The 8 Most Memorable Island Cocktails To Try On Your Next Caribbean Adventure – Huffington Post

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After a few sips of the house special, you may start feeling those shiggidy vibes. Its best enjoyed with live soca music, a blend of soul and calypso, or while watching Mr. Xs fire-eating show. This local beach hangout is also a great spot to catch a green flash sunset, a brief but beautiful atmospheric phenomenon that makes the sinking sun appear bright green as it dips below the horizon. With a Shiggidy Jig in hand, the green flash will be even brighter.

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Sample the Green Bonaire, a neon green liquid made from the Kadushi cactus while relaxing under the factorys ancient Calbas trees. Or take a quick factory tour to learn how a cactus can lead to 80 proof alcohol, which involves a process of cutting the cactuss skin, drying the inner membrane in the sun for two days, and then combining the strips with yeast and sorghum (Bonaires only local grains). The original cocktail recipe made with this unique ingredient blends together Cadushy of Bonaire Liqueur, vodka and triple sec. Try it and then you can boast to friends and family about that time you drank a cactus. As for the taste? Somewhere between sweet and herbal, a neat taste of Cadushy is a flavor profile so unique that youll just have to try it yourself!

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Hailed as a juice box for adults, Papa Jac is sold commercially around the island in pouches. But next time youre in San Juan, walk past the vibrant colonial townhouses along the cobblestone streets toward Don Pablo to drink the cozy cocktail bars Papa Jac in its original Big Gulp-style cup.

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A Caribbean trip would be remiss without a taste of the rare, crimson liquor found only in Aruba, the island of twisty fofoti trees and pristine white beaches. Agave plant sap is used for the sweet liqour known as Coecoei, which is hard to find off the island. Experience what makes this 100-proof liquor so good in Arubas signature cocktail,the Ariba, which is a synthesis of Coecoei, rum, vodka and fruit juices. Its served in a tall glass mug to showcase the rainbow effect of the juices red, orange and yellow hues, which mingle to revitalize parched palettes. After one swig, dont be surprised if you find yourself buying bubble wrap to protect those bottles of Coecoei packed in your suitcase.

Theres no better way to celebrate the clear waters and hot sands of St. Maarten than with a Guavaberry Kir. The cocktail combines champagne and the locally made Guavaberry liqueur, which together form a fitting homage to the islands Euro-Caribbean roots. Guavaberry liqueur is made from oak aged rum, cane sugar and wild guavaberries grown on the island. The plump, grape-like Guavaberry not related to guava fruit grows on trees, ripening into orange and black varieties. Drop by the Guavaberry Emporium in the heart of Philipsburg to taste a piece of the islands heritage.

Black pineapples populate the island of Antigua and are used to garnish the popular cocktail found all over the islands cosmopolitan epicenter. The unusual fruit, which is actually green instead of black when ripened, are renowned for their distinct sweetness. But the most important ingredient in the Antigua Smile is Cavalier rum, which the Antigua Distillery Limited has been creating on the island since 1947. The clear rum is distilled from fermented molasses and aged a minimum of two years in American bourbon barrels to create the silky, mellow flavor that balances the crme de banana and pineapple juice in the islands native cocktail. No wonder its called an Antigua Smile!

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At Landhuis Chobolobo, a 19th-century mansion, you can learn about this favorite island alcohol and taste the different cocktail variations created by the in-house mixologists that cant be found anywhere else. But dont miss the chance to ask the bartender for an authentic Blue Lagoon, so that you can consider yourself a true connoisseur while relishing Curaaos cool sea breeze.

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Those who make the pilgrimage to Mount Gay Rum Visitors Centre, just north of Bridgetown Harbor, can enjoy the creations of the distillerys master blenders at its Bottomless Rum Punch Station. You cant go wrong with a Mount Gay Rum Punch, which blends the signature rum with grenadine, lime juice, simple syrup, angostura bitters and fresh grated nutmeg for a satisfying old-timey favorite. Bottoms up!

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The 8 Most Memorable Island Cocktails To Try On Your Next Caribbean Adventure - Huffington Post