The story of St. John Brewers is the kind of thing you talk about doing one day as you sit on the beach with a cold beer in your hand. It’s the fantasy of leaving the big city job in the States and starting a brewery in the islands. For Chirag Vyas and Kevin Chipman, friends and former roommates at the University of Vermont, it was reality, and we’re jealous as hell. Chirag, a scientist at NASA, and Kevin, a physical therapist at a Boston medical center, learned just a few years out of college that the daily 9 to 5 grind was not for them. They moved to islands,…
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Today’s Spirits of the Caribbean is a bit of a blast from the past. You will see Pyrat Rum in your liquor store or local watering hole, but you won’t see the Pyrat Rum plant on Anguilla anymore. Years ago, there was a Pyrat Rum blending and bottling plant on Anguilla, located in Sandy Ground, offering tours of the facility. They even had a rum which you could only get on Anguilla, an orange-flavored rum called “Savage.” Sadly, the Anguilla facility closed in 2009, and Savage is no more. Anguilla Rums Limited, which produced Pyrat Rum, was founded by Martin Crowley, an American businessman. Mr. Crowley died on Anguilla in…
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So you’re not on Nevis, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the Mangojito at home. We start with the recipe from the Four Seasons Nevis: 1.5 ounces Brinley’s Gold Mango Rum 8 mint leaves Splash of simple syrup Juice of 1 lime 1 Tablespoon of mango puree Club Soda Start by peeling and removing the pit from the mangoes, or more accurately, the mango from the pit. Place the pieces in your blender and puree until smooth. Make up some simple syrup. It’s one part water, one part sugar. Heat it to make sure that the sugar is dissolved and allow to cool down. Place the mint leaves in…
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The signature cocktail of the Four Seasons Nevis, the Mangojito is a mix of Brinley’s Gold Mango Rum, mango puree, simple syrup, club soda, and muddled mint leaves. Who knew that the mojito could be even more delicious? The folks at the Four Seasons have generously shared their recipe, so be sure to try this one at home! 1.5 ounces Brinley’s Gold Mango Rum 8 mint leaves Splash of simple syrup Juice of 1 lime 1 Tablespoon of mango puree Club Soda Place mint leaves in glass with the splash of simple syrup and lime juice, and muddle the mint leaves (crush to release the flavor). Add ice, rum, mango…
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Carib Lager is found all over the Caribbean, but finds its origins in Trinidad and Tobago. First brewed in 1950, the 5.2% ABV lager is as popular now as ever. With arrangements made in advance, you can tour the brewery. If you are on St. Kitts and want to set up a tour of the brewery there, contact our friends at Pereira Tours for information. Cheers! SaveSave
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Guavaberry Liqueur is made from oak-aged rum, cane sugar, and wild Sint Maarten guavaberries found high in the hills on the island. Try a Guavaberry Margarita, Guavaberry Sunrise, or Guavaberry Colada, with recipes found on the Guavaberry website. Cheers! SaveSave
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St. Kitts and Nevis were known as the “sugar islands,” with abundant fields of sugar cane, and alive with the milling of sugar cane, and the distillation and production of rum. Unfortunately over time, those distilleries disappeared and now the only rum produced locally is home brew or “hammond.” There remains a brand of rum which is bottled and blended on St. Kitts by Demerara Distillers Limited of Guyana. CSR, Cane Spirit Ritchmont,“The Spirit of St. Kitts,” is a light spirit distilled from cane sugar syrup, rather than molasses, from which rum is generally made. It is perfect when combined with Ting, a grapefruit soda from Jamaica, for a “Ting…
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No list of the best spirits of the Caribbean is complete without a nod to the “Killer Bee,” found at Sunshine’s on the island of Nevis. This refreshing rum cocktail has a way of sneaking up on you, so be careful to avoid the “sting.” By my count, it hits you around your third drink. For more on the “Killer Bee,” and why Sunshine’s is one of our favorite beach bars, read our report here. Or click here for our full, seven-part trip report on our journey to Nevis. Cheers! SaveSave
