Birmingham’s Gin & Rum Festival 2019

If rum and gin are your thing (I know gin is definitely mine) then Birmingham’s Gin & Rum Festival should be on your radar. I attended Birmingham’s Gin & Rum Festival last weekend. I was very excited as gin is my favourite drink and my mama, who came with me, is partial to rum. She loves a bit of the old Wray & Nephew.

Edgbaston Cricket ground was the venue for Birmingham’s Gin & Rum Festival. Tickets cost £12.00 and this got you a Gin & Rum Festival Copa glass, a satchel bag, a Gin & Rum guide, access to master classes, knowledgeable staff on hand, and live entertainment. Once inside you can buy drink tokens that cost £5 each and in exchange for one token you get one drink.

The First Token – Rum

With the room split in half, it’s made easy to focus on your tipple of choice. Mom made a beeline for the rum side of the room. We tried the Bumbu Rum Caribbean Blend as our first drink.

Bumbu Rum Caribbean Blend

A little history: The Bumbu Rum is based on recipes from the 16th and 17th century by West Indian sailors. Native spices and sugar cane will dominate your tastebuds with every sip. This rum was a strong recommendation from the Birmingham Gin & Rum Festival bartender. The smell of the rum struck us both – it smelt so good!

Bumbu Rum nearly finished and the festival had barely started!

The Second Token – Gin

Now my mama’s tastebuds were satiated, it was time to sample the gins on offer. Birmingham’s Gin & Rum Festival had me spoilt for choice. It took me a while to make a decision but I finally settled on the Whitley Neill Aloe & Cucumber Gin. The bartender assured me there would be a distinct hint of lemon but I failed to notice it. I was disappointed with this gin as it didn’t have a strong flavour and because I’m so used to strong-flavoured gins, it was not a favourite of mine.

Whitley Neill Aloe & Cucumber Gin

The Third Token – Gin

The second gin I tried was MOM. This is a British gin flavoured with raspberries, red currant and juniper.

MOM Gin

MOM Gin Garnished with Cherries

This gin was an improvement. However, my selections failed to wow me. I sampled the KURO Peach Gin and KURO Cherry Blossom Gin. Japanese inspired, these gins had strong peach and cherry blossom flavours. I really liked the packaging and presentation.

KURO Peach Gin

KURO Cherry Blossom Gin

My Favourite Drink

Sacred Gin  answered my juniprayers. Check out their beautiful display. It caught my eye from across the room.

Sacred Gin Display

Siobhan impressed upon me Sacred Gin’s history and philosophy. Their gins are flavoured with only natural ingredients and distilled at a low temperature to preserve the flavour. I tried the Sacred Pink Grapefruit Gin and Sacred Cardamom Gin.

Sacred Cardamom Gin

I liked this gin so much that I purchased a bottle. The cardamom taste was very strong, in a good way. I really enjoyed talking to the Sacred Gin reps and I was very impressed with how knowledgeable and passionate they were on the brand and their ethos.

The Fourth Token – Rum

Rum choice number two was Soul Salty Caramel. This rum is widely popular and I could see why. The smell and taste was just delicious and as the strength is only 20%, a mixer wasn’t strictly necessary.

Soul Salty Caramel Garnised with Dried Banana Pieces

This rum is made in Derby and is flavoured with salted caramel liqueur. I can imagine this being a great dessert drink.

The Final Token – Gin

Shelly’s Manchester Tart Gin

Last but by no means least was Shelly’s Manchester Tart Gin. I loved this! It tasted amazing and I was gutted that I didn’t buy a bottle. I didn’t even notice they were selling them on a table not far from the Sacred Gin display. Silly me. This gin is flavoured with raspberry, vanilla and has a hint of cherry and coconut.

Shelly’s Manchester Tart Gin

Verdict

After using all five purchased tokens I can say with confidence that my favourite drinks were my sample of Sacred Cardamom’s Gin, Shelly’s Manchester Tart Gin, Bumbu Rum Caribbean Blend and Soul Salty Caramel. Between the two of us we purchased full bottles of the Sacred Cardamom Gin, Bumbu Rum Caribbean Blend and Soul Salty Caramel from the festival. By purchasing directly from Birmingham’s Gin & Rum Festival we saved a few quid per bottle, too.

In conclusion, if you’re a gin or rum fan Birmingham’s Gin & Rum Festival is a great way to try gins and rums that may not be readily available in your local watering hole. Now the only challenge I have is to make them last!

If you’re interested in more gin tasting opportunities then check out this post featuring 5 Places for the Best Gin Tasting in Birmingham

Love blackpistachio x

Disclaimer: Tickets for the festival were gifted. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are in no way influenced by any company or brand.