Totally tropical: cocktails flowing at the Rum Kitchen Brixton
There has never been a better time to drink rum in the UK than now. For the first time in history, rum has eclipsed £1 billion in sales, nudging whisky out of its way as it progresses up the alcoholic beverage “food chain”. And a big factor behind rum’s rise to prominence has been the proliferation of rum cocktails served at bars.
Rum is a festive spirit that is as transportive as it is delicious and diverse. Produced everywhere from Jamaica to Australia, and coming in all sorts of styles and flavour profiles ranging from light-bodied, grassy and dry rums (for the gin and tequila drinker), to tannic, robust versions bursting with overripe tropical fruit (for the whisky or Cognac drinker), there really is a rum for everyone. It’s this inclusivity that has captured the hearts of young consumers in particular; a cohort that has evidently taken a liking to rum and rum cocktails, with nearly half of reported rum drinkers between 18 and 34. With an increased interest in classic rum cocktails, like the tropically flavoured mojito, piña colada, rum punch and the like, rum drinks aren’t only becoming staples on menus at cocktail bars, they’ve also infiltrated local pubs as well.
