GLOBAL RUM AMBASSADOR IAN BURRELL LAUNCHES THE INAUGURAL THE RUM EXPERIENCE UNIVERSITY
ANDALUSIA, SPAIN

A DIPLOMA COURSE OFFERING INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AND RUM ENTHUSIASTS
AN EXTENSIVE AND IMMERSIVE STUDY OF RUM
16th-20th September 2013
www.rum-uni.com

Opening its doors this September for the first time, The Rum Experience University is designed for anyone looking to expand their core knowledge of the world of rum, whether they are bartenders, rum brand ambassadors, journalists, industry specialists or simply keen rum enthusiasts. The intensive five day course will cover everything rum related, taking guests through production methods, the history of rum, rum blending, distilling and cocktail making like never before. Offering a well rounded package, the university will also look at public speaking and how to prepare and execute a rum presentation, not to mention exclusive talks with leading worldwide industry experts. Speakers include Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell, Master Distiller and ambassador of all rums, Richard Seale from Four Square Distillery in Barbados, World Tiki Authorative Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, food scientist Bernard Lahouse, cocktail historians and authors Anastasia Miller and Jared Brown, International Rum Ambassador David Cordoba, NLP Master Practitioner Don Smith. More exciting names to come.

The Rum Experience University course will be an immersive and intense experience. Taking place at the Best Western Hotel in Salobrena, guests will be treated to panoramic views of the Mediterranean sea, overlooking golden beaches within the stunning Spanish weather. This sub-tropical climate has provided for centuries the perfect conditions for growing sugar cane and daily excursions will take guests to various locations to explore the culture, history and making of rum. Afternoon trips will include journeys to local sugar cane fields, the Pre-Industrial Sugar Cane Museum, which was built on the ruins of an ancient sugar cane factory and features Europe’s oldest sugar mill and a myriad of exhibitions and there will also be a visit to the famous Rum Montero Distillery. The distillery was founded in 1963 by Francisco Montero and as the only European rum distillery open to the public, students will get to see first hand how rum is made.

Founder Ian Burrell is the Global Rum Ambassador and Founder of UK RumFest and The Rum Experience. As the leading name in rum, Ian has used his in-depth knowledge and passion for the rum category to raise awareness of rum by educating and promoting rum culture throughout the world. Ian’s vision is to create a stand alone qualification that has the experience at the heart of the programme:”There has never ever been an official course to become a spirits ambassador, let alone a rum ambassador. Too many brand ambassadors are thrown in the deep end and expected to promote categories and brands based on a PowerPoint presentation but without ever having visited the distillery or maturation warehouses where their products are made. We are seeking to empower our students with knowledge, and the tools to use that knowledge”.

Limited places on The Rum Experience University are now available from £899 providing a comprehensive course of study and an industry recognised Rum diploma. Each place is inclusive of Bed, breakfast, lunch and dinner at The Rum University Hotel, 5 days of expert masterclasses & seminars, 5 afternoon rum excursions, Rum Experience University book, Rum diploma – merit or distinction. Flights and transfer to hotel are not included. For more information and how to purchase tickets visit The Rum Experience University website.

What better news to receive on a cold and dreary day in late spring: The UK RumFest dates have been announced and along with their shiny new website, you can now buy your tickets to the UK’s biggest homage to Rum. So for all you rum lovers out there, here’s the latest press release from The Rum Experience:

“Returning to the UK’s capital this October, the world famous UK RumFest will take place on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 October 2013 and will offer visitors to London’s ExCeL Exhibition Centre the chance to embark on a voyage of rum discovery. Featuring a brand new two-tiered ticketing structure, the seventh annual UK RumFest will provide a tailor made experience catering for discerning connoisseurs and casual enthusiasts alike. This year’s UK RumFest will once again showcase over 400 of the rarest and most diverse rums from across the globe as well as feature intimate seminars hosted by industry aficionados, an extended Tropical Food Market with mouthwatering food from all over the world, plus live music and main stage presentations and holiday giveaways. UK RumFest continues to be THE premier event for educating and entertaining rum enthusiasts. Tickets are on sale now with standard tickets priced at £25 plus booking fee or premium tickets, which give access to the brand new Connoisseur Cove at £45 plus booking fee. All available from the brand new RumFest website which has also launched this week.

Rum’s popularity has soared in recent years, becoming the UK’s fastest growing spirit and the drink of choice for millions across the globe. Today, The Rum Experience, founders of the UK RumFest are thrilled to invite rum lovers to join them at the world’s largest celebration of rum culture, the seventh annual UK RumFest. After 2012’s sell out success, this year’s UK RumFest will feature a series of innovations to the programme, all of which are designed to deliver an excellent experience for UK RumFest visitors wanting to enjoy some rum-fuelled fun and entertainment. This year’s event will feature a mixture of rum bars, providing the opportunity to sample the best known brands on the market, either as a 1 centilitre free sample in exchange for a token or as a professionally mixed cocktail, alongside a series of stands from carefully selected rum brands.

Bringing together the industry’s top blenders, distillers and mixologists, visitors are invited on a journey of rum discovery with a vast array of masterclasses, talks and seminars available to all ticket holders. For those who have a passion for cocktail sampling, creating or spectating, worldclass mixologists will be showcasing their skills through cocktail battles and demonstrations. The Carnival atmosphere as always will be electric and will be heightened by a bill of live music that will reverberate throughout the weekend featuring a heady mix of reggae beats, samba rhythms and traditional souk dancers. There really is no other show quite like it.

