Recap: Rum Day DC with Rum United

From August 13th – 15th, Rum United held 3 events for ‘Rum Day DC‘ around Washington, D.C. connecting new and old rum lovers in honor of National Rum Day, which is August 16th every year.  Rum United’s goal is to “highlight Rum’s great history, bring awareness to its diversity and share our love for Rum with the masses.”

Rum Day DC’s rum sponsors featured rums from around the world including Papa’s Pilar Rum (U.S.), Mount Gay Rum (Barbados), Chairman’s Reserve and Admiral Rodney (both from St. Lucia), Atlantico Rum (Dominican Republic) and Lyon Distilling (U.S.).

On Thursday, August 13th, rum lovers gathered on the rooftop of Graham Hotel in Georgetown for #RumNSmoke.  Guests were treated to specialty rum cocktails with Papa’s Pilar rum, hors d’oeuvres and cigars. It was a nice evening, connecting with various people not normally in my social circle, while overlooking all of DC from the hotel’s rooftop.  This was my first time at the boutique hotel but I loved that #RumNSmoke was there and not at an overused venue in the city.

The Rum Runner Party Bus was on Friday.  Passengers went on a bar crawl through DC’s hottest spots while enjoying bottomless speciality rum cocktails.  The stops were Provision 14, Zelou Lounge and Old Engine 12. While I didn’t attend, this sounds like an awesome throwback to my college days, but with better cocktails!

Held at Blind Whino on Saturday, #RumBQue was the final event of the Rum Day DC events.  Guests enjoyed complimentary barbecue provided by DCity Smokehouse (I’m obsessed with their food), rum punches crafted by members of the U.S. Bartenders Guild (DC Chapter) and more cigars.  My favorite rum punch, “Poppy’s Summer Punch,” featured 3-year old Papa’s Pilar rum, watermelon, lime, grapefruit and ginger juices. The DJ kept the music flowing and everyone enjoyed the barbecue-like atmosphere.

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Rum United hosts rum-centric events across the U.S.  While this is my first time attending Rum Day DC, it certainly won’t be my last.  It’s a great concept, especially for those interested in learning more about rum.  For more information, check out Rum Day DC.  See ya next year!

A Girl Overseas: Study Abroad in Spain

La Seo Cathedral

A Girl Overseas is a series written by contributor Abby Rasweiler, as she settles in Palma de Mallorca, Spain during a semester abroad.  Abby will offer her own stories & recommendations for adjusting in a new country, one glass of vino at a time.

You know that feeling you get in your stomach when you’re riding a roller coaster, as you inch over the top of the peak and you suddenly switch from rising to falling? That feeling where your stomach is bursting out of your throat and you’re not even sure if you’re going to survive the next five seconds. As I sit in seat 10C on an airliner halfway over the Atlantic Ocean, that’s the feeling that I can’t seem to get rid of.

For months, I have been preparing to study abroad in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. In reality though, I’ve been preparing for this trip for much longer than a few months. The preparation started long before attending all the pre-departure meetings and compiling all of the infuriating minutiae that goes into getting a Spanish visa. I have wanted to study abroad for as long as I knew what that phrase meant.

Growing up in a small New Jersey town and going to college at a small liberal arts school in Massachsettes has been wonderful, but has only served to show me a small fraction of the world. I’m dying to explore other corners of the world and figure out why Americans don’t have a daily siesta.

On the other hand, there has been a force even stronger than worldly curiosity that has been driving me – the need to understand not only others but also myself. The need to find out what I’m made of, how I will face the challenges that lie ahead, and who I am without all the noise that surrounds me at home. So, in search of all this, I’m off to sunny beaches, warm sunshine, and plenty of mojitos.

As the flight monitor on the screen in front of me shows a tiny little plane slowly inching away from the East Coast and towards the Mediterranean Sea, that roller coaster feeling is still going strong. All the waiting, preparing, talking to everyone who would tell me about their time abroad, and watching that special glint in their eyes as they recant stories of the “best time of their lives” – I’m leaving that all behind. I’m going over the peak and starting the free fall.

So, on A Girl Overseas, I hope to offer up my own stories, my own recommendations, and my own tales of fortune and misfortune, one glass of vino at a time.

You can follow more of Abby’s travel on Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat (@abbyrasweiler).