Hemingway Distillery

The Hemingway Distillery Tour was awesome. Our guide, Lola, was sweet and knowledgeable as she walked us thru the distillery. Lots of Hemingway stories and history. She also knew how much rum you could legally put in your checked baggage. The rum tastings were fun and we received some discounts on our purchases in the gift shop. A definite must see when you’re in Key West.

I had a good time here and I'm not much of a rum drinker. They have some different flights to try and also a tour. I didn't do the tour but just had a few drinks and played chess next to the Hemingway statue at the bar

The Hemingway Rum Distillery is a recommended stop while in Key West with a great staff who really make you feel like part of the experience of you are there for intelligent conversations and not just a free taste of Rum. Emily and Maxwell went out of their way to be awesome people so thank you again!

This was a really fun experience! We did the tour with Mark AKA "four" and he was great! He was very enthusiastic about the history here and how things were done. We bought a bottle of the distiller reserve there. When we got home I went to Total Wine and picked up a bottle of the flagship blonde because it was so good! Highly recommend doing the tour and/or the craft cocktail tour.

Great place to visit. The tour was very informative. The social club in the back was top notch! Bathrooms are clean.

Take the tour—it's very informative, and you also get to taste the rums produced there. Plus, you'll receive a discount if you buy one.

Very interesting tour and tour guide, and the rum was quite tasty too! The Blonde, Sherry Cask Finished, and the Rye Rum were my favorites. I would definitely recommend this tour if you’re in Key West, but do not buy the rum from them. They’ll give you a $2 off coupon for taking the tour and $5 off for signing up for their email list, but they won’t let you combine coupons if anyone in your tour is wiling to give you theirs. I collected a combined total of $12, my buddy and I had just spent about $200 on the tour and souvenirs, and I had planned to spend close to another $300 for one premium bottle (you can only purchase there) and a TSA approved travel case to get it home. The max discount they would give me though was $7, not $12. I didn’t really really care about the $5 difference but I did care in principle. They distribute all of their rum nationally except for this one premium bottle (which doesn’t taste like it’s worth $300 but it was a good experience and would have been fun to take a bottle home to share that you can only buy there), and I found that even if I did get $12 off it was still less expensive to purchase the rum at my local Total Wine and BevMo. So take the tour, taste the rum to figure out what you like, but wait until you’re home to buy any rum from your local retailer. Then you don’t have to worry about shipping or TSA.

This is a do not miss for rum lovers! Housed in an historic building, the distillery offers tours, tastings at the bar, informative and excellent service, merchandise as well as a cocktail area with music. They are very pet friendly and a welcome respite from the heat.

In our recent visit to Key West, I stopped in to THE RUM BAR (the classic rum cocktail bar on Duval Street that was the stop to find Bahama Bob)... While there, enjoying a cocktail, I inquired in they still hear from Bahama Bob and he told me he could be found over at PAPA'S PILAR DISTILLERY. Bahama Bob was the reason we became such fans of The Rum Bar but he's been long gone so it's nice to hear where he landed... I figured we'd look into the place and stop by if we have some time on our trip. Coincidently the next day we were walking past the CURRY WAREHOUSE and noticed this was the home of the distillery (known as HEMINGWAY RUM COMPANY). We jumped in and inquired if the legend was in and coincidently he was... we caught up with Bahama Bob for a moment and decided to check the place out and enjoy a cocktail (or a few). The distillery is an impressive operation and the tasting room (bar) is large and has a comfortable feel... standing bar (no stools) to order drinks and hang out plus many tables, hi-tops and couches spread around to really feel at home. At the bar, my wife ordered a KEY WEST STORM and I went with a THE SUN ALSO RISES AFTER THE HURRICANE (love the play on one of Hemingway's classic tales). We grabbed seats on a couch and cushioned chairs and challenged each other to a game of chess (I won if anyone cares). I also ended up trying their MOUSE'S MAI TAI... pretty good (as were the first drinks). Overall I enjoyed the drinks and the tasting room (bar) is comfortable but there is a bit of a touristy vibe (it is Key West after all).

