Rum festival bringing tiki vibes and calypso beats to Manchester next month

Rum lovers get set to descend on Manchester as an annual rum festival will bring Tiki vibes and Calypso beats to the city this summer – and you can win FREE tickets to it and a year’s supply of rum.

Manchester Rum Festival is on its way to the Mercure Hotel on July 8th — World Rum Day — where visitors can sip on some of the finest rums from around the world as well as bop to funky beats from Calypso inspired DJ sets while they munch on tasty Caribbean foods.

For a very special treat, visitors will be able to purchase a one-off, limited-edition bottle of the official festival rum, named ‘Punk Croc’ which is a collaboration with the Outlier Distilling Company.

This 41% abv limited edition blend is a Manx rum with a cask-aged bite. Perfect for Mojitos and Daiquiris with attitude, the bottling will only be available at the festival, so rum lovers can take home a very special souvenir this year and recreate the cocktail magic at home.

The event will see a variety of distillers including Distillers Direct — bringing a very special limited edition single cask of Chairman’s Reserve Rum, which has been produced in partnership with The Drinks Trust. 

The UK’s largest rum distillery, DropWorks will be making their very first rum festival appearance after launching at the latter end of May. 

Also debuting at the festival are Rhum JM, an historic rum from Martinique in the Caribbean with a super sustainable background focusing on biodiversity and the preservation of nature, as well as Takamaka, the first ever rum from the idyllic Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.

Visitors will be able to sample all of the brands, purchase their favourites and have a great time entertained by fantastic music, eating delicious food.

For the very first time, MONIN will be at the festival with the official cocktail bar if you fancy a Pina Colada, Mojito or Daiquiri, and the event will be sponsored by Stratford Sodas who will be providing the perfect mixers for your favourite rum delights. 

Two rums from Madeira  – 970 and Tristão Vaz Teixeira – will become the first brands ever to exhibit at the festival from the Portuguese Island. And, a rum from Outlier Distillery on the Isle of Man that has recently been featured on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch will be available to taste.

Last but not least, Ron Piet from Panama, Tilambic from Mauritius, Eminente from Cuba, Paranubes from the mountainous Oaxaca region in Mexico, and Bone Idyll — a rum distillery based in Kingston upon Thames — will also be making their Manchester debuts.

Manchester Rum Festival founder, Dave Marsland, said: “The 2023 festival is set to be the biggest and best yet with rum brands from all over the planet descending on Manchester for what has become a must-have diary date for rum lovers.

“Visitors can expect a smorgasbord of samples, uplifting DJ sets and Caribbean Street Food from Nyammin’, which always gets the taste buds tingling. 

“It really is a fantastic day out and has cemented itself as a brilliant annual event for rum fans across the UK and beyond. For added fun this year, visitors can snap some pics in a special photo booth and take group selfies with a special frame, so you can share the memories with friends.”

To win a year’s supply of rum and two tickets to the legendary Manchester Rum Festival this July, simply head HERE.

General tickets are priced at £25 each. For more information and to book a ticket click HERE.

Manchester’s first and only dedicated and official rum festival takes place on Saturday July 8th, 12-7pm, at the Mercure, Manchester in Piccadilly Gardens.