"...And a Clark's Court Rum."

“And a Clark's Court Rum.” Once I hear that, I know a party is going down somewhere. Sometimes, I may be at a local shop and the person in front of me is rambling down a list for the clerk, and he ends off with, “...and a Clark’s Court Rum.”

It’s difficult to say anything about Grenada or the West Indies in general without commenting on our culture of rum. We are not a society of “soolers” (drunks), but indeed liquor is large part of our heritage.

For many, an affinity for rum starts of off at an adult party where we accompany our parents as children. At some point in the night, our daddies will be drinking a cocktail, see our curious eyes and offer us a sip. Once that burning sensation hits our throats and we begin to cough, we immediately become the topic of a bout of laughter among the grown-ups.

River Antoine Estate Ltd. Grenada. This factory

        began as a sugar production

        during 17th and 18th century enslavement 

        and is still used in modern-day rum production.

        (Source: Per Eriksson)

Our rum culture began during slavery. Each island was touched by this deep tragedy and was left with multitudes of sugar plantations and refineries. On many islands like Grenada, these plantations continued their legacy of sugar production after emancipation was won, but branched off to specialize in rum production. Thus, many brands originate from plantations worked on by our very own ancestors.

We have three rum factories: Grenada Rum Factory, River Antoine Estate Ltd. (which uses an actual water-powered mill) and Dunfermline Estate Ltd. The rums produced come from locally grown sugar cane, is hand-made and bottled, and uses a variety of recipes based on age-old traditions.

You can be certain that this is not a loveless product; each bottle is made by someone who genuinely believes in the product, especially on a Saturday night lime (outing).

Clark’s Court and River Antoine (rivers) rums are two of the most popular brands. Each come in varieties such as fruit punch, Old Grog, pineapple, spice liquor and sorell. Clark's Court has a total 37 varieties.

Last year, Clarks Court’s: #37, Old Grog, Superior Light and Rhythm Coconut Rum jointly won the World Spirit’s Award. This is not a first for this particular brand, which has a world reputation for winning countless awards yearly, especially in Europe.

An experienced rum-maker. The smile on his face
is not from having a drink before work. Indeed it
is indicative of the pride he puts in his work and

             his love for the product

             (Source: Google images)

I cannot say that I am a rum expert, but my mother did work in the nation’s primary brewery and this has won us an impressive liquor collection at home. During house parties, my father would line the counters with bottles of rum for guests to mix at their pleasure. Beautifully, he would turn a blind eye when I put my hand on a bottle.

This is certainly not as mild as the
water it resembles! Rivers is known
in the Caribbean for its lack of mercy
so please enjoy responsibly.
(Source: Grenada Breweries Ltd.)

Rum is often present at celebrations such as weddings, wakes, carnival, Christmas (especially Christmas), happy hours, clubs and festivals. It is certainly not a staple part of our diets, but we know a party will be better with spirits tilted upward from the bottom of a shot glass.

As much as I encourage you to enjoy as much of my island as possible, whether through this blog or visiting it in reality, please be cautious.

Our rums are not for the weak or flirtatious drinker. You must be prepared through training and mental fortitude to withstand the burn of carefully crafted mixes and still enjoy the flavor.

If you are determined to conquer the Clark’s Court:

Step 1: mix three parts soda with one part rum in a shot glass.

Step 2: mix half-rum, half-soda.

Step 3: call someone to give you a ride home. You are done for the night.