In fairness, I think the main reason rum is considered a mixing component is because it's been that way for 200-something years. You'd have to go back to the Ag

In fairness, I think the main reason rum is considered a mixing component is because it's been that way for 200-something years. You'd have to go back to the Age of Sail to find an era when rum was widely considered a standalone drink. (And even then, it was often watered down or mixed with something.) The global rum market is dominated by a handful of huge beverage companies, all of whom have historically marketed their rum as a mixer. The two forces working to counter this image are the small-batch importers and the internet rum-aficionado community. In time, they may prove successful. I will say this much, at least: there has never been a wider selection of great rum so readily available in the United States in my lifetime. Anyone whose opinion of rum has been colored by the paint thinner that Bacardi puts out should consider a bottle of Diplomatico, or aged Flor de Cana. The prices and quality go up from there, but for my money, those are some very good and very approachable sipping rums.