Rum Therapy, Author at Rum Therapy

February 13, 2012June 24, 2021

Valentine’s Day Cocktails

Feeling “Rum”antic this Valentine’s Day? Here are a few rum cocktail recipes to spice up your “rum”antic celebration!

Caribbean Kiss
(makes two – of course!)

4 oz. Dark Rum
2 oz. Amaretto
2 oz. Kahlua
4 oz. Cream
Cinnamon
Raw Sugar

Dip the rim of a cocktail glass in Kahlùa, then in raw sugar. Shake the spirits and cream with ice, strain into the frosted glass and sprinkle cinnamon on top.

If dinner goes really well, perhaps this could be your after dinner drink?

Between the Sheets
(makes 2)

2 oz Brandy
2 oz Light Rum
2 oz Triple sec
2 oz Lemon juice

In a shaker half-filled with ice cubes, combine all of the ingredients. Shake well. Strain into cocktail glasses.

or:

Love Potion #9
(makes one)
Recipe from Cruzan Rum

1 1/2 parts Cruzan 9 Spiced Rum
3/4 part DeKuyper Coconut Amaretto
3 parts Pineapple Juice
1 part Cranberry Juice
Shake all ingredients with ice and pour into a Hurricane glass. Garnish with a pineapple/cherry stack on the rim.

Happy Valentines Day!

For more Rum Recipes, check out our Rum Recipes by Category

Copyright©Rum Therapy Beaches, Bars & More, Tropical Travel Guide, 2013
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

February 8, 2012June 6, 2019

Island Windjammers

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by….
Sea Fever by John Masefield

For those of you that have followed us for a while, you know that not only do we love beautiful tropical beaches, island vacations and rum, we have also grown to love sailing…so, when we got an invitation to participate in a week long sail on the Tall Ship Diamant through Island Windjammers, we jumped on it! The Diamant sails from Grenada through the Grenadine Islands on a 6 day sail for most of the year, but also offers several longer cruises.

The Diamant has 6 cabins for 12 guests and a crew of 6. Meals and most beverages are included – and believe me, you are well fed! During our 6 day sail, we covered 144 miles and saw 9 different islands – some of them completely uninhabited. The sailing was incredible, the food was amazing and the sights were…well, indescribable.

Tobago Cays, The Grenadines

We boarded not knowing any of our fellow passengers or crew, but left with lots of new friends!

Our shipmates and new friends enjoying some Rum Punch on Happy Island

We took, oh, about 2,000 pictures during our sail and so we thought we’d give you the highlights of our trip through pictures. As they say, take only photographs and leave only footprints!

Our berth for the week, Cabin #2. Diamant Deck Configuration: Roll your mouse over the diagram to see pictures of cabins.

A beautiful beach on Carriacou

Carriacou Sunset

Princess Margaret Beach – Bequia

Enjoying Lobster Pizza at Mac’s in Bequia

Conch Fritters for Happy Hour

A great cheese plate (complete with jalapeño mice) for the wine and cheese party.

Had a great time gettin’ happy at Happy Island.

Kite surfers giving us a show at Happy Island

Enjoying the cultural walk, er – bar crawl on Mayreau

Shopping, island style, on Mayreau

We were treated to a rainbow over Sweezle Time – the name of the new dinghy

Enjoyed a picnic and an afternoon in the sun in Tobago Cays

Snorkeling with the turtles in Tobago Cays – awesome experience!

Captain Nervo demonstrating the proper rope swing dismount. Apparently he’d done this a few times before…

Every evening during Happy Hour, Brandon served up the infamous Diamant Rum Swizzles (or Sweezles as Capt. Nervo calls them). I asked for Brandon’s recipe and he said, oh, just a bit of this juice and that juice and some rum. Hmmm…code for TOP SECRET RECIPE?? Anyway – they’re delicious!

One last day of sun, sand and snorkeling on beautiful Sandy Island. We look pretty stressed, huh?

One last sunny sail back to the island of Grenada. Great adventure, great time.
Thank you Island Windjammers!

To find out more about Island Windjammers, check out their website:
http://www.islandwindjammers.com/default.aspx
Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/IslandWindjammers
Email them at:
[email protected]
Or call:
877.772.4549

To see more posts on The Grenadines and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

copyright©Rum Therapy Beaches, Bars & More, Tropical Travel Guide, 2013
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

February 7, 2012June 24, 2021

Dirty Banana

The first time I experienced a drink called the a Dirty Banana was in Jamaica after spending the day on a Cool Runnings Sail to Dunn’s River Falls. The sail offered endless pours of rum punch and to be honest with you, by the time someone ordered a Dirty Banana cocktail for me later that evening, I was nearly rummed out for the day. I know, what a lightweight. However, the lovely flavor of fresh banana mingled with dark rum and coffee flavored liqueur remained etched in my mind.

