Nothing can beat the taste of a well made Classic Mojito, but during our recent trip to St. Maarten, we enjoyed a Wild Berry Mojito at Mary’s Boon that was totally different and really, really good! Turns out the bartender at Mary’s Boon won an award for the beverage but wouldn’t divulge the complete recipe. It was berrylicious and we could certainly taste a bit of lime and mint, but it was frozen – more like a daiquiri. When we returned home, we thought we would try to capture the flavors present in that scrumptious Wild Berry Mojito.
We tweaked some ingredients to our liking and ended up with the following recipe, and although not quite as amazing as the one we had in St. Maarten, it’s pretty tasty! Perhaps the incredible view of Simpson Bay at Mary’s Boon had something to do with it?
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1cFresh Berries of Choice(we used blueberries and blackberries for this batch)
1/2Lime(juiced)
1tbspMint Infused Simple Syrup(see recipe below)
2ozWhite Rum
1cIce(if using frozen berries, you can either omit the ice or use less than a cup)
Sprig ofMint
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a blender with the ice.
Blend until smooth and garnish with a sprig of mint.
Notes
Mint Infused Simple Syrup Mix 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Then let it steep with a handful of mint leaves for an hour or so. Strain out the leaves and store in the fridge till you’re ready to use it.
Possible Variations Change up the type of berries (strawberry, raspberry) to change the taste Use frozen berries and slightly decrease the ice Add more simple syrup if you like a sweeter drink or when using berries that are not as sweet
Mount Gay Eclipse is almost always one of the selections in our rum cabinet. If not, it’s because we’ve just enjoyed the last of it and haven’t had a chance to get more. As a matter of fact, that’s how we found the following recipe, it was attached to a brand new bottle of Mount Gay Eclipse that we picked up this week.
The recipe is called Bajan Cooler. We put it together last night and I must say it was cool and refreshing – just perfect as the days get longer and warmer.
*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!
One of our favorite tropical drinks is the frosty Piña Colada. The taste simply transports us back to the islands. So, when I ran across a recipe for Piña Colada Cupcakes I thought, why not! Mind you, with only 1/4 c. rum, these don’t pack quite as much punch as the actual cocktail, but that means you can probably enjoy them anytime!
Piña Colada Cupcake
Piña Colada Cupcakes (makes 24 cupcakes)
1/4 c. coconut rum (we used Cruzan Coconut) 1/2 c. cream of coconut 1 tsp vanilla 1 3/4 c. flour 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 c. unsalted butter 1 c. sugar 3 eggs 1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple
Preheat the oven to 350`F. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the rum, coconut cream, pineapple with its juice, and vanilla.
In another small mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a medium mixing bowl beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time, beating as you go.
While you’re mixing slowly add the rum mixture to the butter and sugar mixture.
Then add the flour mixture slowly until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
Fill cupcake wrappers 3/4 full and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until tops are starting to turn lightly golden brown.
Freshly Baked Piña Colada Cupcake
Let the cupcakes cool then ice them with the Coconut Cream Frosting below.
Coconut Cream Frosting
16 oz cream cheese 1/2 c. butter 4 c. powdered sugar 4 tbs cream of coconut (optional) shredded coconut for garnish, pineapple chunks, cherries
In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the butter, cream cheese, and coconut cream with a mixer.
Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until it is completely incorporated.
Ice cooled cupcakes and garnish with shredded coconut, pineapple chunks and cherries, if desired.
Finished Piña Colada Cupcake
Next step – unwrap one of those puppies and ENJOY! Cheers!
For an island with only a few hundred full time inhabitants and nicknamed The Barefoot Island for it’s laid back attitude, Jost Van Dyke has some of the best beach bars in the Caribbean and it would be a shame to miss any of them. While staying on Jost for a week last fall, we attempted to visit them all – some of them more than once! Here’s a listing of the ones we found. We’ve listed them starting at the west end of White Bay and working our way across the island.
One Love Bar and Grill – try the Lobster Quesadilla’s and a Bushwacker. Check out Seddy’s magic tricks.
One Love Bar and Grill
Jewel’s Snack Shack – stop by Jewel’s for a tasty hamburger, fries and rum punch before heading down the beach!
Gertrude’s – gotta try a BBC (Bailey’s Banana Colada). It’s rumored to be the best BBC on the island.
A BBC at Gertrude’s
Soggy Dollar Bar – if you haven’t heard of the Soggy Dollar Bar yet, well…really??? Jump off of your boat and swim in, using your soggy dollars to buy their signature drink “The Painkiller”. Can be a huge party in the afternoon with scores of thirsty partiers coming over on day trips from neighboring islands. Try your luck at the Ring on the Hook game. If staying on island, be sure to stop by the Soggy early in the morning or later in the evening to swing in the hammocks and enjoy a quiet tropical paradise. Call for reservations for dinner – beautiful setting and very good food.
Painkillers at Soggy Dollar Bar
Hendo’s Hideout – during our last visit to JVD we noticed a new building going up next to Soggy Dollar. This has since opened to good reviews as a new bar called Hendo’s Hideout. We haven’t had a chance to visit yet, but hope to soon.
Hendo’s Hideout before it opened
Ivan’s Stress Free Bar – take a short hike over a rocky outcropping and make your way over to Ivan’s. Stress Free for sure, enjoy a cold beer, or whatever…anything tastes great here. Check out the barbecue on Thursday nights (seasonal) and live music. Celebs have been known to drop by and jam with owner/musician Ivan Chinnery.
