I should perhaps start this off with a hearty piratical “Arrrrrr!” or some other rum-soaked cliché. But I won’t.
Anyway, if you like a drop of rum or a gin and tonic of an evening, then the aptly-named Vienna Rumfestival and Ginmarkt might be your thing.
- Rum and gin festivals held at Ottakringer Brewery
- Extra tastings, food & music normally feature, too
- 2024 dates: Sept 20-21
- See also:
What are the festivals all about?
Drinking rum and gin. A celebration of rum and gin. Although separate events, the two festivals share a date and location, both taking place on the premises of Vienna’s main brewer, Ottakringer: the brewery’s old industrial buildings contribute to a unique and authentic ambience.
The Rumfestival
(Rum festival press photo © Rainer Mirau)
The Vienna Rumfestival offers visitors the chance to discover different types of rum from dozens of brands. Get a flavour (see what I did there?) of an earlier event from the video at the end of this article.
Rum aficionados will no doubt grimace at my earlier pirate comment. After all, rum has escaped its historical naval milieu to become a drink of the world, albeit resonant with Caribbean flair and history.
Obviously, you have the chance to sample and/or buy the drink that led Lord Byron to write:
There’s nought, no doubt, so much the spirit calms
As rum and true religion: thus it was
Various specialist tastings usually take place at what is the largest festival of its kind in Europe, along with a range of related entertainments, such as, for example, a food and bar area.
A strong cocktail theme runs through the event, of course. In 2023, this included a Tropical Garden rum cocktail bar.
The Ginmarkt
(View of the event; press photo courtesy of and © Ginmarkt – das Festival)
The Ginmarkt festival is a year younger than its event sibling and goes better with tonic and a slice of lemon.
As well as plenty of gin to sample from numerous brands, the event usually also has food, shopping opportunities, and music, the latter courtesy of various DJs.
The last few years have seen an explosion of interest in gin in Vienna, with specialty gin stores opening in town. We’ve come a long way from Hogarth’s 18th century political cartoons.
2024 dates and tickets
The 2024 dates are September 20th and 21st.
Last time out (for each event), you could buy tickets online for one (or both) daily timeslots from the websites (see below for links). A ticket included a tasting glass and tasting vouchers in addition to entrance.
Combination tickets are also usually available if you want to visit both festivals.
How to get to the festivals
The Ottakringer Brauerei (Ottakringer brewery) site is picking up a reputation as an excellent event location: it also hosts a long summer beer festival, for example.
Subway: Take the U3 to its final station (Ottakring) and walk down (or jump on the nearby 44 tram)
Tram: Take line 2, 9 or 44 to the Johann-Nepomuk-Berger-Platz stop, which is opposite the brewery. Or the 46 line to Feßtgasse.
Address: Ottakringer Platz 1, 1160 Vienna | Rum festival | Gin festival
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