Newsletter – Friday 6th December
Happy Friday Team!!!
It’s December!!! Hooray! I’m a happy girl! It’s family tradition for the decorations to go up on the 1st December so my tree is up and the house is smothered in fairy lights. What are your family traditions? Anyone fancy sharing them with us? If you do, its Bernadette@ginandrumfestival.com.
I love seeing what other people do for Christmas. People have so many little traditions and ways to do it. All these wonderful little ways of celebrating the same thing. For me, one of my favourite things about Christmas is that it gives people the opportunity to spend a little more time with their friends and family than they normally would. It’s so important to snatch those opportunities when they arrive, so you get out there and share some love.
Plus, lets be honest, so many goodies! I’m not big on giving big expensive presents. I prefer to make things. This year I’m infusing some gin with pears, poached in mulled cider. In previous years I’ve done a spiced berry gin. It’s really easy to do. When I get mine started, I’ll take a few photos and share it in a newsletter with a how to, in case you want to give it a whirl yourselves. And, that’s not the only boozy treat I’ve got for my loved ones! I’ve got gin filled baubles on my tree and I’ve organised some fabulous crackers that contain a miniature and a can of mixer. If you want to buy some similar, check out Fever Tree as they’ve just brought some out. Hopefully that should keep the family happy, haha!
We’ve got some great deals on this week. And good news! If you do want to order a little something from us for a loved one then you’ve still got until the 17th of December to do it for it to arrive by Christmas!
Have a fabulous week you lovely bunch. Let’s get this advent party started!
Bernie & The G&R Team
Newsletter – Friday 29th November
Happy Friday Team!
Wow wow wow wow!!! Who was at Middlesbrough?! What a fantastic last event of the year! This year the team have completed almost 30 Festivals across the country and had such a great time – we can’t wait to do it all over again!
The team are done, or are they? Now’s an important time. We’ve recently released the dates of the festivals next year and now we’re busy, beavering away making arrangements to get everything organised and give you another great year. And this time the events are even bigger and better – new to 2020 your ticket price will include 2 FREE miniature 5cl bottles of Gin or Rum to take home with you, a reusable metal drinking straw and so much more!
So in case you hadn’t see the list or bought your ticket yet, here’s where we’re jetting off to in 2020:
14th March – Northampton
27th/28th March – Manchester
3rd/4th April – Norwich
17th/18th London
6th June – Derby
12/13th June – Leeds
4th July – Nottingham
10th/11th July – Peterborough
25th July – Lincoln
31st July/1st August – Chelmsford
7th/8th August – Bath
14th/15th August – Liverpool
21st/22nd August – Glasgow
4th/5th September – Manchester
11th/12th September – Reading
26th September – Blackpool
2nd/3rd October – Birmingham
16th/17th October – Coventry
13th/14th November – Derby
How exciting is that?!
So, it’s nearing the end of November so I’m putting it out there. Who’s thinking of Christmas? It seems to start earlier and earlier every year. This year I found as soon as Halloween was done Christmas decorations started creeping into shops. Crazy stuff! Then again, I’ve seen friends online talking about how they’ve already finished all the shopping. It’s sensible, I’ll give them that! I’m much more of a last-minute person and I’m always on the lookout for a deal so keep your eyes on our online shop. We know it’s Christmas and there are going to be some great deals so you can treat your loved one to something boozy.
Have a great week guys!
Bernie and G&R team
Newsletter – Friday 22nd November
So here we are! Middlesbrough! The final festival of the year! Absolutely amazing to think of what the team have done, the miles travelled, the good times given, the spirits shifted. I think a big round of applause for the team will be necessary after this one. And, a big thank you to all of you that came to our events and made them what they were! We couldn’t do this without you. Once we wrap that up, our events team will be able to give their little feet a rest, while those at the office will be busy, beavering away getting things into place for next year.
And what of next year? The dates are out! Have you seen them yet? I’ll be putting a bit more focus into them next week. Next year’s festival season doesn’t start until March, so you’ve got a little time. But hey, tickets to one of our events would make a pretty cool present for someone, plus you can be super cheeky as if they’re going, you should go with them, right? So, you’d better get a ticket for yourself too, because you’re thoughtful like that! Get your tickets here!
