Hot dogs, apple pie, baseball and the Best American Rums.

This is now the seventh annual edition of what has become one of our favorite traditions at Caribbean Journal: compiling the list of the best rums in America to celebrate July 4th.

Since we began highlighting rums made in America, there’s been a boom in American rum production, with distilleries popping up from Newport to Hawaii — and the quality has been rising, too.

So what are our favorite rums in America this year? Check out the list to see more, with some longtime Best Rums in America selections and some new faces, too. (And before you get worried, no we didn’t forget Puerto Rico and the USVI. We always consider rums from those territories as Caribbean rums first).

Papa’s Pilar The rum part-owned by the Hemingway Estate is in many ways the flagship “made in America” rum, with a quality that matches its Hemingway-inspired story. The brand that includes a blend of rums from across the United States, Central America and the Caribbean has become a favorite of rum aficionados, with a growing portfolio of expressions from sherry-finished to cask-strength Cuban-style “blonde” rums. It now calls a flagship distillery in the heart of Key West home.

The post The 10 Best American Rums – 2019 appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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… treatment of American citizens from Puerto Rico,” according to the suit.
… protection provisions because it treats Puerto Rico-born American citizens differently than … questions about Puerto Rico in order to prove that they are Puerto Rican.”
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By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Dutch Caribbean’s most-visited travel destination is getting more new flights from New York.

Aruba will soon be the beneficiary of year-round nonstop flights from New York’s LaGuardia Airport, according to an announcement from American Airlines.

The New York-Aruba flights, which had previously been operating only seasonally, will become year-round flights beginning Dec. 21.

Boca Grandi Beach in Aruba.

The flights will now be operating once every week on Saturdays.

It’s a rather strong statement for Aruba, given that American Airlines only began operating the seasonal service last month.

In less than 30 days, Aruba and its Queen Beatrix International Airport have already received a year-round stamp of approval.

The Marriott in Aruba.

Aruba has long been one of the more popular Caribbean destinations for travelers in the northeastern United States, and this expanded service only underscores that.

It complements a growing route network for American to Aruba, with flights from destinations including Miami, Dallas Fort-Worth, Charlotte, Philadelphia and Charlotte.

American operates the LaGuardia service on Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

They’re yet another expansion for American Airlines in the Caribbean, where its footprint is significant, but where it has continued to face network competition in recent years from airlines like JetBlue, Southwest and, increasingly, Spirit.

— CJ

The post Aruba’s New Year-Round Flights From New York appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Beaches, parties, yachts, turquoise waters, cocktails and spectacular music.

If a BVI vacation feels like Christmas in July, well, it actually is.

This year is the latest annual edition of the BVI’s Christmas in July event, a popular weekend party held on Virgin Gorda’s Pond Bay Beach.

The party is famous for gathering hundreds of boats from Puerto Rico that sail into the BVI for a full-fledged fete.

This year’s event, which will take place on July 27 from 9 AM to 7 PM, is organized by Wally Castro Marine.

“In Puerto Rico, it’s already a tradition to use the last days of July to take a small summer vacation and spend time with family and children before they go back to school,” Castro said. “Having that in mind, we created a family event in Virgin Gorda to gather the nautical community, which usually arrives as a “fleet” to the BVI in those days, and regular tourists who use other means to arrive to the BVI to celebrate Christmas in July with us,”

This year’s party will include Virgin Gorda band The Final Faze, along with Puerto Rican band Orquesta La Oferta, a tribute band to the legendary salsa group El Gran Combo.

Another Puerto Rican band, Baston de Diego, takes the stage in the afternoon, with Denisse Torres, a DJ from Puerto Rico’s Magic 93.7 FM, will be the master of ceremonies.

But you don’t need your own boat to enjoy the celebration.

Cape Air runs regular flights to Tortola and Virgin Gorda, and there are regular ferries from several stops in the BVI to Virgin Gorda.

The post In the BVI, It’s Christmas in July appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Vieques, Puerto Rico – At first glance, Vieques … than 13km off of mainland Puerto Rico is home to stunning, undeveloped … higher than the rest of Puerto Rico.
Getting basic health services is … of the colony” of Puerto Rico.
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