Boutique RumFest 2014

*Press Release*

BOUTIQUE RUMFEST RETURNS INVITING INDUSTRY EXPERTS TO A VERY SPECIAL AFTERNOON & EVENING OF EXCLUSIVE RUM TASTINGS & TALKS

Featuring a host of new rum distilleries and suppliers including Tres Hombres, Duppy Share and Dos Maderas

Friday 10th October, 2014, 3PM-9PM
*New venue – London’s Earl’s Court, ILEC Conference Centre*
rumfest.co.uk

Returning to RumFest for its fifth consecutive year, The Boutique RumFest in association with the Cork Supply company will take place Friday October 10th at London’s ILEC Centre welcoming a host of independent rum brands, importers and distilleries from across the globe. Celebrating the newly emerged distilleries and offering a platform to showcase their product, the Boutique RumFest is an exclusive trade and press only event and has quickly become THE place to discover fresh and exciting rums before anybody else. This year’s event will also host for the first time a series of specialist rum forums that will lead discussions on ‘So you want to import a rum brand?’ hosted by The Cocktail Lovers and the hot topic debate on premiumisation within the category with  ‘What makes a rum premium?’ hosted by rum aficionado and owner of the award winning Smuggler’s Cove, Martin Cate. Registration for those interested in attending is open now and can be submitted online here and successful applicants will be confirmed by Friday 26th September 2014.

Thanks to the increasing popularity of specialist rum production, the Boutique RumFest in association with the Cork Supply company has become the UK’s leading event to showcase new, independent rum distilleries from around the world. Founded by Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell, Friday’s event will open its doors exclusively to members of the press and trade and will provide an invaluable experience for distributors, buyers, rum aficionados, key industry figures and rum producers alike, acting as a platform to help newly formed distilleries develop within the industry and opportunity to meet the brands for the very first time.

Hosting a wide selection of rums from every corner of the globe, from Mexico’s Izapa Rum to Centenario from the central American’s country, Costa Rica. Far afield Indian-based Amrut distillery will be showcasing their Old Port Deluxe rum, which recently received a gold medal in the International Review of Spirit Awards, while the highly collectable Tres Hombres will also be present at the event. Family run American Koval will be showcasing their rum for the very first time in the UK from their completely organic distillery, while the newly formed Duppy Share will offer samples of their golden oak-aged Caribbean rum from the islands of Jamaica and Barbados. The championed Dos Maderas rum from Spain that combines Caribbean and Hispanic heritages to create a very unique rum will also be showcased plus the Fiji Rum Company amongst many other exciting new brands to discover at this year’s Boutique RumFest.

Expanding Boutique RumFest’s offering even further, there will also be an opportunity to engage with key industry figures in dedicated forums. Special guest, the award winning and first-ever female master blender, Joy Spence will be attending amongst other key experts across the drinks trade offering valuable insight into a range of key topics that are extremely prominent within the industry. The Cocktail Lovers will host an engaging discussion titled ‘So you want to import a rum brand?’, while the hot topic around the premiumisation of rums will be hosted by Martin Cate, rum aficionado and owner of one of the world’s top rum bars, Smuggler’s Cove. Additional forums will be announced soon.

The Cocktail Lovers comment, “We are thrilled to be working with Ian on this exciting new addition to The Rum Experience, it promises to be both informative and entertaining and a don’t miss for anyone who wants to know more about the ins and outs of importing rum.”

The finale to Boutique RumFest will be a VIP invite-only launch party on the Friday evening, providing the perfect opportunity to sip rums and meet fellow industry insiders and a precursor the Saturday and Sunday of The RumFest.

Registration for The Boutique RumFest is now open for members of trade/press, form submissions can be found HERE. The RumFest takes place in London at the ILEC on Friday 10th to Sunday 12th October 2014. Standard tickets are now on sale at £49.95, which includes access to all areas of the the event and single measure tastings from the majority of exhibitors. The brand new Golden Tot Tokens are £5 each and allow for additional tasting of the rarest, most expensive and premium rums on offer. One token can be exchanged for rum retailing £80 – £100 and more expensive rums will be available for additional tokens.

*End*

I don’t think that any of you good folks reading this post need any further encouragement to either register for the Boutique RumFest or to buy your tickets to the main event. Rum and fun are guaranteed, plus there is the chance to meet and talk to so many industry greats and all round legends such as Ian Burrell and Martin Cate……MARTIN CATE!!!…..you may even see me wandering around…..

© Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, both written and photographic without the express and written permission from this blog/sites author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Chairman’s Reserve ‘Rovers X1’

*Press Release*

St Lucia Distillers has recruited a new Chairman’s Reserve X1 who are currently touring top bars in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield giving mixology demonstrations, cocktail tastings and discounted serves to eager customers who want to taste the rums which have won the “Best Rum” Trophy four times in the last six years.

The tour started at Kosmonaut Bar on Tariff Street, in Manchester’s Northern Quarter where Tom Higham has invented a new cocktail ‘5 Spice Sour’ to accompany their Spice Club evening when they serve a grand home-style 4 course Indian meal (recipe below).

Montpellier’s Café on Back Turner Street, Manchester organised a “Caribbean Calling” evening and informal food-pairing event with Chairman’s White Rum, Chairman’s Spiced and it included a warm goat’s cheese, pine nut and honey salad paired with a Honey and Walnut Rum Manhattan using Chairman’s Reserve Finest Rum.

The Almost Famous Bar at 100-102 High Street also in Great Northern, Manchester will also be offering individually created cocktails by four of the new Chairman’s Rovers X1: Adam Binnersley, Jonathan Leathley, Brodie Meah and Tom Higham at the new outside terrace area on Tuesday 26^th August, when all four join forces to run the Chairman’s Reserve evening pop-up. Also at Almost Famous, a new Chairman’s Reserve Rum cocktail called ‘Custard Reserve’ specially created by mixologist Jonathan Leathley will be on the drinks menu – for the recipe – see below.

On the same evening, Under New Management, the popular bar in Barlows Croft, Salford M3 5DY will host a late-night session with plenty discounted Chairman’s Reserve Rum serves including Brodie Meah’s new rum cocktail ‘Watermelon Punch 1999’ – recipe below.

Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield will also be hosting in the coming weeks master classes of Caribbean rums from St Lucia showing the blends of pot and coffey still rum from one of the world’s most successful distilleries.

*End*

All sounds pretty awesome and I’ll hopefully be able to nip along to Great Northern on the 26th for a drink or two as they sound well worth checking out…………

Cocktail Recipes

‘Watermelon Punch 1999’ – Brodie Meah at Under New Management , Salford.

37.5ml Chairman’s Reserve Finest

25ml Vermouth

15ml Wheat beer & Coriander Seed Reduction

20ml Citrus

Watermelon

 

‘5 Spice Sour’ – Tom Higham, Kosmonaut Bar, Manchester

40ml Chairman’s Reserve Finest

10ml Mandarin Liqueur

25ml Lime Juice

15ml 5 spice syrup

15ml Mango

Splash ginger beer

 

‘Custard Reserve’ – Jonathan Leathley, at the Almost Famous Bar

50ml Chairman’s Reserve Finest

50ml Cocchi Americano

25ml Lemon

25ml Cooked Custard Cordial

25ml Egg White

2 Dashes Jerry Thomas Bitters

© Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, both written and photographic without the express and written permission from this blog/sites author and owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Steven James and Rum Diaries Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.