering of rum producers, importers, distributors and retailers reflects the growing category of new rum producers and those that have not previously imported their products into the United States.  In 2014, approximately 26 million cases of rum were sold in the United States, with the premium rum category growing 14.8 percent and the spiced rum category growing 11.6 percent. Growth in premium rums was in large part due to new entrants into the U.S. rum market from emerging rum producing countries -- from North, Central and South America to producers in the South Pacific and Asia.

Many new entrants into the U.S. rum market, along with aspiring entrants never before featured in the U.S., will be on hand showcasing their rums at this year's festival.

"We're seeing a huge increase in new craft spirits, as well as brands from other countries that have not previously presented their products in North America," said Robert Burr, host of the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival and Trade Expo.

Among the new participants at the Miami event is John Barrett's Bristol Spirits in the United Kingdom, a brand of boutique expressions well known throughout Europe. Over the last twenty years Bristol Spirits have been shipping carefully selected rums of the Caribbean to their damp, cool cellars in England for masterful maturation in wood. When deemed ready for the enjoyment of Rum lovers, they are carefully bottled with the minimum of handling and prepared for export to more than twenty international markets. Showing for the first time in Miami will be Bristol's great Demerara Port Morant from Guyana, an aged Barbados rum, a fine Haitian rum, one of the great Caroni rums from Trinidad, and their own dark spiced rum blend known as Bristol Black.

Members of the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association will bring many brands and expressions to the United States for the first time as part of their program to promote Authentic Caribbean Rums. New products to be discovered at the Rum Trade Expo include English Harbour 5 Year-Old from Antigua, Doorly's XO and St. Nicholas Abbey 5 Year-Old from Barbados, Westerhall Vintage and Clarke's Court Old Grog from Grenada, Hampden Gold and Monymusk Plantation Reserve from Jamaica, Captain Bligh XO from St. Vincent, and Borgoe 8 Year-Old from Suriname.

"We are so excited to have the opportunity to showcase our Caribbean rum members at the International Trade Exposition for Rum," says Frank Ward, Chairman of the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association (WIRSPA). "We have recently launched our Authentic Caribbean Rum marque program in the US. This is a visual symbol of provenance and quality bestowed upon a rum producer that has agreed to a common set of production standards that define Authentic Caribbean Rum. Authentic Caribbean Rum is distilled in close to 30 distilleries around the Caribbean that are united in their passion for creating high quality rums."

Neil Morris, Global Ambassador for Authentic Caribbean Rum said "Thanks to the festival organizer Robert Burr, we couldn't think of a better event to introduce our ACR marque to the top importers, distributors, brokers and retailers."

From India, the Miami Renaissance Rum Festival and Trade Expo will for the first time welcome Two Indies Rum from Amrut Distileries. This unique product combines rums from India and Barbados for a unique "East Indies and West Indies" blend.

Rounding out the selection of first time rums include the award-winning Skotlander Rums From Copenhagen, Denmark; Nine Leaves Rum from Japan; Don Papa from the Philippines; Duran Rum from Panama; Blue Water Rum from Saint Maarten; and Stroh, the iconic rum from Austria, which has never before presented their unique rums to the members of the spirits trade in Miami.

Lost Spirits Rum from California will debut their new expression: Prometeus Rum. Other American craft distillers like Richland Rum from Georgia, South Florida Distillers of Ft. Lauderdale and Citrus Distillers of Palm Beach are also presenting their boutique spirits in Miami for the first time.

To purchase tickets or for additional information about Miami Rum Renaissance, visit www.rumrenaissance.com.