Since our last couple of posts have been focused on Florida (including about as far south as you can go – Key West) we thought we’d go even farther south – to a few of our favorite islands in the Caribbean!
We’ve been fortunate enough to take numerous cruises over the last decade to some amazing places, but some of our favorite spots are found in the “ABC Islands” – that’s Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Those Dutch Caribbean islands are quite a sail from the U.S., just off the coast of Venezuela. The weather is always warm and there’s no shortage of beaches and water adventures.
But what about a great cocktail? Yes, there’s more than Pirate’s Punch to be found!
We’ll just go in alphabetical order on our latest adventure. Keep in mind these are from the perspective of cruise passengers, so we may be missing something! (Feel free to share as always).
So let’s start with Aruba.
There are any number of good places in the port city of Oranjestad. If you want a great view of the water and a lively atmosphere (including some fun placement of dollar bills) check out The Paddock. It’s a true dive bar to grab a local beer like Balashi!
But for a true cocktail experience that’s #offthetipsypath, seek out Apotek! It’s a speakeasy-style cocktail bar along a side street – yes, they ask you to keep the location secret. We had more than a few smoked old fashioneds, along with other original drinks in a very creative and cozy atmosphere. They have a “prescription pick up” wall with drinks listed that aren’t on the menu. Just grab a “prescription” and head to the bar! Definitely a #tipsypick.
Bonaire is the “B” in ABC. It’s the smallest of the islands. Kralendijk is the town where the cruise ships dock. It has a quaint downtown area with a street market (where we found the local Cadushy distillery with a table and free samples). Tiki & Co bills itself as the only authentic tiki bar in the Dutch Caribbean. It’s the kind of place where you could spend an hour or an evening. We enjoyed letting Eddy make us something to our taste! We even found some glassware from another of our favorite bars, Death & Co. It was meant to be! Another #tipsypick.
Also on Bonaire is the Bonaire Blond brewery where you can get a refreshing blond ale made with local Aloe Vera flowers! The pub fare is also worth a stop, especially after a long walk around the island.
And finally, Curacao is probably one of our favorite islands in the region. It’s a wonderful mix of island and Dutch culture, including food and drink. Unfortunately, some of the wonderful places we visited before the pandemic did not survive the shutdowns. However, one place that seems to live on in the capital of Willemstad is Netto Bar. Yes, that’s the home to the famous green rum! It’s also the oldest bar on the island, dating back to 1954. The man who pours it behind the bar today was trained by the original owner, “Netto” himself. It’s definitely #offthetipsypath from the port, but walkable if you know where you’re headed.
For great views and tasty cocktails right on the water (and the beach), checkout Schooner Bar! And the other can’t miss spot is the distillery that makes the drink named after the island itself – Curacao! Tours are offered most days and it’s a short car ride from the port. Curacao (the liqueur) is made from dried fruit that grows on the island. The original settlers got creative with all the leftover peels and made alcohol! The Blue Curacao is the most well-known (it’s the stuff that makes most blue drinks blue), but our favorite is Tamarein, made from the Tamarind fruit. It’s a taste of the tropics for us!
One side note – on a separate cruise recently we enjoyed a couple of breweries worth mentioning near the port on St. Thomas (clearly not an ABC)… Leatherback Brewing is just up the street from the port in Charlotte Amalie. The owners were very kind and they had a great variety of brews AND cocktails. And Rock City Brewing is within eyeshot of the port, so we had to visit. Just a little extra for you #offthetipsypath.
ABC Tipsy Picks:
Aruba – Apotek
Bonaire – Tiki & Co
Curacao – Netto Bar and Curacao Distillery
Have a totally DUSHI summer (that means sweet, nice, or good in the ABC islands) and let us know what you think! We will bring it back closer to home in our next post…
