When we’re traveling, I post my little travelogues on the go and off the cuff. Instagram only allows 2,200 characters per post, so I have to be stingy with words. Maybe that’s a good thing. 😉 One of the reasons I started this blog is so I can take a pause after our trips, and look at something(s) more in depth. Enter, the drinks report.
One of my favorite things to do when we travel is to explore the local drinks (alcoholic and not) situation. I could spend hours in the local grocery/wine/liquor store just studying the shelves. Ken is not as enthusiastic about this activity, so I usually send him off to climb a mountain or something.
Without further delay, here is my Bahamas drinks report:
Rum
As far as drinks go, Bahamas is a rum country. And just about the only time I drink rum is when we’re somewhere with turquoise blue water, excessive heat, and the potential for me to get a 2nd degree sunburn. You can get pretty much any rum drink you want in the Bahamas. Every bar/restaurant has its own signature drink, which is some secret recipe version of “punch”. But my personal favorites are the Bahama Mama and the Yellow Bird. Way too easy to drink way too many. One of the best drinks I’ve ever had was in the Bahamas – a fresh banana daiquiri. That first sip was ALL rum, and it was a dooozie! I could have had four. I would have been sorry, but I could have done it.
Whiskey
No, they don’t make whiskey in the Bahamas. Our friends had a bottle of Walker Cay Bourbon Whiskey that they shared with us on this trip. It’s made in Kentucky, but named after an island in the Abacos called – yep – Walker Cay. Really good, and a nice little break from rum punch.
Beer
There are two major Beers in the Bahamas — Kalik and Sands. The name Kalik is pronounced ka-LICK. It derives from the sound cowbells make when they click together. Kalik is the national beer (and the best selling beer) of the Bahamas. Sands is the rival beer. Many a bar discussion about which beer is better. All I know is Sands Light tastes like beer flavored water. I guess that makes me a Kalik girl.
Bahamas Goombay Punch
I tried it. Don’t need to try it again. This is essentially carbonated pineapple syrup. Wow, with the sugar. Perspective: a 12oz bottle of Bahamas Goombay Punch comes in at 54g of sugar. A 12 oz bottle of Coca-Cola has 39g of sugar. Bahamas Goombay Punch is like mainlining diabetes. We mixed it with rum in attempt to make it less sweet. Better, but still way too sweet.
Wine
The wine situation on Elbow Cay is pitiful. PITIFUL. You know you’re in trouble when 19 Crimes headlines the wine list at $54 per bottle. Nope. Another round of Bahama Mamas, please.
And that’s a wrap on my drinks report for the Bahamas.
Cheers!
oh my. No Goombay for me.
I probably would have LOVED it as a kid!!
Hi Kirsten. I have never been to the Bahamas, but those blue skies and colourful drinks certainly fuel the wanderlust from my apartment window here in snowy Azerbaijan. I’m not a big drinker but partial to a taste of rum from time to time. Bahamas Goombay Punch sounds like a challenge!
Azerbaijan. Fascinating. Are you from Azerbaijan or visiting?
Ha I’m from London, just passing through for a few weeks as we had been based in Georgia for most of 2024.
I’ll bet that’s been an incredible experience!
Mmm. The rum drinks all look delicious. We just got back from Curacao and made it a point to sample some of the different flavours of Curacao liqueur. It’s all part of the experience when travelling, right!?
Absolutely! That’s one of my favorite things to do when traveling – try all the drinks and foods! I’ll bet there’s some really interesting Curacao liqueurs – we can only get the one generic here in the USA.