Ivan’s Stress Free Bar
Corsair’s – head on over the hill from Ivan’s (or better yet, call Bunn’s Taxi) and stop at Corsair’s for Wench Juice or a Pirate Punch. Order pizza to be delivered and if you’re brave, try the Pirate Sandwich for breakfast (toast, peanut butter, cheese, onion and fried egg with a shot of flavored rum)
Corsair’s
Ali Baba’s – Great place to hang out in the morning enjoying a cup of coffee. Come back later in the afternoon for a refreshing rum drink and a 2 hole chip and putt golf course on the beach…
Foxy is a fixture in his own bar and can frequently be found serenading and weaving a tale for his patrons. In addition to some very delicious signature rum drinks, Foxy sells bottles of his own rum – Foxy’s Firewater Rum in his gift shop – the Foxhole. We especially enjoyed the “Dread Fox” – made with his own rum and “Foxy’s Punch” which includes a mango float. On Friday and Saturday night, Foxy’s has a BBQ and live music.
Foxy’s Dread Fox
Sydney’s Peace and Love – Make your way up and over the hill to Little Harbour and pull in to Sydney’s Peace and Love. Help yourself to a beer or mixed drink at the honor bar and be sure to sign the wall.
Harris’s Place – stop by Harris’s place and have Cynthia, the owner, make you one of her fabulous Bushwacker’s. Tasty and potent and Cynthia is a a ton of fun to visit. Come back later for a sumptuous Caribbean Lobster Dinner next to the water.
Cynthia with a tasty Bushwhacker
Abe’s by the Sea – good West Indian cuisine and a pig roast on Wednesday’s. Quiet place to sit and enjoy a beverage.
Foxy’s Taboo – To get to the last stop on our Jost Van Dyke Bar Crawl, head over the hill past East End Harbour and pull in to Foxy’s Taboo.
Foxy’s Taboo is also owned by Foxy Callwood and is said to be named after his dog, Taboo. Great covered patio overlooking Diamond Cay. Try the Taboo Burger and an ice cold beer or enjoy a beverage sitting on the dock and watching the fish and stingrays swim by.
Foxy’s Taboo
So now that we’ve made our way across the entire Barefoot Island, pull up a chair, grab a beer here at Foxy’s Taboo and tell us – which bars have you had a chance to enjoy on Jost Van Dyke?
To see more posts on Jost Van Dyke and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory
There’s just something special about a tropical sunset. Looking at the brilliant hues of orange and pink shimmering off of the ocean makes us sigh and long for more island time.The following are our favorites from the Rum Therapy Tropical Sunset folder and each one brings back memories of warm breezes, soft sand and most likely, a rum drink in hand as the sun sinks below the watery horizon.
We’ve yet to capture the elusive “green flash”, but you never know, if we keep taking sunset pictures, we might get lucky someday! Which one is your favorite?
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Oahu, Hawaii
Mayreau, The Grenadines
Oahu, Hawaii
Another sunset in Oahu, Hawaii
St. Croix, USVI
Anguilla Sunset
Hanalei Bay, Kauai
Young Island Cut, St. Vincent
At sea near Carriacou
White Bay Overlook, Jost Van Dyke
Isle Pinel, St. Martin
Union Island, The Grenadines
White Bay, Jost Van Dyke in front of Ivan’s
And last, but certainly not least, Anse du Grande Columbier, St. Barths
Have you heard of The Willy T? Accessible only by boat in The Bight at Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands, the infamous Willy T is short for William Thornton and is a bar and restaurant located in an anchored hullof a ship. Depending on the time and day you motor or dinghy up, you could encounter anything from a quiet lunch crowd to an all out party!
When we first visited the Willy T in 2006, it was widely known that women could score a free Willy T’s T-shirt by removing their shirt and walking the plank (jumping off the top deck). When we returned in 2010, there was a sign posted on the top deck prohibiting jumping and diving from the ship.
Although T-shirts are no longer awarded to topless women hurtling themselves over the top the jumping continues. We saw numerous people – male and female – jump & some took the plunge totally naked!
We enjoyed several tasty rum punches and downed a round at the Shotski.
The later it got – the rowdier the crowd got and in addition to body shots on the bar, both women and men were getting temporary Willy T tattoos from the bartenders – some in places, well, where the sun don’t shine!
We had a great time – made a lot of new friends that probably didn’t remember us the next day…
and the only problem we had was finding our dinghy after an evening of revelry! Thank goodness for our captain, the designated dinghy driver…
Ready to head on over to Norman Island for a tasty lunch or a Willy T’s tatoo, a drink from the Shotski and maybe take the plunge? Check out their website to find out more: The Willy-T
Have you taken the plunge at Willy T’s? Tell us about it!
Nothing can beat the taste of a well made Classic Mojito, but during our recent trip to St. Maarten, we enjoyed a Wild Berry Mojito at Mary’s Boon that was totally different and really, really good! Turns out the bartender at Mary’s Boon won an award for the beverage but wouldn’t divulge the complete recipe. It was berrylicious and we could certainly taste a bit of lime and mint, but it was frozen – more like a daiquiri. When we returned home, we thought we would try to capture the flavors present in that scrumptious Wild Berry Mojito.
