Antigua and Barbuda officially reopened for tourism at the beginning of June, and now some of its most prominent resorts are back open again.
That includes the island’s newest adults-only, all-inclusive, Elite Island Resorts’ Hammock Cove.
The boutique resort, set on the eastern coast of Antigua, is a collection of free-standing, 1,080-square-foot luxury villas — in other words, the perfect social-distancing vacation.
Each villa comes with its own private plunge pool, along with other perks like a wine bar and a massive private verandah to boot.
Elite Island Resorts says the property has been adapted for the new normal of travel, meaning seating at bars and restaurants is spaced out, as is the seating around the property’s main pools and the beach.
The company says it’s using “state-of-the-art” electrostatic sprayers to disinfect and sanitize every villa and the property’s facilities.
“That means surfaces, soft furnishings and everything in between,” the property said in a statement.
The brand-new resort had just opened its doors at the end of 2019 — and it’s now the new centerpiece of Antigua’s reopening.
And when you can stay in an ocean-view private villa on a spectacular beach in Antigua, well, it’s the getaway we’re all looking for right now.
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The newest rum brand to hit the market is “Rude Bwoy,” a collection of rums born out of a deep family connection to the Caribbean.
The brand is the brainchild of Patrick Mitchell and James Larson, who have cultivated both white, gold and flavored rums (along with a vodka, too), celebrating Mitchell’s family’s centuries-long roots in both Jamaica and Cuba.
To learn more, Caribbean Journal talked to Mitchell and Larson about Rude Bwoy and what’s next for the company.
Patrick, can you talk about your family’s connection to the Caribbean?
Our story begins on the Caribbean island of Jamaica, in the West Indies, back in the 1600’s with the Wright family. The Wrights were living on the south side of the island in the parish of St. Elizabeth in a town named after the family. At the time, Wright Town stretched from the hills of Spur Tree to the beaches of Treasure Beach and Newell. The Wrights were serial entrepreneurs selling cattle and grew peanuts, onions, melons and scallion and of course sugar.
Our more recent Jamaican family was livestock famers. My grandfather was a cattleman and sold crops from his property as one of the best salesmen in the area. It was here that the ideas to start producing rum formed.
The Wrights were humble people who worked the sugar and cattle for their family. When opportunities for better pay came to Jamaicans by the building of Cuba’s railroads, some of the elder Wrights headed off to Cuba taking the opportunity.
The Wrights that went to Cuba tried hard to stay in connection with their Jamaican family, however back then communication was very thin.
Over time, the family spread out, some going to other countries such as England, and Costa Rica and to America. It wasn’t for over a century later that Cuba’s revolution was the forefront of the world — bringing rum right along with it.
What is a “Rude Bwoy?”
Rude Bwoy, sometimes also called “Rudie” is an endearing term for ones bredrin, friend, mate, and also sometimes used to identify a youth or child that is a “cool yute”. The term was born after the emergence of the Ska Music scene when Reggae music was on its way in Jamaica.
Rude Bwoy has four spirits. What are they?
All our spirits are 100% natural.
Ultra Premium Rude Bwoy Vodka
Ultra Premium Rude Bwoy Irie Gold Rum
Ultra Premium Rude Bwoy Irie White Rum
Ultra Premium Rude Bwoy Coconut Rum
Where is the rum made?
Our rum is made at The Point Distillery in the Tampa, FL area
The coconut rum is particularly unique – what makes it special?
Our award-winning Ultra Premium Coconut Rum is a real game changer in the marketplace. Unlike most flavored rums on the market, it is made with 100% natural ingredients-nothing artificial. We like to say it’s literally made from the ground up. At 70 proof, it’s also stronger than most flavored rums in the market place and it’s exceptionally smooth with just the right tropical aromatic finish.
What’s the best way to drink Rude Bwoy?
We’ve found most people truly enjoy our coconut rum on the rocks with a lime or with just a splash of your favorite mixer. Our mixologist, Bree Draughon, is constantly creating exciting new Rude Bwoy cocktails with our full lineup as we roll out the product across the nation.
Our very unique sugar cane Vodka has also become very popular with the Bloody Mary crowd with it’s very smooth and exciting twist versus the traditional vodka offerings.
Rude Bwoy also has apparel for sale. Do you foresee Rude Bwoy being a brand beyond the rum?
With our Caribbean-focused brand, as well as both partners’ background in the surfing, beach volleyball and reggae scenes, our apparel is a unique island inspired lifestyle brand that we intend to leverage along with our spirits.
Rum as a spirit has come a long way. What do you see as the future for rum?
We believe the future is very bright for high quality, ultra premium rum offerings. Consumers are interested in enjoying the content, quality, and the story behind brands. At Rude Bwoy, our story is quite unique and we encourage our customers to “Taste the Experience” which transcends most cost hurdles. Consumers are also gravitating very robustly to the all natural and organic components of high quality rums which also elevates the future of the rum sector.
There may be no better way to find escape from the pandemic than the glorious seclusion of a Caribbean private island resort.
Social distancing is a given when you’re sharing an exclusive dot of land in the middle of the ocean with a relative handful of other guests and resort staff.
At some, like the legendary Petit St. Vincent (opening Nov. 1), you can literally limit your human contact to a few minutes at check-in and check-out, simply raising a flag at your private villa when you need food, drink, or other essentials discreetly dropped at your door.
At others, it’s possible to rent out the entire island — especially useful if you want to limit your vacation interactions to a group of responsible, mask-wearing friends and family.
Not every Caribbean private island resort has reopened in the wake of COVID-19; the British Virgin Islands, home to several of the top resorts in the Caribbean, remains closed to international visitors, for example. But here are some great private islands where you can relax in luxury and safety this summer:
Just a short hop by air from Providenciales, Ambergris Cay has a collection of beautiful whitewashed villas lined up before a shimmering swath of white sand, customized dining, attentive staff, and a wide range of activities from exploring the island on electric golf carts to romantic dining on a middle-of-nowhere sandbar. Daily spa treatments are included in room costs. It reopens with the Turks and Caicos Islands’ relaunch July 22.
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