The Final Pour: Rum’s the Word

So, after sixteen days cruising the Caribbean, we found ourselves back on the sunlit shores of Barbados, the island where our colourful voyage had first begun. With our flight home not until the evening, it seemed entirely fitting—indeed almost compulsory—to dedicate our remaining hours to the pastime most famously synonymous with Barbados: the enthusiastic consumption of rum. With this noble mission firmly established, we set our sights on the legendary Mount Gay Rum Distillery. Operating since 1703, Mount Gay holds the impressive title of being the world’s oldest continuously running rum distillery—no small feat considering how seriously the region takes this spirit. We were led through rooms that smelled pleasantly of oak and sugarcane, past ancient copper stills of untold value, and proudly displayed documents certifying Mount Gay’s unparalleled heritage.

In a tasting session that soon followed—one that involved swirling, sniffing, and pretending we knew what “hints of roasted vanilla” actually tasted like—we raised a toast to at least six glasses of Barbados’s finest export. Samples ranged impressively from crystal-clear young rum to dignified, barrel-aged varieties, some of which had been quietly maturing for decades in oak casks hidden in a remote, almost mythical corner of the island. Our charmingly earnest guide assured us that every delicate sip revealed fascinating details of Barbados’s unique terroir and maritime climate. Yet, by glass seven, it became clear our group’s collective intellectual curiosity had wandered from rum-making techniques and soil compositions to insider knowledge on the island’s other internationally revered export—Rihanna.

Emerging into daylight, we set off for Bathsheba on the island’s rugged Atlantic coast—a place that could not have been more different from the calm, postcard-friendly Caribbean beaches of the other side of the island. Bathsheba was wonderfully wild, a stretch of sand scattered with striking coral rocks that rose dramatically from the surf as if hurled there by great sea gods. Colourful towels hung between palm trees fluttered lazily in the breeze, their bright patterns catching sunlight as local vendors eyed passing tourists with hopeful optimism. With our suitcases already bursting with bottles of Mount Gay Rum, we settled instead for our final photographs of a Caribbean coastline, at least for this trip.

Our next stop was the island’s famous St. John’s Parish Church, a stately Gothic revival structure completed in 1836. Nestled amidst towering palms and sprawling banyan trees, the church has endured multiple hurricanes, remaining elegantly intact with gracefully arched windows and weather-worn coral-stone walls. The graveyard outside provided sombre historical entertainment, featuring headstones that hinted tantalisingly at lives lived with great distinction or scandal, often both. One particularly intriguing tomb belonged to Ferdinand Paleologus, a 17th-century Barbadian who ambitiously claimed direct descent from Byzantine emperors, a lineage only marginally less believable than most Americans assert.

Our final stop brought us to Stade’s Rum Bar, a welcoming and cheerfully painted establishment whose vibrant pink-and-purple façade made it an unmissable landmark along Barbados’ eastern coastline. Under swaying palm trees, we settled comfortably outdoors, savouring the gentle sea breeze and listening to the distant sound of local music blending seamlessly with the ocean’s rhythmic roar. It seemed only appropriate to mark our Caribbean finale with another round of the island’s famed rum punches, both to meet the unofficial yet universally respected daily quota and to make our flight home slightly more bearable.

Over two colourful weeks, we’d hopped between ten distinct Caribbean islands, eight of them proudly independent nations, each with its own unique charm. From the colonial elegance of Saint Vincent and a dramatic mountaintop proposal on Saint Lucia to the bustling markets of Saint Kitts and Nevis and the lush jungles of Grenada and Dominica, every destination showed us a different facet of Caribbean life. We’d sampled rum in historic distilleries, explored centuries-old fortresses, climbed volcanic peaks, relaxed on coral beaches, visited museums brimming with local heritage, and consistently enjoyed the warmth of island hospitality. By the time we returned to Barbados, our sunburned noses and collection of empty rum bottles served as cheerful reminders of an adventure that had surpassed all expectations. It probably won’t be long before we’re drawn back to explore the region’s western islands, but for now, it’s time to set course for somewhere completely different…

J