Hialeah brothers blend Cuban heritage and American innovation to create a craft rum
Two Cuban American brothers have created a distinctively crafted rum that intertwines their cultural heritage with the vibrant identity of their hometown of Hialeah.
Progress Rum, as brothers Anthony and Jesus Costa aptly named it, represents not only their cultural identity but also pays homage to Hialeah’s history as a city of immigrants determined to grow and progress. The Costa’s innovative approach allowed them to enter the industry cost-effectively, avoiding the need for extensive initial investments in a distillery.
The journey began five years ago when Anthony, 27, who was studying chemical engineering at the University of Florida, and Jesus, 29, was pursuing a Master’s in finance at Florida International University, contemplated entering the liquor market. While initially considering whiskey, they soon realized that rum was their cultural drink, prompting them to embark on the creation of a distinctive rum. Progress Rum made its debut in November 2023 with the inaugural release of 5,000 bottles.
Investing over $150,000 in their venture, the brothers have managed to create a rum that stands out by offering a product based on blends of rums.
“No one can recreate the blend, the formula is ours,” says Anthony, a certified rummelier. “To recreate our rum, they would have to buy all the raw materials we have and find the correct proportion.”
Perfecting the fusion took about eight months of experimentation and testing, involving both brothers and their mother, Maria Costa, in the meticulous crafting of each batch. The result is two distinctive blends of aged rums that evoke flavors of dark chocolate, nuts, and spices.
Their Aged Rum blend combines four styles of rums, including a five-year-old Dominican herbaceous rum, a five-year-old Venezuelan floral rum, a Barbadian rum with dried spices, and a robust three-year-old Jamaican rum. The Silver Rum fuses various aged Dominican and Trinidadian rums with an unaged Jamaican rum and light Caribbean rums, offering a truly unique drinking experience with aromas of tropical fruits and citrus.
Fernando Plata, co-founder of Big Cypress Distillery where Progress Rum is bottled, said he deals with the Costa brothers because of the quality of their product.
“The fusion of rums is common within the industry, but the Silver rum they are producing is one of the best I have ever had,” said Plata.
Currently available in select liquor stores in Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens and Miami Lakes.
B & B Liquors, a Hialeah Gardens liquor store, is among the local shops where Progress Rum is gaining popularity. Owner Ramón Díaz praised Progress Rum for its quality and innovation.
“I like to help entrepreneurs. They are two young boys from Hialeah who are producing very good rum,” said Díaz. “Progress Rum is having very good acceptance in the market.”
The Costa brothers host tastings throughout Miami-Dade, working to showcase their premium product, and their goal is to eventually create their own distillery.
“Rum has a somewhat negative image among those who drink a lot. Generally, people say ‘I drink vodka or whiskey but not rum.’ We wanted to make a premium product that would oppose that idea,” said Jesus.