So, last week I mentioned Soul Passion and that I had been slipping a bit into a Mimosa to make a rather excellent party drink. Well, this week I wanted to look at Soul Passion’s little brother, Soul Salty. Soul Salty is a darling little drink, slightly lighter on the abv and sweet, with added salted caramel flavour, it’s delicious on the rocks, but sometimes it’s nice to be inventive. So, I’d like to propose a drink for those who like White Russians.
White Russians are easy drinks. Thick and creamy, they’re for someone who likes to take their time with a drink and keep a gentle pace. Normally made with vodka, kaluha and milk. Have a go with one replacing the vodka with Soul Salty. It makes for a drink that taste like some posh chilled coffee, with a lovely little kick to it too.
So, there we are! Hope you’re all keeping warm and wrapped up. Have a great week!
Bernie and The G&R Team
Newsletter – Friday 15th November
Happy Friday Team!
How are we doing this week? Hope you’ve had a good one. I’m excited, because today I get to talk a little about Scotland. Why is that exciting? Because Scotland is fab! Why am I talking about it? Because The Gin and Rum Festival have recently released their 2020 dates and they include the first ever Gin and Rum Festival in Glasgow! That’s right, on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd of August we’ll be in town, bringing you some of the finest gins and rums around!
Admittedly, I’ve not been to Glasgow myself, but I’ve been to Edinburgh and there I was taught a valuable lesson. I was holding a gin masterclass and normally I research a bit of local history to bring to an event. When I started looking into Scottish gin history, I was amazed! Down South a lot of gin history centres around London and I was oblivious to the goings on up there. It makes sense as in places like Leith, there were strong trading connections with the Dutch, where they sourced Genever, they also had access to the botanicals needed to craft the spirits. A slump in popularity left the centre of the industry, Edinburgh with no gin distilleries at all. Its only recently started growing again with the recent gin boom but is already a big industry again.
So, I wondered how many of you have tried Soul Passion when you were at one of the festivals? It’s been a popular seller, and it’s quite easy to see why. Those tropical flavours come through a treat. Recently I’ve been using mine to make mimosas. Similar to a Bucks fizz, the Mimosa is slightly more easy going. A Bucks Fizz is made from two parts champagne or prosecco and one-part orange juice. A Mimosa is simply half and half champagne/prosecco and orange juice. However, in some places its not unusual to slip a little nip of spirit in there two. White rum is quite often used and gin also works well. I’ve found by delightful experimentation that the Soul Passion is a divine addition to give your Mimosa a delicious twist. And, with party season around the corner, this is a simple but indulgent welcoming drink for guests.
Next week we’re back for the final festival of the year! We’re in Middlesbrough! Who’s coming? If you are I hope you’re up for a good night because we want the year to end on a high! As I mentioned at the start, the 2020 line up is out, a little more on that in a couple of weeks. Also, it’s worth keeping an eye on the newsletter in the coming weeks for special offers.
Have a great week, ya’ll!
Bernie & G &R
Soul rum liqueurs are the result of rather clever idea from a group of friends who love their rum. They spotted that the rum industry is growing into something much like the gin industry, with discerning drinkers looking to try different rums, understanding the complexity of flavour, along with a historical story or two.
They also spotted the growing trend in gin liqueurs in recent years. The boom in gin liqueurs has created a huge industry, with an equally large variety of different flavoured liqueurs appealing to a vast number of consumers, some of which don’t normally drink gin, but have found the liqueurs to be a nice stepping stone before getting into the harder stuff and sometimes just enough on its own.
Well then, isn’t about time for rum liqueurs? Something a little gentler on the palate, a little bit sweeter and something that can be sipped over ice? Something pleasant and tasty for those that find the heavy hit of straight rum a little too much. Well, look no further than Soul. Aimed at those that like their drink a little softer, with an image of a lioness on the label for strength and a name as deep as it gets, it’s a well thought out and well-made little drink. The guys that thought it up don’t own a distillery so they worked with a third party distillery to create the liqueur and were heavily involved in constructing the flavour profile and tastings to hone the spirit. A little birdy tells me that there may be some other varieties on the way too.
Soul Passion is a wonderful, rum punch kind of drink with mango, pineapple and passionfruit. It’s beautifully sweet and fruity on its own. It perks up fresh juice, predominantly pineapple or mango but it would work in orange to keep it simple. You could also splash some into some lemonade or soda water, and it would be fab in prosecco. It also lends itself ever so well to tiki cocktail recipes, already nursing those vibrant key flavours. With summer coming, it would be great to freeze some in sorbets or dribble over ice cream to make your own boozy Solero style desert. It’s a delicious and incredibly versatile libation.
