Have a Drink On Us

It's definitely tempting to rip out the Happy Hours features in each issue so you'll always have those yummy Caribbean cocktail recipes on hand. I know, I've done it. But before you dismantle your next issue, surf over to our Scribd page where you can download (or share) interactive PDF versions of great content like this in every issue – all without harming your innocent CT+L collection.

 

Cheers!

Have a Drink On Us

Shaken, Not Stirred

The Caribbean may be better known for pina coladas and rum punch, but one Bahamas resort is breaking out the shakers and olives this year and putting an island spin on the classic martini. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the British Colonial Hilton's new Bullion bar will host Hiltini Nights every Thursday from 8 to 9 pm, featuring $12 top-shelf martinis and complimentary mixology classes, so you can learn new recipes from the pros and mix up a signature cocktail all your own.

For vacation packages at the resort, check out this recent blog or surf over to the hotel's site for details.

Shaken, Not Stirred

Spooky Halloween Cocktails from Mexico

Despite the fact that it's consistently 90 degrees here at Caribbean Travel + Life's home base in Orlando, I'm told that it's actually late October and that Halloween is, in fact, approaching fast. Hard for some of us to believe – but whatever the weather you're facing this month, I think we could all use a yummy island cocktail recipe to get in the spirit! And who better to concoct a spooky spritzer than the folks over in the Riviera Maya, home to the annual Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration? I say we all mix up a couple of these tasty cocktails, courtesy of Grand Velas Riviera Maya, and let's get this Halloween party started!


Bloody Champagne

• 4 ounces Champagne Brut
• 1 ounce Néctar de Fresa
• 1 ounce Néctar de Frambuesa
• 1 ounce Sprite

Mix together and serve in a champagne glass. 

Cemetery

• 2 ounces vodka
• 1 ounce Kahlua
• 4 ounces Coca Cola
• 1 ounce Fresa

Mix together and serve in a martini glass.

Spooky Halloween Cocktails from Mexico

The Coco Loco: Best Caribbean Cocktail?

As a travel editor, I'm lucky to spend more than my share of time in the Caribbean each year, exploring the best of what's new in each destination and reporting back on the hotels and restaurants that are getting it right.

But a highly underrated part of my job involves sampling the local island cocktails. When it comes to sipping tropical concoctions, from painkillers and bushwackers to rum punch and ti punch, I take my work seriously.

One of my favorites, though, is also one of the simplest recipes I've tried. I blogged back in April about an afternoon spent boating with friends down the Rio Yesica near Cabarete, Dominican Republic, followed by lunch at the tiny, riverfront watering hole, La Boca Grill...But what I failed to highlight was that there I had stumbled on one of the yummiest - and most potent - fruity drinks I'd ever tasted: the Coco Loco. And by tasted, I mean I had four. Picture this: fresh coconut milk, a generous pour of Bacardi 151 (um, yeah...that's 75.5% alcohol by volume) and just a splash of grenadine and crème de banana, all served up in a cracked coconut the size of your head. Has anyone else tried this thing? It's out of control.

But then again, there are a lot of scrumptious Caribbean cocktails out there...maybe you've found one that tops the Coco Loco. What's your favorite, and the best place to get it?

The Coco Loco: Best Caribbean Cocktail?

In Search of the Perfect Margarita

Is it too much to ask for a good margarita... IN MEXICO?? Sure, the cocktail was supposedly invented in or near the country and is probably the most-ordered drink in these parts after good old cerveza. So why, in our journey up and down the Riviera Maya, have Sarah and I encountered so many ill-fated attempts?

We can't answer that, but we can tell you that Grand Velas' Frida restaurant (just outside Playa del Carmen) does it right. Not only did we have margaritas made to perfection (in guava, mango, cucumber, and traditional lime flavors), but they even wheeled a mini bar to our table and prepared them right in front of our watering mouths. Sarah wasn't up to the challenge of sampling all four (she can't hang), but she took a liking to the chili-salt rimmed glass that's a specialty of the house. It's a must-try.

We've moved on to Tulum, and after a long day of "information gathering," we're sorry to report we haven't yet found a margarita that can compete. We have a couple more days in Mexico, so lend us a hand. Where can we find an excelente margarita?

