Gin has been kind of a Big Deal the last couple of years. Everywhere I go I see new gins on offer, gin infusion bars, gin merchandise… But guess what – I DON’T LIKE THE STUFF! Blurgh. No thanks. What I do love is rum. Rum, rum, in my tum, yes please thank you.

Whether it’s a nice simple Kraken and coke (with a wedge of lime of course), or some Captain Morgan’s in a Dark and Stormy, or Sailor Jerry’s in a Sailor’s Heavy Punch (which I had for the first time last week at The Deer Park), I am happy.

This is why I’m pleased that the upcoming booze fest is a gin AND rum event – I no longer have to be kept apart from my gin drinking pals!

The Gin & Rum festival is coming to Leeds Town Hall on 17 and 18 May with over 60 different gins and 60 different rums.

According to the press release: “The event will also offer live entertainment, a selection of tasty street food and the opportunity for guests to spend quality time exploring a wide range products.

The event will take place on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 May with a session on Friday evening and two sessions on Saturday, so you can choose to have a daytime drinking afternoon or into the evening. Doors will open from 12:30 pm until 5pm followed by an evening session which takes place at 6:30pm to 11pm.

For 2019 The Gin & Rum Festival is delighted to announce that Schweppes will be their official tonic partner. At every event Schweppes fans will be able to try a selection of rums and gins, perfectly paired with the brand’s premium range, Schweppes 1783, which includes Cucumber, Salty Lemon and Muscovado flavours.

Rosalind Brown, Marketing Manager, Coca Cola GB said, “We’re so excited to be the official sponsor of Gin and Rum festival this year! As gin has been on the rise in recent years, rum is also going through a renaissance – while the classic G&T remains popular, more and more people are choosing rum based cocktails. This is the perfect platform for us to show how versatile our mixers can be, and our premium Schweppes 1783 range offers a wealth of unique flavours which can be paired with different rums and gins alike. We hope everyone enjoys the festival!”

The founder of The Gin & Rum Festival, Bobby Nanua, said: “I am delighted to have launched the UK’s very first Gin and Rum Festival. We have had a fantastic year in 2018 hosting the festival in over 20 cities, now it is a great pleasure to bring the festival back to over 30 other cities across the UK in 2019.”

Ticket prices will include a Copa glass, a Gin and Rum Festival satchel and your all-important Gin and Rum bible, featuring all the fantastic drinks the festival has to offer. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.ginandrumfestival.com.”

The kind folks at the festival have offered me two tickets to attend (YUS!!) AND two Friday tickets to giveaway as a competition! So if you fancy getting your grubby mitts on a pair of tickets, head over to my Facebook page and enter the competition. (Over 18s only, closing date Friday 26 April 2019 at 5pm.)

Enjoy yourselves but please remember to drink responsibly. www.drinkaware.co.uk