Our hero slider says it plainly: Drink More Rum. But we would amend that slightly — drink more rum thoughtfully. Puerto Rico is often called the rum capital of the world, and the spirit deserves the same attention Seattle lavishes on its coffee and its hops. That is why we created the La Isla Rum Club: part tasting society, part history lesson, entirely delicious.
A Spirit with Five Centuries of History
Sugarcane arrived in the Caribbean in the earliest days of European colonization, and the islands have been distilling its molasses into rum for hundreds of years — a story of agriculture, trade and culture documented by sources as varied as Encyclopaedia Britannica and the island historians celebrated at Discover Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican rum in particular built a reputation for being clean, light-bodied and barrel-aged by law — every drop must rest at least a year before bottling. The result is a spirit equally at home in a beach cocktail and a snifter.
How the Club Works
- The Rum Passport. Every member gets a passport listing our back bar’s rotating collection — white, gold, añejo, blackstrap, overproof and spiced expressions from across the Caribbean. Taste your way through a page and earn your next pour on the house.
- Monthly guided flights. One evening a month, our bartenders pour a themed flight — “Three Ages of Añejo,” “Blackstrap vs. the World,” “Rums of the Spanish Caribbean” — with tasting notes and stories behind each bottle.
- Quarterly pairing dinners. Four courses from the kitchen, four pours from the bar: think carne frita with an overproof daiquiri, pastelón with a honeyed gold rum, flan with a black-as-night blackstrap.
- Member perks. First taste of new arrivals, happy-hour pricing on flight nights, and a standing invitation to our annual coquito blending session each December.
Learn Your Styles
New to rum? Here is the sixty-second syllabus. White (blanco) rums are filtered bright and clean — the backbone of the mojito and the Cuba libre. Gold rums pick up color and caramel notes from short barrel stays. Añejo rums age for years, trading fire for vanilla, oak and dried fruit — sip them like whiskey. Blackstrap rums lean into deep molasses richness, while overproof bottlings bring the heat for floats and flaming garnishes. And spiced rums carry cinnamon, clove and citrus peel — winter in a glass.
Drink It Like an Islander
Rum is the engine of nearly every classic on our cocktail list: the scratch mojito, the jungle juice, the Latin 75, and of course the coquito we pour all year long. Members learn the why behind each one — why the mint gets slapped, not muddled to death; why coconut cream and añejo are soulmates; why a single dash of bitters changes everything.
Rum Club FAQ
Do I need to know anything about rum to join? Only that you would like to know more. Half our members joined because a bartender saw them hesitating over the menu and slid a taster across the bar.
Is there a fee? The passport is free; you pay only for what you taste, with member pricing on flight nights.
Can I use it at either location? Yes — your passport travels between Ballard and Redmond, just like the rum does.
What if I don’t finish a pour? Tasting means tasting. Our bartenders would much rather you sample six rums thoughtfully than power through two. Water and tostones are always within reach.
Join Us at the Bar
Membership is simple: ask your bartender at either location, or send us a message and we will sign you up before your first flight lands. Twenty-one and over, naturally — and as always, enjoy the island’s favorite spirit responsibly. Salud!