Tickets are LIVE! The first Scottish rum festival goes virtual, with charitable spirit.
The inaugural Scottish Rum Festival due to launch at The Merchants’ Hall in Edinburgh this summer will now be a virtual event. Set to showcase Scotland’s nascent rum movement, the programme can now be accessed by rum lovers across the UK and beyond. The festival will also raise money for The BEN, Scotland’s drinks and hospitality charity. Tickets are available now.
The online event will be staged on Friday 24th July for trade delegates (by invitation) and Saturday 25th July ( 12:30 - 21:30 BST ) for public ticket holders, and will present talks, tastings and unique brand experiences through a series of live-streamed sessions with Scotland’s leading rum distillers and blenders, using the festival’s social channels.
Festival tasting packs will be sent to ticket holders (UK addresses only at present). The tasting sets will feature an expertly curated selection of rums, along with a festival Glencairn tasting glass, to help connoisseurs and curious newbies alike to explore Scottish rum and support this growing sector.
The festival will feature a number of Scottish producers presenting their rums including V.S. Distillers, Brewdog Distilling Co., Matugga Distillers, Wester Spirits Co., Ninefold Distillery, Glasgow Distillery, Rumburra Scotland, Spirit of Glasgow and Deeside Distillery.
The festival programme will be announced soon and will be supported by spirits experts and educators Dave Broom and Peter Holland. The programme will also feature Mungo's Hi Fi, a soundsystem and music production collective based in Glasgow.
Dr Kit Caruthers, owner and head distiller at Ninefold Distillery, said: “This is a great opportunity for the burgeoning Scottish rum sector, and I am delighted to play a part in the inaugural Scottish Rum Festival. There is a growing band of producers who make rum authentically and honestly here in Scotland, and we’re looking forward to giving everyone a great rum experience.”
Public tickets are priced at £34.95 and are now available online at: ScotRumFest.com. £5 from the sale of each ticket will be donated to The BEN.
Chris Gardner, Chief Executive of The BEN, said: “It’s wonderful to see Scotland’s rum industry come together. Donations from the festival will help us to provide social, financial or emotional support to trade professionals affected by the coronavirus pandemic for which we are very grateful.”
James Withers, CEO of Scotland Food and Drink, added: “Scotland’s drinks industry has a global reputation for quality, innovation and craftsmanship. We’re now entering an exciting time for the country’s growing rum scene, to be explored by consumers and producers alike. The Scottish Rum Festival will showcase the new wave of distillers and blenders that are putting Scotland firmly on the global rum map, while raising money for a vital cause.”
Festival Partners:The Virtual Scottish Rum Festival 2020 is supported by the Connect Local Regional Food Fund, which is financed by The Scottish Government, in partnership with industry, and has been created to promote local food and drink, in line with Ambition 2030.
Other supporters: Scotland Food & Drink, Scottish Distillers Association, Glencairn Crystal, The Floating Rum Shack, Earles & Co., Alba Cola.
More information can be found here: https://www.scotrumfest.com
Media & Sponsorship Enquiries: Please email info@scotrumfest.com
About The Benevolent Society of the Licensed Trade of Scotland (The BEN)
The BEN helps people in need in the drinks and hospitality trade, across all aspects of the industry, who have worked for a minimum of three years full time. The exception to this criteria is their free mental health helpline, which is available to everyone who works in the sector.
The BEN also provides shelter within their 18 houses in Pitlochry for former and current employees of the trade, using one of the properties in conjunction with Shared Care Scotland to give carers a well-deserved break. http://www.bensoc.org.uk
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