Just as inseparable from St. Lucia as the emerald twin peaks of the Pitons are the island’s sugarcane and cacao — two ingredients that shape many of the most memorable drinks you’ll enjoy on this lush Caribbean isle.
Step into the production area at Saint Lucia Distillers and the first thing you notice is the bubbly fermenting tanks, releasing the warm, earthy-sweet scent of molasses. Once the yeast has worked its magic on the golden wash, the liquid moves to the still and begins its transformation into rum — destined for bottles on local shelves or crafted into potent daiquiris and mai tais at resort swim-up bars.
© SAINT LUCIA DISTILLERS
Founded in the late 1950s and located in the Roseau Valley on the island’s west coast, the distillery now produces more than 25 varieties of white, aged and flavored rums, liqueurs and other spirits. Its acclaimed lineup includes Chairman’s Reserve Rum, first blended in 1999 from a combination of continuous and pot still distillates. A standout is The Forgotten Casks, a sipping rum recreated to reflect barrels that survived a destructive 2007 fire; three additional years of aging in former bourbon casks lend a silky texture and vanilla-kissed finish. Visitors can join the daily hour-long Rhythm of Rum experience, which begins with a short film and a tour of the facility, then ends at the tasting bar where guides invite guests to sample as many rums as they like.
Not far from the distillery’s world of sugarcane, St. Lucia’s deep-rooted cacao tradition is celebrated at the Cacao Bar at Rabot Hotel, part of the Hotel Chocolat group. The hotel, open-air restaurant, spa and cocktail lounge all pay homage to the island’s cocoa history, which stretches back centuries. Seated at a table with views of Petit Piton, you’ll find chocolate woven into many dishes and drinks. Try a cacao martini made with vodka, estate-pressed cacao pulp, lemon verbena and soursop juice, or choose a rum old-fashioned brightened with a touch of chocolate bitters. The estate’s cacao gin is an unexpected revelation: juniper-forward with a bitter cocoa finish, it pairs brilliantly in a negroni finished with a spritz of orange peel oils.
If you linger for lunch or dinner — highly recommended, if only for the seared scallops crusted with crushed cacao nibs and an exquisitely rich mousse au chocolat — don’t leave without a bottle of Velvetised Chocolate Cream liqueur. Long after the mountain mist clears, that bottle will help you revisit the island’s flavors and the decadent, chocolate-tinged moments of your St. Lucia stay.