Why are (casual) cocktails so rum heavy?

I’m not a drinker. In fact, if you totaled up the entire amount of alcohol I’ve had in my life, it probably wouldn’t fill 2 standard wine bottles. Lots of little sips to try something, very little full drinks.

But I’m curious about something that, because I’m not a drinker, I might just be missing context for.

Whenever I’m at a restaurant or see bar menus for various events/places, cocktail always seem to be mostly rum based. I understand it in certain places (rum in the Caribbean makes sense), but it seems like it’s everywhere. Any restaurant that has a bar inside will have a half dozen rum drinks, a couple vodka drinks, and a couple of tequila drinks, along with a couple of multiple alcohol drinks like Long Islands. Very, very rarely, I’ll see a gin drink.

Is there a reason for cocktails to be so rum focused? Is it just a “it’s what’s popular now” thing? Is rum generally cheaper than other alcohols? What am I missing?