Houston’s Historic Manor House Is Transformed Into a Lush Dominican Dream For the Ultimate Rum Experience

The Manor House at The Houstonian Hotel, Club and Spa has seen many celebrations and iterations from weddings to Halloween parties. Most notably, it served as the one-time home to President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush. But over the weekend, the historic Houston property experienced something entirely unexpected. Hello Brugal 1888 double-aged rum.

The venerable Dominican Republic distillery is introducing its rum across the United States with elegant dinner evenings and for the Houston event, The Manor House was transformed into a chic Dominican residence. Think lush tropical palms and other foliage, a room designed to resemble a distillery and walls lined with images from the Brugal 1888 aging warehouse.

Invitations went out across the city to “Wonders Await at La Casa Brugal” and oh the lucky ones who sent in their RSVP first. Three tastings over each of three evenings, welcoming 32 guests each, were quickly booked.

Special cocktail tastings throughout the event included the Maestro’s Welcome (Brugal 1888 with coconut syrup and coffee bitters), Caribbean Negroni (Brugal 1888 with Italian aperitif sweet vermouth), Don Nano’s Favorite (Brugal 1888 with coconut-infused ice) and Espresso Martini (Brugal 1888, syrup, coffee liqueur and fresh espresso). Attendees also had the opportunity to create their own Brugal 1888 Old Fashioned. Mocktails were also available.

Welcome cocktails were served in the entry room after which everyone moved to an inner room where Brugal 1888 brand ambassador Isaac Farias spoke on the history of the rum, founded more than 130 years ago by Don Andrés Brugal, and the process that sets the ultra-premium, double-aged Brugal apart.

Brugal’s website describes the rum as crafted for sipping “with notes of vanilla, red fruits and toffee intertwined with cocoa and natural oak spice.”

A seated dinner followed in the beautiful sun room of The Manor House where guests feasted on a Dominican-inspired dinner of salad, chili lime grilled pork medallions, grill shrimp with chimichurri, moro de habicuelas (Dominican rice and beans) and sweet plantains.

Next it was on to The Manor House patio where a guitarist played Dominican-inspired music and poets with mechanical typewriters created poems for each guest, reminiscent of the Old World tradition of writers composing letters for customers beneath the trees in town squares.