My name is Bryan, aka “The Rum Champion.” I am a rum-curious rum enthusiast who has fallen in love with this amazing spirit. To me, a “champion” is someone who represents a cause they believe in. To me, that’s working to bring awareness to the world’s most diverse yet underappreciated spirit, rum. I started my Instagram page (@therumchampion) on September 24th, 2022, to share my love of rum with the world and to show people that there is so much more to rum than Captain Morgan, Sailor Jerry, and Malibu Coconut.

Since then, I have amassed 23k followers and counting! It’s been amazing to connect with many people worldwide and learn more about rum from them! I’ve also been honored to win ‘The 2023 Rum Influencer of the Year - North America’ from Ultimate Rewards.

To date, I have tasted 935 rums from 67 countries. I also accumulated a modest collection of 420 bottles of rum, with more being added to my library each week!

Full time extrovert, part time drinker. My day job is High School Math teacher, and I’m a lover of all things spreadsheet related. I’m an expert at hearing big ideas and making them into actionable steps - I love making things happen.

I’m not a rum expert, but I spent the pandemic home-bartending (didn’t we all?) and creating craft cocktails. I love the versatility and different flavor profiles of rum. I’m always interested in learning more, and Bryan’s rum expertise supports my learning goals.

Bryan and I met at Tonga Hut in Palm Springs, bonded over our love of rum, and decided we should start a rum club in Los Angeles (it was the equivalent of drunkenly deciding “we should buy a bar!”) With Bryan as the big ideas and rum expertise, and me as the organization, spreadsheets and action steps, we do our best to provide you with unique rum-tasting experiences each month.

Our Rum-Loving Mascot

Our Graphic Designer - creator of Hercule.

Check out his work here: #apexemb