TROPICAL FOOD MARKET
Taste buds will be tantalized at this year’s extended Tropical Food Market hosting an abundance of street food outlets on hand to help soak up the rum drenched day. Embracing cuisines from across the rum regions, where the sweet sugar cane grows in abundance, traders have been invited to bring their flavours from the Caribbean, South America and Africa. Generous samples will be available and for those enticed by the cuisine on offer will be able to purchase meals from each of the food outlets. For those interested in discovering more, celebrity TV Chef Hasan De Four will be hosting the live presentations on the Demo Kitchen Stage showcasing exclusive one-off masterclasses including rum & food pairing, cooking with rum and much more to be announced very soon.

CONNOISSEUR’S COVE
For the first time, UK RumFest introduces the brand new Connoisseur’s Cove area inviting the discerning drinker to an exclusive rum haven. Visitors can sip, savour and discover some of the rarest, most exquisite premium rums from across the globe. This exclusive area is perfectly designed to take the connoisseur on an extensive rum discovery, set away from the lively Carnival crowds and creating an incredible journey. Expect some very special rums of distinctions to sample whilst educating palates like never before.

Ian Burrell, Global Rum Ambassador and founder of The Rum Experience comments, “UK RumFest is the destination event for rum lovers and we promise two days that will take each and every visitor on a journey of rum discovery. With the brand new ticketing structure we aim to cater for the discerning drinker and the casual enthusiast creating a one-off experience for all. We look forward to seeing you in October!”

UK RumFest is presented by The Rum Experience and takes place on Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th October 2013 at London’s ExCeL Exhibition Centre. Standard tickets for this year’s RumFest are now on sale from £25 and includes access to central zone featuring Rum Bars and selected Rum brands, the Tropical Food Market, seminar rooms and the Main Stage presentation area. The Connoisseur’s Cove tickets priced at £45 allowing an additional exclusive access to the most exquisite rum brands available at the moment where visitors are invited to take their journey of rum discovery to the next level. Weekend tickets are priced at £80 and include access to the Connoisseur’s Cove.”

For those rum lovers who haven’t attended before, I can’t state enough how much you will want to attend this year’s UK RumFest. To see a little glimpse of last year’s UK RumFest please take a look at the RumFest 2012 picture gallery. You can also find additional images from both last year and the 2011 UK RumFest on the Rum@Charlosa RumFest Pinterest Board.

Please check back for more details as they become available, as well as an overview of what to expect for those who haven’t previously attended the UK RumFest.

In a move that sounds more like his latest April Fools joke, Our Illustrious Leader of Rum Imbibement, Ian Burrell sets forth today on his own Antarctic exploration to help spark the debate about water wastage and to raise money for the non-profit organization, Wine to Water. While I suspect that the local Penguins may not feel that they themselves have much of a shortage of water , I’m quite sure that they will be especially grateful for the chance to explore the delights of a few tots of rum and in fact I’m pretty sure Pingu might make more sense after a few…

“Ian Burrell, Global Rum Ambassador, Founder and Director of The Rum Experience and UK RumFest and owner of Cottons Camden Rhum Shack & Restaurant, will be travelling thousands of miles across three continents and two oceans as well as facing the challenging conditions of Antarctica to build the worlds coldest pop-up rum shack, whilst raising money for the esteemed water charity, Wine to Water. Setting sail on 25th March, Ian will endeavour to serve the forty-strong expedition crew and local community, delicious tropical rum cocktails in sub-zero temperatures in a world first.”

“Taking the trend of innovative pop-up bars to a pioneering new level, the worlds most revered Rum Ambassador will be bringing a taste of the Tropics to the South Pole all in the name of charity, building from scratch a carefully designed pop-up rum shack where rum will be flowing, cocktails will be shaken and ice will be in abundance. Supporting this springs Wine to Water campaign, Ian Burrell will be raising money for the non-for-profit organisation focused on providing clean water to people in desperate need. Nearly 1 billion people in the world today lack access to adequate water and 2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation.”

“Ian Burrell has a personal ambition to give something back. As the Global Rum Ambassador, mixing cocktails, judging competitions and travelling the world spreading the gospel of rum is a day-to-day way of life and has brought to his attention the high levels of water wasted throughout the industry. With the components of many drinks made up of over 60% of water including the abundance of wasted ice and a vast proportion discarded without being consumed, Wine For Water is the perfect organisation to help raise awareness and support the global water crisis.”

“Having spent the last 10 years spreading the gospel of rum throughout the world, visiting Antarctica seemed like the next natural step to bring rum to an entirely new destination and audience. I am thrilled to be travelling with an expedition of forty fellow adventurers to build the local community their very own pop up rum shack and for a fantastic cause. All money raised will go towards the Wine to Water campaign that will ultimately transform peoples lives by providing running clean water and raising the global water crisis. Ian Burrell, Global Rum Ambassador”

“All of us at Wine To Water were so thrilled and honored to have Mr. Burrell choose us as his partnering charity for such an awesome campaign. In many of the countries where we work women and children have to walk hours every day to gather a life giving resource that we in the bar industry take for granted. I am certain this campaign will not only shed some light on humanities most precious resource, but it will also give us an opportunity to serve thousands more in need of clean drinking water.” Doc Hendley

While I can’t deny I’m still somewhat sceptical about the likelihood of this trip, despite the confirmation from Ian’s PR team, the reality is that at the very least, the Wine to Water campaign and its message will get additional coverage and this is only a good thing. Of course if it is for real I wish Ian all the best with his latest endeavour and hope he’s able to raise a lot of money for a great cause…