The sound of the shaker.
It’s something you don’t hear that often today, lost amid the noise and the bustle of most bars.
But at the end of the night in the Caribbean, when the heat lessens, there are still those sought-after quiet corners where you can feel the late-evening breeze and hear the crush of a cocktail shaken.
Here at the Library Bar at the Four Seasons Resort Nevis is a true cocktail bar: dim lighting; hushed conversations; soft music and that welcome sound of a drink being concocted.
While the hotel is known for its 101 Rums Bar over by the sea at the Mango restaurant, the Library Bar, tucked away from the lobby has its own robust list of rums, set in a leather-bound cocktail menu that feels like the curated portfolio of a private home rum collection.
Once you open the tome of rum, you’ll see a brief history of the spirit in the West Indies and then pages of cane-fueled drinks.
As you leaf through the pages, the rum (and rhum) heavyweights emerge: J Bally, Barbancourt, Zacapa, Plantation, Barbancourt, El Dorado, Pyrat, the like.
They’re joined by some superb cocktails, dubbed “Rum Tails,” from the Mango-Jito to a classic Ti’ Punch to one of master mixologist Kendie Williams’ Angostura-Ginger cocktails.
They’re usually prepared by expert barman Morris Gumbs, the wise nighttime steward of the Library Bar.
But whatever you choose, you’ll leave very well read.
— CJ