This year was the fifth UK Rumfest - The world’s biggest festival to celebrate the international diversity of rum and cane spirit. RumFest has something for everyone, whether you are a party animal, a drinks connoisseur or if you are new to rum and want to learn more. The RumFest experience prides itself on bringing together the finest rum, great food, enterntainment and a wide range of seminars offering fascinating facts about rum, it's history and the industry.
The festival offers the chance to experience the diverse flavours of rum from all over the world. Over 400 rums are available to sample and buy. You're able to experience rums from new up and coming brands, established brands as well as some of the rarest. There's the opportunity to watch live cocktail demonstrations as well as sampling cocktails mixed by the UK's best mixologists. For the adventurous there are rum master classes run by industry experts to learn everything you need to know about London's top Rum cocktails.
Away from the party, you could chill out in the Tropical Food Area and enjoy Caribbean cuisine from Cottons Restaurant Camden, including Curried Goat, Jerked Stew Chicken, Chick Pea & Roast Pumpkin Curry and rum cakes. They pride themselves on the unusual delicacy of rum and chocolate which are known to 'complement each other and open the palete to a new dimension flavour' and also known to be an aphrodisiac. Keeping with the Caribbean theme, live bands bands played tropical rhythms, salsa, soca, reggae, zouk and samba to make the Rum experience one to remember.
THE GOLDEN RUM BARREL AWARDS 2011
Until now, there has been no internationally recognised award for the efforts of the many rum brands. The Golden Rum Barrel Awards acknowledge and pay tribute to those working within the Rum Trade. The award not only recognises the excellence of rum but also the key individuals within the industry. The nominated brands and individuals will be voted for by the public with the four most popular within each catergory attending the show. The final four nominees from each of the catergories will then face a panel of journalists and rum experts from around the world. One winner from each catergory will be chosen at the award ceremony at the Hilton Olympia Hotel with the winner of the UK Rum Ambassador of the Year competing with the International Rum Ambassador of the Year in a series of challenges including a test of their rum knowledge in a rum Mastermind and a test of their cocktail skills in a cocktail making contest.
UK Rum Ambassador and UK RumFest founder, Ian Burrell said: 'We're really excited celebrating not only the brands but also the individuals who have made a real difference in the rum industry. We want to honour those individuals who work endlessly around the world to promote their rum brands'.
Written by Claire Jones