Barbados and Mount Gay Rum

November 7, 12:41 PMLA Islands ExaminerMaggie Dobbins

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Vats used in the process of distilling rum
Photo by Linda Kraskey, S/V Seaman's Elixir

Barbados is a lovely island still showing many traditions remaining from its former English rule.

It has great beaches, great wreck diving and fabulous and sophisticated dining.  If you are thinking of a Caribbean getaway, consider Barbados as a great all around island to visit.

And if you are in the Caribbean, you will want to drink some rum.  Why not spend a few hours and tour a rum distillery?

Mount Gay has been making rum since 1703.  Sailors coming from Europe were challenged to return with a barrel of Mount Gay rum as the passage was difficult and proof was required that you had made it!

This began their long and close association with sailors.  Mount Gay now sponsors over 160 sailing regattas around the globe.  They hand out red baseball caps to all sailing participants.  These caps are not for sale.  These "red hats" are coveted by many because if you see someone wearing one, it means they have sailed in a regatta. 

Mount Gay Estate was originally known as Mount Gilboa.  In 1801, it was renamed Mount Gay to honor the late estate caretaker and preeminent son of Barbados, Sir John Gay Alleyne.

Mount Gay has a tasting room in town, but friends counsel you head out to the actual distillery in the country.  There you can tour and see how the rums are actually made, as well as taste many of their rums.  They have aged old rums, regular drinking rum as well as many flavored rums.

A refreshing rum drink we like is called a Dark and Stormy.

Put  1 tsp of sugar in a tall glass

1 ounce of Mt. Gay Vanilla rum, 1 ounce of Mt. Gay Dark rum

Add Ginger Beer and Ice

Sip and dream of visiting Barbados.

For more stories on visiting rum distilleries, click here.

For stories about sailing in the Caribbean, click here.