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A Bold New Mural is Lighting Up Curaçao’s Brion City Hotel

curacao hotel arrt

In the heart of Willemstad, a splash of color has turned an ordinary wall into something unforgettable. The new mural rises up with vibrant strokes, a mix of symbols and faces that instantly capture the spirit of Curaçao. It’s the work of local artist Santa Gross, who drew from the island’s people, its wildlife, and […]

Rum Journal

Rum Journal: Tasting Don Q Gran Añejo Puerto Rican Rum

In the heart of Willemstad, a splash of color has turned an ordinary wall into something unforgettable. The new mural rises up with vibrant strokes, a mix of symbols and faces that instantly capture the spirit of Curaçao. It’s the work of local artist Santa Gross, who drew from the island’s people, its wildlife, and […]

Rum Journal

Rum Journal: Tasting Guatemala's Ron Botran Solera 1893

In the heart of Willemstad, a splash of color has turned an ordinary wall into something unforgettable. The new mural rises up with vibrant strokes, a mix of symbols and faces that instantly capture the spirit of Curaçao. It’s the work of local artist Santa Gross, who drew from the island’s people, its wildlife, and […]

Rum Journal

Rum Journal: A Haven for Rum (and Cigars) in the Bahamas

In the heart of Willemstad, a splash of color has turned an ordinary wall into something unforgettable. The new mural rises up with vibrant strokes, a mix of symbols and faces that instantly capture the spirit of Curaçao. It’s the work of local artist Santa Gross, who drew from the island’s people, its wildlife, and […]


Rum Journal: Tasting Guatemala's Ron Botran Solera 1893

There’s nothing pleasant about “sand in your shorts” unless Marina Perez is mixing up a cocktail of the same name at Aruba’s Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts. Originally created upon the request of an exceptionally sandy guest, fresh off of Eagle Beach, this refreshing drink recipe provides a sweet taste of the islands. Marina has […]

Rum Journal: The Science and Art Behind Guatemala's Ron Zacapa

Above: Lorena Vasquez Making Guatemala’s Ron Zacapa 23 is as much a science as an art. And its story starts, naturally, with chemistry. Lorena Vasquez always had a gift for identifying aromas and flavours, even as a child. As she grew up, she studied pharmaceutical chemistry, ultimately specializing in sensory analysis and food technology. Now, she […]

Rum Journal: Jamaica's Blackwell Rum

Rum and music are woven deeply into the fabric of Jamaican society. So it’s only natural that one of the country’s newest exports combines a strong tradition from both worlds. Jamaica’s Blackwell Rum is the brainchild of legendary reggae music producer Chris Blackwell and marketing guru Richard Kirshenbaum; but while Blackwell’s name is synonymous with […]

Rum Journal: How Gosling's Rum, Born in Bermuda, Became a Legend

It’s called a “roof wetting.” Whenever the roof of a new building is completed in Bermuda, its owner holds a ceremony, and christens it. Only one thing is used to perform the ceremony, however: Gosling’s Rum. The history of Gosling’s Rum, Bermuda’s best selling spirit (and required ingredient in its national drink, the Dark ‘n […]

Rum Journal: From the Dominican Republic, a Rum With a Cuban Soul

Above: an advertisement for Matusalem from 1957 (Photo: Ron Matusalem) JUST 10 YEARS after Don Facundo Bacardi Masso began operations in Santiago de Cuba, Benjamin and Eduardo Camp, brothers from Spain, along with a third partner, Evaristo Alvarez, opened a distillery of their own in the city. While it’s not quite as old as the […]

Rum Journal: A Fresh Take on Rum and Coconuts at Dominica's Rosalie Bay Resort

This week’s Rum Journal travels to the island of Dominica and the Rosalie Bay eco-luxury resort for a decidedly fresh take on a coconut rum cocktail. 21-year-old Dominica native Aziz Roberts has practiced his craft at the Rosalie Bay since before its opening four years ago on the rainforest-covered “Nature Island.” “Bartending allows me to […]

Rum Journal: Trinidad's Zaya

This week’s Rum Journal takes a look at Zaya, an aged rum from Trinidad. Zaya Gran Reserva has had a rather varied history. It began life in Guatemala, distilled by Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala, where two rum standards, Ron Zacapa, and Ron Botran, are also distilled. Now, however, Zaya Gran Reserva hails from Trinidad, distilled […]

Rum Journal: Toasting Bacardi's Birthday

Above: a Bacardi ad from 1902 (Photo: Bacardi) Just like Haiti’s Barbancourt, which Rum Journal tasted last week, another major player in the rum world is celebrating its sesquicentennial. It was 1830 when Don Facundo Bacardi Massó, a wine merchant, left Cataluña in Spain for Cuba. In 1862, Bacardi purchased a modest distillery in Santiago […]