{"id":60977,"date":"2025-08-27T12:33:56","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T16:33:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/?p=60977"},"modified":"2025-08-27T15:35:33","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T19:35:33","slug":"caribbean-rum-spirited-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/charter\/caribbean-rum-spirited-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Caribbean Rum: A Sailor&#8217;s Spirited Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rum-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image disable-lazyload\" alt=\"Old fashioned rum drink on ice with orange zest garnish.\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rum-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rum-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rum-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rum-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rum.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Where island spirit meets cocktail tradition\u2014cheers to the rum old fashioned.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">weyo\/stock.adobe.com<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s nothing quite like the first sip of rum at anchor, the light dimming on the sea, the scent of salt and sugarcane in the air. For me, the daily craving started with a gallon jug of punch on a bareboat charter back in 1979. Since then, Caribbean rum and I have had a long, spirited relationship\u2014one sip at a time, one island at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe id=\"gkstfcayky\" src=\"https:\/\/cruisingworld.dragonforms.com\/gkstfcayky\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"width:100%;height:165px;border:none;overflow:hidden;\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p>The seventh-annual Caribbean Rum Awards were held this past fall on St. Barts. This competition is all about \u00adsipping rums, not the more-pedestrian versions used for mixing evening cocktails, where most any good rum will do. Out of 60 rums entered, Martinique\u2019s Trois Rivi\u00e8res Triple Mill\u00e9sime was crowned world \u00adchampion.&nbsp;Kudos to the&nbsp;French.<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AdobeStock_277549792-Converted-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Illustration of a vintage design elegant rum beverage label, with crafted letterring, specific product mentions, textures and floral patterns\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AdobeStock_277549792-Converted-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AdobeStock_277549792-Converted-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AdobeStock_277549792-Converted-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AdobeStock_277549792-Converted-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AdobeStock_277549792-Converted.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">A Limited Edition Jamaican Old Rum bottle sets the tone<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Benchart\/stock.adobe.com<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>One of the great joys of sailing the Eastern Caribbean is sampling various island rums as you go. I\u2019ve been doing this for 46 years, ever since a two-week bareboat charter in the Virgin Islands. The boat, a Morgan Out Island, was wide-beamed, lumbering, and about as elegant as a camper van in a cocktail dress. But tucked beside the chart table sat a complimentary gallon jug of rum punch, sweating in the tropical heat.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That did it. It\u2019s been rum ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rum is the Caribbean in a glass: sun-warmed sugarcane, salt-laced breezes, and the echo of steel drums somewhere \u00adonshore. Made from local sugarcane or molasses, rum reflects its birthplace in flavor and color, from crystal clear to \u00admolasses black. West Indian rum is available in clear or in shades from gold&nbsp;to amber to black. Mix the amber fluid with pineapple and orange juice, add a splash of grenadine, and the drink takes on all the colors of a West Indian sunset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Painkiller_AdobeStock_170578315-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Painkiller\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Painkiller_AdobeStock_170578315-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Painkiller_AdobeStock_170578315-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Painkiller_AdobeStock_170578315-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Painkiller_AdobeStock_170578315-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Painkiller_AdobeStock_170578315.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">A frosty Painkiller on Jost Van Dyke keeps the vibe alive.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Amy Laughinghouse\/stock.adobe.com<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>In the early days, it was always Mount Gay and orange juice for me: simple, cheap, and potent enough to cut through the heat after a long sail. That was in the 1980s, when I could buy a bottle on St. Barts, duty-\u00adfree, for $2. And while my rum locker still contains a few bottles of select sipping rums, in more recent times, Cruzan Aged Dark has supplied my daily ration. This reasonably priced amber rum is distilled on St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I start with a 24-ounce insulated Yeti coffee mug\u2014it keeps the morning coffee hot and the evening rum chilled, both for hours. Drop in four cubes of ice and 4 ounces of rum, and top it off with 18 ounces of tonic water. A squeeze of lime is \u00adoptional, and dash of nutmeg is nice.