A look at the Remaining Trade Shows in 2011

Well the first half (and a bit more) of the year has gone and some of the biggest events in the bartenders calendar have gone with it but there is still plenty more to come in 2011.

So far people have drunk, tasted, sampled, suffered and at times wished for a hug from their mums at Imbibe Live!, Tales of the Cocktail, Paris Bar Show, Manhattan Cocktail Classic, Northern Restaurant & Bar, Boutique Bar Show Manchester and countless other events.

2011 has so far been one busy year, but a quick look at the remaining months will show your liver is going to have little chance to recover. BarLifeUK is here to give you a quick rundown of what is coming up over the next few months:

Bristol Cocktail Week – 5^th – 11^th September, Various locations across Bristol

A new edition to the UK bar event calendar is an exciting series of events put together by the Bristol Bar Community to promote this often forgotten UK bar hub. In the past Bristol has given us some of the country’s best bartenders and has some fantastic bars.

The week will feature a mix of events for trade and consumers including a Bristol Bartender of the Year comp plus tastings and talks from the likes of Monkey Shoulder, Adam Elmigrab, Chartreuse, Ketel One and Appletons. A great idea to promote a great bar scene. For more info head to their Facebook page.

Sydney BarShow Week – 11^th – 14^th September, Horden Pavilion (and various other locations) Sydney, Australia

Now this one may take more than a visit to TheTrainLine.com to book but it is definitely worth the trip if you can manage it. It is one of the longest running events in the international bar calendar and consists of the always excellent BarShow (on the 13^th & 14^th) which culminates in the hard fought Australian Bar Awards on the final night.

There is also a series of events around this and with this year’s special guests including Dave Wondrich, Philip Duff and Cuervo master blender Don Francisco Hajnal it is sure to be a corker. For more info visit the show site or 4bars.com.au

Boutique Bar Show London – 20^th – 21^st September, Royal Horticultural Halls, London

Boutique Bar Show has expanded in the last two years to shows in Manchester and Edinburgh but the flagship event is still in London and this year it is shaping up to be another fantastic opportunity to sample some great products and catch up with colleagues. Add to this the main stage with competitions, and talks from the likes of Dave Broom and Tony C there is plenty to keep you entertained. More info is here.

Moscow Bar Show – 27^th – 29^th September, “Crocus-Expo” IEC, Moscow

Andy Bishop is the guy that used to organise the now defunct UK Bar shows back before it went…. well rubbish. He has now launched the Moscow Bar Show and the inaugural event looks like it will be a cracker. Local bar experts will be joined by a great international line-up including Jared Brown & Anistatia Miller, Tomas Estes, Ian Burrell, Audrey Saunders, Dushan Zaric, Salvatore Calabrese, Peter Dorelli and many more. Plus you get to check out the burgeoning Moscow bar scene. Check out all the news here.

London Cocktail Week – 7^th – 16^th October, Various Locations across London

Last year’s launch of London Cocktail Week was met with a slightly mixed response however Rome wasn’t built in a day and it is back this year with, no doubt, a fresh lick of paint looking all shiny and new. There is not much news on what is happening yet but once there is you will be able to find out about it on their website.

Bar Convent Berlin (BCB) – 10^th – 11^th October, Postbahnof, Berlin

Now in its 5^th year BCB has become a must attend event in the European bar show listings. The show continues to attract the big name speakers and whilst the exact nature of the talks has yet to be released the speakers are already lined up and include the who’s who of the top bar experts. These top names will be talking alongside a series of stands, two demonstration stages, a Distillers Area and the BCB Shop with a great array of those hard to find brands. Keep an eye on the site for the full timetable and to register.

Rumfest – 14^th – 16^th October, Olympia, London

Rumfest has gone from strength to strength every year and once again Ian Burrell has upped the game with a new Trade Only day. Taking place on the Friday evening at the Hilton Hotel before the show kicks off over the weekend you lucky trade folk will be able to sample some great specialist brands and chat to those in charge.

The weekend will see the show in full force with the added addition of a big food hall downstairs featuring, no doubt, some excellent Caribbean delights. For more details on the trade section visit the Rumfest website.

Boutique Bar Show Edinburgh – 25^th October, Mansfield Traquair, Edinburgh

The Boutique Bar Show’s Scottish event is back this year giving those great bars north of the border a show that doesn’t involve a long old trip down south. The feature list has yet to be confirmed but you can bet your bottom Scottish pound that it will be full of tastings and educational seminars alongside a great selection of exhibitors. More info can be found on the Boutique website.

We will be providing more detailed write ups on most of these events as they get closer to give you the full breakdown but at least you can start planning a few days off now and we look forward to seeing you all there.

Oh and if we have missed anything off let us know and we will do our best to add it on.