Rum Therapy Blog Archives | Page 21 of 47

March 23, 2015April 12, 2015

Caribbean Life – Living on an Island

We don’t really watch a lot of TV. A few shows here and there, but we can normally take it or leave it. With the exception of one show lately. One show that we either look forward to watching every week or record. And if it’s a repeat…well, let’s just say that can spoil the whole evening.

What show is it? Caribbean Life. New episodes air every Sunday evening and we are glued to each one. Face it – the thought of selling everything and moving to a Caribbean island can be quite alluring – especially when the weather outside your current residence is decidedly less than tropical.

A mansion on St. Croix, a house in the jungle in Belize, a condo on the beach in Grand Cayman; all featuring steel drum music, beautiful beach scenes and, of course, delicious tropical drinks. Each new episode gets us thinking about what it would truly be like to live in the paradise that we can’t wait to vacation in.

But the reality of island life is not always pretty. Prices are high, power outages frequent and those darn tourists. I recently read an article entitled “You Might Be A Island Girl If…” on the blog Women Who Live On Rocks. It humorously outlines some of the realities of life in the tropics such as: 1. DEET is your new fragrance and 2. You’ve grown to rather enjoy a navy shower.

But still – could you take the island inconveniences to wake up every morning to warm weather, sunshine and beautiful water? Or, would you rather live where you are and look forward to escaping to paradise on vacation?

What do you think? Have you ever thought about relocating to paradise? What concerns would you have? Do you think you could adjust to life on an island? If you could – what island(s) do you dream of living on?

To see more island posts, check out our Island Blog Directory

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

March 22, 2015June 6, 2019

Sunday Serenity: Why We’d Like to Re-Visit Cozumel

Although we’ve visited Cozumel a couple of times, we’ve not had the chance yet to stay on island…

Our last visit there was a fun adventure; four of us rented scooters and spent the afternoon touring the island. It was a great way to get around (insurance recommended!), see the beautiful beaches and attractions such as the Punta Moles Lighthouse and enjoy totally serene scenes such as this…

Why would we like to go back? Although you can see a lot of Cozumel in a day, we’d like to really get a feel for this laid back island just off the coast of Playa del Carmen – snorkeling Chankanaab, drinking ice cold cervezas and spending a few afternoons relaxing in a hammock in the white sand just like the one above…

Have you spent time in Cozumel? Tell us what you enjoyed about it!

To see more island posts, 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

March 15, 2015April 19, 2021

A Day of Fun in the Sun with Bahama Boat Excursions

Imagine being picked up at the dock next to your hotel and whisked away over the crystal clear water of the Bahamas where you spend the day snorkeling over gorgeous reefs, zipping along on a tube in the warm water, walking in the sugar soft white sand on a deserted beach and being treated to some delicious fresh conch salad and rum punch.

Before leaving last month on our much anticipated trip to the Bahamas, we received an email from Team BBE that said “Will you be traveling to Nassau for the RumBahamas Festival? If so, would you be interested in meeting up for an afternoon of fun in the sun on an excursion to our private beach on Rose Island?” We quickly googled Bahama Boat Excursions and emailed back YES!

(Note – this excursion is no longer available)

copyright Rum Therapy — Capt. Aztec King and Chris Vykouthlas, owners of Bahama Boat Excursions

Bahamas Boat Excursions is the brainchild of long time friends Chris Vykouthlas and Capt. Aztec King who are incredibly lucky to have turned what most people dream of experiencing on vacation into a way of life, and gives them the opportunity to share their love of their islands. They, along with Creative Director, Casey Wray, make up Team BBE.

The day of our excursion, we were picked up at the dock of our hotel by Chris and Capt. Aztec and were immediately struck by their friendliness and excellent customer service. They went out of their way to make sure we had an experience like no other.

Our day began with an exhilarating ride out to private Rose Island on Mary Jane, one of 3 (soon to be 4) boats in their fleet. What did our afternoon of fun in the sun with Bahama Boat Excursions include?

Plenty of warm Bahamian sunshine while skimming over the incredibly clear blue water.

Great snorkeling

Stingray sightings

Swimming with the turtles

A thrilling ride on the tube!

Time to ourselves on a beautiful, private, pristine beach

Amazingly crystal clear water

A quiet beach oasis with chairs and umbrellas for total relaxation…

Rum punch and a delicious conch salad

Plenty of time to walk the white sand beach

And a stop on the way home at Sandy Cay to have our picture taken in front of the island used in the opening credits of Gilligan’s Island.

