Review: Gin and Rum Festival, Assembly Rooms

The Gin and Rum Festival is a huge touring event that promises spirit lovers a chance to dive deep into a world of unique distillations.

Taking over the grand Assembly Rooms on George Street, it brings hundreds of craft gins and rums to the capital. It’s an event for the connoisseur and the curious, but with a premium ticket price and a token system for drinks, does the experience warrant the cost?

Patience and Pockets Required

Our arrival at the festival was met with a significant queue. While the process was logical and organised – with methodical bag searches, ticket scanning, and the on-entry purchase of drinks tokens – it was undeniably slow. A mobile signal ‘dead zone’ near the door created a bottleneck, as patrons struggled to download the QR codes needed for entry. It’s a slow start, but a necessary evil for a popular event.

Once inside, the festival operates on a token system, with each token setting you back around £7 for a single-serve G&T or rum mixer. Frankly, it’s “on the expensive side.” When you consider you could get a whole bottle of decent wine for the same price from the Co-op around the corner, it’s clear this is not a budget-friendly day out. It’s an investment in a specific tasting experience, and you need to be prepared for the spend.

A Connoisseur’s Collection

The Assembly Rooms is, as always, a superb host. The venue is clean, well-run, and provides a suitably elegant backdrop for sampling premium spirits. The festival is smartly laid out, with bars organised by spirit and region; if you want a British Rum, you head to the British Rum queue. It’s an efficient system that helps you navigate the vast selection.

The main draw, of course, is the sheer variety. This festival is a fantastic opportunity to try spirits you probably can’t get anywhere else. For true enthusiasts, the chance to sample such a broad and unique collection is what makes the event worthwhile.

Away from the main hall, an often-ignored second chamber offers a marketplace where local distilleries showcase their wares. It’s a great spot to chat with the makers, buy a full-sized bottle to take home, and find something to eat. Pro-tip: the festival app also provides some excellent discounts on spirits throughout the year, adding a little extra value long after you’ve left.

Overall

The Gin and Rum Festival is a well-oiled, if pricey, machine. The slow entry and the cost-per-drink may deter the casual punter, but for those passionate about their spirits, it’s a polished event with an unbeatable selection in a world-class venue. It’s a premium day out, but if you are a gin or rum fan looking for something different, I would still say give it a go.