Jump to Recipe

Recently one of our Facebook friends asked if we could dig up a recipe for a Dirty Banana that she had enjoyed during a recent vacation to Jamaica. There were many recipes available on the web, but after a bit of testing and tweaking, we settled on the taste of the recipe below. We sprinkled the top of the drink with cinnamon, but allspice could be used as well as a floater of Tia Maria! Enjoy a taste of Jamaica, mon!

*We love bringing you amazing rum recipes! Our recipes may contain affiliate links to products that we use. If you click the link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support in helping us to continue providing rumlicious, tropical recipes!

Print Recipe

Dirty Banana

This drink has a lovely flavor of fresh banana mingled with dark rum and coffee flavored liqueur!

Course: Drinks

Servings:

Ingredients

2 oz. Tia Maria
2 oz. Dark Rum
2 oz. Rum Cream Liqueur
4 oz. Milk
1 oz. Simple Syrup
3/4 Banana
Ice

Instructions

Fill blender 3/4 way with ice and all ingredients.
Blend until thick and smooth.
Pour into glasses and sprinkle the top with cinnamon, allspice or nutmeg or add a floater of Tia Maria.

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

January 26, 2012January 15, 2020

Bomba Surfside Shack

Have you heard of the “Full Moon Parties” on Tortola? Then you’ve probably heard of The Bomba Shack.

The Bomba Shack is quite the sight. Erected of materials dropped off by friends, the building looks as if it shouldn’t stay upright in a heavy wind. (It actually made it through a pretty fierce hit from Hurricane Earl in 2010 with minimal damage!)

Update: unfortunately the Bomba Shack was destroyed in the hurricanes of 2017. We are not sure if there will be any attempt to re-build, but we will update this post with any additional information as we receive it.

The walls and ceiling are adorned with graffiti, tons of pictures and clothing (namely undergarments). The architectural style is to say the least ….interesting. During the day, it’s a quiet place with a nice view of Jost Van Dyke.

Bomba’s Rum Punch with Jost Van Dyke in the distance

Bomba opened his bar in 1976 on Cappoons Bay – between Long Bay and Cane Garden Bay. He began the infamous Full Moon Parties in 1989 and due to the popularity of these get-togethers (there have been 800-1,000 people in attendance), Bomba opened up “The Back Yard” across the street in the same architectural style. It includes a bandstand for the live music and another bar.

We attended Bombas Full Moon Party in January of 2010 and did a little research on it before attending. One website said “Not for the easily offended” and after attending, we completely understand what they meant. Leave the kiddos at home – this party starts around 9 p.m., doesn’t really wind up until dawn, and it’s wild!

Many people come to partake in Bombas Mushroom Tea which is only served during certain hours, with special glasses that you need to purchase. Some of the locals we talked to recommended skipping the tea and going for Bombas Rum Punch instead, or adding rum to the tea. We tried both the tea and the punch – for research purposes of course…

Pouring the Mushroom Tea

Midnight rolled around and we said goodbye to Bomba. As we looked around, the place had gotten crowded with both locals and tourists and we waded through a sea of people trying to find our ride. This party was just gettin’ started!

To see more posts on Tortola and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

January 13, 2012January 18, 2012

Rum Bar at the Breadfruit

You lucky Phoenicians. Or for that matter, anyone who spends time in Phoenix. There’s a place in downtown Phoenix that’ll transport you by taste to the islands. It’s called the Rum Bar at the Breadfruit.

We recently learned about and “liked” the Rum Bar on Facebook and commented on one particularly yummy looking Rum Drink that they posted called the Irish Rum Float.

photo by Rum Bar at the Breadfruit

The good folks at the Rum Bar got back to us with their original recipe and we were hooked.

Irish Rum Float
1 oz Zaya
1 oz El Dorado Rum Cream
1/4 oz Coconut milk
1/4 oz Gozio amaretto
1 oz Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

Shake vigorously and double strain into martini glass
Dust with ground cinnamon

We were thrilled to then be invited to and to attend an Appleton Rum Tasting Event at the Rum Bar in December. After the event, we had to try the Irish Rum Float for ourselves and also ordered the scrumptious looking Appleton Rum Sea Scallops.

Phoenix. Really. Head on down to the Rum Bar at the Breadfruit and get an authentic taste of the tropics – Modern Jamaican Seafood, Premium Aged Rum and Cigars.

