A new brand of rum, made in Panama with Cuban roots, launches in Miami
By Katelin Stecz
Miami, Cuba, and rum – the three have been inextricably linked throughout history. From the prohibition, when rumrunners would smuggle bottles of Bacardi from Cuba, to the reinvigoration of Miami’s rum culture during the Cuban Revolution, Miami’s past is soaked in the sugarcane derived liquor.
Now comes Cuban immigrant Janet Diaz-Bonilla, who hopes to use Miami’s favorite alcoholic beverage to change history’s perspective of Cubans that came over during the Mariel exodus.
On May 17, 1980, six-year-old Janet Diaz-Bonilla arrived in the U.S. after spending 17 hours crossing the Florida Straits on the Mariel boatlift. Her family was seeking political asylum; her father had been imprisoned and tortured for attempting to escape Cuba. Like many immigrants seeking asylum, however, Diaz-Bonilla and her family faced discrimination associated with the “Marielito” label, since the boatlift also ferried thousands of criminals released from Cuban jails. To shift public perception, Diaz-Bonilla decided to bring her journey to light with a screenplay. Instead of making a movie, however, she ended up making a rum.
La Marielita rum officially launched in October 2022, with a first shipment of 400 cases and a first year of 10,000 bottles in a private-label distillery in Las Cabras de Pesé, Panama. There, the final blend was crafted by world-renowned Cuban rum master, Francisco José “Don Pancho” Fernández Pérez, recognized as the “Godfather of Rum.”
Even though the rum market is saturated, Diaz-Bonilla hopes to carve out a niche for La Marielita. “I think it is perfect for Miami because not only is it a really high-quality rum, but my story resonates so deeply with Miami’s culture. Anyone can be a Marielita. Anyone can be an immigrant,” says Diaz-Bonilla, the company CEO.
Diaz-Bonilla says the rum’s unique distillation process is what will make it stand out from larger brands like Bacardi. “Spirits in general are experiencing a premiumization of brands, where consumers are willing to pay a premium for more aging, better tasting, and higher status spirit brands. We are aiming for that niche of the rum market,” she says.
La Marielita is aged for 18 years in American white oak casks that formerly contained bourbon, and contains notes of cacao, vanilla, coffee bean, and orange blossom. The combination of these flavors creates what Diaz-Bonillo calls a rum that’s for everyone. “I think our rum is smooth enough for a feminine palate but has enough body to appeal to the masculine,” she says.
Unlike most rums, La Marielita has no additives or added sugar. Being aged for so long allows the rum to be drinkable without the extra sugar that “young” rum usually requires. Julio Cabrera, co-founder of one of the top 50 best bars in the world, Cafe La Trova, says he’s happy to have La Marielita in his bar for its story as well as its quality. “[Diaz-Bonillo and her husband] came to La Trova and presented their rum to me. I tried it and heard the story. And for me, the story was fantastic,” says Cabrera, also a Cuban immigrant. “But the rum was also really good quality. Complex, well-balanced, and elegant.”
Besides Cafe La Trova, La Marielita is also served at the Ball and Chain music club and at Miami stores like Jensen’s Liquors, Sunset Corners, Vintage Liquors, and Pantry Liquors, as well as online at lamarielita.com.
“We are only a few months into our journey, and we’ve already had amazing feedback,” says Diaz-Bonilla. “When our plan for growth is executed, we will be in all possible states and many countries around the world through distribution partnerships…. La Marielita Rum will be one of the mainstays in the ultra-premium rum segment.”
