In Antigua, the Art of the All-Inclusive Rum Bar

The "Nobody Knows" rum bar in Antigua.

By Alexander Britell

It’s called Nobody Knows.

But clearly someone does.

It’s just past twilight at Nobody Knows, the signature rum bar at Antigua’s renowned Hammock Cove resort.

Erick is pouring a diverse selection of some of the Caribbeans finest rums, from marques like Havana Club; Abuelo; Mount Gay, El Dorado and English Harbour.

It’s all here, a wide-ranging Caribbean rum bar.

And the best part? It’s all-inclusive.

Yes, there’s even a “secure vault” for to keep all the rum safe.

This is the all-inclusive Caribbean rum bar, a concept cultivated and perfected by Elite Island Resorts, the Caribbean resort brand that has turned all-inclusive into an art form of its own.

And that’s nowhere more true than at bars like this one, where you can devise your own journey through the world of sugarcane spirits or enjoy one of the regular malt-course tasting classes on offer.

And if you head over to Galley Bay, another Elite Island Resorts all-inclusive in Antigua, you’ll find the concept executed just as brilliantly.

Here, just off the expansive lagoon is the resort’s Rum Shack, modeled on a West Indian jerk shack, open several nights per week for a nightly rum journey.

all-inclusive antigua caribbean — The “Rum Shack” at Galley Bay, the perfect place for an after-dinner rum flight.

And at the “Rum Shack,” the list is just as vast: English Harbour Sherry Cask and 10-Year; El Dorado 15; Angostura 1919; Trois Rivieres Blanc; Mount Gay XO; even a rare bottling of Pyrat.

It’s hard to find rum menus as diverse as this anywhere in the Caribbean — let alone one where the pours are limitless.

But the point here is not excess; it’s about an introduction to the art of fine Caribbean rum, about the rums that are meant to be sipped, to be savored; about the highest level of artisanal rum-making in the Caribbean.

And that’s what makes it so special: you have a great opportunity to try the wonders of Antigua’s English Harbour rum and to explore the whole Caribbean through its most famous export, enjoying the spirits that tell the story of the Caribbean evening; and getting an authentic education on the tastes of the islands.

After even one evening, you’ll definitely know.

For more, visit Elite Island Resorts.