Skeeterz Rum Bar Grill seems to have a dual meaning. The "rum" part of our name may maket you think we are a "specialty" rum business and assume that we are a niche bar specializing in a variety of exotic high end rums intended for sipping. STOP...down here in the Caribbean islands the islanders refer to ANY liquor as rum, it's a generic term.
In the down islands, the place locals visit to buy and drink alcohol is called a rum shop and/or rum shack, so the "rum" part of our name simply is a play of words - in the states, we would simple be a bar and grill style restaurant, but down here, we are a rum bar grill.
Skeeterz is "causally unique" with its roots in the St Lucia culture...but we do offer some really good Sippin' Rums if that's your thing. We prefer to use the rums that are made right here on St. Lucia by St. Lucia Distillers. No matter whether your are looking for a great place to do a few Rum Shotz, try out a few of our rum based Cocktailz, or kick back, chill and enjoy one of our fine sippin' rum while relaxing with a smoke, we got ya covered.
View St. Lucia Distilleries videos - CHAIRMAN'S AD | BOUNTY AD |
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SOME RUM HISTORY
Legend has it that it was the Dutch who first brought sugarcane to the island of Barbados, and with its near perfect climate, the island soon became the sugar capital of the Caribbean. By the mid 1600’s, rum became the basis for the island’s economy. In 1654, the General Court of Connecticut became alarmed by the number of barrels of rum coming into its ports, that it banned the import of Barbados Liquors, hopefully protecting the smaller distillers in the New England area, and began confiscating the cargos of “Rum Runners”. And one of the oldest remaining sugar plantations and rum distilleries on Barbados today is Foursquare. Taking its name from Square Pond in the area, the Foursquare distillery was completely renovated in 1996.
So what makes a good rum? The perfect rum is really a matter of taste. If you are interested in a light vodka-like rum, you will probably like a highly distilled "light" rum. But, if you are interested in a more upscale Sipping rum or a rum to enjoy with a cigar, that would be a darker rum like Chairman's Reserve. If you would like to learn more, visit this forum where you can find, or ask, everything rum!
PRICEY TASTE
For the most part, a bottle of fine rum retails between $30 and $60 dollars. Several years ago Bacardi came out with their Millennium rum which retailed for an impressive $800. However, there is another rum out there that trumps all of these with its steep price tag. Margaret says, "The most expensive rum that we know of is the British Royal Navy Imperial Rum which sells for $4000 for an imperial gallon." She adds that she and Luis have had the good fortune to taste this rum noting, "For something that goes back in history and was distilled in the old-fashion way, the rum is great! You are truly tasting 'liquid history'. We actually got to taste it in Barbados several years ago while serving as judges at the Annual Rum Taste Test. It is certainly a memory that will last a lifetime." The web site for this rum, www.greatspirits.com, tells the story of the centuries-old tradition of daily rum rations, called "tots", that began with the English soldiers down in Jamaica. It ended in 1970 (a day known now as Black Tot Day) and since then the remainder of the rum stock has been carefully guarded and dispensed. So apparently you're paying for a sip of history along with your fine rum.
The Gifted Rums Guide - The uniquely rare and exquisite cane spirits that comprise the class of beverages known collective as the "Gifted Rums" stand apart from other products by virtue of their exceptional quality. These rums tell a fascinating story... of rich history, geography, politics, international commerce and trade.
CHECK IT OUT HERE
ST. LUCIA RUM - St. Lucia Distillers
In 1922, the Barnard family purchased the large sugar estate of Dennery. Ten years after that purchase, the young Denis Barnard founded a distillery at Dennery and in 1972 merged the Dennery Factory Co. Ltd. with Geest Industries Ltd. in Roseau Valley to form the St. Lucia Distillers Group of Companies which now operates from Roseau. Denis’ son and the grandson of the original owners of Dennery is the current Managing Director of St. Lucia Distillers.
Over the years, the family-run factory has been considerably modernized and new technologies and improvements constantly incorporated. After Angostura Ltd. of Trinidad and Tobago (producers of the World famous Angostura Bitters) bought a 24.9% stake in the company in April 1998, a new bottling line was commissioned which enabled the Distillery to blend and bottle a wider range of specialist rums and liqueurs. The installation of a pot still in 1998 has also meant that especially high quality flavorful rums, still being aged, are now being produced. The company has since introduced two more pot stills adding to the variety of rums being produced.
St. Lucia Distillers Limited bottles a variety of rum products, from white fresh rum to aged and blended products. The most popular white rum is known locally as simply Denros or Strong Rum. As the label indicates in big red letters, this is strong rum. At 80% alcohol by volume, this is one of the strongest over proof rums in the islands. Notice that the label states 140 proof; this is British proof and translates to 160 US proof. Plenty strong, and the base for most of the spiced rum found in St. Lucia. Five-gallon plastic containers of this white rum are quite popular in the small rum shops, where it is combined with a variety of fruits and spices and known appropriately as “spice.”
http://www.saintluciarums.com
http://www.e8rum.com
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| Chairman's Reserve |
Crystal White |
Bounty Dark |
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| Admiral Rodney |
TOZWhite |
Element 8 Platinum |
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| Super Premium St. Lucia 1931 |
TOZ Gold |
Element 8 Gold |
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KWEOLE Rum |
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KWEYOLE RUM
Kweyol Spice Rum with Bois
Bande (80-Proof). Bois Bandé
(Roupela montana, proteacea)
is the bark of a tree famed in
parts of the Caribbean for its
properties as an aphrodisiac.
What happens when you combine
this tree bark with St.
Lucian rum? Well, the result is
Kwèyòl Spice Rum, a delightfully
fragrant rum with aroma of
vanilla and cinnamon. The
taste is not as sweet as the
aroma may suggest, yet it is
intricate, with traces of oak, bitters
and nuts.
If you want to explore the world
of aphrodisiacs, the mystery of
the islands or simply want a
change of routine, this rum is
definitely worth a try.
http://www.saintluciarums.com/kweyol-spice.html |
