Every year there seems to be a new drink that comes to prominence and in the world of alcoholic beverages there’s a good argument for 2017’s tipple of choice being rum, at least according to the Telegraph.

The newspaper pointed out that rum sales are getting close to the £1 billion barrier in the UK – one that was broken by gin in 2016 and that year was, you’ve guessed it, labeled the year of gin.

It cited figures from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, which showed that 31.4 million bottles of rum had been sold in the 12 months to the middle of June this year, with a collective value of £974 million.

Rum sales have grown by five per cent in shops and off licences, while in pubs, bars and restaurants, they’ve registered an increase of nearly four per cent in the same 12-month period.

Ian Burrell, global rum ambassador and founder of UK RumFest, told the news provider that the high price of premium whisky has helped encourage people towards rum.

“Rum in general is growing because of the premium sector, which has shown growth of around nine per cent in the last year,” he stated.

Anyone who wants to open a rum distillery in the UK will need the highest quality organic grain alcohol, along with a number of other ingredients, to make a spirit that appeals to the rum-drinking public.

If you want to sample a wide range of the finest rums in the world, heading to UK RumFest in London in October could be a good idea, where there will be over 200 different varieties for you to taste, as well as workshops on the likes of rum and cigar pairing and food pairings with various rums.