The tour and tasting were such a fun experience for a fair price as well including a bottle! Not the best rum and whiskey I've had but decent and definitely prefer espresso martinis now with rum over vodka

While in Key West, my husband wanted to check out Hemingway Rum Company. The distillery offered guided tours every hour from 11am - 5pm, Wednesday to Saturday. Unfortunately, we arrived a little too late and missed the last tour for the day. Being that it was a Saturday, and we were leaving Key West the following Monday, we couldn't have come back for the guided tour. One of the reasons we wanted to come to Hemingway Rum Company was because they are dog friendly. It wasn't just the bar that was dog friendly, but we could also take our dog with us during the guided tour. How awesome is that! Anyway, now that we couldn't go on the guided tour, we grabbed ourselves a high top at the bar. Live music was playing when we got there. I can't remember the name of the duo, but the woman who sang was a retired Broadway singer, and she sang soooo beautifully. The weather outside was perfect, yet the bar was so inviting and cozy. My husband and I stayed for a couple of hours. The cocktails were well crafted and delicious. We had a few rounds of cocktails. I was really surprised by how good the rums were. Hemingway Rum Company was definitely one of our favorite stops of our Key West trip.

If you go to the gift shop you can give them your email for a taste test of the Papa's blond and dark rum. You also get a 20% discount on what you buy. We bought a bottle of everything they make, since it is not available in Ohio, yet. Sipping rum, with lots of flavors from being a blended rum stored in many types of barrels. The fella giving out the tasting was very informative, and he said try this for a sipping cocktail. Make ice cubes with coconut water, then pour in some of the Papa's Pilar dark or blond rum, then add some pineapple juice.

We took the rum cocktail class and it was delightful! "Hurricane Helen" was a knowledgeable and experienced mixologist and "Indi Viki" was an informative tour guide and great bar back. We highly recommend this experience

My husband is a fan of this rum so we decided to stop in during our visit. Edgar was a great tour guide. The tour was interesting and the tasting was great. You even get a drink at the end at the social club. We bought a bottle so that we have the key west top. Nice place.

Learning about the process of how they make their rum was very fun! Edgar took great care to answer all our questions and had a wonderful tasting lineup for us. The social club cocktails were wonderful also! We came back the next day for a drink at the social club!

My favorite stop in Key West. I get to resupply buying one to two cases of rum. Question is does that make me a rum runner? Anyway they've always been outstanding service is perfect and the product speaks for itself.

The Hemingway rum company has two sides to it. The distillery side gives free tastings provided you give them an email address. I found that to be a fair trade for 4 samples of rum. The Pilat rum is legit. I was impressed with how smooth the clear rum was. The Hemingway library which is a short walk through the distillery....was quite the treat. The vibe is incredibly chill even by key west standards. The cocktails there made with the various Pilat rums were excellent. I strongly recommend you engage the knowledgeable bartenders who can guide you to a custom cocktail. Personally I enjoyed their version of an old fashioned made with rum. Neat point: all the employees go by a nickname given to them by their peers.

I've been to over 100 distilleries and this one did not disappoint. Informative tour that mixed rum history, rum making, and Hemingway in a well structured manner. Tour guide was very engaged with our group. They are making a great product! I do think the tour is overpriced for the overall experience but I would still recommend it. We did get a token for a free cocktail at their cocktail bar next door which did improve the value. You also get $5 off a bottle you purchase on site but it only applies to their lowest price point bottles.

My husband is more of a bourbon guy but he likes the white rum! They have a great merch shop and a free rum taste which is pretty impressive! We definitely recommend this to rum drinkers because they let you try a white and a dark.

Imbibe in a historic tobacco warehouse and former salvaging building. Steeped in history and now home to a live still which produces famed Papas Pilar Rum' on site!Contact apouliot@papaspilar.com for your one of a kind event today!

Talked about fun! This place was great we met a bunch of locals. Had wonderful drinks for hours. Met a bunch of people and will be back here tomorrow.

Mellow bar. A nice respite from the heat. Tasteful theming and decor. The best Pilar Rum old fashioned in the state.