That, and more, made for a excellent day of fun in the sun. Water-logged and sun-kissed from our day of exploring the waters and beaches around Nassau, we headed back totally relaxed and full of new memories from our time with Team BBE. To say we had a blast is an understatement. It was truly one of the best days we’ve had on (and in!) the water.

If you are planning to travel to Nassau and would like more information on Bahama Boat Excursions, email Team BBE at [email protected], check out their website and follow them on Facebook. Voted a top activity in the Bahamas by travelers on Trip Advisor, they tend to book up quickly, so be sure to plan ahead!

Team BBE offers a variety of excursions ranging from an afternoon of relaxation on private Rose Island for up to 6 people, watersport excursions, fishing charters and an excursion to the Exuma Cays. They can also arrange to take larger groups of up to 120 passengers for 4, 6 or 8 hour private excursions over to Rose Island where they offer groups a live grilling station with a professional chef, full bar, music, water sports, kayaks, snorkeling, hammocks, volleyball… and more! Their services can be fully customized to fit the wants and wishes of their visitors from corporate groups, field trips, wedding parties, bachelor or bachelorette parties, family reunions, you name it – they look forward to exceeding your expectations!

To see more posts on the Bahamas 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.

March 10, 2015May 29, 2019

Grabbers, Great Guana Cay

We wandered down the road from Nippers to check out Grabbers. Where the heck were we, you say? Great Guana Cay, The Abacos – a long skinny cay just a bit east of Great Abaco.

Our stop at Great Guana Cay on our recent sail through the Abaco Islands was highly anticipated. A gorgeous, small cay in the Bahamas with at least 2 well known beach bars. As I said in the Nippers Beach Bar & Grill post, that’s got Rum Therapy written all over it.

We entered the manicured grounds of Grabbers late afternoon. Our plan was to enjoy dinner there (and sample their signature rum drink, a Gauna Grabber) before heading back to the boat. Little did we know, we’d be treated to an over-the-top gorgeous sunset.

Grabbers, aka Grabbers Bed, Bar & Grill, also offers a variety of rooms to rent and would be a great place to stay to really unplug.

We ordered a Guana Grabber and some conch fritters while waiting for our dinner (a delicious thin crust pizza), then played a little cornhole and walked the beach as the sun began to set.

Maybe it was the Guana Grabber(s), or the fresh sea air, but the sunset at Grabbers struck us as one of the most colorful we’ve seen.

A beautiful sunset, delicious food and drink, very friendly service and a few friends to share it all with.
Ahhh…great night, great memories.

Have you been to Grabbers? Tell us about it!

Want to find out more about Grabbers? Check out their website and Facebook page.

Find Grabbers on our The Bahamas Map

To see more posts on the Bahamas 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

March 5, 2015June 6, 2019

Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum

Last week we were sailing the beautiful Abacos Islands of the Bahamas with two rum experts on board. I know, it’s rough, but we struggled through it.

One of the rum experts, Carlton Grooms, is the Director of Operations of Papa’s Pilar Rum, distilled in Key West, Florida. While we had previously sampled and enjoyed both the Papa’s Pilar Blonde and Dark Rums, we were able to get a little first-hand knowledge of this rich spirit and the best way(s) to enjoy it.

One particularly delightful evening aboard our sailboat, while watching the sun set over the calm Sea of Abaco, we learned that an easy, albeit delicious way to enjoy a glass of Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum is simply to add an orange slice and some grated dark chocolate to a pour. Both the orange and the dark chocolate accentuate and open up the aromas and tastes found in the rum. Although we enjoy sipping Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum neat, I believe we’ve found our new favorite way of enjoying a glass.

Oh, and the view didn’t hurt either…

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

March 3, 2015April 19, 2021

Festival RumBahamas 2015

Festival RumBahamas took over the historic and beautiful Ft. Charlotte in Nassau, Bahamas this year for three fun-filled days from February 27 – March 1.

When we realized we’d be in the Bahamas at about the same time as the rum festival, we made plans to be in Nassau to experience this “rum”tastic event. Boy, were we glad we did!

The organizers of RumBahamas (Events by Alexandra) did a fantastic job of combining festival elements to appeal to the serious rum fanatic as well as to those that enjoy rum because of its ability to conjure up images of beautiful beaches and a tropical escape. RumBahamas 2015 was a feast of delicious rums made even more authentic with the sights, sounds and smells of the tropics.

These were just few of the highlights of this years events for us:

1. Rum tastings. Although we’re not rum experts, we certainly enjoy rum and it was a treat to sample rums that we’ve not experienced before.

