Millennials love a VIP, one-of-a-kind experience, especially ones that cater to a more sophisticated palate. This is especially true to the Atlanta crowd, who were the first to experience the elevated BACARDÍ® Rum Rooms. Meant to be a truly immersive event, those in attendance were told to come dressed to impress and partake in libations that would transport them to a melodious island getaway.
Each “room” highlights a member of the BACARDÍ® premium rum family: BACARDÍ® Anejo Cuatro, BACARDÍ® Reserva Ocho, and the top-tier BACARDÍ® Gran Reserva Diez. Curated to be visually stimulating, each area was situated to be explored top to bottom, with treats along the way.
Attendees entered through the “Ocho” archway, which spilled into the ballroom that was transformed to resemble a Latin Club Lounge, complete with sitting areas, open dance floor, and pool table. Within the BACARDÍ® Reserva Ocho room, situated in the middle was the Ocho bar, where patrons could sip on classics such as the Ocho Old Fashioned, Old Cuban, the Zone, or take it Neat on the Rocks. Towards the back of the room, stands the Aged Under the Carribean Sun wall which showcases a breakdown of what goes into producing the Cuatro, Ocho, and Diez and creates a perfect instagrammable moment. On either side of the room, stand two walls adorned with wings, for attendees to create content for their social media.
Once I consumed the atmosphere of the Ocho level, I made my way to the next level which housed BACARDÍ® Anejo Cuatro. This was the most playful of the experience, with light blue lighting, a photobooth, complimentary BACARDÍ® fedoras and fans. Here is where the drink menu took on a more fun and flirty feel. A true to Atlanta rum and coke aptly named Georgia Coal where the BACARDÍ® Anejo Cuatro flirted with Georgia Peach Coca-Cola gained top billing in this area of the experience. Another that seemed to be fan-favorite was the Airmail, where the BACARDÍ® Anejo Cuatro paired with fresh lime juice, honey water, and Prosecco. This was by far the most crowded area throughout the event, with the photobooth line winding all the back to the entrance of the floor.
The next area was reserved for the VIP attendees and it did not disappoint. Meant to give the feel of the speakeasies of the past, this is where BACARDÍ® Gran Reserva Diez made its debut. It was truly a VIP experience for the books, complete with an engraver ready to etch the names of attendees on bottles of BACARDÍ® Gran Reserva Diez, this also set the scene for the artist showcase. BACARDÍ® ambassador, Swizz Beatz, wanted to give Oriel Ceballos a safe space to showcase his artwork. Ceballos was involved in an incident with NYPD earlier in October where he was pepper-sprayed while trying to showcase his artwork in Washington Square Park. “We found him through a negative situation. Letting him showcase his work in a safe place with no cops,” explains Swizz. “We’re giving someone something that was taken from him. They tried to snatch his creative badge, and tonight it was given back to him.”
After mixing and mingling in the BACARDÍ® Gran Reserva Diez room, we headed down where Swizz himself took over DJing duties and turned the dance floor into a Latin nightclub. Mixing latin beats with musings familiar to the Dirty South, the crowd was more than feeling it. I’m not sure if there was a better way to say finally good-bye to summer, but this seems like a dope way to welcome fall.