If you enjoy the tasting life this is a great visit in key west. We started in the tasting room/merch store. Bought a tshirt. Then headed for the two free base level rum tastings. There was a charge for the upper level rums but we decided to head over to their social club area for those. Great drinks! I had a Dark and Stormy, she had a "clarified daiquiri" that not on the menu and not sure if it was a special thing but ask for it. Loved the mixed drinks. We also had the 2 ounce pour of their top level imperial stout barrel aged rum that delicious and crazy smooth. Luxury drinking. Every employee was super friendly. The social club room is a great space with high ceilings, Hemingway themed art workwork and couches that come in handy after a few couple rum beverages. I've had a few myself, right now, hope this review makes sense.

The service was excellent. The bartenders and what staff were on point, polite, and made the experience enjoyable. Thanks everyone! The food was perfect. The steak, lobster, sides, and dessert were the best we had the entire week we were in Key West. Cocktails were amazing as well. This is a can't miss if you're in town and want a memorable evening.

We just had a drink at the bar but the aesthetic was lovely and that was the best mai tai I have ever had! Thank you!

Drinks only, and they are good. There is a less sweet espresso martini off menu that is excellent. Staff is wonderfully friendly, the whole space is very comfortable, two piece live jazz combo fit the mood perfectly.

Don't miss this if you're in Key West. We elected to sign up in advance for the tour, so we were ushered to the Social Club to chill while waiting for the tour to begin. We elected to have a cocktail and the Papa's Old Fashioned with the Sherry Cask Dark Rum was perfection. The social club was full of rum, high back chairs and oversized leather couches, and a big burly bartender who mixed up our cocktails to perfection! The tour was so intriguing, covering Hemingway's life, the source and founding of the company and mission, the distilling and bottling process, and a tasting of all the flagships rums. We were fortunate to meet Bob, one of the distillers as they were distilling the day we toured. There's also a tasting room where you can taste all the rums without doing the tour, but I think the tour is more than worth it and highly recommend it. The shop is full of their signature rums and there's almost always something special you can only find there. They also have a ton of cool merch, gifts, treats and other things. If you enjoy spirits, history, Hemingway or a good time, this is a must do when you're in Key West!!

Rum drinks only but they are creative and awesome. Great jazz when we were there. Amazing architecture. A beautiful space with couches, fancy chairs, chess sets, books to read. Only drawback, no food except for special events.

Great addition to the tasting room is Papa's Pilar bar! Plenty of seating, fun atmosphere and live music. They have craft cocktails but I preferred to just get a shot of the dark rum, which was perfect, $12. You can start in the tasting room and get a sample of the rum options, then head to the adjacent bar to enjoy your favorite Or you can just enter the bar from the street entrance.

Yes we are those people. Wandering the streets of key west, we came upon a sign offering complimentary rum tastings at Papa's place...Hemingway Rum Company. Time was running out on this unexpected freebie so we hustled through the door and found ourselves in a sort of Rum bar/distillery/adventure shop. We were passed through to the final complimentary tasting and joined the throng at the tastefully done wood bar. The tasting was great. We were lead through a series of shots and taught how to recognize the notes and finishes of each rum. The woman hosting the tasting was funny and full of rum Knowledge. We highly recommend this little adventure. We also found out that Hemingway's offers a fan favorite cocktail mixing lesson where you learn to make (and then drink) three rum cocktails. It sells out fast so you need to book it in advance. It sounded like

Great distillery! This rum is one of my favorites not made in NC. It's such a buttery sweet rum! Their aged products are also so great and don't overly take on the properties of the barrel. I love to have these rums neat! They need nothing added to them! Also the people at the distillery are fantastic! We walked in for a quick tasting and we're welcomed with a very friendly hostess and set up very quickly at the bar. The person doing our tasting was great and gave us good details on the history of the distillery and how each product was created. Checking out I saw something I wanted but didn't see any on the floor so someone ran up and found some that had arrived but not been put on the floor yet. Such a great and friendly distillery!

This rum distillery serves the best rum I've tasted, which includes rums I've had in the Caribbean. The rums are very smooth and have an amazing flavor. Isaac the presenter, did an excellent job explaining the rum and the process of making the rum. I highly recommend trying this rum, this is the only place you can get the original bottle of Hemingway rum that contains a compass bottle cap.

