You know those barely planned trips where everything falls into place just right? This was one of those. It went a little like this: wow there’s a great deal on airfare to Great Exuma, where’s Great Exuma? The Bahamas. This small beach house is available for rent, who wants to go? You? You? Pack your bags. Done.
For the last, oh, let’s say five or six years, the dark ‘n’ stormy, which is its proper name, has been making something of a comeback. It has appeared on menus as far afield from its birthplace as this northern town, and in contexts as different from island time as New York city. Also, it is certainly giving the Cuba libre and the gin and tonic a run for their money as a no brainer mixer. There’s nothing derogatory in that last sentence, btw, on the contrary.
You don’t go there to dance on tables that’s for sure. This place is heavy with History and cocktail history. People on whose shoulders we stand to see further have gotten drunk there. Classic cocktails were created within those walls.
Let me back-up just a bit.
The very name is exotic, Belize. The kind of place where you walk onto the baking hot runway after landing and you’re glad you wore a knitted silk tie for the journey. We all have our vices yeah? Let your freak flag fly.
It used to be called British Honduras and became independent in 1981, keeping English as its official language. Sandwiched between Guatemala and Mexico, it has a population of about 350 000 and quite a bit to offer, jungles, Mayan ruins, beaches, diving, as well as an interesting drinkskultur.
This trip had been in the works for about nine months. People opted out, other people opted in, the vendor changed a bunch of things, it was starting to feel a bit like a potential clusterfuck. The resort turned out ok, as usual the D&C crew proved fantastic, and we met some cool divers (hello Derek, Bob and Tiff).