Brugal Passion pays homage to the love the Brugal family holds for their history, liquid and brand – and how that love is poured into every bottle. Mijares was invited to experience the warmth, hard work and passion that drives the Brugal team when he visited the brand’s homeland of the Dominican Republic. The artist witnessed first-hand how the Maestros Roneros (Master Rum Makers) meticulously nurtured every stage of the rum-making process before bestowing their personal seal of approval upon the final product. A shared passion that brought Mijares back to his early days as a painter – pouring his heart, Latin upbringing, and dedication into his own craft. Mijares uses his signature stained glass-inspired motifs to depict various shapes that represent the unique individuals and stories that come together like puzzle pieces to make up the ‘beating heart’ of Brugal rum. The heart is enveloped by a rich, dark backdrop, symbolizing molasses, with embellishments of gold specks as a subtle nod to the brand’s colors. This piece will carry on the Brugal heart in more ways than one – the limited-edition bottle will be auctioned, with proceeds gifted to non-profit Special Compass. Much like Brugal and Mijares, the Miami charity shares a passion for achieving the wonderful by helping those with disabilities navigate life through inclusion in order to pursue their passions and dreams.

If Brugal’s rum-making process is told in chapters, sugarcane is chapter one – where it all begins. This piece depicts the movement and rich colors of the enduring stalks that rise sky-high under the warm Dominican sun. Local, raw sugarcane that is carefully harvested, processed into molasses, fermented, double distilled, aged, and later bottled as one of the world’s finest premium rums. Sugarcane holds a nostalgic place in Mijares’s heart. During his visit to Brugal’s facilities, learning about the raw ingredient transported him to fond memories of his childhood, when his Cuban-born grandfather would give him and his siblings pieces of sugarcane to chew and savour. When viewed in its entirety, the bottle contrasts the beginning and end of rum's full cycle – a dark, smooth liquid enclosed by bright art that bears its very origins.

The source of our award-winning flavors can be traced to Brugal’s carefully hand-selected casks. Mijares illustrates the curves of an oak barrel in warm, rich tones to symbolize 130 years of trials and triumph that five generations of Maestros Roneros mastered to develop their unique ageing techniques. Mijares equates the meticulous process of selecting the best casks – which has the right type of wood, age, and provenance — as a “complex math equation”, of which Brugal has ‘down to a science’. Brugal 1888 is double aged in American oak casks followed by a second ageing in European sherry oak casks. The Dominican sun plays an equally important role in the ageing process, intensifying and bringing out the rum’s character and complexity.

This piece was inspired by a walkthrough and tasting Mijares had with Jassil Villanueva, a 5th generation descendant of the Brugal family and the Dominican Republic’s first female Maestra Ronera. Mijares sought to capture the treasured experience of nosing rum – taking in its complex aromas before taking that first sip. The painting depicts a woman lying in front of a cask and holding a bright red rose, which also appears to be a glass – drawing parallels between smelling roses and smelling rum to fully appreciate its unique properties and characteristics. The woman’s face is left indistinguishable to allow the viewer to picture themselves in the painting, as well as bring the focus to the rose. The piece is an appreciation of the Maestro Roneros and their gift of the nose. Mijares was inspired by their ability to pick up the subtle yet distinct aromas, drawing a connection to tastes and smells he was familiar with. The artist took a similar approach when it came to determining the colors for this piece – closing his eyes and imagining what colors the rum smelled and tasted like.

Family encapsulates the most profound source of inspiration and connection felt between Mijares and Brugal. The piece depicts symbols of love, passion, hospitality, and the care that one feels upon entering the Brugal home. Upon meeting the Brugal team, Mijares recalled feeling an immediate connection and feeling of home. No matter what stage of production or what level of the business, every team member he connected with radiated with a sense of immense pride for their part in creating their country’s cherished rum. There was a profound beauty to how the Brugal team came together to pour their collective expertise, passion, and joy into each step of the rum-making process. Each generation passing on its deeply rooted respect for tradition and heritage along the way. The abstract shapes in this piece come together to reveal an eye-catching motif of a mother, father and child holding each other close. Mijares makes use of lively colors and extreme movements to create a sense of energy and positivity that capture what it felt like for Mijares to be welcomed as part of the Brugal family. “Discovering the parallels between the Brugal family and my own demonstrated a larger story of connection that exists across Latin culture,” said Mijares.

