Tag Archives: rum

Jamaica for foodies – places to go for pure delight!

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We invite you to explore Jamaica through the lens of provenance, craft, and terroir, from world-renowned exports to under-the-radar artisanal movements, offering strong angles across food, drink, travel, and wellness.
BLUE MOUNTAIN COFFEE: THE FULL STORY, AT THE SOURCE

The beauty of Jamaica

Craighton Estate is one of the Blue Mountains’ premier coffee producers, growing beans prized worldwide for their smooth, low-acid, subtly sweet profile — a result of high altitude, cool climate, and mineral-rich soil. Guided hiking trails offer panoramic views alongside a full deep-dive into the growing and production process. A strong angle for luxury travel features and food-provenance journalism.
THE RUM THAT CONNOISSEURS SEEK OUT

Traditional rum in the surrounds of beautiful Jamaica

Worthy Park Rum Estate, en route to Ocho Rios, is producing some of the Caribbean’s most talked-about rum using a wild yeast fermentation process cultivated for up to three months in oak vats. The result is a distinctively funky, high-ester profile that serious collectors seek out. An ideal item for spirits features, drinks trade press, or ‘world’s most interesting distilleries’ roundups.
BEAN-TO-BAR: JAMAICA’S ARTISANAL CHOCOLATE SCENE
Pure Chocolate Jamaica in Ocho Rios offers hands-on tasting and bar-making sessions that showcase the island’s growing artisanal cocoa industry—a story that sits well alongside Jamaica’s better-known coffee and rum exports.
WHERE FOOD MEETS WELLNESS: STUSH IN THE BUSH
Stush in the Bush has pioneered a genuinely original concept — the ‘Farm-to-Skin’ movement — where the same botanicals used in their plant-based gourmet meals (turmeric, coconut, aloe) are also integrated into holistic skincare and wellness products.
SUN VALLEY PLANTATION: BIODIVERSITY ON A PLATE
This working 30-acre estate near Ocho Rios offers a masterclass in Jamaican biodiversity. Guests walk the groves, learn how everything from breadfruit to exotic spices is cultivated, and taste it all fresh-picked. A vivid farm-to-table experience with genuine educational depth.
DEVON HOUSE I-SCREAM: A KINGSTON INSTITUTION
No craft food tour of Jamaica is complete without Devon House, the historic mansion of George Stiebel, Jamaica’s first Black millionaire. Known for its legendary ice cream, available in flavours like Soursop, Stout, Grape Nut, June Plum, and Blue Mountain Coffee. A great kicker item for any Kingston guide or Caribbean food roundup.

At last a non-alcoholic drink that tastes great!

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At a press event to publicise the new offerings coming up at health food stores, Holland & Barrett I meet Danish entprener Morten Sorensen who is promoting a new kind of social drinking with his own unique and very special brand of “non-alcoholic” spirit-brand called Ish.

Ginish and Rumish

I reluctantly put down my champagne glass to try the Ginish….and I was totally blown away.  I can honestly say it really did taste like gin, and not one of the cheaper ones but was more akin to the spicy Orphir.

Ish does have 0.5% alcohol which allows the process of extracting the botanicals in the gin to release their full flavour – juniper berries and coriander seeds in Finish – so that you get the warm kick in the throat that you would get with full alcohol gin.  It also has zero sugar and as a result of calorie content of 6 kcal per 100ml. But its still classed as non-alcohol and will soon be on sale at Holland & Barrett.

Rumish has Madagascan Vanilla and Indonesian Nutmeg and was similarly a great-tastings drink.

Morten Sorensen explains that he  went on to create his brand after a 100-day alcohol-free challenge when he got his “light bulb moment”:  “I realised there was an absolute need to turn the tables on the social norms of drinking.  I wanted to provide an alcohol-free option for those who don’t always have the desire to drink alcohol, but appreciate the social aspects of enjoying a cocktail.

He adds:  “It’s for those to want to tear up the dance floor sober.”

I know exactly how he feels.  A while back I gave up alcohol for several months.  It also coincided with a visit to Cannes – a press trip to investigate shopping.  That involved popping into all the designer shops on the Croisette for a glass of champagne.  I surprised myself by resisting and even danced my socks off completely sober one evening.  But I am afraid my will slumped to all time allow at a lunch on the beach on the final day of the trip. It was one of those glorious days with a blue sky and sun….and as we watched a modelling show I could see  a silver wine cooler on our table contained a bottle of rose wine glistening with moisture, beckoning me towards it.

Ish is being imported into the UK by www.hopsgrapesandspirits.com and its currently on offer for £24.99 and their shop here www.onlyhere4.com/collections/ish