National Rum Day

Today is National Rum Day. Rum. That’s right, Rum has it’s own day.

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Finding the Rhum on St. Barths

When we started the company Rum Therapy in 2010, we knew little more about rum than it was an ingredient in some of our favorite island cocktails; piña coladas, rum punch and painkillers, oh and bushwackers – can’t forget bushwackers… And that rum appeared in the lyrics of many Kenny Chesney and Jimmy Buffett songs. And that wherever you go in the islands, there’s rum.
That’s it.

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Painkillers at the Soggy Dollar, Jost Van Dyke

See our list (and recipes!) of the 10 Best Tropical Rum Drinks

Since then, we’ve learned a lot more. I mean, when you start with virtually no knowledge of a subject, you’ve got a ways to go. We’re not experts by any means, like our friend Dave Russell of Rum Gallery, but we’ve learned more about how rum is distilled and different types of rum and what rums are good for sipping or mixing in cocktails and although it’s not our goal to become rum experts, we’re certainly up for the challenge of learning more about this spirit with a long and storied history.

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Rum Punch at Happy Island, The Grenadines

So, we’ll continue to do the research (best done in the islands on beautiful beach or at a great beach bar or on a boat, don’t you think?) with the hope of continuing to provide the best rum experiences possible (cocktail recipes, best beach bars, best locations to sip tropical libations, distillery tours, etc., etc., etc.)

In the meantime, be sure to check out the plethora of rum recipes available on our website either by category or by picture (prepare to drool just a little):

Rum Recipes by Category

Rum Recipe Picture Directory

So today, let’s lift our glasses (of rum) to Rum.
Cheers Rum!

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Rum Drinks at Hog Heaven, Virgin Gorda

Hog Heaven, Virgin Gorda

There are bars with a view and then there are bars with a VIEW! Hog Heaven is a Bar & Grill sitting high atop Virgin Gorda with an absolutely beautiful view of the entire North Sound.

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From your perch in the sky, you can see Leverick Bay, Bitter End Yacht Club, Saba Rock Resort, Necker Island and The Sandbox on Prickly Pear Island.
On clear days, you can even make out a faint strip of Anegada in the distance.

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

Hog Heaven 4Necker Island in the distance

Hog Heaven is a small, unassuming  building on top of the hill on Nail Bay Road overlooking North Sound. It’s owned by Blondie, who apparently is also a pig farmer/ship captain on Virgin Gorda.

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One of the rum drinks on the menu was a Blondie Special and we ordered that and a rum punch and took a seat to drink in the view.


Blondie Special and Rum Punch

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Hog Heaven is known for its BBQ, so we decided to order a plate, as well as a bowl of Conch Chowder. Both were delicious and very reasonably priced.

Hog Heaven 10

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Want some Rum with a View (and some delicious BBQ)? This is the place to get it on Virgin Gorda!

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Have you been to Hog Heaven? Tell us about it!

To see more posts on Virgin Gorda and other islands, 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. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

Rum Therapy On Virgin Gorda

We’d spent the better part of two days on Virgin Gorda in the past – both times on sail trips, and saw just bits and pieces of what this island has to offer. During our recent trip to the VI’s, we had a chance to stay “on island” which gave us a better opportunity to explore this British Virgin Island reportedly dubbed “Fat Virgin” by Christopher Columbus.

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What did we experience on Virgin Gorda this time? It took several weeks to sift through our very full photo memory cards, but here are some of the highlights through pictures.

We arrived in Spanish Town on the ferry from Tortola, and rented a car through Mahogany Rentals  (they met us at the ferry dock with our vehicle for the week – very convenient!) Our beautiful oceanside accommodations were graciously provided by Lorna at Rambutan Villa (more on that later) and we made our way up to Nail Bay to locate the villa before continuing up the hill to the highly recommended Hog Heaven.

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Hog Heaven is a bar/grill overlooking North Sound with a spectacular view of Necker Island, Prickly Pear Island, Saba Rock and on a clear day you can even make out Anegada.

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We lingered at Hog Heaven for quite a while enjoying the views, a Blondie Special (their specialty rum drink) and some tasty BBQ ribs.

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From there we headed directly to The Baths, making a quick stop at Mad Dog for a beverage and Top Of The Baths to take in the view.

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Mad Dog

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Top Of the Baths

We then headed down the path towards The Baths. Although we’d been to The Baths twice before, the beauty never ceases to amaze us and the vibrant colors change depending on the time of day and the angle of the sun.

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We continued on the trail to Devils Bay

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Devil’s Bay

During the rest of our time on VG, we took in as much as we could, including:

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Spring Bay

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Big Trunk Bay

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Savannah Bay, Pond Bay, Mahoe Bay Overlook

VG 15 (500)
Savannah Bay

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Jumbies, Leverick Bay

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On our last day, we rented a dinghy from the extremely accommodating General Manager of Leverick Bay Marina. We arrived later in the morning and by then they only had one dinghy left, but he graciously set us up, gave us directions to the places we wanted to see in North Sound that are accessible only by boat, told us to watch for seaplanes and set us on our way.

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Our yacht for the day! From Leverick Bay, we headed over to Biras Creek to make a quick stop at the Fat Virgin Cafe to enjoy a rum punch and the view.

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We hopped back in dinghy and headed straight to Saba Rock passing the Bitter End Yacht Club. BEYC was closed for the week for a private function so were only able to enjoy its beauty from the water – this time.

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Bitter End Yacht Club

We’d briefly stopped at Saba Rock before during a sail, but there’s enough to do on “The Rock” that you could easily spend an afternoon lounging in the hammocks or in the bar enjoying the sunshine and tales from the many sailors that visit.

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Before heading out to our last stop, we ordered one of their rum drink specialties – the Saba Rock Banana Daiquiri.

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Just a short dinghy away, The Sandbox beckoned. The Sandbox is located on Prickly Pear Island and we docked to enjoy some time in the sun.

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Prickly Pear Island and The Sandbox

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Heading back to Leverick Bay we took a quick pass by Mosquito Island, a private island purchased by Sir Richard Branson that he hopes to develop into a premiere eco-tourism resort.

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Mosquito Island

Sun kissed and satisfied with our afternoon of captaining our dinghy through the beautiful North Sound, we headed back to our tropical oasis at Rambutan Villa to enjoy the remnants of the days sun rays and listen to the waves gently lap the shore.

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The owners of Rambutan Villa also own the stunning Villa LaVida next door. Both are available for weekly rental.  If you are interested in finding out more about renting these oceanfront properties, email them at [email protected] or
[email protected]

To see other posts on Virgin Gorda and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

copyright©Rum Therapy

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