Progression represents the hard work, perseverance, and hope of Brugal’s storied founder, Andrés Brugal. The piece calls back to a moment in the early days of Brugal’s history, when Don Andrés first moved to the Dominican Republic, drawn to its possibilities. Andrés was ambitious and adventurous, seizing the opportunity to connect the different parts of the rum-making process in his own unique way to develop a smoother, lighter rum. This piece symbolizes Don Andrés’s humble rum-making beginnings, traveling within the island to sell rum off the back of a donkey. Each successive generation of Maestros continued in this pursuit, imparting their own contributions through their travels across the far corners of the world. Today, with the care and nurturing of the now extended and international Brugal family, Brugal 1888 is one of the world’s finest rums – fulfilling the potential he first recognized more than 130 years later. Mijares deeply connected with this story, as he saw something of himself in Don Andrés – a self-starter with no formal training who persevered and achieved great skill and success, never losing sight of leading with kindness. An entrepreneur inspired by his Latin roots, his family’s teachings of hard work, and a dedication to progressing his craft.

Both Mijares and the Brugal family’s journeys intersect in Cuba, a piece symbolizing the country where Mijares’s family is from and where founder Andrés Brugal first discovered sugarcane and learned the art of rum-making. The piece lovingly honors the island that unites the legacies of Brugal and the artist’s own family. This bottle holds special importance to Mijares, whose life work has been heavily influenced by his Cuban heritage and his family’s story of immigration – using movement and color in his pieces to embody the rhythm and passion of his heritage. A painting of the Cuban flag becomes more complex as the viewer peers closer, revealing individual elements that make up the flag – emblematic of the unique stories and struggles that converge to capture the shared experience of living in and coming from this special country. Rather than adhere to the flag’s colors of red, white, and blue, Mijares uses browns and golds to depict the natural color of rum. The piece is an appreciation of global culture, legacy, and the connections we share from the places that make us.

Miami is a bottle inspired by the city Mijares was raised in and the city that shaped his craft. It also carries significance as a city with proud Latin and Caribbean roots. Mijares credits the melting pot of Hispanic cultures and tropical weather in Miami for the colors he uses, the music he listens to, the food he eats. A dynamic city that holds many parallels to the music, beaches, and tropical lifestyle of the Dominican Republic. The painting is a love letter to the city. Mijares portrays a woman holding an umbrella as her hair blows in the wind – suggesting that, even on beautiful days, there’s often a rain shower or two in between. Miami’s downtown skyline, famed lifeguard towers, sail boats floating through the bay, and swaying palm trees are painted with lively colors and waving motions – inviting the viewer to feel the movement of the piece. As though it’s connected to the waves of the ocean or the rhythm of Latin dancing.

Music is an ode to the songs and sounds that move the Dominican Republic and the Brugal family. Tropical rhythm that flows through sun-drenched streets, is toe-tapped by workers moving throughout their day, and blares from passing cars on the way to the beach. Mijares notes music as the thread that connects the island, recognizing the tropical beats of Juan Luis Guerra songs everywhere he went during his visit. A soundtrack of timbales, congas, bongos, and maracas that one can almost hear, no matter where they are, with each sip of pure Dominican rum. An energetic motif of a guitar player, drums and maracas symbolize the style of music – Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Rumba, and Cha Cha – that dominate the small island, backdropped by the deep blue hues of the ocean. The artist invites the viewer to feel as if the band was playing right on the sand of an untouched Dominican beach.

This piece honors the Brugal family’s commitment to giving back and progressing their beloved island homeland. The tangle of mangrove roots represents Casa Brugal’s reforestation initiative, a nursery in the brand’s distillery dedicated to regrowing and replacing mangrove forests that help protect the Dominican coastline. Mangroves make up some of the most biologically diverse ecosystems and are critical to climate regulation and beach erosion, while offering a sheltered habitat for endangered wildlife. Mijares was able to plant a mangrove at the Brugal nursery during his visit, an experience that greatly touched him and reminded him of the beauty and power of creating from the land, then giving back to it. Like the Brugal family, Mijares’s has made it his life’s mission to use his talent to give back to the community – the artist has often visited the Dominican Republic on volunteer trips and is an active philanthropist using his art to shine light on important issues. Brugal’s charitable efforts extend beyond mangrove reforestation – from investing in island infrastructure, contributing to the first hospital in Puerto Plata, to ongoing environment and community support, Brugal is dedicated to bringing out the best of its land and people.

The Dominican Landscape bottle portrays a moment of appreciation and gratitude of the natural world and the beauty of tropical lands. The curving movement of rich colors and shapes captures a solo evening the artist had after visiting Brugal’s ageing warehouses: sitting on the beach with a glass of Brugal 1888 in hand, admiring the sun setting while the sounds of waves crashing and bachata music fused into one melody. A moment that captures the spirit of his experience and one the artist will remember forever. The natural wonders of this island offer endless inspiration for creativity, discovery, and awe. Traits that have guided five generations of master rum makers to create the best possible while honoring and returning gratitude to the land they call home. The amber colors of the rum and sunset mix with the bold blues and greens of the ocean and trees to create a mesmerizing tropical motif. The piece is a recognition of the boundless magic of the Dominican Republic. A magic that both the Brugal family and Mijares will continue to champion and help protect through their efforts to the local environment.