Stellar Keynote Speakers at the Miami Rum Congress
There are only a few days left until the fourth Miami Rum Congress, so we want to tell you about some of the great keynote speakers who will make the event exciting and help you become a real rum expert.
Robert Gordon
Robert Gordon has belonged to the Clarendon Distillers Limited (CDL) family since 2002. Currently, he is the Quality Assurance Manager and Senior Blender. After developing sensory evaluation skills, Gordon became the Quality Controller at CDL. During his role, he has created new blends like the exquisite Monymusk Plantation Platinum Rum and the new ITP-15 single estate and vintage.
Gordon will be with Matt Pietrek, John Georges, Ben Jones, and Mitch Wilson in the seminar “The Evolution of Rum Styles.”
Matt Pietrek
Matt Pietrek was named a finalist for “Best Cocktail & Spirits Writer” at the 2018 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, as well as Saveur magazine’s Best Drinks Blog.
He is one of the most respected writers in the industry, addressing a wide variety of topics, from the chemistry of fermentation and spirit regulations to cocktail recipes and new trends. Pietrek has collaborated with different books and magazines, as well as created his own website CocktailWonk.com.
John P. Georges
John Georges was an outstanding Master Distiller at Angostura. He joined the brand in 1982 as a Factory Manager. For years, Georges experimented with different ways to age Angostura’s spirits. In fact, he was part of the team that pioneered new premium-aged blends, including the multi-award-winning Angostura International Rum Collection.
In the latter part of his 37-year career in the rum business, he dedicated himself to passionately sharing his knowledge with rum enthusiasts worldwide. Now, he is formally retired but continues to work as a consultant.
Ben Jones
Ben Jones is Spiribam’s Director of North America. He is currently one of the world’s leading experts on rum.
Jones has dedicated his career to the burgeoning fine spirit and craft cocktail movements, and is regarded as a pioneer in the modern renaissance of genuine premium rum, serving as an ambassador for Rhum Agricole.
Mitch Wilson
Over the past 10 years, Mitch Wilson has been bartending in some of the best bars in the world while traveling to distilleries to collect exceptional booze and stories to share.
To date, he has hosted over 200 online rum sessions, including the Spirits Business Best Online Events for 2020 & 2021 – Black Tot Day 24 Hours & The Rum Show Online.
Jesse Cortes
Jesse Cortes is the Business Development Manager for Park Street.
His areas of expertise include new client acquisition, route-to-market guidance, trend and data analysis of the US alcoholic beverage industry, as well as the US regulatory framework and e-commerce pathways for alcoholic beverage brands.
Martha Miller
Martha Miller is the Chief Executive Officer of National Rums of Jamaica, becoming the first woman, both at the company and in the Jamaican rum industry, to hold the title of CEO. Miller has overseen the long-awaited release of the first bottled expression from NRJ’s renowned Long Pond Distillery, the Long Pond ITP-15. She has been determined to continue on the quest to solidify the role of NRJ in cane farming, and gain a firm grasp on managing and repurposing waste.
Miller will be one of the notable speakers during the seminar “Creating a Level Playing Field for Rum,” along with Alexandre Gabriel and Calbert Francis.
In this session, they will talk about how dozens of Caribbean rum producers work together behind the scenes to make sure that premium rum will continue to grow in the future.
Alexandre Gabriel
Alexandre Gabriel is a world-famous owner and the Master Blender of Maison Ferrand in Cognac and the West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados. Since 1989, Alexandre has been dedicated to the spirits industry.
Thanks to his innovative projects—his small Cognac House with Ferrand Cognac, Citadelle Gin, and Plantation Rum—he has become one of the most outstanding specialists in artisanal spirits.
Calbert Francis
Calbert Francis is the Sales and Marketing Manager of Antigua Distillery Ltd. for the US domestic and duty-free markets. Francis is a self-taught bartender who moved through the ranks in the hospitality industry in Antigua.
Gabriel Urrutia
Gabriel Urrutia is a consultant for several high-profile alcohol brands, a philanthropist, and the author of the bestselling book “Miami’s Cocktails.” He also featured in Wine Enthusiast’s 40 Under 40 Tastemakers of America, an event that celebrates the top experts and connoisseurs in the wine and spirits industry.
With more than 20 years of experience as a wine and spirits educator, Urrutia has worked for numerous international brands. As a rum connoisseur and ambassador to the industry, he has also conducted 500+ training sessions for hospitality professionals and multiple events while drawing on his creativity to develop over 200 fresh and exciting cocktail menus.
The seminar “Why Rum Is Capturing the Attention of Whiskey Fans” will be hosted by Gabriel Urrutia, Jose Cabassa, and Astrophel “Troy” Arquiza.
Joe Cabassa
Joe Cabassa is the Regional Brand Ambassador and Luxury Hospitality Lead at The Macallan in the Caribbean. Cabassa has built a career of 20+ years of proven experience as an educator and industry expert. He has trained thousands of professionals throughout Latin America and the world.
In 2022, he was inducted into “The Keepers of the Quaich,” an exclusive and international society that recognizes those who show an outstanding commitment to the Scotch Whisky industry.
Astrophel “Troy” Arquiza
Astrophel “Troy” Arquiza is the Global Master Blender for Bacardí rum. He started working with the family-owned company in 1997 as Rum Blender and Rum Plant Supervisor.