What a cool place! We were coming to Key West on a cruise this time. We booked a tour here. It was a super cool tour and tasting with goldilocks as our amazing guide. The history of the building and distillery was cool. Along with the Hemingway history included. Then the Rum. Dang this was some seriously good Rum! And I am a bourbon guy. This was different but had great flavors. The bar was great as well as the gift shop. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit here.

First time at the distillery. It can be a little confusing. They have two different sides. Originally I went to the cocktail area but noticed no neat tastes of the rum. That's when I seen that they had two sides of the place. We went to the main area where they have items that you can purchase from the rum onto the different gifts. We had a free tasting. Only two of three items that you have the opportunity to taste. The rum was alright, nothing spectacular. I think the building and the name is what brings people into the place. They do have a distillery tour, unfortunately we weren't able to get one. I'd like to have got one. One interesting thing is that they do not have many barrels on site. All of the rum that they make must be stored off-site at a different location. We went next door and had a cocktail. I had an old fashioned which was good. It was a nice area to sit down and relax. They had a small two man band going, but they had something. Very spacious inside the establishment.

The makers of Papa Pilar Rum. Really cool bottle, btw. Fun fact: they used to put a chain on their bottle to resemble Hemingway's canteen. But they stop using that detail for a while now. Anyways, it's a great place for rum and/or Hemingway fans. The tour is funny and informative. You'll learn about Hemingway's life in the Keys. There are even tons of pictures of Ernest during his time here. Of course, you'll also learn about their rum distillery process. You must make reservations for the tour. I believe they also teach cocktail classes. There is a discount on rums, if you do the tour. There is also other cool merchandise like glasses, shirts, shorts, etc, You will get a tasting of their rums at the end of the tour. I prefer the blonde rum. 5 stars!

We took Papa's Pilar Cocktail Making Class. This was great fun!! There were only 10 of us. Once we had all checked in, Mo gave us a tour and told us the history of distilling their rum. After the tour, we all moved to set spots at the bar. We made two different cocktails: The Kiss and the Hurricane. It was so much fun!! We each got a goodie bag and a discount on a purchase of a bottle - which turned out good since I think we each wanted one!! Mo also gave recommendations for restaurants and bars.

Loved the vibe and feel to this place. The unique rum cocktails were amazing. Plus it has an almost speakeasy, retro feel. Definitely give it a try!

So glad we stopped in -- a great time for a couple or a group! The rum is great, we especially liked the single-barrel dark. The blonde rum is very flowery/perfumey, but nice.

Was good rum fun! We're highly recommending the tour though you'd better book ahead instead of on the day as they sell out and we saw way too many frustrated revelers leaving in upset on not getting in on one. So many, crossed my mind to scalp our tix!! ...but nooo!!! lol What kills me too, are all the shoppers complaining about not being able to have a free tasting and making a statement of it, as if that's the only reason not to purchase. To which I shouldn't have goaded, ever been to a liquor store much? heh While there are a few things I like in life, I'm not an aficionado of anything, really. I don't like brand loyalty in favor of always trying something else, something new. Especially something you might could would think could be gimmicky ...but but this rum has me rethinking things; all things rum. Papa Pilar, you're my new best friend. It's not one of those things I can explain or put into words. It's just I Love you. lol

Being a lover of rum, I was really excited to visit Hemingway Rum Co. while in Key West. It's housed in a big old factory-like building on Simonton street, so it's pretty much near everything else in the heart of Key West. The interior is rustic with plenty of memorabilia and offers tours of the facilities, tasting, and basic lectures on rum, its history, and the distilling process. Unfortunately, I hit the place in the midst of a spike in the Corono-19 pandemic. So, I wasn't interested in getting into a crowd or being with those who, though wearing a mask, failed to even come close to covering their noses. So, I bought a bottle of their Papa's Pilar 24 Solera Profile Dark Rum. The 24 represents the spirit s 24th solera taste profile in its artisanal blend, with seven hand-selected rums up to 25 years old incorporated in this blend, and at a price a tad over $40.00 rather pricey. However, in comparing its flavors, taste, and tones to my usual Kraken or Havana Club, I found Papa's Pilar to be the superior. I am a fan of Hemingway Rum Co. and recommend that you stop by and see it. If it weren't for the issues I experienced because of the pandemic, I probably would have rated it five Yelp stars.

I just love it! You can't leave the Key West without coming and have their delicious drink they make. The best!

