Yet again there is a carnival shaped hole in our collective London hearts this year. For the rum lovers however, you only have to wait a month or so before London Rum Week descends on bars and restaurants around the city. From 10th – 17h October, events, tastings, supper clubs and limited-edition menus will be popping up at partner venues to celebrate everything Rum.

The week culminates on October 16th with RumFest, a rum lovers dream of a day, jam-packed with tastings, exhibitions, seminars and demonstrations from both new and established distillers and blenders from the world of rum. The day’s sessions, all curated by industry titan Ian Burrell will take place from 2-4pm and 5-9pm and Golden Tot tokens, priced at £5 each, will be available to buy in advance, allowing guests to sample some of the world’s best rums.

Still missing that carnival spirit? fear not, Guests will be treated to Carnival Time featuring live music, dancing and exciting food traders offering delicious snacks and meals as well as food and rum pairing masterclasses. And if you can’t make any of this in person, you can still join in with RumFest Online with streamed live events and specially recorded digital content.

If you prefer your rum on the spicier side, the Spiced Rum Show on 17th October at Night Tales in Hackney doubles down on the much-loved category.

Rum Fest takes place on 16th October at ILEC Conference Centre in Earl’s Court. Tickets are priced at £30 and include a tasting glass, a show brochure, access to free masterclasses and all samples at the show aside from Golden Tot rums. 

Find out more at www.rumfest.co.uk

Written by Rick Hartley