To find out more about the Rum Bar and The Breadfruit, go to their website:
http://thebreadfruit.com/
and Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/TheBreadfruit

January 9, 2012September 25, 2019

Foxy’s Tamarind Bar

18.43° N and 64.71° W – Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, BVI.

According to their website, this is the location of Foxy’s Tamarind Bar. For those of you, like me, who’d rather get an address you can plug into your smart phone, you’ll be hard pressed to find a street address. Just sail in to Great Harbour, go ashore and look for the party. There’s usually one of some size going on in this eclectic place that boasts one of the greatest “Old Years Eve” parties in the world.

Foxy Callwood is the man behind the name and has been serving food & strong rum drinks to sailors and visitors since 1966. He’s quite the storyteller and loves to talk with and sing to the many folks who wander into his bar.

Foxy’s is a great place to people watch and drink rum – lots of it. Foxy even has his own rum – Foxy’s Firewater Rum, which you can purchase from his gift shop. Foxy’s serves up some serious rum drinks and as hard as we tried to work our way through his Rum Drink Menu during our week on JVD, we fell short – just slightly. Darn. Guess we’ll have to go back.

Foxy has another bar on Jost Van Dyke at Diamond Cay called “Foxy’s Taboo” – named after his dog seen here.

You can listen to live music Thursday—Saturday and enjoy BBQ every Friday and Saturday night and there are many other fun events throughout the year.

We read somewhere that if dinghying in to Foxy’s for the Old Year’s Eve Party, you should bring a lock and chain for your dinghy, ’cause all dinghy’s look the same at night after some heavy drinking. Apparently revelers occasionally can’t even find their own boat, just pick another to pass out on and worry about finding their own in the morning. Must be that Firewater!!

Have you been to Foxy’s? Tell us about it!

Want to find out more about Foxy’s? Check out their website and Facebook page.

To see more posts on Jost Van Dyke and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

January 7, 2012September 25, 2019

Ivan’s Stress Free Bar

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems…Kenny Chesney filmed the video for his hit on the shores of Ivan’s and it absolutely fits the feel of this tropical beach bar.

Located on White Bay, separated from it’s famous neighbor The Soggy Dollar Bar by a rock outcropping, Ivan’s is a great place to escape when White Bay fills up with thirsty partiers on day trips from neighboring islands.

Chatting with Ivan is like chatting with an old friend. Quiet and unassuming, he seems genuinely interested in those who wander through his doors looking for a cool libation and to check out the interesting structure lined with thousands of shells.

“Shell Man”

The beach in front of Ivan’s

Enjoying a Bushwacker and some conversation

Ivan’s boasts a real Caribbean Honor Bar – you can make it and keep your own tab, as well as a campground and several modest guest houses.

Stop in and say hi to Ivan, catch some great live music, a delicious Thursday evening barbeque, cold libations, a quiet beach and some of the most beautiful sunsets in the Caribbean. The beers are cold (Bushwackers are pretty darn good too!), the atmosphere is totally laid back and the company is warm and inviting. “Stress Free” it truly is….

Ivan’s was rebuilt in 2014. Click the following link to see photos of The New Ivan’s Stress Free Bar

Other Jost Van Dyke posts you might be interested in:

Rum Therapy On Jost Van Dyke

Barhopping On Jost Van Dyke

White Bay, Jost Van Dyke

Foxy’s Tamarind Bar

The Soggy Dollar Bar

White Bay Villas and Seaside Cottages

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

January 5, 2012September 25, 2019

The Soggy Dollar Bar

Our first visit to Jost Van Dyke was in 2010 on a BVI sail trip. We’d come close to landing on her shores in 2006 during another sail trip, but the seas were rough that trip and the Captain elected to head toward Tortola instead – so it remained on our “places to see” list.

During the 2010 sail, we made it to Jost for the first time. Sailing in to White Bay, our jaws dropped – the combination of spectacular white sand against some of the clearest blue water we’d seen…wow!In keeping with the Soggy Dollar tradition, we jumped in the water with drinking dollars in our pockets (hence soggy dollars) and swam ashore.

During a recent 8 day stay on Jost Van Dyke we had the opportunity to spend a lot more time, drink a lot more Painkillers and take a lot more pictures at the Soggy Dollar Bar.

You’d think we’d have our fill of it by now, but instead find ourselves thinking about going back time and time again to say hi to the good folks at Soggy Dollar and enjoy lazy afternoons of extreme Rum Therapy in the beautiful water, sand and sun of White Bay…The infamous Painkiller. Love the Nilla Killa’s too.

Mic doing his magic.

Owner Jerry O’Connell demonstrating the proper Ring Game technique.

White Bay filling up with boats of thirsty partiers in the afternoon.

