Britain goes Mojito mental

Supermarket giant Tesco has claimed the popularity of the Mojito cocktail has driven rum sales to their highest level in 40 years.

The store says sales of rum grew by 12% last year – faster than any other spirit. However, Euromonitor figures suggest that the category is in fact growing by around 2% annually in the UK.

Regardless of which figures are more illuminating, there is little doubt that the Mojito has given rum a new lease of life in the UK and beyond.

The surge in sales prompted last Friday’s edition of BBC Radio 4 show You and Yours to investigate the sudden renewed popularity of a drink which for years suffered with image problems stemming from its nautical heritage.

They even asked the drinks business to pop along to answer a few questions about the reasons behind rum’s renaissance, and you can listen to what was discussed here (the rum discussion takes place in the final ten minutes of the programme, so you might wish to wind it on a bit).

The show also discussed the impact of the decision by the government to withdraw funding for community-run pubs.

Alan Lodge, 25.08.2010