How To Enjoy Some Tempting Island Rums of St. Maarten
Our Favorite Island – St. Maarten
We travel to St. Maarten a few times a year because it is beautiful and so much fun. Right from our first visit, we noticed that this Island is different from some of the others. The residents are so friendly and that is why St. Maarten is nicknamed “The Friendly Island”.
The cocktail game is top-notch on “The Friendly Island” and we always try to have new adventures each time we go (cocktails included). This is where we will tempt you with our picks of Island Rums of St. Maarten.
Where’s St. Maarten
Where’s St. Maarten you ask? St. Maarten is an island in the Caribbean Sea, about 200 miles east of Puerto Rico. The island is half French and half Dutch. We enjoy both parts of the island equally and most importantly their 37 beaches are amazing! The French side of the island is known as the French Cuisine Capitol of the Caribbean.
Island Rums of St. Maarten
When we are in St. Maarten we tend to drink more rum than when we are at home. These Island Rums from St. Maarten are delicious by themselves or in the fruity cocktails that are prepared at every bar. One brand, in particular, that is very popular is Guavaberry Rum.
Guavaberry Rum St. Maarten
All over the island, you will see signs for Old Man Guavaberry Brand Rums and Liqueurs. For many years we would bring home a bottle or two of their Almond Rum and Guavaberry Liqueur.
My favorite was the Guavaberry Liqueur. I would make a pitcher every so often of Guavaberry Coladas to share with friends. A few times we even made a chicken marinade with it (from a suggestion by one of the nice ladies at the Guavaberry Emporium) which I will share with you later in the article.
Rhum Liqueur
As I said earlier, my husband always tries to find something new each trip for us to do or see. So one morning he told me and our friends that he was taking us on an outing to find the best rum (Rhum) on the island.
We drove for a while along the French side of St. Maarten. Then we started driving on this little one-lane, uphill twisty road in the suburb of Cul-du-Sac. We came upon this little parking area and finally, we were in front of Ma Doudou headquarters.
Once inside the headquarters, which is just a colorful little Creole building with a workshop behind it, we were greeted by a sweet lady asking us to take a look around and if we would like a sample or two. It was 10 am, (WHY OF COURSE, YES WE DO!).
Pleasant Storefront
The storefront was very cute with many gift options from spices, jams, salsa, vanilla extract, and honey along with the Rhum which had many bottles (in multiple sizes) all with beautiful handpainted decorations on them (such a beautiful personal touch). I was told the bottles were painted by family members of the owner. She also said that the owner’s mother started the business over 20 years ago using an old family recipe.
Island Time Happy Hour
I sampled three: mango, passion fruit, and orange-ginger. My absolute favorite hands down was the orange ginger. The clerk saw how much I liked it and gave me a second shot! I quickly bought three of the beautifully decorated bottles to take home.
Just to be honest, we only made it home with just under one and a half bottles because we did some sampling when we got back to our condo. Our friends bought a few of the other varieties and we loved them all.
Back on Island Time
About 4 months later while back vacationing on the island we had to buy three more bottles of Ma Doudou’s orange ginger Rhum liqueur to bring home again. Plus a bottle of vanilla extract.
My Takeaway
In our travels, we have found that when we get off the beaten path we find some pretty special places, like Ma Doudou’s. We love visiting the shop and seeing all of the new items they have. On each trip, I will continue to bring you other special places and things we discover in St. Maarten as we find them.
I am curious if any of you have been to St. Maarten and if you have tried anything from the Guavaberry Emporium or from Ma Doudou’s.
Guavaberry Recipes
Guavaberry Colada
- 2 oz Guavaberry Liqueur
- 1 oz Cream of Coconut
- 3 oz Pineapple Juice
Place items into a blender (or shaker). Cover with ice. Blend until creamy. Pour into glass and garnish with freshly toasted coconut, pineapple, and freshly grated nutmeg.
Guavaberry Chicken Marinade
- ½ cup Orange Juice
- 2 oz Guavaberry Liqueur
- 1 Dash Soy Sauce
- 1 Teaspoon Fennel Seed
- Hot Pepper to Taste
Rub into 4 chicken sections, and marinate in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Grill while basting occasionally.
