Raising the Back Bar Returns!

Raising the Back Bar is back and it’s bigger than before. Launched back in 2019, Speciality Drinks' one day festival of great spirits and more is returning to the RSA Vaults off The Strand on 9 May 2022, ready to help you raise the bar.

It’ll be a packed day, full of carefully curated drinks – both old favourites and our latest finds – industry-focused seminars, and loads of opportunities to network and catch up with friends. And on top of all that, it’s entirely free of charge to attend for those who work in the drinks industry.

If you want in, head over to the registration page now, or read on to learn more.

The Bars

At the heart of the day are the bars, each dedicated to a different category of spirits and packed with a range of exclusive products to try. Along with Scotch whisky, rum, vodka and gin, you’ll also find Japanese spirits, world whisky, agave spirits, grape and fruit brandies, aperitivi and vermouth, English sparkling wine and our old & rare spirits selection.

This year’s bar sponsor is the East London Liquor company and we’ll have founder Alex Wolpert and his team along to introduce us to their new rye whisky.

If you’re looking for something new to spice up the back bar, this is the perfect opportunity to dive into a wide range of great spirits, and chat with category experts – the Speciality Drinks team, who will be manning the bars.

The Seminars

Leading our session line-up is Sustainability: From A to B-Corp, a seminar exploring the ecosystem of sustainability in spirits, from production to distribution. We’ll have speakers from Avallen Calvados, Discarded Spirits Co and EcoSpirits looking at a whole variety of sustainable topics including production and packaging, and what’s coming down the line that will help with future efforts.

With The Lakes Distillery just picking up the World’s Best Single Malt award at the World Whiskies Awards, it seems to be the perfect time to look at the expanding world of English whisky. In South of the Border, we’ll be joined by experts from The Lakes, Spirit of Yorkshire and East London Liquor Company to see what makes English whisky tick, and what’s coming down the line.

To round out the day, we’ll host a masterclass dedicated to one of the hottest topics of the moment – old and rare spirits, and the secondary market. We'll be joined by industry experts to discuss what place old and rare spirits have in bars, how auctions and the secondary market are changing the relationship between old bottles and the consumer, and, most importantly, talking taste.

The Competition

On top of the drinks, seminars and expertise, there’s also a chance to win a hamper of great drinks. One lucky winner will be presented with a selection of the best bottles of the day, as chosen by the Speciality Drinks team. To enter, all attendees will need to do is vote on their own favourite product of the day.

The Details

Raising the Back Bar takes place on 9 May 2022 and runs from 12-5pm at the RSA Vaults on John Adam Street, WC2N 6EZ. It is free to attend, but you must register in advance:

Register now