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each island down here has a distillery or two. Some of these island rums are excellent, most are good, and a few should come with a fire-hazard warning. I once tried a bottle from a roadside shack in Dominica that could\u2019ve doubled as outboard fuel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AdobeStock_746943035-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Stacks of wooden barrels filled with aging Puerto Rican rum\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AdobeStock_746943035-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AdobeStock_746943035-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AdobeStock_746943035-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AdobeStock_746943035-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/AdobeStock_746943035.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Rows of aging barrels in Puerto Rico promise future treasures. <\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Jason Busa\/stock.adobe.com<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>On Grenada, Clarke\u2019s Court and River Antoine produce their own rums. On Bequia, I found Sparrow\u2019s, a rum from St. Vincent. It was just right for mixing my evening libation.&nbsp;On Bermuda, Goslings makes a dark rum that, when combined with ginger beer, becomes a Dark \u2019n Stormy. Guadeloupe and Martinique have their own distilleries, producing robust French-style rums. On Sint Maarten, Guavaberry and Topper\u2019s offer a dozen spiced and gussied-up varieties. Callwood Rum Distillery in Cane Garden Bay on Tortola has been making rum for more than 200 years. The stone buildings, scorched copper stills and weathered casks feel frozen in time. Callwood\u2019s signature 80-proof cane-based rum\u2014named Panty Dropper\u2014is as famous for its label as its lingering kick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p style=\"font-size:30px\"><em>Rum is the \u00adCaribbean in a glass: sun-warmed sugarcane, salt-laced breezes, and the echo of steel drums somewhere onshore.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Antigua Distillery Limited offers a variety of sipping rums. Its Cavalier Gold is a fine choice for any West Indian rum punch. If you\u2019re lucky\u2014or persistent\u2014you might find yourself invited to join the Royal Navy Tot Club of Antigua and Barbuda. Under the glow of nautical lanterns in a dockside pub, a band of expats gathers nightly to toast the Crown and history itself. A Royal Navy tale is read aloud, and a full tot of rum\u20142.4 ounces, not a drop less\u2014is downed in one steady gulp. Saturdays come with the toast: \u201cTo our wives and \u00adsweethearts, may they never meet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1999, I made my way to Cuba and found myself a few blocks behind El Capitolio in Central Havana, at a place called El Floridita, which Ernest Hemingway once haunted like a regular spirit. This pink, one-story restaurant and bar is eight blocks in a straight line down Obispo Street from the Hotel Ambos Mundos, where Hemingway lived for a while. He would drink a dozen daiquiris in one sitting while chatting with fellow writers such as Ezra Pound, John Dos Passos, Graham Greene, Jean-Paul Sartre, Gabriel Garc\u00eda M\u00e1rquez and Tennessee Williams. The photographs on the walls tell a more complete story from the 1930s to 1950s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Rum-Lockjr-off-Rodney-Bay-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Rum collection\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Rum-Lockjr-off-Rodney-Bay-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Rum-Lockjr-off-Rodney-Bay-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Rum-Lockjr-off-Rodney-Bay-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Rum-Lockjr-off-Rodney-Bay-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Rum-Lockjr-off-Rodney-Bay.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">The author\u2019s rum locker, revealed at anchor, showcases a sailor\u2019s spirited stash.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">David H. Lyman<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>My red-aproned bartender\u2014sleeves rolled, a practiced flick of the shaker\u2014lined up daiquiris like a gunslinger. Rum, lime, grapefruit juice, sugar syrup. Shake. Pour. Repeat. According to William Grimes\u2019 book&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/outclick.co\/l\/01k3p5f3451gs2m43tn4s76ahe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Straight Up or On the Rocks: The Story of the American Cocktail<\/a><\/em>, this traditional drink is made with Bacardi white rum, fresh lime, grapefruit juice and sugar syrup. It\u2019s shaken, not stirred, with ice, and is served in large goblets. Add six drops of maraschino liqueur for more color. If the bartender skips the sugar, it\u2019s the Hemingway Daiquiri: stripped down, no-nonsense and a little dangerous. Where the classic version is limey and sweet, this one doubles the rum, earning the nickname \u201c<em>Papa doble<\/em>.\u201d It\u2019s a drink that doesn\u2019t smile back, and after two, neither will you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bacardi rum is not available in Cuba now, yet the name is still in Havana, carved into a granite facade\u2014the family\u2019s former headquarters. Today, the rum in Cuba is Havana Club. The Bacardi family set up shop in nearby Puerto Rico and is doing just fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rum-bake-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Old Havana\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rum-bake-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rum-bake-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rum-bake-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rum-bake-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/rum-bake.