Sip and stroll your way through Alameda’s historic downtown district, tasting premium local and international rum selections served neat at the Second Annual Downtown Alameda Rum Stroll [1] on Friday, September 26, from 6 to 9 p.m.
[2]Enjoy an evening filled with craft spirits, live music, and a few tasty bites while learning about the unique styles from the distillers. Ticket holders will visit more than 10 unique downtown shops and spaces to enjoy premium rum tastings from a superb selection of distillers. And at some of the stops, taste a savory or sweet bite perfectly paired with each rum.
And it gets even better: $1 from each ticket sold will go directly to the Alameda Education Foundation [3], and there will also be a cash tip jar at each pouring station for donations.
Tastings will be served at Alameda Cinema Grill, Coffee Cultures, Dragon Rouge Bistro, Hobnob, Karibu Wine Lounge, Keller Williams Advisors, Moxie Steak House, Subpar Miniature Golf, Tomatina, Town Tavern, and more sites to be added.
Sweet and savory bites will be provided by local restaurants and food producers, including Alameda Cinema Grill, Coffee Cultures, Craft-Chocolate, Dragon Rouge Bistro, Hobnob, Keller Williams Advisors, Mekong Kitchen, Moxie Steak House, Subpar Miniature Golf, and Tomatina.
Participating distillers
An excellent variety of distillers from the Bay Area and around the world will provide the rums, including Barber Lee Spirits (Petaluma), Forbidden Island (Texas and Belize), KōHana Distillers (Oahu), Mosswood Spirits (Berkeley), Palm Republic (Caribbean), Pekut and Carwick Independent Bottlers (Berkeley), Porchjam Distilling (New Orleans), Striped Lion Distilling (New Jersey), Wright & Brown (Oakland), and more to be announced.
For those who discover a favorite, a selection of bottles can be purchased at CRAFT Beer & Wine [4], located at 2526A Santa Clara Avenue.
Tickets
Tickets are on sale now and are going fast. Purchase general admission tickets online [5] for $60.54, including a collectible tasting glass, premium rum tastings, small bites, and a commemorative guide.
VIP Tickets [6] include everything that comes with a general admission ticket plus a special pre-stroll premium rum tasting and presentation by rum enthusiast Edward Hamilton, from 5 to 6 p.m. at Dragon Rouge, 2337 Blanding Avenue.
Hamilton began visiting Caribbean rum distilleries while sailing the islands in pursuit of his favorite spirit, has authored books, and has appeared on the Today show and CBS Sunday Morning. He founded Caribbean Spirits [7] to bring the best of the islands to the U.S. and rum lovers around the world.
Also, local favorite Michael Thanos from Forbidden Island [8] will be discussing their unique rum blend and offering a rum and cocktail tasting.
Community partner
We’re pleased to partner with the Alameda Education Foundation [3] (AEF) for this event. AEF serves as a critical bridge toward equitable and inclusive educational outcomes for Alameda TK-12 public school students. Their work focuses in three main areas: (1) Art, enrichment, and sports programming that engages students and augments the educational experience; (2) Social-emotional supports for AUSD students and staff; (3) Equity-centered support of educational programs and student needs.
Sponsor
The Downtown Alameda Rum Stroll is sponsored by CRAFT Beer & Wine [9] and Forbidden Island [10]. Proceeds from the event help to keep Downtown Alameda clean, green, and safe for all to enjoy.