René van Hoven

René van Hoven is a trained chef, F&B teacher, international wine and spirits judge, and vintage rum collector. He loves sharing his knowledge so much that he decided to write a book about it. His work has been featured in magazines like More Than Drinks, Whisky Passion, Rum Porter, and many more. René is a recurring guest at various spirits festivals and competitions worldwide—like Miami Rum Renaissance, the German Rum Festival in Berlin, and Spirits Selection (Concours Mondial De Bruxelles)—where he gives vintage rum masterclasses and offers select samples from his private collection. One half of Trips and Taste, you can keep up with René's travels and spirit tasting at tripsandtaste.com. René is currently based in the Netherlands.