ROME – The sixth edition of Italy’s annual rum festival is taking place in Rome, beginning on Sept. 30.  

 “ShowRUM is the first and the most important Italian festival dedicated to sugarcane spirits, rum and cachaça”, boasts the festival’s website; with involvement from 50 different countries and 400 labels, it’s a difficult claim to dispute. Each year, the festival receives over 3000 visitors, from the curious but inexperienced passer-by to the passionate connoisseur.

 Masterclasses and seminars give patrons the chance to sample rum from all over the world, as well as gain a greater understanding of the nuances and subtleties of mixing and distilling, all thanks to instruction from some of the most well-respected names in the industry.

 Festival organiser, Leonardo Pinto, can count himself among those names, having entered the world of rum in 1997 and set up Isla de Rum, a key collaborator for this year’s edition of ShowRum.

 Accompanying the festival is the ShowRum tasting competition, taking place just before the doors are opened to the public. A panel of 14 international experts will judge the products, split into a number of categories, in a blind taste test. The competition’s format, which only allows for a single ‘Best in Class’ award per category, has made it one of the most prestigious in the rum industry.

 In the days following, a ShowRum cocktail week takes place – 6 days of cocktails, mixed with rum, in 12 cocktail bars all over Rome.

 For more information, or to book your ticket, head to https://www.showrum.it

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