There are bars and there are beach bars and then there are rum bars. In the Caribbean, the last one means something quite different.

As we’ve written in these pages before, a rum bar means a place where rum is appreciated, where rums are collected from both near and far — it’s a place for rum without borders, where rum is the story.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt if such a bar is also on the beach.

Nettle Bay

That’s what Le Sand has achieved on Nettle Bay in St Martin — it is a full-fledged rum bar with a diverse selection but it also boasts a special perch on one of the island’s most beautiful beaches.

While it’s a hip, comfortable beach lounge in its own right, the real story here is the rum bar — a terrific selection of both rums and rhums agricoles from around the Caribbean.

The rum shelf at Le Sand

It puts some of the top agricoles from the French Caribbean (including everything from rare Rhum JMs to Damoiseau XO) to the English-speaking Caribbean’s stalwarts like El Dorado 12, 15 and 21 to Venezuela’s Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva.

And for St Martin, there is simply nowhere better to drink rum, thanks to an energetic staff, food and, oh yes, the sand on Nettle Bay.

— CJ