Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum: Barbados Gives Birth to This Treasured Spirit

Coveted by pirates and beloved by connoisseurs, rum is a spirit that has long been enjoyed across the globe, and rum-lovers have Barbados to thank. The Caribbean destination is the birthplace of rum (or “Kill-Devil” as the first rum-distilling Barbadian’s referred to it), beginning in 1703 with Mount Gay Rum Distillery – the world’s oldest rum-making producer.

Over the centuries past, Barbados has perfected the art of rum distillation, producing a rum that boasts rich flavour, history and character as it’s produced with cane sugar and coral-filtered water that is native to the island. Mount Gay Rum is considered “the rum that invented rum”, and visitors of the island are welcome to explore the site where it all began and taste the unique spirit first-hand on a distillery tour or workshop.

Over the years, more rum producers began to appear across the island, like St. Nicholas Abbey. This distillery specializes in small-batch rums, such as cane syrup rum, which is not produced anywhere else in the world. Cane syrup rum mellows in oak casks for five to eighteen years, a true testament to the island’s time-tested smoothness and rum distillation finesse. Visitors of the island can explore the history of St. Nicholas Abbey, which was built in 1660, and peruse the Plantation’s scenic surroundings and taste the unique rum and tour the distillery.

Finally, from the oldest methods to modern methods – Foursquare Rum Factory and Heritage Park is the most computerized and modern distillery in the western hemisphere. The distillery is located on the southern countryside on a former sugar plantation, approximately 20 minutes by car from the Oistin area, and is known for its wide range of rums including Doorly’s, Old Brigand and E.S.A Field. The distillery operates an open house policy for visitors to leisurely tour the grounds and explore the tasting rooms.