Sincerely,

Stumped South of the Border

In Search of the Perfect Margarita

Bienvenido a Mexico!

I’ve stayed at some nice hotels in my time, and more often than not there’s some little token of welcome waiting for me in my room. You know, cheese flights, fresh flowers, maybe a bottle of champagne or a fruit plate. But I can’t say that I’ve ever been welcomed quite like this:



Yep, right next to the fancy-pants espresso machine and the selection of teas in my suite at the posh Grand Velas on Mexico’s Riviera Maya is a bottle of Don Julio Reposado, complete with all the fixings for a celebratory shot – or two. And lest you think the resort is rolling out the red carpet just for me, my butler (ahem!) informs me that tequila service comes standard in every suite.

I'm not much of a tequila gal myself, but it's a nice touch, no?

Bienvenido a Mexico!

A Delicious Departure

I was in Port Antonio for three days and inhaled more Jamaican jerk than I care to admit. Our home base Great Huts was literally steps away from the famous stands at Boston Beach,* so twice a day we’d take a seat at the counter at my favorite, Little David’s, for our daily dose of jerk pork, chicken and sausage dressed in a spicy/sweet mixture of ketchup and jerk seasoning, with festival and hardo (similar to sourdough) bread on the side.

But on a trip into the town of Port Antonio day before yesterday we stumbled upon one of the areas most elegant restaurants, Norma’s at the Marina. Its namesake is Norma Shirley, Jamaica’s most famous chef, and although she wasn’t there that day, the “nouveau Jamaican” fare we enjoyed certainly lived up to her reputation.

Seated on the cruise ship pier (apparently ships call here only once or twice a year) we lingered over a sumptuous feast that began with smoked marlin on garlic toast, and crab cakes accompanied by a flavorful and inventive yellow beetroot slaw.

The main event was a huge escoveitched snapper, fried to perfection then bathed in a tangy pickle. For the last few days we’d eaten almost every meal at a roadside counter, using our hands as utensils and pieces of foil as plates. To dine at a linen-draped table at the water’s edge, listening to the birds and taking in the view of Norma’s golden-sand beach and the tranquil bay beyond, was an unexpected delight and a relaxing and refreshing change.

Of course, no meal is complete without a cocktail, so we forced ourselves to try one of Norma’s specials, and bartender Trevor Hartley was kind enough to share the recipe. Since it calls for equal measures of all ingredients, the recipe is easily adaptable to make larger quantities, so why not whip up a pitcher and celebrate the holiday weekend Jamaican style?

Yellow Bird
1 oz overproof white rum
1 oz dark rum
1oz crème de banane
1oz orange juice
1 oz pineapple juice
dash of Angostura bitters


Shake all ingredients together with ice; add Angostura bitters; garnish with a lime wheel. Enjoy.







*This just in: Jamaica has just announced plans to create a “jerk trail” that will take visitors on a culinary journey across the island sampling the fare of 10 of the best jerk stands, including those in the home of jerk, Boston Beach. For more info, go to www.visitjamaica.com/jerk.

A Delicious Departure

Salud!

Last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting San Juan for the second annual Saborea Puerto Rico food festival, and after a full day of gorging on a mouthwatering assortment of local specialties, you’d think I wouldn’t have room to sample the city’s beverages, too. But you’d be wrong.

On Sunday, our group of roving reporters went sightseeing in Old San Juan, then descended upon Aguaviva, a chic Latino Seafood restaurant, for a late lunch. We gathered at the bar, where bartender Antonio welcomed us with the house specialty, a light and refreshing watermelon sangria, that drew rave reviews from our thirsty throng and awakened our appetite for the amazing truffle tuna ceviche that followed.

Antonio was kind enough to give me his recipe, and I’m paying the favor forward by sharing it with you, too...

Aguaviva’s Watermelon Sangria

- 1 bottle Reisling wine
- pulp of half a large watermelon
- 3 ounces brandy
- 3 ounces triple sec
- 1 can Sprite
- 1 orange, sliced into rounds

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher with ice. Pour into a tall glass and garnish with a watermelon wedge or orange slice. Enjoy.

And if you’re looking for more of our favorite tropical drink recipes, just click here.

Salud!