TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR RUMFEST
THE UK’S BIGGEST CELEBRATION OF RUM

Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th October 2015 
London’s ILEC, Earl’s Court
rumfest.co.uk

Following on from lasts year’s success, the ninth annual RumFest is already on course for its best year yet, taking rum lovers on a voyage of discovery through the glorious world of rum. Launched by Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell, the The Rum Experience’s RumFest has become one of the biggest events on the rum calendar and caters for everyone who enjoys a tipple, from novices to fully fledged rum connoisseurs. 2015 will see RumFest soar to new heights thanks to a refined, rum-fuelled programme set to both educate and entertain. Whether a keen rum enthusiast, all-round spirit lover or new to the category, RumFest is the one-stop shop for all to embrace rum as a lifestyle choice.

A day ticket to RumFest gives attendees unrivalled access to try and buy over 400 different blends from around the world. Continuing the success of last year, the Golden Tot tokens return. Available on the day for just £5, the Golden Tots open the doors to rum’s elite and allows the more serious rum enthusiast to try rums that usually retail for over £200 a bottle.

Seminars and workshops take place across the two days where brands, rum ambassadors and leading industry figures give an in-depth insight into the world of rum including rum and food pairing and the making of rums. Top blenders, mixologists and distillers will also be on hand to teach ticket holders the art of cocktail making as well as more ways to enjoy their favourite rums. In a new move for 2015 RumFest’s trade sister show Boutique RumFest will make an appearance across the two days, giving the rum super fan unprecedented access to selected rums with private tastings that have previously been reserved only for those who work in the industry.

Other highlights for 2015 include the return of RumFest’s Auction in partnership with Christie’s auction house. A must see for this year, RumFest is hoping to smash last year’s grand total where over 20 precious and rare rum were sold off for charity. The RumFest’s famous food offering will deliver mouth watering cuisine from exotic rum making locations and temperatures are set to rise with live stage demos showcasing rum pairings, cooking demos, cocktail competitions and more. Carnival Hour rounds off the RumFest experience each day in the ultimate party finale, featuring live bands and dancers that embrace the fun and social spirit of rum.

RumFest Founder and Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell is the leading name in rum. Dedicating his life to promoting rum and rum culture around the world, over the years Burrell has been recognised with a number of industry awards as well as regularly appearing as a rum expert at events and on television shows like Sunday Brunch, the Alan Titchmarsh Show and more.

Speaking about the return of RumFest Burrell says, “We’ve refined RumFest this year into something very special. We’ll be taking rum lovers on the UK’s biggest celebration of rum, showing them the fun side of the culture, while at the same time giving an insight into the spirit so they can take home what they’ve learnt, armed with a better understanding of the spirit.”

The RumFest takes place in London at the ILEC, 17th to 18th October 2015. Standard day tickets are now on sale at £49.95, which includes access to all areas of the the event and tastings from all exhibitors. VIP tickets are on sale from £75 and allow for early access of one hour ahead of standard ticket buyers along with a two course Caribbean lunch and RumFest goodie bag. Golden Tot Tokens are £5 each and allow for additional access to the more premium rums on offer. One token can be exchanged for rum retailing £80 – £100 and more expensive rums will be available for additional tokens. Tickets to the new private rum tastings will be announced soon. For full information on RumFest and to buy tickets head to rumfest.co.uk.

GLOBAL RUM AMBASSADOR TO STAGE THE WORLD’S LARGEST RUM TASTING
AS PRECURSOR TO EIGHTH ANNUAL RUMFEST

Very limited spaces available to the Guiness World Record attempt
and tickets available now on a first come first serve basis

Thursday 9th October 2014,
London’s ILEC, Earl’s Court
Tickets at £10, now on sale from rumfest.co.uk

For the first time in history, RumFest invites guests to become part of a record breaking attempt to host the world’s largest rum tasting, with hundreds of rum enthusiasts coming together to sample six esteemed rums from across the globe.

Representing Jamaica, Appleton’s Rum will be sipped and savoured with commentary from revered Master Blender, Joy Spence, whilst the Spanish style of rum, Don Q will be sipped and savoured with a yet to be announced speaker. For a historical twist Pusser’s Navy Rum will be presented by George Freegard and Peter Thornton. Angostura will bring a taste of Trinidad to the evening hosted by Master Distiller John Georges and the delights of Cuban’s classic Havana Club will be a part of the World Record Attempt with one final rum to be announced in the coming weeks.

Doors will open at 5pm where guests will be greeted with a welcome speech from Global Rum Ambassador and RumFest founder Ian Burrell, followed by an introduction to the rules and regulations of the Guinness World Records. From 6.30pm the world record attempt will begin as guests taste the six rums from some of the world’s most revered rum distilleries followed by an audience Q&A and the presentation of the Guinness World Records certificate.

Global Rum Ambassador and RumFest Founder Ian Burrell comments, “The possibility of hosting the World’s Largest Rum Tasting is incredibly exciting and we cannot wait to share the experience with so many rum lovers and it will be the perfect way to kick off what will be four days of superb rum celebrations. Rum is a spirit loved by many and to have the chance to taste six esteemed rums hosted by their top master blenders, ambassadors and distillers is an honour and a privilege. I cannot wait to share it with you all!”

The RumFest takes place in London at the ILEC on Friday 10th for press and trade and Saturday 11th to Sunday 12th October 2014 for trade and consumers. Standard tickets are now on sale at 49.95 for Saturday and Sunday, which include 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 access to the more premium rums on offer. One token can be exchanged for rum retailing 80 – 100 and more expensive rums will be available for additional tokens. For full information please visit the RumFest website.

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…