[Archived] Tenth Annual Great Rum Punch Challenge

Tenth Annual Great Rum Punch Challenge at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, Saturday, March 29

If you came to visit Gadsby’s Tavern in 1785, most likely you came for good conversation, fresh food, and of course....alcoholic beverages. And of all the drinks to choose from, you would prefer the tavern’s special blend of Rum Punch, made of rum, water, citrus juices, sugar and spices. More than 200 years later, you are invited to experience – and taste – this unique beverage at the eighth annual Great Rum Punch Challenge on Saturday, March 29, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Enjoy different rum punch creations from local restaurants and distilleries and vote for your favorite, as Cutters of Barbados defends its title. The Alexandria Town Crier will announce the winner at the end of the evening. Rum Punch Challenge participants include reigning champ Cutters of Barbados, returning past blue ribbon winners Bittersweet, Dogfish Head, and Bacardi, returning competitor Fire Flies, and first-time challenger DC Taste!  Guests will also enjoy food – both period and modern – as well as a silent auction full of great items. Beverages will be provided for “designated drivers” by the museum’s friends group, the Gadsby’s Tavern Museum Society.

Event tickets, which include admission (food and drink for the evening), are $50 per person, or $100 to include both admission and a special VIP pre-event tasting of Bacardi’s special rums.  Proceeds from the event will fund the Museum’s educational and preservation efforts.  Reservations are required. For more information, please call 703.746.4242 or visit www.gadsbystavern.org. Reservations can be made by phone or by visiting the online shop at http://shop.alexandriava.gov.

To celebrate the Rum Punch Challenge’s tenth anniversary, there will be a lecture series about rum, punch bowls, and 18th century drinking songs leading up to the event on March 5, March 12, and March 19.   Lectures begin at 7:30 p.m. and registration information can be found at www.gadsbystavern.org.

The origins of the Rum Punch Challenge came from the Museum’s participation in the American Whiskey Trail, an educational journey into the cultural heritage and history of spirits in America. For more information, visit www.americanwhiskeytrail.com.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Gadsby’s Tavern was the center of social and political life in Alexandria and the new Federal City of Washington.  The tavern served as the premier gathering place for residents – including George Washington – and visitors to eat, drink, learn, and influence history. Gadsby’s Tavern Museum is located at 134 North Royal Street in the heart of Old Town Alexandria.

For more information, call 703.746.4242 or visit the online shop.