How To Make A Soul Passion Cocktail:
50ml soul passion rum
25ml Fresh lime juice
75-100ml Pineapple juice
Drizzle of Raspberry syrup
Soul Salty is something entirely different. Flavoured with Salted Caramel, it is absolutely divine on the rocks! Rich sweetness twists with the tingle of salt and velvet caramel flavours all melding together in a beautiful fashion. How to drink it? If you’re a fan of White Russians, try replacing the Kaluha for this and you are in for a tasty treat indeed. As far as I’m concerned you can’t beat it on it’s own, or slipping it into a hot chocolate. Keep it simple and add a 25ml measure to your favourite chocolate, or if you really want to go to town then build the hot chocolate into a freakshake with all the trimmings.
How To Make A Salted Caramel Espresso Rumtini:
50ml Soul Salted Caramel Rum
25ml Coffee liqueur
Double Shot Espresso
Monin Caramel syrup to taste
I’ve got a friend who doesn’t drink very much. She finds the taste of straight spirits far too much and she’s got quite the sweet tooth. I suggested she try a little bit of the Soul Salty when she came to visit recently, and she loved it! I had to tear the bottle away from her in order to finish this write up. Soul is definitely a great starting point for people wanting to get into rum, whilst not having a palate for so much of the heavier stuff. They’re beautiful drinks and I predict they’ll be opening the door to the rum world for many a drinker indeed.
Bernie @ The G&R Team
Newsletter – Friday 8th November
Happy Friday Team!
Soooo how were the Halloween celebrations last weekend? What did you get up to? Did you trick or did you treat? Hope you had a wonderful time at our Norwich event. Any horror stories? Haha, I’m sure it was a cracker!
And this week, we’re rocking on up to the Steam Museum in Swindon. Home of the Great Western Railway, it’s a really cool place. I for one have thoroughly enjoyed galivanting around during a festival there. Being shut to the public, other than festival goers. It is slightly eerie hanging out with the model people. Hope you all have a great time!
I have to say, today’s a pretty special day. On this day, way back in 1789, Bourbon Whisky was first distilled from corn by Elijah Craig in Bourbon, Kentucky. What a special day that was! Just think of the joy that spirits have given to the world. And in some instances, the opposite. It’s always important to be careful with the drink.
To celebrate this special day I thought it would be nice to share a rather special cocktail with you, the Suffering Bastard. As always, finding where and how a drink was first invented is always tricky as there is a number of stories. One that I’ve found suggests that it can be traced back to the Long Bar at the Shepard Hotel in Cairo. Let’s set the scene, it was the 1940s. 1947 to be precise and the bar steward, a Joe Scialom, was in desperate need for a hangover remedy. The Suffering Bastard was born. The drink comprises of our Birthday Bourbon, along with a shot of gin. The drink is then boosted with lime juice and bitters and topped up with ginger ale.
As the season is slowing down slightly, next week the team are having a week off to recoup, then on the 22nd and 23rd November we’re going to be in Middlesbrough. I’ll tell you more about as we get closer. Always nice to keep an element of mystery.
Have a great weekend you lovely lot.
Bernie and The G&R Team
Newsletter – Friday 1st November
Happy Friday Team!!
Happy November! How was your Halloween? As I mentioned last week, falling on a Thursday, I can’t help but think you lovely lot are going to be celebrating it tonight, so for those of you in Norwich, Hooray! We’re in town and you’ll be getting down! Hope you have a wonderful night full of all sorts of spooky fun.
And next week we’re in lovely Swindon. Swindon is an old favourite with the wonderful back drop of the Steam Museum. The Steam Museum has been hosting Gin Festivals for some time so it’s going to be great to get some rum in there too. It’s a great back drop and a really interesting place to walk around, with a glass in hand. There are many stories to be found there. But one of the more well know is that of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a famous Victorian Engineer who left his mark around the country. Born in my hometown of Portsmouth, he was involved in the development of the SS Great Britain. This ship was the first propeller-driven, ocean-going, iron ship and in 1843 when it was built, it was the largest ship ever built. He also designed the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol and he masterminded the Great Western Railway.
