Events Extravaganza, including Rumfest, Choc Fest, Cocktail Week plus the latest foodie news!
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News & Events…
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The Whisky Exchange Show, 6-7 October The Whisky Exchange Show brings together producers and whisky-lovers from the UK and around the world for a luxurious food and whisky tasting experience. Visitors will have the chance to taste some of the world’s finest whiskies, rarest single malts and once-in-a-lifetime Dream Drams – exclusive whiskies that can cost several thousand pounds a bottle. As part of this year’s ‘Meet the Maker’ theme, visitors will also be able to enjoy informal Q&A sessions and mini masterclasses with the experts. Tickets cost £99, which includes lunch and tastings of as many whiskies as you wish. www.whisky-show.com
UK Rumfest, 13-14 October
London Cocktail Week, 8-14 October
Chocolate Unwrapped, 13-14 October Calorie-counters look away now, because Chocolate Unwrapped is the ultimate event for those wanting to immerse themselves in a decadent feast of chocolate. The show is host to more than 60 chocolate companies from across the world showcasing the best of the chocolate world. Chocoholics will be able to marvel at chocolate sculptures, watch chocolate cooking demonstrations, taste a variety of exciting new flavours, experience unexpected pairings and meet some of the world’s top chocolatiers. Tickets are £10. www.chocolateunwrapped.co.uk
London Restaurant Festival, 1-15 October Everyone from London’s top restaurants to favourite street food stalls have come together to celebrate all that is good and great about London’s food scene. The fortnight of activities includes Graze, a restaurant hopping experience where you enjoy dinner across one street for one evening; and Street ThEATre, where guests are taken on a theatrical journey through London’s largest street food extravaganza; as well as the famous Gourmet Odyssey bus tour of London’s best restaurants. www.londonrestaurantfestival.com
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RumFest will provide an unrivalled combination of the rarest and most delicious rums from across the globe, a lively carnival atmosphere thanks to exotic rhythms and food from across the Carribbean in the Tropical Food Market. From DonQ Rum from Puerto Rico to El Dorado from Guyana and Ron Zacapa from Guatemala, Rumfest will showcase over 400 of the rarest and most diverse rums from across the globe. Bringing together the industry’s top blenders, distillers and mixologists, visitors will also be given the chance to go on a journey of rum-discovery with a vast array of masterclasses, talks and seminars available. Tickets start at £20 from 
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New Openings…
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House of Wolf, N1 With an ethos of collaboration and creativity, House of Wolf promises experimental dining, drinking and live entertainment uniquely presented under one roof. Housed in a three-story, Victorian lair in Islington, the venue features a permanent series of monthly pop-up chef residencies, showcasing some of the UK’s most exciting chefs and culinary artists, each promising a very different dining experience. The House of Wolf’s Apothecary Bar also keeps to the mind-bending theme as guests find themselves drinking from a vase of flowers, shooting their drink from antique hypodermics or supping on black pudding cocktails! Completing the multi-sensory ethos, the venue has a regular programme of live creative events ranging from cabaret to literary salons. www.houseofwolf.co.uk
Old Bengal Warehouse, EC2
B-Soho, W1
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Boost your caffeine intake and intellect with a visit to East London’s newest coffee shop. Launched as a sort of urban library, Paper & Cup hopes to fulfil the literary needs of Hackney locals with an extensive collection of books that visitors can stay in and read or buy and takeaway. To accompany your reading, the venue also provides an extensive menu of quality coffees, specialist teas, cakes and snacks, with a particular focus on using local producers. Sounds like the perfect addition to any local community. |
Try This Week…
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Autumn Pie Collection by Pieminister
With the interest in Bourbon as high as it’s ever been in the UK, the major American distilleries have started to take notice and provide us with the good stuff that would normally never leave their shores. Most interesting from the mainstream brands is the launch of the brilliantly named Devil’s Cut by Jim Beam. Devil’s Cut is the result of blending their 6 year old whiskey with spirit extracted from the wood of the cask itself, where it’s soaked in over the years of maturation. Not for the faint hearted, its rich flavours and deep wood notes are delivered at a robust 45%abv, although it must be said that the experience is also extremely smooth. Genuinely enjoyable on the rocks and great for classic cocktails, it’s a must for those wanting to take their bourbon journey to the next level. Widely available for around £26. www.jimbeam.com/devils-cut
Honey appears to be the seasonal flavour of choice for the major drinks brands, with more honey based spirits launched in the last five months than in the last five years! Even Jack Daniels, a company that hasn’t release a new product for over 10 years has, is taking it seriously with their new Tennessee Honey. The whisky is a blend of Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 and honey liqueur that results in an experience that has the distinctive charcoal mellowed Jack flavours, but with a soft and sweet honey twist. Serve it on the rocks or with lemonade for a refreshing long drink. Widely available for around £25. www.jackdaniels.com
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Whilst most of us dread the rainy, windy nights that have firmly signalled the arrival of autumn, the foodies amongst you should be jumping for joy because it also signals the arrival of comfort food! And we all know there is no better comfort food than the pie. It’s no surprise then that Pieminister has just announced its autumn collection of pies to turn those frowns upside down during these dreary days. Put away your jumpers and coats and let the rich buttery pastry be the layer of warmth you need with seasonal creations including The Deerstalker (venison, dry cured bacon with red wine and lentils) and Fungi Chicken Pie (chicken, chestnut and field mushrooms cooked in a creamy white sauce). Widely available from Pieminister stores and supermarkets. 