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">As daily life unfolds in Old Havana, where laundry flutters and street dogs roam, timeless charm flows through the Ambos Mundos bar, where locals and visitors mingle over cocktails and conversation.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">David H. Lyman<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>Puerto Rico\u2019s pi\u00f1a colada is a sweet, slushy anthem to \u00advacation-\u00admode excess. It\u2019s served in \u00adhurricane glasses taller than your forearm, usually with a cherry and a paper umbrella. It tastes like sunblock and joy. I once ordered one that came in a hollowed-out pineapple\u2014and briefly considered renting a \u00adcabana and staying forever.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For sailors, there\u2019s Navy Grog, made with Pusser\u2019s Rum, water and lime juice. This daily tot was first doled out to British crews in 1655 and then stopped in 1970. The Royal New Zealand Navy still continues the tradition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Painkiller is the BVI\u2019s answer to the mainland\u2019s ibuprofen and acetaminophen\u2014a creamy, coconut-laced concoction that masks its potency behind pineapple sweetness and a dusting of nutmeg. I had my first Painkiller at the Soggy Dollar Bar, slumped in a hammock after a beach landing that required no shoes and one waterproof dry bag. The drink originated at White Bay on Jost Van Dyke, where there\u2019s no dock. Sailors swim ashore with dollar bills stuffed in their swimsuits. The Painkiller goes down really easy. By the second round, the name starts to make perfect sense. It comes in grades: one, two, three\u2014and the&nbsp;fourth should be outlawed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, rum punch is the Caribbean\u2019s catchall cure: orange juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, a dash of lime and whatever rum\u2019s on hand, often two or three kinds. I\u2019ve had versions so smooth that they sipped like juice, and others that lit up my sinuses like wasabi. The only \u00adconstant? You don\u2019t stop at one. The recipe starts with ice in a tall glass, \u00adfollowed by white or amber rum, then tropical citrus fruit juices such as lime, lemon, papaya, mango, pomegranate and orange. I prefer pineapple and \u00adorange juice with a splash of grenadine syrup for color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/23090728-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Scenes from the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport, RI.\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/23090728-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/23090728-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/23090728-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/23090728-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/23090728.jpg 2000w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">A sailor\u2019s paradise: turquoise seas, trade winds, and a rum punch always within reach.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Onne van der Wal<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>On Bequia, a variation of rum punch goes like this: one of sour, two of sweet, three of strong and four of weak. That\u2019s lime juice, sugar syrup, rum and tonic water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The mojito is Cuba\u2019s contribution to the rum drinker\u2019s delight. In my opinion, having done the Hemingway Pub Crawl, Hotel Ambos Mundos makes the best one. Hemingway wrote 1932\u2019s <em><a href=\"https:\/\/outclick.co\/l\/01k3p5x117q4nnny74nwts7psw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Death in the Afternoon<\/a><\/em> here, about Spanish bullfights. He also started writing <em><a href=\"https:\/\/outclick.co\/l\/01k3p5y5z78gkme2ma1zdvateh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Green Hills of Africa<\/a><\/em> here, and worked on <em>To Have and Have Not<\/em>. The mojitos at this bar come with a sprig of mint so fresh, it still holds the scent of the garden. That mint goes into a tall glass with a lime wedge and a spoonful of sugar, to be mashed into a fragrant pulp by a mallet worn smooth from good use. Then it\u2019s ice, Havana Club rum, soda water, a straw, and a nod from the bartender. The mojito is a refreshing drink with the fiery taste of rum tamed by sugar, lime and grass. One usually leads to two.&nbsp;<br>Of course, not every rum drink comes in a frosted glass. Sometimes it\u2019s a tin mug of grog\u2014rum, water, lime and not much else\u2014passed around at anchor as the sun drops. No umbrellas, no fanfare. Just sailors, stories, and a slow burn in the chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I sail among the islands this winter, I\u2019ll be hunting cocktails as much as coves. It\u2019s a ritual now. As the hook sets and the light fades, I head below, reach for the rum, and pour my daily ration. The sea sighs against the hull, and the scent of lime is on my hands as I raise a glass to the islands, to Hemingway, and to another day well-lived under sail.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>For more than 20 years, author and \u00adphotojournalist David H. Lyman has sailed the Eastern Caribbean islands. His Hemingway Pub Crawl is&nbsp;detailed in his forthcoming book,&nbsp;<\/em>A Maine Yankee in Castro\u2019s Cuba<em>.&nbsp;Find more of his writing and photographs at <a href=\"https:\/\/dhlyman.com\/about\/welcome.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dhlyman.com<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From Mount Gay in St. Barts to daiquiris in Cuba, a sailor charts his enduring affinity for the Caribbean\u2019s signature spirit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":60978,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"David H. 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