Fact: Sir Francis Drake invented the mojito, and the lime helped him and crew survive scurvy.
Other fact: Sir Francis Drake later led the Royal Navy to defeat the Spanish Armanda.
Obvious conclusion: Without rum, we’d all now be speaking Spanish and having three-hour siestas every afternoon. Thank god it didn’t come to that.
And to show your appreciation for this fine spirit, why not take in some of the stuff at one of London’s best rum bars…
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Laki Kane | Islington
Laki Kane is so keen on rum, not only does the stuff go into most of their (excellent) cocktails – like the signature Laki Kane with dark rum and chocolate vodka – you can actually come to re-distill your very own bespoke rum in the nautical micro-distillery upstairs. Book in, and you’ll get a tasting masterclass, a quick history, plus your own bottle (and a goody bag) to take home.
Details: 144-145 Upper Street, N1 1QY | Book a rum making masterclass
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The Rhum Tavern | Marylebone
No, their spell check isn’t broken. It’s merely a whimsical reference to the fact that here, you can drink rum like a 17th century pirate in the bona fide hull of a galleon. One where they’ve thrown out the barrels of, you know, actual provisions, and replaced them with a stock of over 350 rums, plus a dozen house cocktails which are impressively zero-waste. So the only thing getting wasted… will be you.
Details: 48 Margaret St, W1W 8SE | Book The Rhum Tavern
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Black Parrot | The City
This rather swish City bar serves an almighty 300 rums. The biblically long cocktail list (54 pages) includes bottles hailing from El Salvador and West London; rums with notes of chocolate, marshmallow and parma violets; rums that are cask-strength and overproof; you name it. The spirit comes neat or whipped into cocktails, and if you really want to get serious there are masterclasses here where – on top of the usual cocktail, history, tasting stuff – you’ll get the chance to open and try one of their rare bottlings from their own secret stash.
Details: Merchant House, 13 Well Court, EC4M 9DN | Book a masterclass
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Cottons | Camden, Shoreditch, Vauxhall, Notting Hill
300+ rums safely earn this Caribbean restaurant family a place on the list of London’s best rum bars. If you’re a rum fiend you’ll want to turn up for their happy hour, every Fri-Sun, 4-7pm where you can score 2-4-1 rum (and ugh, not-rum) cocktails for just £12 a pop. There’s also a rum-heavy bottomless brunch on Saturdays, and their Vauxhall spot has a riverside rum shack bar, with al fresco seating and a boat load of rum cocktails.
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Burlock | Marylebone
This Marylebone-based cocktail joint is brought to you by the theatrically-minded folk behind Chinatown’s Opium. Serving over 200 varieties of rum from around the globe, the good stuff is served either straight, mixed, or knocked up into a daiquiri. Twice a week, rum ambassadors drop by for tutored tastings, but when you want to let your hair down come for the Saturday afternoon brunch, with DJs, free-flowing cocktails and carnival dancers.
Details: 31 Duke Street, W1U 1LG | Book a table at Burlock
Ready for something harder? Let us whisk you away to London’s best whisky bars…