Best Rums to Elevate your Cocktails

Leith Rum

Best Rums for Cocktails Leith Rum thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

The Leith Spirits range grows once again with the addition of Leith Rum! Inspired by the maritime history of Edinburgh, this expression features a blend of tasty rum and Madagascan vanilla, which has helped to round out the spirits flavour profile and bolster its creamy, honeyed notes. Ought to go well in all sorts of cocktails and with a medley of mixers - particularly cola.

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £39.95

Sailor Jerry

Best Rums for Cocktails Sailor Jerry thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

A spiced rum created by the famed tattoo artist 'Sailor Jerry' Collins. This is perhaps our favourite spiced rum and it makes an incredible spiced mojito! The recipe was recently changed, and made slightly less sweet, but spicier.

We know that some of you out there aren't so keen on the new recipe so here’s a tip, you can correct the flavour of the new version very easily by adding some dark sugar and vanilla essence to the bottle and giving it a good shake - it really does work!

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £19.99

Lamb’s Navy Rum

Best Rums for Cocktails Lamb's Navy Rum thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

Lamb's rum is a very good value for money Navy rum made with rums from Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. This dark rum covers all the bases. It’s got plenty of complexity from the blend of rums, which makes it stand out in a cocktail. It is smooth so it can be drunk over ice if need be, and the price versus quality ratio is brilliant. Drink up!

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £17.54

Appleton Estate Classic White

Best Rums for Cocktails Appleton Estate Classic White Rum thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

I am bias towards rums made in Jamaica, as you will see from my last selection here, but for now here is one made in Kingston, Jamaica, Appleton Estate Classic White rum and it is exactly that; a classic white rum. Perfect for mixing, it wouldn't go amiss in a Yellow Submarine or a traditional mojito.

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £17.83

Havana Club Añejo 7 Year Old

Best Rums for Cocktails Havana Club thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

Feast your eyes upon Havana Club Añejo 7 Year Old, a wonderfully flavoursome Cuban rum that is no stranger to awards. Back when it was created, this was the first Havana Club expression that was intended for sipping neat rather than for using in cocktails and mixed drinks. Though saying that, if you think your cocktails could use an upgrade of rich, aged rum tastiness, this stuff is ace. We've been particular impressed when using it in place of a whiskey for Old Fashioned and Manhattan cocktails...

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £25.84

Rumbullion!

Best Rums for Cocktails Rumbullion! thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

A sure-fire hit from Ableforth's, Rumbullion! is a warming spiced rum, based on the kind of rich, full-bodied rums the seafaring fraternity would have enjoyed centuries ago.

At its core lies a blend of the very finest high proof Caribbean rum, to which was added Madagascan vanilla and a generous helping of zesty orange peel and it is finished with a handful of cassia and cloves and just a hint of cardamom.

Rumbullion! proudly flaunts its maritime inspiration with a label that bears a hand-drawn illustration of a Navy grog tub, emblazoned with the words: “The Queen, God Bless Her”, each bottle is wrapped in crinkled brown paper, wound with twine and sealed with black wax. You can enjoy it neat, or with ice and a squeeze of fresh lime, but it makes amazing cocktails too.

ABV: 42.6%
Buy it now for £34.90

Hampden Estate Rum

Best Rums for Cocktails Hampden Estate Rum thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

I’ve not just chosen this rum because of the name! The Hampden Estate in Jamaica has long produced excellent aged rum, much of which goes into blends, making it a bit hard to come by (independent bottlers do sometimes get their hands on a few casks, mind). However, the time has come for the distillery to release some of its aged rum itself! This edition is made using pot still rum, is matured in Jamaica and bottled at 46% ABV - and it's excellent. It is a high ester rum with a blast of fruity tropical fruits which really stand out in a cocktail. It might be the most expensive rum on this list, but it’s definitely worth it.

ABV: 46%
Buy it now for £54.95

Stroh Inländer 80

Best Rums for Cocktails Stroh Rum thethreedrinkers.com the three drinkers

Yes, the 80 does mean 80% ABV. For those of you who like to have a lot of punch to a cocktail, and not just in the flavour department, Stroh 80 is an intense, fiery spiced rum from Austria, made with all kinds of spice extracts and essences. It is worth trying in warming hot chocolates, or in spicy cocktails such as the Jagertee. Drink it responsibly.

ABV: 80%
Buy it now for £29.20

If you’d like to explore some more from the world of rum, why not try 7 Rums that Scream Luxury or Brilliant Rums under £30