Rum Festival Edinburgh: 109 different rums on offer this weekend

Rum Festival Edinburgh is taking place on Friday and Saturday. Picture: Rum Festival Edinburgh's Facebook page

A whopping 109 varieties of the drink will be showcased at The Rum Festival Edinburgh, which is taking place at the Biscuit Factory in Leith on Friday and Saturday.

It's the second time the festival has been held in the capital, with last year's event held in the Assembly Rooms.

Four Scottish rum distillers will feature this year, including two from Glasgow and one from Hopeman in Moray, as well as Edinburgh-based Sweetdram which will have a smoked and spiced rum available for sampling.

Festival founder and promoter, Lucy Douglas, says she decided to change Edinburgh's venue this year to give it more of a "rugged" and "edgy" feel, adding: "Edinburgh has got some good rum bars but you won't get a lot of them in standard pubs, and that's what we are looking to push for. I want to be able to go into a bar and drink all kinds of rum. We want more than just Captain Morgan's. We need to embrace these Scottish rums."

Lucy said the festival is also about introducing more people to rum as a drink in its own right. She says: "My outlook is that there is a rum out there for every gin and tonic drinker, vodka drinker and cocktail drinker. People who say 'I love a mojito or a pina colada' often don't realise that there is rum in them."

How to get tickets

There are three different sessions running at this year's festival: 5.30pm-11pm on Friday, 12:30pm-5pm on Saturday and 6:30pm-11.30pm on Saturday night.

Lucy says there are still about 100 tickets left each for the Friday night and Saturday afternoon sessions. There are still some tickets left on the Saturday night but this slot is close to selling out.

Tickets can be bought here and will cost you £12.50, or £15 on the door.

What to expect at the festival

As well as a plethora of different rums to choose from, you will also be able to enjoy plenty of Caribbean music - including steel drums and a Cuban dance band - as well as some delicious food.

Upon arrival, you will be handed a glass at the door and a brochure full of information on all of the rums that you can try, as well as some fun facts about each of the suppliers and suggested garnishes to complement your drink.

Your ticket will allow you to try up to 15 different rum samples at the event.

Under-18s will not be allowed in - and you may be asked for ID.

Where to go

The festival is taking place at the Biscuit Factory, 4-6 Anderson Place, Leith, EH6 5NP

Next year

Lucy says that her team are looking at potentially running four events in Scotland next year - two each in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

She adds: "We love being in Scotland. Everyone embraces the Scottish events because the whisky culture means people are open to trying different products. People understand distilling in Scotland and understand what we are doing."

Lucy's company has been running since February last year and tours all around the UK.