26 February 2026
By Publisher Ray Carmen
The Caribbean doesn’t just make rum.
It makes moments.
From Havana’s historic bars to barefoot beach shacks in Nassau, the region has given the world some of its most seductive, enduring and dangerously smooth cocktails.
This is not just a drinks list.
This is the Caribbean — shaken, stirred and served over ice.
Cuba – The Daiquiri & Mojito
Cuba is cocktail aristocracy.
The Daiquiri was perfected at El Floridita — famously adored by Ernest Hemingway.
The Formula:
White rum. Fresh lime. Fine sugar. Precision.
The Mojito? Lighter, mint-laced, endlessly refreshing.
These are not beach drinks.
They are cultural icons.
Puerto Rico – The Piña Colada
Born in 1954 at the Caribe Hilton, the Piña Colada is unapologetically indulgent.
Rum. Coconut cream. Pineapple.
It is sunshine in liquid form — and one of the most searched cocktails in the world.
Barbados – Rum Punch
The island that birthed rum gave the world its original punch.
“One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak.”
Often crafted with Mount Gay, Barbados Rum Punch is celebratory, bold and built for long golden afternoons.
Jamaica – Planter’s Punch
Jamaica doesn’t do subtle.
Using rich rums from Appleton Estate, Planter’s Punch is deeper, spicier and rhythm-driven.
This is Carnival energy in a glass.
The Bahamas – Goombay Smash
Invented in the Bahamas in the 1960s, the Goombay Smash blends rum, pineapple and citrus into something deceptively smooth.
It tastes harmless.
It is not.
Trinidad & Tobago – Queen’s Park Swizzle
Created at the historic Queen’s Park Hotel, this mint-forward rum cocktail is often called the Caribbean’s answer to the Mojito — but richer and more complex.
Elegant. Layered. Understated luxury.