Since then, Troy has been enhancing his craft as a rum blender, trained for years by the industry legend José “Joe” Gomez, who Troy succeeded in such a prestigious role.
Marie King
Marie King is the Beverage Director of Tonga Hut, the oldest Tiki bar in Los Angeles and internationally recognized as a rum and tropical cocktail specialist. King has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry and has established the first cocktail program at the Huntington Beach Don The Beachcomber, creating the beverage menus for both Tonga Hut locations and Livorno, Italy’s first Tiki bar at The Surfer Joe Diner.
King will be one of the hosts of the “Bartenders Head to Head Debate,” in which each bartender will share his or her favorite rum styles and how they use them as inspiration for new recipes. Raymond Edwards, Max Karlin, and Daniele Dalla Pola will be accompanying her.
Raymond C. Edwards
Raymond Edwards is the Chief Mixologist at the House of Angostura. He has been part of the hospitality industry for almost a decade. Edwards was certified as a Master of World Spirits and is a multi-award-winning mixologist.
Edwards has created many cocktails, including the Saga Boy Mojito, T’Amaro Morning, and the Trinidad Swizzle. He has also worked alongside some of the industry’s top mixologists, developed menus for top restaurants and bars locally and regionally, and conducted many training sessions with aspiring bartenders.
Max Karlin
Max Karlin is a sommelier and pioneer of modern tiki cocktails. He has created hundreds of unique cocktails that redefine what “tiki” represents. Through his in-depth knowledge of cocktail history, wine, and spirits, he has cultivated a new approach to cocktail making.
Karlin’s willingness to try new things has caught the attention of many food and drink magazines. In 2021, Nashville Scene named him “Best Bartender,” and he won “Best Cocktail” at the Iron Fork Mixology Competition.
Nick Nistico
Nick Nistico is Overproof’s vice president of enterprise sales and a seven-time national bartending champion. He has 20+ years of industry experience, including executive positions at Charmer Sunbelt, Wirtz Beverage, and Breakthru Beverage.
Nistico also led CompanyToast, a not-for-profit virtual happy hour program that has contributed more than $700,000 to the hospitality industry by employing out-of-work bartenders and supporting local businesses. Nistico and Kiowa Bryan will host “Building a Brand by Focusing on Your On-Premise Strategy.”
Kiowa Bryan
Kiowa Bryan has spent the last few years as the US Brand Manager of Spiribam Fine Spirit Specialists. While behind the bar at The Eveleigh in Los Angeles, she tasted for the first time a Ti’Punch, realizing her intended career path was oriented toward educating consumers about Rhum Agricole and the French Caribbean.
Daniele Dalla Pola
Daniele Dalla Pola is one of the world’s top tropical barkeeps and an expert in tiki culture, having immersed himself personally and professionally in this lifestyle for decades. He is the owner of Esotico Miami, an ode-to-tiki restaurant and lounge that debuted in 2019 in downtown Miami. Dalla PolaDDP distinguishes himself from the competition by creating unique drink concoctions and pairing them with old-world meets new-world cuisine. He also created his own brand, Alamea.
Niels Benschop
Niels Benschop is the Chief Commercial Officer for E&A Scheer. He is a food and spirit enthusiast who has worked in the food industry for the last few years. For him, every bit of education he does gets people excited and inspires them to discover more and better Rums.
Benschop will present the seminar “Rum Trends: Where are Rum Makers, Rum Brands, and the Rum Market Going?”
Elis Carriero
Elis Carriero currently manages Esotico Miami. He has worked in high-volume cocktail bars in Italy as a head bartender and bar manager. Carriero has also participated in numerous competitions and TV shows.
He has been working with Daniele Dalla Pola at The Nu Lounge Bar and writing recipes for one of the most important Italian magazines. Carriero is one of the founding partners of the Alamea brand. He has been embracing the concept of tiki that he has been promoting for years around the world as a guru of tiki mixing. Carriero will host “Esotico Miami: Rum Dinner Experience.”
Federico J. Hernández
Federico Hernández has been involved in the rum industry since his early twenties. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the rum capital of the world, Federico owned one of the biggest production, and promotional agencies focused on spirits, The Rum Lab.
Today, The Rum Lab is one of the leading B2B educational platforms. It also organizes congresses in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Miami, and New York, as well as the Puerto Rico National Rum Festival, Taste of Rum.
Federico will be with Jay Cocorullo conducting “What Do American Rum Consumers Want Now?”
Jay Cocorullo
“Trader” Jay Cocorullo is the President of the Florida Rum Society (FRS). He has spent the last few years working to provide the best rum education in Florida. Cocorullo started the FRS in 2019. Since then, it has grown to more than 1,700 members who aim to make Florida the best place for high-quality and transparently produced rums worldwide.
The Miami Rum Congress goes beyond a conventional rum brand exhibition. It is a training program aimed at industry professionals and rum enthusiasts. While tasting a handful of rum brands, you’ll be able to get a deep inside look at industry trends, the production process, consumption patterns, rum styles, and much more.
The appointment is February 10–12 at the Hilton Cabana Miami Beach. For more information, visit miamirumcongress.com.