2. Having rum connoisseurs at the ready to chat with and answer questions about all aspects of rum.

3. Experiencing and learning about beautiful Fort Charlotte and sipping great rum in a dungeon!

4. The unique combination of a historical fort combined with brightly colored larger than life decorations.

5. The festival atmosphere, replete with some very talented Moko Jumbies, marching bands, live music, and delicious food.

6. Booths and booths of beautiful locally crafted items.

7. Dirty Mules. This tasty ginger and rum drink is new to us and we enjoyed one…or two. Even more appealing as the recipe for this delight is hush, hush.

8. Rum cocktails galore. Want a Piña Colada, Daiquiri or a Bahamian favorite, the Goombay Smash? Not only could you find them there, you could try one with different brands of rums.

9. Capt. Jack Sparrow. Who doesn’t like Capt. Jack? This guy really played the part well.

10. A pirate atmosphere and lots of fun costumes.

11. Rum bottles used as decorations. Ingenious.

12. All of this in a magical setting in the beautiful Bahamas. Bravo.

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

February 10, 2015June 6, 2019

Bacardi Rum Factory Tour

On our list of things to experience in Puerto Rico during our recent stay was, of course, the Bacardi Rum Factory Tour in Cataño, PR.

Cataño is on the north side of Puerto Rico – west of San Juan. Although it’s a very popular excursion from hotels and cruise ships in San Juan, we decided to drive on our own since we’d rented a car for the duration of our stay. Surprisingly, the factory wasn’t all that easy to find, although we did eventually arrive after taking a scenic tour of Cataño!

At the time of our visit, the Bacardi Rum Factory Tour was free of charge and included two free rum drinks which you could choose from the menu below.

(Since our tour in November 2014, Bacardi has began charging $12pp for the tour, which apparently includes a rum drink)

The building where the tour originates is quite interesting architecturally – perhaps bat like in shape?

Tours leave every 30 minutes and we had to wait only about 15 minutes before our tour began, which gave us just enough time to enjoy one of our drinks.

We boarded a shuttle which slowly toured the grounds while the driver gave us information on the different buildings in the compound.

The tour culminated with a video of the history of Bacardi and a building that simulated processes involved in making Bacardi Rum. We didn’t get to see any actual rum production, but we did enjoy learning about Bacardi and it’s history, their fruit bat logo, the family behind it and of course, a few more tastings at the end of the tour.

Upon returning to the Visitor’s Center, we meandered through the gift shop, then decided to enjoy a snifter of Bacardi Reserva Limitada (extra charge – but you get to take the snifter with you).

We would have liked to see some of the inner workings of the Bacardi Rum Factory, but I’m sure due to the throngs of people that visit Bacardi – the logistics would be difficult. Even though this tour is more commercial than other rum factory tours we’ve experienced, if you enjoy rum and Bacardi products, you probably would enjoy the Bacardi Rum Factory Tour.

Have you taken the tour? If so, did you enjoy it?

To see more posts on Puerto Rico 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 21, 2015November 7, 2020

Bob Marley Rum Drink

We sampled our first Bob Marley Drink – a shooter which was actually lit on fire before we drank it (don’t try this at home!!) during the Bob Marley Nine Mile Tour. We enjoyed several others as a frozen drink during our Jamaican get-a-way and have included a link to a recipe for that version too. Cheers!

*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

The Bob Marley Shooter

Adapted from our our visit to the Bob Marley Nine Tour.

Course: Drinks

Servings:

Ingredients

1 oz. Creme de Menthe
1/2 oz. Banana Liqueur
1/2 oz. Overproof Rum (we used Wray & Nephew, a Jamaican rum)
1 oz. Grenadine

Instructions

Pour the grenadine into a shooter glass.
Layer the rum and banana liqueur by carefully pouring it over the grenadine over the back of a spoon.
Followed that with a layer of Crème de Menthe.

The Bob Marley Frozen Drink
Find the recipe from Secrets Montego Bay on their blog

January 20, 2015June 6, 2019

El Yunque Rain Forest, Puerto Rico

El Yunque, in the Sierra de Luquillo mountain range of Puerto Rico, is said to be the only tropical rain forest in the US National Forest System. It is located approximately 40 kilometers (or about 25 miles) southeast of San Juan. El Yunque is a tropical wonderland with waterfalls and clear pools, 240 native tree species (which 26 are only found in El Yunque), 50 species of birds and 13 species of coquí and the endangered Puerto Rican Parrot!

