When it comes to drinking in the Caribbean, rum is always the liquor of choice. But how each island concocts their signature cocktail flavors with local ingredients to highlight the main attraction (rum), is very much part of the history and culture of the island.
Puerto Rico
Like many of the Caribbean islands, Puerto Rico, home to the Bacardi rum factory, is known for its rum. Some estimates state that nearly 80 percent of the rum consumed in the United States comes from Puerto Rico.
Signature Cocktail: Piña Colada
Ingredients: Light rum, coconut milk, pineapple juice, ice, and a cherry for garnish
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Jamaica
Many delicious cocktails are enjoyed throughout this vibrant island, and if beer is your preference, be sure to try Red Stripe Beer which has been brewed in Jamaica since 1938. But when it comes to cocktails, one famed rum mixture is a Jamaican classic.
Signature Cocktail: Old Jamaican
Ingredients: Mint, lime juice, rum, pure can simple syrup, Angostura, and a splash of champagne
St. Kitts
St. Kitts may be best known globally for its production of sugar cane, but one trip to this stunning Caribbean island and you may find that another local favorite is just as renowned.
Signature Cocktail: A Ting with a Sting
Ingredients: Rum and Ting (a local grapefruit flavored soda)
St. Martin
On this small island in the Caribbean, the local drink is derived from guavaberries. These are small orange and black berries that grow on trees on the island, not to be confused with guavas. The locals combine them with rum to create a guavaberry liqueur.
Signature Cocktail: Guavaberry Kir
Ingredients: Guavaberry liqueur and champagne
Antigua
This island’s most famous crop is the black pineapple, which isn’t actually black, but green when it’s at its most ripe stage. It’s no wonder that pineapple juice would make an appearance in this island’s signature cocktail.
Signature Cocktail: Antigua Smile
Ingredients: Rum, crème de banana, fresh pineapple juice and black pineapple garnish
Bermuda
Although not located in the Caribbean, Bermuda has a signature cocktail that has taken on global significance (and it also contains rum). The dark ‘n’ Stormy is the unofficial drink of Bermuda and of the global boating and sailing community. According to cnn.com, Bermuda, where the Dark ‘n’ Stormy was invented, is known as the shipwreck capital of the world, with 300 identified vessels lying ruined at the bottom of the surrounding North Atlantic Ocean.
Signature Cocktail: Dark ‘n’ Stormy
Ingredients: Rum, ginger beer, and lime
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Barbados
Barbados can boast having one of the oldest rum distilleries in the world: Mount Gay Rum, which has been in operation since 1703. It’s not surprising that rum makes a prominent appearance in this island’s signature cocktail.
Signature Cocktail: Rum Punch
Ingredients: Lime juice, simple syrup, rum and Angostura bitters