In the evening, the crowds thin and the real relaxation begins…

Quiet morning at the Soggy.

To find out more about the Soggy Dollar Bar,
Check out the Soggy Dollar website
and Facebook page:
Soggy Dollar Bar

To see more posts on Jost Van Dyke and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

December 28, 2011June 24, 2021

Champagne Mojitos

What a way to ring in the New Year! The delectable taste of a mojito topped off with some festive Champagne. This recipe makes 2 but it can easily be made into bigger batches. Prepare the mojito portion ahead of time and just add the Champagne right before serving so that you can enjoy the party too!

Happy New Year!

Print Recipe

Champagne Mojitos

Course: Drinks

Servings:

Ingredients

1/2 c. Simple Syrup (make your own with equal parts water and sugar)
1/2 c. Packed Mint Leaves (plus a few extra for garnish)
2 Small Limes
2/3 c. Light Rum
Ice
Champagne or Sparkling Wine

Instructions

(If you purchased simple syrup, skip this step) In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the sugar and water just until the sugar dissolves. Cool to room temperature.
Combine the 1/2 c. simple syrup with the mint leaves and lime wedges in a large glass and muddle well.
Add the rum and stir gently.
Fill two Champagne glasses with cracked ice and strain in the mixture, filling the glasses about 2/3 full.
Top it off with Champagne or sparkling wine, garnish with the mint and serve.

Watch how to make them here:

December 14, 2011December 14, 2011

Appleton Estate Rum Tasting Event

I don’t have a favorite. I love them all equally – they’re all my children.
Dwayne Allen, Chief Rum Expert, Rum Bar at the Breadfruit

We were invited to attend an invitation only rum tasting event at Rum Bar at The Breadfruit in downtown Phoenix, Arizona last Saturday. This particular tasting would cover the rums in the Appleton Estate Family.

We arrived at the Rum Bar and met co-owner Dwayne Allen, a soft spoken, personable man with Jamaican roots, who exudes an enthusiasm for the spirit of rum and appeared to have an extensive knowledge of rums in general, rum history and production. As we frequently do, we asked Dwayne if he had an all time favorite rum, and his response was “I don’t have a favorite. I love them all equally – they’re all my children.” That’s a lot of children to love. The Rum Bar normally has 108 rums to choose from – currently they’re up to 114.
The evening was a delicious and educational event. We were greeted with a glass of Kingston Rum Punch made from Dwayne’s family recipe, and served delectable treats created by Dwayne’s partner, Danielle Leoni, such as Braised Oxtail Sliders and Red Stripe Curried Prawns.

It then was time to get down to business and start sampling and learning about the Appleton Estate Rums.

We first sampled the mixing rums, Appleton White and Gold and were given three aroma sticks to dip in molasses, orange and vanilla to help our senses identify the different flavors in the rum.
We continued with a sample of the first level of sipping rums, the V/X and the Reserve. These rums are traditionally enjoyed neat, with a cube of ice or just a splash of seltzer water.

Danielle then sent out a lovely plate of Petit Fours to enjoy with the next two rums on the menu, the 12 Year Old and the 21 Year Old.

We’d tasted the 12 Year Old before and both it and the 21 Year Old were very good. Through Dwayne’s tutelage we learned to hone in on the aroma and taste differences in the different ages of rum. We enjoyed every golden drop, savoring the pairing of flavors with the goodies shown above.

Dwayne explained that rums that have been properly aged (no additives, etc.) should display and “olive line” a faint green line at the top of the rum in a glass. We witnessed this in both of the rums at this level.
As if we hadn’t experienced rum bliss already, then came the pièce de résistance – Appleton Estate Limited 30 Year Old.
Less than 1,500 bottles of this exclusive rum were manufactured and only 770 made it to the U.S. We were told that the Appleton Estate Limited Edition 30 Year Old is the oldest rum commercially available on the planet. When we learned how rare this bottle was, we prepared ourselves for a rum sampling of a lifetime!

How was it? We are certainly not rum experts or connoisseurs, but we thought it was nothing short of amazing. Absolute perfection in a glass. But don’t take our word for it. Word has it that one of the very few places you can taste this ultra elusive treasure is the Rum Bar at The Breadfruit. Stop by soon before it’s gone for good!

To find out more about The Rum Bar including their Rum Tasting Series, Flights of Rum Events, Cigar and Rum Pairings, Craft Cocktails and Rums, check out their website: Rum Bar

While you’re there, enjoy some award winning modern Jamaican Cuisine at The Breadfruit (the Sea Scallops coated with Appleton Rum and the house hot and spicy jerk rub are awesome!) Check out The Breadfruit website for more info.