Hemingway Rum Co., makers of Papa’s Pilar premium sipping rums, will open its Rum Distillery & Experience Center Saturday (5/20). The new facility pays homage to the legendary adventurer who once proudly called Key West home.
Built in 1878 by Irish bricklayers, the new Rum Distillery & Experience Center, at the corner of Greene and Simonton streets, once served as a tobacco warehouse. Having completed a three-year renovation, the over 8,000 sq. ft. facility will support Papa’s Pilar rum production, an Experience Center, a Tasting Room, Trading Post, and eventually a rentable event center.
Visitors can view a 350-gallon Hamilton Pot Still, with a custom-made reflux column, that can produce up to 80 gallons of rum per day. Guests will also be treated to an interactive “scent display,” which allows them to smell the active ingredients in each expression.
Unique attractions throughout the tour pay tribute to “Papa,” as Hemingway was known, including a swivel picture wall and replica of his Pilar boat affixed in the ceiling’s center rafters. Following the tour, patrons will be provided a sampling experience of Papa’s Pilar dark and blonde rums in the facility’s Tasting Room, which includes a Hemingway inspired bar top, filled with newspaper clippings, photographs and other memorabilia.
Carlton “Carl” Grooms, Key West Director of Operations, will manage the production of the award-winning rums, with the help of four full-time managers and 40 part-time employees, all Key West residents.
“We’re excited to have created both a destination that will serve as the physical heart and soul of our brand, as well as an asset for the city of Key West,” said Grooms. “Our guests will be truly engaged and amazed with this unique experience. A trip to Key West will no longer be complete without a visit.”
In addition to the new Rum Distillery & Experience Center, Papa’s Pilar rums are available in 750ml bottles in both on- and off-premise establishments in: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Washington, DC.
The brand is also registered in Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah and Virginia. The suggested retail price of the Dark and Blonde are $39.99 and $29.99, respectively. Prices may vary by market.