Rum Off At Bobby’s Fitzpatrick’s

“Why is the Rum always gone?” asked Captain Jack Sparrow. Well, this Autumn you won’t have to worry about the rum running out, as London holds its first ever Rum Off competition at Bobby Fitzpatrick’s. Given rum in all its forms- spiced, flavoured, vintage and overproof- is rapidly becoming the nation’s next favourite tipple, Rum Off is perfectly timed.

From September til November, eight leading rum brands will compete in a series of cocktail making heats. They’ll battle it out to be crowned the Rum Off champion 2018 and be in with a chance to win a prize of £1000. Each brand will partner with a top bartender to create an inventive rum serve. Rum Off will showcase household names as well as small batch artisan runs. The contenders are: Havana Club, The Real McCoy, Gosling’s, Skipper, Pusser’s, Westerhall Estate, Doorly’s and Plantation.

Bobby Fitzpatrick’s is a quirky, playful, 1970s decorated bar located in West Hampstead. Opened in 2017, it has a grass-fronted ground floor area including a space known as the kitchen where you sit at a counter; and a downstairs bar area featuring a botanical conservatory with a swing chair and velvet heavy lounges. It’s here the competition is held. Sitting on a swing and looking at the ferns hanging from one wall, we definitely didn’t feel like we were in a bar in London. The music might be a touch to loud to hold a long conversation, but the song choices were excellent and the vibe fantastic.

In the first round, held Wednesday 5th September, Havana Club vs The Real McCoy competed, followed by Gosling’s vs Skipper rum. At 19:30 the first two brands competed and we had one hour to drink both cocktails. At 20:30 the next two competed and again we had an hour to drink both. We had a card which was ticked by each brand as we received their cocktail, and once completed we voted for our favourite brand. We had 4 cocktails for £8- an absolute bargain!

Havana Rum was more of a classical cocktail with ice, a raspberry and dark chocolate. The chocolate perfectly complimented the smoothness of the rum.
Royal McCoy is an American rum. Mixed with pineapple, it had a tropical feel. However, in presentation and taste it was underwhelming.

Skipper Rum’s cocktail comprised of barrel-age porter, oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, mallases, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. All these flavours, but particularly the cinnamon, contributed to the taste of Autumn. Topped with cream and ginger bread, and served in a paper cup, it felt more like a Starbucks Frappuccino. Although the rum wasn’t as strong as in the other cocktails, we enjoyed the dessert feel.

Goslings rum cocktail was served in a jar with lots of ice. A drumstick sweet had been melted and wrapped around the straw. This meant it had a kiddie feel on-top with an adult feel underneath. Although rather sweet it was the most creative of the four and for this reason had our vote. Others thought so too as Goslings, along with Havana Club, made it to the next stage. They’ll have to create new bespoke cocktails ahead of their next performance.

The next rounds are:
• Second Group: 26th September 2018- Pusser’s vs Westerhall Estate vs Doorly’s vs Plantation
• Semi Final 1: 24th October 2018 – Winner of first group vs Runner up of second group
• Semi Final 2: 7th November 2018 – Winner of second of group vs Runner up of first group
• The Grand Final – 21st November 2018

Rum Off runs from 19:30 to 22:00 on the above dates. Food is available to order at the upstairs bar and include: pizzas, burgers, sides, deserts and snacks. As Bobby Fitzpatrick’s is known for their pizza we’d recommend that option. Bobby Fitzpatrick’s also has s fantastic cocktail menu with a particular focus on rum.

Snap up your £8 tickets quickly as with this price we’re sure they’ll soon be gone. Tickets are available for all rounds at:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-rum-off-2nd-round-bobby-fitzpatrick-tickets-47898487666?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

ONIN loves Bobby Fizpatrick’s and we’re already planning to go back with more of our friends to the future Rum Off events. Whether you’re a rum amateur, enthusiast or expert, come along and help crown the winner.

Address: 273 West End Lane
London, NW6 1QS

Opening hours:
Mon – Wed: 3:30PM – 11:30PM
Thurs – Fri: 3:30PM – 1AM
Sat: 12PM – 1AM
Sun: 12PM – 12AM

Website: https://www.bobbyf.co.uk

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Bobby-Fitzpatrick

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/bobby_fitz_

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bobby_fitz_