Autumn is drifting in across the city, but events-wise Bristol is still as busy as ever!

The main headlines might be the return of Bristol Cocktail Week, Oktoberfest frolics and the mighty Rumageddon, but there’s plenty of other tasty shenanigans going on.

Start your stretches and warm-ups now – October is going to be a busy one…

Bristol Cocktail Week

Are you sitting down? Because this year’s Bristol Cocktail Week is going to knock your spotted socks off.

The organisers have pulled out all the stops this year, with an impressive list of events across the city, from speakeasies to double decker buses to crazy golf courses. Here are a couple of events I’m particularly excited about:

• Tue 18th – Good Things to Drink at Home (£25)
  Learn to a make a great cocktail using every day kitchen items – a great way to learn the tricks of the industry from top bartenders.
• Wed 19th – Bottled in Bond (£10)
  Sample 3 American whiskys as well as trying each in a cocktail, with nibbles too – what a bargain!
• Wed 19th – The Aperitivo Sessions (£20)
  A chance to try some popular pre-dinner drinks you may not have had before, and hear the stories behind them.
• Thu 20th – Her Majesty’s Secret Cinema (£20)
  A screening of the original Ghostbusters in an old fire station, with a cocktail drinkalong! Fancy dress is also encouraged, obviously.
• Fri 21st – A Drinker’s Guide to the City of Bristol (£25)
  Board a double decker bus for a booze-centric sightseeing tour of Bristol, accompanied by cocktails to match!

As well as the main events, there is also a gorgeous map of the different bars taking part in this year’s event, all divided into zones and offering special discounted cocktails for the week –  how many venues can you tick off?

Festivals & Booziness

In the mood for some tropical cocktails and carnival beats? You’ll be pleased to hear that Rumageddon is back for a whole night of rum tasters and cocktails (see the full rum & cocktail list here, phwoar), Caribbean food (including jerk chicken wings and plantain fritters) and Latin tunes to keep you dancing until the wee hours! The past few events have sold out, so best be quick if you want a ticket…

The observant among you may have also noticed that as we’re now in October, which means the onslaught of lederhosen, Pilsner and giant pretzels as Oktoberfest events pop up all over town.

Choose from the Oktoberfest event based at Recliffe Wharf until the 9th, or party away at the Bavarian Beerhouse, drink your way through the German beers at Small Bar and The Barley Mow,  or join the Oktoberfestivities Brewhouse Bar & Kitchen.

If you’ve still got the stamina mid month, the 14-17th sees The St Georges Rd Beer Festival, featuring food stalls, live music, Meet the Brewers sessions and plenty of top notch beer.

If you’re in the mood for something a bit more wholesome, The Old Market Assembly are having a Harvest Festival on Sat 22nd to coincide with the opening of their bakery – the festival will include a best in show competition where you can win dinner for 2.

Also, mark it in your diaries for November, there’s a Pizza, Beer and Fizz Festival coming to town…

Dinner events

Do you like toast? I mean, like, REALLY like it? Would you eat three courses of it? If the answer to all these seemingly bizarre questions is yes, then book yourself onto the Three Course Toast event at Pinkman’s on Monday 17th for a selection of delectable toast-based treats on bruchetta, sourdough and brioche – breadilicious!

If you’re in the mood to try something new, pop along to the latest supper club from 91 Ways on 20th Oct – this time it’s A Taste of Moldova, and all money raised will go towards funding the 91 Ways Peace Cafe.

Oh and if you’re missing the tasty wares of Aron’s Jewish Deli, book yourself a seat at their Sephardic Meze Menu on Friday 21st for a mixture of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Central Asian Jewish food.

Pop-ups

The Pickled Brisket will be selling their hot meaty sandwiches at The Hillgrove until Oct 22nd, and Pica Pica are cooking up South American treats at The Three Tuns throughout October and November.

In addition to their regular markets Markets in the Bearpit every Wednesdat and Temple Quay every second Thursday, Bristol Eats are running a Night Market at Tobacco Factory on Friday 14th October – expect the usual roster of great food stalls & live music!

And for the bargain hunters – The Chocolate Bear Kitchen is doing a pop-up at The Library on Cheltenham Road on Monday 10th – for £30 you’ll get 6 courses plus a flight of wine, nice!