This business has changed SO MUCH since our last visit. We visited in 2018 and we were so disappointed we left a 1 star review. However we visited again yesterday for the first time since 2018, and it was a really great experience! Employees were extremely friendly and knowledgeable, and the tasting was free and delicious! I can tell many improvements have been made and can honestly say I look forward to visiting again. Thank you!

Stopped here to check out the rum. Invited to stay for a tasting- why of course! We sampled some rums and purchased a beverage at the end. They do sell all their rims as well as "drink accessories" and clothing. Came this close "pinching fingers" to buying their special edition of Pilar rum- aged and tasty. However difficult to transport on a plane! Nice and friendly folks. They also do cocktail making classes and have additional tours of the distillery available.

Stopped in for a look. Very cool shop. I would highly recommend doing a tasting. You get 20% off product after. We loved the dark rum.

Visited for a free tasting. The old warehouse has the feel of a museum and you can take a tour of the distillery if you'd like. There is also a lot of branded gear on sale. We just enjoyed the time tasting. We tried two Pillar styles a light and a dark. We preferred the lighter rum. The fellow running the tasting was very good and provided some history along with descriptions of the rums. A nice stop on our day out and about the town. Mark & Nancy.

We had a blast at Papa Pilar's! Rusty was our tour guide, and he was full of knowledge and made it fun. We bought a bottle after the tour. Learned many things we did not expect to learn, and after the tour we stayed there for a little bit in their bar, next-door, and the staff there was also great. Highly recommend stopping by this historic landmark and beautiful distillery.

Hubs did the rum tasting. Very nice. Bartender very knowledgeable and made a nice event. Very nice store. Rum cake was a hit. Didn't check luggage so couldn't take on the plane, but had some shipped arrived the day after we got home!

Here again, third year, for more rum for us and friends at home. New merchandise in the gift shop so I bought a couple things. Friendly, efficient service and no waiting to get in this year! Yay!

Great Rum, free samples. I loved the dark rum, not like your average rum. If you like bourbon, have them make you an old fashion with their dark rum, very good. The bar was very cool and the staff was super nice. We bought two bottles and we don't even love rum, highly recommend their rum.

Didn't take the tour, but I am familiar with distillery operations. Did sample the rums and wow! This stuff was excellent. So much so that we opted to purchase a mixed drink. I had one of the best Mai Tai's ever. The building is huge and kind of echo-y. Staff friendly and helpful

I'm a bit mixed on this joint. Staff were a bit rigid - by that I mean we walked in on our visit (like most tourists) and asked about tours and tastings. Tours are by appointment. That's fine, but we weren't looking for crazy formal - just point and chat about odds and ends. I get it if it's busy, but we were the ones in the joint. For a tasting we had to fill out a sign in and provide email address. That's fine. Tasting was nice - sampled the blonde, the dark and sprang for the sherry cask rum as well. Bought a bottle.

Cool place and great rims... Bartender and the FREE tastings were awesome. Got a couple drinks to go and a couple bottles.. The rum is made on site and they offer tours.. Their specialty drinks were great on a hot day...

Where do I beging? Wow, I loved how much I learned at this tour. Not only I learned about Rum and the amazing way they make it but also about Hemingway and how everything is conneceted. I love hw organized thye were and how much they took care of the guest as they followed the COVID restrictions. Theis place was spotless and honestley I felt so safe here and having a great time, that I didn't want to leave. As far as their Rum selection, is phenomenal, fom the taste to the packaging!! WOW. They also have a store for you to get their Rum and so many other things and souvenirs. I wanted everything here. See you next time for sure~~~!!!

Cool free tasting! Very informative. Awesome to see the distillery. If you want an actual tour be sure to book it atleast 2-3 weeks in advance. 10/10 would recommend

We took the door and bought the rum. Indiana was an exceptional guide. The tour was fun and the tasting was plentiful. I recommend staying for the complimentary drink and taking photos after the tour. Worth the trip.

We stopped and did rum tasting that was amazing! Bartender explained cocktails with the rum that sounded amazing.. he gave us great info!!

Took the guided tour. Everyone did a great job. Tasting room with nice little retail shop if you can't find their rum in the larger chain stores.