The Daily Pour today announced the acquisition of The Rum Lab, the most established rum festival and media brand in the United States, and operator of the Rum Festival & Congress, which hosts events in New York, Miami, Chicago, and California, with plans for more cities in 2027. The deal now puts The Daily Pour on track to more than double its 2026 footprint, hosting 40+ events in 2027, engaging in person with over 50,000 consumers annually, as it actively pursues additional growth and acquisitions across spirits and non-alc categories.
With the Rum Festival & Congress now under its umbrella, The Daily Pour operates five festival and event brands: Whiskey Washback, Whiskey Riot, Arte Agave, non-alc leader Drinks with Benefits (recently named a Top 10 Specialty Festival by USA Today), and The Rum Festival & Congress, spanning whiskey, tequila, agave, rum, and non-alcoholic beverages. This marks the company's fourth acquisition in under two years as it continues to consolidate a fragmented premium spirits and adult beverage events landscape. Each acquisition has been executed as part of a strategy to capture cross-category sponsor relationships and leverage a shared national operational infrastructure to drive profitability at scale.
This strategy is also designed to complement its rapidly growing media arm and digital ecosystem that includes a video creator network with over 2.5 million followers, an AI-powered spirits app with 30,000+ downloads, an industry-leading website with 200,000+ monthly visitors, and a 100,000+ subscriber newsletter. The Rum Lab, which is the media arm for the Rum Festival & Congress, will be fully integrated into The Daily Pour, consolidating its rum coverage, reviews, and festival content under one unified platform at thedailypour.com.
"The Rum Festival & Congress has built something exceptional in the rum space: a loyal consumer base, a strong sponsor network, and a reputation for world-class events," said Dan Abrams, founder of The Daily Pour. "The Daily Pour has now become the only platform in the country where a spirits or beverage brand can activate nationally, across events, content, and commerce, under one roof."
Federico Hernandez and William Hinkebein, founders of the Rum Festival & Congress, said: "We built The Rum Lab on the core belief that direct education and genuine human connections are what truly elevate a spirit category. As technology evolves, true human experiences become even more irreplaceable. The Daily Pour shares this exact conviction and possesses the resources and vision to scale these festivals to new heights." Brands interested in sponsorship, activation, or digital integration opportunities across The Daily Pour's events portfolio can contact The Daily Pour.
About The Daily Pour:
Founded in 2024 by TV personality and host Dan Abrams, The Daily Pour is the ultimate media and events platform for the modern drinker. Through its AI-powered app, major social following, original videos, and best-in-class tasting festivals around the country, The Daily Pour delivers trusted recommendations, cultural context, and premium experiences across whiskey, tequila, agave, rum, and emerging non-alcoholic categories. To learn more, visit: thedailypour.com
About The Rum Festival & Congress:
The Rum Festival & Congress is the most established rum festival circuit in the United States, founded by Federico Hernández and William Hinkebein following a chance meeting at the inaugural Midwest Rum Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. Built on a belief that education and direct human connection are what elevate a spirit category, the festivals pioneered rum premiumization in markets where the category had little consumer recognition. By creating intimate environments for one-on-one engagement between brand representatives, trade professionals, and consumers — and bringing world-renowned spirits authorities to the stage — The Rum Festival & Congress transformed how Americans discover and appreciate premium rum. The circuit operates marquee events across New York, Miami, Chicago, and California, with additional markets coming in 2027.
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