Manchester Rum Festival promises to be the “biggest and best event yet”

Manchester Rum Festival is on its way, and is bringing the tiki vibes this year with what it promises will be its “biggest and best event yet.”

Taking place on July 8 - World Rum Day - the festival will set up at The Mercure Hotel as rum brands from all over the world, Caribbean Street Food and calypso-inspired DJ sets entertain and show off their wares.

Manchester 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 will be able to purchase a one-off, limited-edition bottle of the official Festival rum, which is a collaboration with Outlier Distilling Company of the Isle of Man.

Named ‘Punk Croc’, this 41% abv limited edition blend is a Manx rum with a cask-aged bite. Blended exclusively from rum made in Outlier’s 160L wood-fired still, Punk Croc features rum aged in Sauterne, New American Oak and Islay casks.

Billed as being perfect for Mojitos and Daiquiris with attitude, the bottling will ONLY be available at the festival, so rum lovers can take home a special souvenir this year.

Additionally, Distillers Direct will be joining the summer festival with 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.

They bring in the finest molasses, ferment it with their own cultivated trinity yeast strain, distil it in their bespoke stills, then blend and mature it in their own barrels across their three unique ageing locations.

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, and Takamaka, the first ever rum from the idyllic Seychelles in the Indian Ocean to join the line up at Manchester Rum Festival.

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, closer to home, 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.

Ron Piet from Panama, Tilambic from Mauritius, Eminente from Cuba and 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. A truly global representation of rum.

As always, visitors will be able to sample all of the brands, purchase their favourites and enjoy entertainent and food.

Dave Marsland added: “Visitors can expect a smorgasbord of samples, uplifting DJ sets and Caribbean Street Food from Nyammin’, which always gets the tastebuds 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.”

Manchester’s official rum festival takes place on Saturday July 8, 12-7pm, at the Mercure Manchester in Piccadilly Gardens. Tickets are priced at £25 each.

Tickets available to buy online here. Check out the exhibitors page for up-to-date info on the rum brands in attendance, plus details of external festival deals and promotion