… the island was enough for Puerto Ricans to flood stores to stock … still very much present, and Puerto Ricans are not ready to deal … outside a Costco in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
Frances Colon, who lives in … a big storm,” Rodriguez said.
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosello encouraged people …

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By Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

Haiti’s Le Plaza hotel is doing its part to add even more art to the streets of downtown Port-au-Prince with major new mural project.

The mural, commissioned last summer by the hotel’s management team and created by Haitian graffiti artist Jerry Rosembert Moise, wraps around the hotel to feature the creativity of Haitian artisans.

“As one of the few hotels that has stayed open in downtown Port-au-Prince during these challenging years, there is no way that we could miss this opportunity to celebrate Haitian culture and beautify this historic downtown area for the benefit of citizens and visitors alike,” said Marc Pierre-Louis, General Manager of Le Plaza. “We hope more visitors will come and see the creativity of our people, and the vibrant history and culture of this, the second-oldest independent state in the hemisphere.”

Rosembert Moise, assisted by Nadia Todres, an American photographer resident in the country since 2010, is renowned for highlighting the vibrancy of Haiti’s art and culture.

After the devastation of the earthquake that hit the island in 2010, Rosembert Moise took his painting tools to the streets of Port-au-Prince with a strong political message, and now aims to uplift of his compatriots with artistic renderings of Haitian life.

His work, imbued with the spirit of Haitian life, colors the walls of a new shopping and restaurant compound in Pétion-ville.

He is nearing completion of his latest creation on the walls of Le Plaza, featuring lush jungle scenes in a dense urban setting.

— CJ

The post How This Haiti Hotel Is Adding Art to the Streets of Port-au-Prince appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Riu has reopened one of its most popular all-inclusive hotels in the Mexican Caribbean, the company announced this week.

The Riu Tequila has relaunched in Playa del Carmen on the Caribbean coast of Mexico, following a large-scale renovation project.

The renovation included transformed culinary offerings and a totally redesigned pool area, among other changes.

Changes to the pool included a transformation from two large pools to a total of five rectangular pools, including one dedicated for children.

The pool area has been completely transformed.

The Riu Tequila has also added new offerings for kids, including a MiniClub and a playground, adjacent to a new gym and “Riu Fit” area.

Upgrades include the addition of free Wi-Fi throughout the property, along with a hotel disco called Pacha.

The new Black Cow steakhouse.

The culinary changes are also wholesale, with a new steakhouse called Black Cow; a 24-hour sports bar; a lobby bar; a cocktail lounge called La Fiesta and a new Italian eatery called Rinascita.

It’s all part of what is a sleek new look for the more than 600-room hotel property.

Riu has a collection of 20 resorts across Mexico.

— CJ

The post Riu Reopens Playa del Carmen All-Inclusive appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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…
Regarding extending the benefits to Puerto Rico‘s displaced citizens: Although … Agency trailers and supplies to Puerto Rico and take more stock into …

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It’s hard to say precisely when cask finishing began in the rum world.

Sure, over the years there were rums like Dos Maderas, which took Caribbean rum and then aged it for years in sherry casks.

Then there was HSE, the Martinique-based rhum producer that is now the leader in the rum world, globally, when it comes to finishing, with an agricole expression finished in just about every kind of cask you can think of, from sherry to whisky to sauternes. (HSE has also become the world’s most innovative rum distillery when it comes to barrel aging in general).

It’s all helped take rum to new heights, and underscore the importance of barrel aging generally, such as the way different kinds of oak can totally change the raw spirit.

More and more companies are now diversifying their aging and finishing, and they’re helping to raise the profile of rum in part by showing its remarkable flexibility as a spirit.

The result is that cask finishing is likely here to stay — so it was nice to see another major player recently entered the space.

That was Puerto Rico’s Don Q, which recently debuted its first official cask-finished rum: Don Q Vermouth Cask Finish, which Rum Journal obtained on a recent stop in Puerto Rico.

So what’s it like?

The aroma is unsurprisingly sweet, with notes of white wine, brown sugar, a hint of tropical fruit, spice and more subtle elements of the classic Don Q nutty-vanilla aroma.

The flavor profile begins with an initial note of oak that opens up into hints of almond, pepper, nutmeg and only a small whisper of the dessert wine notes that appeared on the nose.

This is a light-bodied rum with a satisfying soft finish that eventually hints at some sweetness and even a little spice. It’s not what you expect when you first encounter the aroma — and it doesn’t have a heavy vermouth note, happily.

Yes, it’s a Don Q, and yes, it has those quintessential notes that most Puerto Rican rums share — but it’s got a different personality, a different identity, the lightness joined by a kind of elegant personality.

It’s something new.

And we always like that.

Rum Journal Review: 89 Points

The post Rum Journal: Puerto Rico’s Don Q Vermouth Cask Finish appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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