[Ad – Gifted] Just when I thought that #FridayFeeling couldn’t get any better, I was invited to attend the evening session at the UK’s first and largest Gin & Rum Festival tour with my plus one best friend.
I’ve been to a Gin Festival before, but never a Gin & Rum Festival, so it was a super exciting experience, especially when we found out there was going to be live entertainment at the venue.
Leeds Town Hall was the perfect choice for the event, combining baroque architecture with quirky exhibitors and modern alcohol flavours.
Complete with themed bars and over 120 gins and rums, the booze festival was the perfect excuse to relax and with a glass or few. It also had a mixer station for attendees to top up their spirits or to rehydrate. I love a sweet beverage, so having the option to swap out the tonic for Sweppes lemonade or ginger beer really enhanced my night.
I bought a few drinks throughout the night (all priced at £5), but the standout one was ‘Shelly’s Raspberry Ripple Gin’. It’s weird how a particular taste can make you relive certain memories, but this gin took me right back to a time in my childhood where I was especially fond of ice cream. It went down a treat, so I was especially glad to find out it was only 23% and definitely not as strong as most other gins usually are.
Following closely behind was the ‘Berry Pickers Gin’, made with fresh strawberries and plenty of citrus fruit. The flavours were much more subtle than the previous gin, but still would be perfect for a lovely summers day.
Exhibitors conducting masterclasses and offered free samples to everyone throughout event. This meant that people could opt for some flavours they may never normally have the confidence to buy as a full drink like rhubarb and custard gin and salty caramel rum.
I had the pleasure of attending the Brockmans talk where the energetic speaker took everyone through the gin’s journey and explained how pleased the brand is that the alcohol is finally proving popular with millennials. He even included an anecdote about a time where he offered a university sports team free London dry gin if they drank it all night and they still refused.
The whole Gin & Rum festival had a great atmosphere, with attendees drinking delectable spirits, eating exciting street food and dancing along to the live entertainment and the DJ’s songs.
Tickets usually cost £12 (+VAT and a booking fee), but all attendees receive a complimentary bag, a branded Copa glass to keep and a drinks guide on arrival so it’s not bad value for money.
Will you be trying a Gin & Rum Festival anytime soon? Let me know in the comments below!*