So, that brings us up to date with what we’re doing. Now that’s get back to the fun stuff. Halloween! Halloween is all about celebrating the dead, with Hallows Eve being the one day of the year that the dead can come back to walk the Earth. So, with that in mind, I wanted to share a simple recipe for a spooky rum punch. Inspired by Sangria the colour of this is such a deep red you’ll have vampires crawling out of the woodwork. Get yourselves a large bowl. Add a whole bottle of rum and a bottle of red wine. The you need to balance out that loud booze flavour with lime, some triple sec and some sugar syrup. To garnish, chop up a few limes and perhaps blood oranges to keep in the mood. And, poof! Just like Dracula appearing in a cloud of smoke, you’ve got a great drink for everyone to share. Enjoy!
Have a wonderful weekend guys!
Bernie & The G&R Team
Newsletter – Friday 25th October
Happy Friday Team!
So how has your week been? Are you missing us? We’re certainly missing you! Well never you fear, our team have been beavering away behind the scenes to keep things running and next week we’re back! And we’re in Norwich!
That’s right, we’re bringing the party to St Andrew’s Hall. The grade 1 listed friary church and convent date back to the 14th century and make up the most complete friary complex surviving in England. It has witnessed an amazing history. During the reformation it was saved by the City Corporation, which bought it for use as a ‘common hall’. Since then it has been used as a workshop, a mint and a workhouse. And next week, it’s going to host the Gin and Rum Festival!
And today it is officially Sourest Day! A day when you don’t have to make lemonade with life’s lemons. A day to be openly grumpy. Nowadays, we’re under so much pressure to keep calm and stay positive, I think it’s quite nice to have day where you can take off that mask and chill with a frown.
In the name of spirits, I thought I’d share a recipe with you. Some of you may know the Whisky Sour. Well did you know you can also make it with gin and rum? For gin I would suggest starting with dry gin in a shaker then adding lemon juice, sugar syrup, aromatic bitters and egg white. Give it a good old shake, strain and serve. For rum the recipe needs a little bit of a twist. Start with rum and then add a little orange and/or lime juice rather than lemon. Add sugar syrup and egg whites and bitters if you choose.
And let’s not forget Halloween! Halloween is fast approaching this Thursday. Falling on a Thursday, I’m guessing more people will be celebrating it next weekend, so keep an eye out for next week’s newsletter, for a bit of spooky fun.
Hope you have a fabulous weekend!
Bernie & The G&R Team
Newsletter – Friday 18th October
Happy Friday team!
How has your week been? Hope it’s been full of all the good stuff. Happy, productive, lots of self-love and good socials with your loved ones too.
There may be a gap in the festivals right now, and the events staff may be getting to put their little tootsies up for a well needed rest. However, the wheels of the Gin and Rum Festival are still turning and lots of work is happening behind the scenes to sustain and improve our events.
I hope you’re keeping wrapped up, all warm and dry. It’s that time of year where the change in the weather can bring out all sorts of nasties with coughs and colds and flus. If you get struck down whilst your busy, the main concern can be that you don’t have time to be ill. Well, I say relish it. Have a hot bath to sweat it out, get yourself comfortable under a blanket on the sofa. And, if you’re anything like me, a hot toddy is a remarkable comforter.
Now, I need to advise you first and foremost that this is not medical advice by any means. I’m not saying a hot toddy will make you well. And, as always, it is alcohol so do be careful. However, I find nothing hits the spot quite like a hot toddy when I’m feeling rough around the edges.
Although originally whisky was the spirit most associated, you can make them with most spirits. Gin is a big contender and rum works really well too. The ingredients in them can work wonders to help give you a little boost.
So lets keep it simple to start. Take a couple of slices of lemon, with antibacterial properties, and pop it into a cup. Add a dollop of honey, which is great for soothing a sore throat and add a little hot water. Stir, let it steep briefly and add a healthy glug of your favourite spirit. Voila! You can then customise by adding extra things as much as you like. Spice is popular, a dash of chilli or ginger can help open up a congested chest and I quite like turmeric as it has a wealth of interesting properties, one of which is as an antidepressant. So if you’re feeling a little low, this could be the drink for you!
Feel free to experiment. My basic guide is citrus – antibacterial, honey – throat, spice – congestion. I’d love to see some of the ones you make so feel free to send in any pictures to bernadette@ginandrumfestival.com and I hope you feel better soon!
Look after yourselves and have a great weekend.
Bernie and G&R
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