London

[anguswinchester]

Great Rums bars to visit in London are

Cottons Restaurants: anyone West Indian who visits London goes here for authentic food and great rum selection... and self titled Rum Edutainer Ian Burrell runs the places...
http://www.cottons-restaurant.co.uk/...ndex/index.htm

Trailer Happiness: home of www.therumclub.com and a great rum selection with a Tiki feel... a bit loud and a bit busy at weekends but excellent drinks and staff early doors.
http://www.trailerh.com

Mahiki: a modern Tiki bar cum high-end nightclub with a high celeb factor that makes getting in a bit hard on busy nights... great run drinks... crappy website
1, Dover Street, W1

Artesian: hotel bar that I have not visited but is making a big noise about its rum specialisation
Langham Hotel, 1C Portland Place, Regent Street, W1B 1JA

aw

[Edward Hamilton]

Artesian is certainly trying to become a rum bar and has an impressive selection even if the staff isn't familiar with all of them yet but they are eager to learn. This bar was the venue for the International Rum Tasting Competition 2007 London. Being a hotel bar it is reliably open after midnight during the week. Service is impeccable and selection and staff knowledge will likely improve, though this is a very nice place for your first or last rum drink of the night.

Cottons arguably has the widest selection, thanks to the globe-trotting efforts of Ian Burrell. Other notable bars where rum is highly regarded are:

Floridita which has more rums I've never before seen and the bar staff are more than passionate about the rums they serve and the story behind them.

Lab, where the busy staff combine good rums, ingredients and fast service in a crowded but friendly atmosphere.

Ronnie Scott's, upstairs, an elegant lounge where the selection isn't as good as some of the other bars but the attention to detail and service will call you back. Be prepared to wait for your drink, unless you're ordering a beer, or order a beer to drink while you wait for the bar staff to preform their magic.

The original Milk 'n Honey, worth the trouble to find. Wonderful atmosphere, upstairs, comfortable seating and even better drinks where time will pass faster than you think.

[The Rum Ambassador]

We'll have to do a serious Rum Run ED next October. We'll include SugarCane, South Pacific (2 new rum bars), as well as trailer Happiness, Mahiki and AKA.

[Tiare]

Can you tell me about AKA? never heard about it?

[The Rum Ambassador]

AKA is part of the The End Night club. A separate bar that is used for an array of different events. It has a 24 hour licence, which means they can open at 6am in morning, which they have on many occasions. At last count they stocked over 70 rums on there back bar. the Manager is a guy named Ty but the rum back bar credit has to go to the previous General manager, Phil ( now working for Stolichnaya). He loved rum and knew by having a vast selection he would attract the right type of clientиle to his most successful night to date, (The Player-an industry night for bars/restaurants/hotels etc.) Worth a visit, Great cocktails.

http://www.akalondon.com/

[RobertBurr]

Also, the other Cottons' downstairs Rum Jungle where they wore us out with authentic reggae music, great drinks and appetizers -- and those wild Brazilian dancing girls! (were they Brazilian? They weren't wearing enough to be absolutely sure) Photo evidence provided.

[RobertBurr]

I seem to remember quite a few rums at the bar at Cottons.

here's only a partial view...

[RobertBurr]

The Artesian Rum Bar at the Langham Hotel has an impressive menu of spirits but it seems to attract a "bad" crowd during the tasting events.

[RobertBurr]

RumFest UK in London attracted an elite group of rum experts, such as Ed Hamilton of the Ministry of Rum; David Morrison, senior blender for Appleton; Dave Broom, celebrated author; and at least one wannabe rummy who sneaked into this photo when no one was looking.
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Our own IP Bartender Paul McFadyen couldn't resist having a chuckle when I asked him how far he had to chase that fellow to get those cool tropical underwear.
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[Hank Koestner]

With all the rums available to taste in the UK, I would have to stay a month. Alright, a long weekend at least. Great pics!!