We’d taken a tour by bus of El Yunque many years ago, but during our most recent stay in Puerto Rico, we decided to explore much more of this beautiful, tropical, albeit very wet area. Our goal this visit was to explore several of the gorgeous waterfalls in El Yunque and swim in the pools beneath them.

Average rainfall in parts of the forest are well over 200 inches a year, so one day on our visit, when the forecast was for an all day rain, we decided to go to El Yunque! After all, we thought, we’d probably get wet anyway and maybe the rainfall would keep some of the visitors away. We stopped at the local drug store, purchased some rain ponchos and headed up to the rain forest.

Well, it not only rained that day, but it was a torrential rainfall and the park ended up closing early to flooding concerns, but we had a fantastic time anyway! Did some hiking, took some pictures of glistening flora and ended up at The Rum House at the end of the day. We’d love to go back again someday to swim in the waterfall pools AND to hike to the top of the Mt. Britton Observation Tower, but here’s what we got to see this time.

The entrance to El Yunque is in Rio Grande off of Rt 3 on Rt 191 (see map). There is no fee to drive through El Yunque, but if you elect to stop at the Visitors Center for more information on the area, there is a small charge per person. A stop at the Visitors Center is worth it if you’d like to learn more about the flora and fauna found within the park and learn the history of the area.

We’d stopped at the Visitor Center during our previous visit, so this time we passed it and continued up the hill – by now in the pouring rain!

First stop – the overlook of La Coca Falls. Right next to the road, you can park just a few yards away and walk down to the overlook.

Next, a quick stop at the Yokahú Tower. Given that we’d climbed the tower to take in the view during our past visit, we weren’t completely disappointed that it was closed due to the rain this day, but, when open, it’s worth the climb.

Just a little ways up from the Yokahú Tower parking area, are a few small parking areas along the side of the road along with a Juan Diego sign. This is the least known, but from what we hear, the best series of falls to explore in El Yunque. Due to the weather and the danger of mudslides, we reluctantly decided not to hike to Juan Diego Falls that day, but you can find out more about them here: El Yunque’s Best Kept Secret: Juan Diego Falls.

Not much farther, we pulled into the Big Tree Trailhead parking area, donned our stylish rain gear and set off for a hike down Big Tree Trails to spectacular La Mina Falls.

Big Tree Trail has a cement path that slowly winds down the rain forest towards the falls.

The easy walk was magical with the sound of rain, a few birds and an occasional coqui. We were the only ones on the trail!

Even with raindrops on the lens, the plant life is gorgeous.

After a few more stops in the continued rain,

we got our soggy selves in the car and headed down the hill, where we came across this…

The Rum House.
Mofongo, rum and good conversation.

Great end to a great day!

Find El Yunque on our Puerto Rico Map

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

January 10, 2015June 6, 2019

El Morro, Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Is it worth tearing yourself away from the beautiful beaches and rum drinks in Puerto Rico to explore an old fort built in 1539 to protect San Juan from invading armies and pirates? We say – heck yes, but check out these pictures and decide for yourself.

The entrance to El Morro is majestic with its surrounding grounds of manicured green and a backdrop of blue ocean. The entrance fee is $5.00 and also includes access to the nearby Castillo San Cristobal. The fee includes a map so you can do a self guided tour, and there are plenty of knowledgeable rangers walking around that can answer any questions you might have.

We visited on a holiday, Veteran’s Day, and the grounds were dotted with families picnicking and flying colorful kites – or chiringas, which you can buy at a nearby stand.

Walking through this majestic fort is like taking a walk back through time. The fort itself is comprised of six levels and each with it’s own features and purpose. Be sure to walk into some of the gun turrets, or garitas, and imagine being a sentry hundreds of years ago!

The area around the working lighthouse on the top level offers some of the best views of the ocean and surrounding areas.

Many of the rooms are marked with plaques or signs explaining their purpose, such as this cannonball storage room.

The enormity of the structure, the thickness of the walls and the engineering of it all makes it quite evident why El Morro, and the soldiers that manned it, were able to stave off many attacks against San Juan, including one led by Sir Francis Drake in 1595.

Leaving El Morro, be sure to walk by the San Juan Cemetery to gaze at the elaborate tombstones overlooking the beautiful ocean. This graveyard is the resting place for several famous Puerto Ricans.

After walking up and down stairs and exploring in the warm sun, you might end the day doing what we did – we walked to Barrachina in Old San Juan, purported to be the birthplace of the Piña Colada, and enjoyed one (ok two) of the very refreshing libations.

Check out National Park Website for more information on El Morro and Castillo San Cristobal.

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