The UK could be about to end its love affair with posh Prosecco and trendy gin, as the nation’s first ever rum festival promises to travel the length and breadth of the country this summer to introduce a slice of Caribbean paradise to the nation.

The Rum Festival will impart sunny vibes and showcase more than 100 varieties of rum to savour, all set to the chilled backdrop of island tunes, perfectly spiced Caribbean food, seriously moreish cocktails, steel drums, salsa, music and entertainment from around the world.

The hip alternative to gin and beer fests, The Rum Festival showcases dozens of styles of rum grouped into easy to handle categories. The Festival will also feature classics, new spirits and exclusives, all served and mixed to perfection by a team of knowledgeable Rum’uns.

Now in its second year and more than twice the size, The Rum Festival will travel to 15 different cities throughout 2018, including stops in Glasgow, Newcastle, Norwich, Swansea, York and Sheffield.

The Rum Festival is designed to be a great day out for both spirit connoisseurs and those new to the delicious complexities of rum. No two rums are ever the same thanks to a huge variety in production methods – with rums from different climates, of different ages, fermentations and casks all taking on their own unique notes – making the task of choosing a favourite all the more challenging.

Festival goers can expect to have their taste buds tempted by the expert team of mixologists, who’ll craft incredible rum cocktails using some of the Festival’s top spirits. There’s also a tonne of facts about each rum, suggestions for mixes and garnishes specific to each rum on show and drinks vouchers to test some of the kaleidoscope of white, golden, dark, flavoured and spiced rums on offer.

The Rum Festival is the brainchild of rum aficionado Lucy Douglas, who gave up her city job and turned her passion for a spiced mojito into a mission to turn us Brits back on to the incomparable versatility of one of the world’s oldest spirits. She says, “2018 is going to be the year of rum. Move over G&T because there’s a new favourite in town! The growth in the rum market and evolution in the variety of flavours and styles has been phenomenal over the last couple of years so it seems fitting that we’ll visit more cities than ever this year.

“Having been to some amazing beer festivals and gin festivals I decided to set up something for rum drinkers, somewhere fun where they could try new and exciting rums while listening to live music, eating great food and speaking with rum makers and experts, tapping into the history of the drink and hopefully going home with lots of ideas for mixing rum and using it in cocktails than they thought possible. It’s a really fun day, packed with sunny vibes, even when the British weather refuses to cooperate!”

For all 2018 dates and to buy tickets visit http://therumfestival.co.uk/rum-festival-venues/ or follow @RumFestivalUK on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.