This quaint restaurant in Walthamstow bills itself as having the “biggest rum collection in east London,” stocking over 170 rums and rhum agricole from the Caribbean and Central and South America. There’s a monthly rum club, great for diners who would like to learn more about the detailed flavours and profiles of the rum collection. Or, for a cocktail with a twist on a classic, the “Sorrel Colada” is the one! It’s sweet with a little sourness from the sorrel, making a playful diversion from the classic Pina Colada.

Burlock Rum Room is all about celebrating the vibes and energy of Cuba and beyond. The space is stylised as a 1930s Havana basement bar in the heart of central London, and is home to over 200 rums from around the world. The rum cocktail menu has just as much creativity as the decor, with classics such as the Daiquiri or Mojito sitting alongside creative house riffs like the Underhand. It has all the hallmarks of a Negroni, but uses Venezuelan Santa Teresa 1796 rum and Santa Teresa cocoa bitters.

Black Parrot bar celebrates Caribbean culture found across the region with a unique library of over 700 rums. Their collection includes bottles of all ages from Antigua, Panama and Belize, as well as Australia, Ile de Reunion, and the Seychelles. In addition to the rum, they stock cachaca from Brazil, clarin from Haiti and rhum agricole from Martinique, making it a great space to learn about the various spirits made from sugarcane under one roof. And of course, with a rum list as vast as this, their cocktails are exceptional: try the “Blue Mountain,” which pays homage to the mountainous areas of Jamaica where coffee is harvested, and is Black Parrot’s version of an espresso martini.

Laki Kane is a tiki bar that’s all about the ambience. The tropical escape from reality creates this immersive experience, using fire, smoke and even melting chocolate! If looking for a cocktail with all the theatrics, try the “Pin Up Zombie,” It’s a modern take on classic Zombie with a vessel resembling its name entirely. A blend of rums are shaken with Heering cherry liqueur, pino mugo, derived from pine resin, falernum, absinthe, passion fruit, lime and grapefruit, served with fire and cinnamon. The focus here is not an extensive rum collection, but instead a descent into fun and theatrics — but if patrons really want to get involved, a rum making experience lets them redistil their very own spiced rum, as well as sample several styles of the spirit.

The Beachcomber is a tiki-style bar and the home for rhum agricole in London. The focus is to really showcase the flavours and uses of rum in the city, with its entire stock made up of spirits derived from sugar cane juice opposed to molasses, such as Brazilian cachaca and Haitian clarin.

As a tiki bar, the cocktails are tropical, quite complex and ingredient heavy, but they always ensure the spirit shines through. For rhum agricole first-timers who want to try it in something familiar, the top cocktail is the “Agroni,” a tiki twist on a negroni. Using slightly adjusted measures of all the ingredients in the classic, this drink really lets the rhum agricole shine through, whilst the Campari and vermouth sit ever so quietly in the background.

Trailer Happiness is an underground rum lounge with a tiki-style twist. The rum menu and collection includes 200 different bottles, focusing specifically on those from Asia, Polynesia and the Caribbean, for those who want to drink neat. But that seriousness doesn’t stop fun: with cocktail names like “Hell in the Pacific,” a mix of Goslings 151 rum, maraschino liqueur, grenadine, lime juice, and pomegranate molasses, or riffs on the espresso martini made with dark rum and falernum, they know a good time too.

Located on a little alleyway, just off Deptford High Street and known for its sold-out Sunday roasts, Buster Mantis’s drink (and food) menu is all about “the place they know best — Jamaica.” They’ve spun classic cocktails and twisted them with their Jamaican culture, and “Mama’s homemade punch” is a great place to start. Lots of Wray and Nephew rum, fruit juices, grenadine, and lime is all it needs.

ABV is a brand new neighbourhood bar serving cocktails in Brixton from the founders of Three Little Birds, and the low lit space is quaint with a classic, retro feel. Its cocktail menu is straight to the point and not over complicated, with a real focus on simplicity and quality ingredients. A “Pimento Old Fashioned” made with five-year-aged Plantation rum from Barbados is perfect for those who like to taste their spirits, with a little spice from the bitters and a touch of cocoa.