Workshops & classes

As ever, there are plenty of opportunities to learn something new and become a veritable food & drink expert. Here are some of my picks this month:

• Distill Your Own Gin classes at Psychopomp’s distillery, every Saturday, £100
• Nikka Distillery Japanese whisky tasting at Weber & Tring’s on Wed 12th October, £25
• Sherry & tapas tasting at Bristol Wine School on Sat 15th, £35
• The Great British Cake Off at Little Kitchen on 15th & 16th, £50
• Bordeaux Gems Cellar Tasting at Avery’s Wine Cellars on Wed 26th, £30
• Red ales beer tasting at Brew Bristol on Thur 27th.

Newbies

Finally, a quick round-up of the new places to visit this month:

• Eatchu are now open in St Nicks, go try their yummy gyoza and pickles!
• Rebel Roll are bringing tasty wraps & burgers to Redcliffe
• Dom’s Coffee House is next to The Hippodrome, selling lush coffee & cake
• Burger Theory will be back at The Golden Lion on Gloucester Rd from 7th Oct
• Also, should you find yourself in Cardiff any time soon (and you should, it’s lovely these days), you’ll be able to visit their new Small Bar, and use the latest deals from Wriggle Cardiff!

Dates for the diary

• Sat 1st – Reinheitsgebot at The Barley Mow
• Tue 4th – Gather: An evening with Gill Meller at River Cottage Canteen
• Wed 5th – Butchery course at Source
• Thu 6th – Cheese & wine tasting at Arch House Deli
• Sat 8th – Launch of Hypercafium Spazzinate at Moor Beer Brewery
• Sat 8th – Distill Your Own Gin at Psychopomp’s distillery
• Sat 8th – Wine & food matching at Bristol Wine School
• Sun 9th – Yoga brunch at The Forge with Uncle Ho’s Vietnamese street food
• Mon 10th – The Chocolate Bear Kitchen dinner & wine at The Library
• Wed 12th – Japanese whisky tasting at Weber & Tring’s
• Wed 12th – Home Brew Club at Brew Bristol
• Wed 12th – Moor Beer tap takeover at Urban Standard
• Wed 12th – Cheese & wine tasting at Arch House Deli
• Thu 13th – Vegetarian Cookery at Little Kitchen
• Thu 13th – Curio Gin Club at Milk Thistle
• Fri 14th – Bristol Eats Night Market at Tobacco Factory
• Fri 14th-Mon 17th – St Georges Road Beer Festival in Hotwells
• Sat 15th – Friends & Falafel – screening of ‘Friends’ at Falafel King
• Sat 15th – Distill Your Own Gin at Psychopomp’s distillery
• Sat 15th – Sherry & tapas tasting at Bristol Wine School
• Sat 15th – Master Class Session at Avery’s Wine Cellars
• Sat 15th – The Great British Cake Off at Little Kitchen
• Sun 16th – The Bristol Food Tour
• Mon 10th – Three Course Toast at Pinkman’s
• Tue 18th – Bristol Cocktail Week: Good Things to Drink at Home
• Wed 19th – Fish filleting course at Source
• Wed 19th – Bristol Cocktail Week: The Aperitivo Sessions
• Wed 19th – Bristol Cocktail Week: Rum-ble in the Jungle, rum & crazy golf
• Wed 19th – Bristol Cocktail Week: Bottled in Bond
• Thu 20th – A Taste of Moldova supper club
• Thu 20th – Fantastic Flatbreads at Little Kitchen
• Thu 20th – Bristol Cocktail Week: Her Majesty’s Secret Cinema
• Thu 20th – Bristol Cocktail Week: The Pumphouse Gin Dinner
• Fri 21st – Sephardic meze at Aron’s Jewish Deli
• Fri 21st – Bristol Cocktail Week: The Drinker’s Guide to the City of Bristol
• Sat 22nd – Bristol Cocktail Week: The Cocktail Mix Tape at The Old Bookshop
• Sat 22nd – Distill Your Own Gin at Psychopomp’s distillery
• Sun 23rd – The Bristol Food Tour
• Wed 26th – Bordeaux Gems Cellar Tasting at Avery’s
• Wed 26th – Cheese & wine tasting at Arch House Deli
• Wed 26th – Home Brew Club at Brew Bristol
• Thu 27th – Red ales beer tasting at Brew Bristol
• Fri 28th – Cheese & wine tasting at Bristol Wine School
• Fri 28th – Rumageddon at Pata Negra
• Sat 29th – ’90s Britpop brunch at Bambalan
• Sat 29th – Distill Your Own Gin at Psychopomp’s distillery
• Sat 29th – Bristol Brewery Tour
• Sat 29th – Bingo Wings, chicken wings & Bristol lingo bingo at Yurt Lush
• Sun 30th – The Bristol Food Tour