Celebrating bold flavours, creativity and the best of British, award-winning Nottinghamshire rum distillery DropWorks has joined forces with a contemporary drinks brand to bring a series of immersive cocktail events to bartenders nationwide.
Since its launch in 2023, DropWorks Rum has operated the largest rum distillery of its kind in Europe, nestled in the heart of Sherwood Forest, with a clear mission to redefine rum by celebrating its pure, unadulterated flavour – crafted with passion, creativity and free from artificial flavourings.
In the next step on this journey, the distillery has partnered with SpeakEasier UK’s ‘HAUS Parties’ to take the experience of its British-made Drops on a tour of bars around the UK. The intimate, curated events are built around bright and bold flavour-led cocktails and are working to create an eco-system that supports the industry and best-in-class British brands.
Bringing new brands, serves and flavours to each venue, the 30-person ticketed parties each offer a custom menu experience guided by David Jordan Melia, Founder of SpeakEasier HAUS and HAUS Bitters.
DropWorks’ rums feature across selected serves on the bespoke menus, working alongside HAUS Bitters to explore how the flavours of the British-made Drops can be maximised in a cocktail setting. Featuring at the events perfectly reflects DropWorks’ ambition to shake up the spirits category by championing British ingredients and challenging convention.
Lewis Hayes, Founder and Master Distiller at DropWorks, said: “HAUS Parties are all about flavour and intent, aligning seamlessly with the DropWorks mission. We want to prove that great rums can be naturally full of flavour and British-made, a clear departure from outdated pirate-and-palms clichés.
“The events provide fantastic opportunities to explore British-made bitters and spirits, and discover how to bring their flavours to life in cocktails.
“We’re proud to see our locally produced rum on the bespoke menus and to have been invited along on this journey by David Jordan Melia and the SpeakEasier team.”
The HAUS Parties kicked off with an inaugural event at The Morris in Manchester, with a floral themed menu. DropWorks’ Barrel Drop rum was showcased in the warming Bold 001 complemented by clarified spiced apple whey with cinnamon, clove, and cardamom, balanced with malic acid, blended with Barrel Drop, and finished with yuzu and ginger oils.
Four more successful HAUS Parties followed, including HAUS Party #002 at Mito in Liverpool and HAUS Party #003 at Nilly Flowers in London, further highlighting the warm winter spice notes of Barrel Drop through their bespoke menus.
David Jordan Melia, creator of HAUS Party said: “The concept of HAUS Party is all about creating a nationwide ecosystem that nurtures the sector and champions British brands. Having the brilliant liquid from DropWorks feature on my menus felt like a natural fit, bringing something genuinely exciting to the glass.”
DropWorks is currently stocked in over a third of the UK’s top 50 cocktail bars including Soma, Tabula Rasa & Nightjar and numerous high-end restaurants: The Clove Club, Moor Hall and Ottolenghi, to name a few. The distillery has also built long-term relationships with the likes of Pig Hotels, Mildreds and Adam Handling, all of whom are aligned to the importance of quality British produce.
It’s signature British-made Drop range features Barrel Drop, Spice Drop, Dark Drop, Funk Drop and Clear Drop. Continuing to redefine the rum category, the distillery recently launched the first in a new series of hand-selected, special edition Drops – Distiller’s Drop – with future releases lined up throughout the coming year.
DropWorks represents a significant step forward for British rum. Based on the beautiful Welbeck Estate, the brand is on a mission to put the whole spirit category well and truly on the map. With a focus on quality ingredients and a fresh perspective, every Drop is designed to unlock creativity behind the bar and bring joy in the glass.
The next HAUS Party will take place on January 27th at Plotting Parlour in Brighton, with 30 tickets up grabs at www.hausbitters.com/shop/
