Appleton Rum 'Crafted With Joy' Review

Appleton Estate’s curated workshop series, Crafted with Joy, returned this October with three new sessions featuring dedicated artisans, Blenheim Forge to make a cocktail mixing spoon, Earl of East London tp make candles and Grain & Knot to make a chopping board. The series is all about enriching experiences; learning skills from inspiring creators while discovering the pleasure of Appleton Estate – the premium Jamaican rum – in a cocktail-making masterclass. All of the sessions are hosted by Joe St Clair Ford and the Rum Boss – Lawrence Gregory.

The tickets include a warm Appleton Estate welcome, followed by the craft workshop and a brief introduction to Jamaican rum, where you’ll learn about the rum’s refined qualities as a sipping spirit, finishing up with a cocktail masterclass.

We attended the Candle-Making with Earl of East London Bonds, Hackney on Wednesday 31 October with founders of Earl of East London, Niko Dafkos and Paul Firmin. We started off trying a delicious Appleton Estate Jamican Mule cocktail and learning about the history of the estate. Appleton Estate has been producing its rum for over 265 years, therefore they know their stuff. The 12 year old rare blend is made from hand-selected, rare, golden rums that have been aged for a minimum of 12 years. This results in a smooth, yet complex taste with a bouquet that bursts with fruity and cocoa notes, followed by delicate molasses, vibrant citrus and hints of coffee. I really enjoyed this rum and found it quite easy to drink.

In terms of the candle making class, it was a lot of fun learning about blending oils and making our own multi-sensory candles. The scents I chose for my candle included ‘Juniper and Rosemary, Mimosa and Black Tea’. It was gorgeous. As we were given free reign over the scented oils, it was nice that other candle makers in the workshop could create scents that spoke to them. There were even some Appleton Estate Rum scented candles being made. Unfortunately the candles take 4 hours to set, so we had to wait a while for our candles to be posted to us. This gave us the excuse to use the 20% discount Earl of East London provided us and I purchased the Onsen candle (which is part of their new Japanese range).

After our oils were blended and the candles poured, we learnt how to make a Rum Old Fashioned. I’ve included the recipe below so you can make one yourself!

2 parts Appleton Estate rum
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
1-2 tsp sugar
cubed ice
To garnish: Orange peel

Add the sugar cube and Angostura Bitters to a rocks glass.
Crush the sugar cube until it’s granulated,
Add another 3 to 4 ice cubes and half of the rum then stir for around 60 seconds
Top up the glass with more ice and add the rest of the rum, then stir for another 60 seconds
Cut a piece of orange peel about the size of your thumb (be careful not to bend it yet). Hold the piece of orange peel over the glass and bend it to release some oil into the drink
Add the orange peel to the drink, stir a couple more times and serve.

Next week, the final Crafted With Joy experience consists of Wood Carving with Grain & Knot Benk + Bo, Spitalfields, Wednesday 07 November, 7pm – 10pm.Woodcarver Sophie Sellu makes objects that are both beautiful and practical, like the rums crafted at the Appleton Estate. Attend this workshop and you’ll make your own chopping board, ideal for preparing the perfect garnish when you’re recreating the Appleton Estate cocktail experience at home.

Tickets are £35 and include a welcome (or post-workshop) cocktail, rum cocktail masterclass, the craft workshop and a Crafted with Joy take-home tasting kit. Tickets can be booked in advance here: www.appleton-estate-jamaicanrums-crafted-with-joy-workshop-series.designmynight.com