Friday Happy Hour: Ruminiscing Over Warmer Times at Sugar Ridge, Antigua
Hercules, the latest snowmaggedon/snowpocalypse menace to ensnare the northern half of the U.S. in the frigid, unforgiving grasp of winter has, no doubt, spurred quite a few of you to take warm and sunny trips down the memory lanes of your most recent Caribbean escapes.
You’re snowed-in, it’s freezing, and Matlock reruns just aren’t cutting it. Time to pull out that old photo album and warm-up vicariously through the sunburned you of days gone by. The perpetually barefooted you. The one that’s always smiling behind those ultra-cool Ray-Bans. The you that’s a million miles from all that nasty snow and cold outside.
If your you is like me and longing to be back in Antigua, we have a nice drink recipe that I picked up at Sugar Ridge that will help to magically transport us all there. Apropos of all the reminiscing we’re doing, it’s called Ruminiscing, and trust me, it’s got plenty of kick to get in the island mood.
I was introduced to Ruminiscing by its creator, Cordel, one of the fun and friendly bartenders at Carmichael’s, the upscale restaurant that crowns Sugar Ridge’s hillside perch. All the barmen at Carmichael’s have a bit of mad scientist in ’em when it comes to mixology, so if you like inventive drink creations you’ll want to swing by the bar here whether you’re a guest of the hotel or not.
- 2oz coffee or espresso
- 1oz melted Hershey’s Chocolate
- 2oz English Harbour 5-Year Reserve
- Angostura Bitters
- 1oz Frangelico Liqueur
- Grated Nutmeg
Personally, I tended to prefer Cordel’s cocktails, with Ruminiscing topping my list. The reason: it combines three of my favorite tastes – rum, coffee, and chocolate – in a way that’s simply fantastic! Here’s how you make it…
Combine your coffee or espresso, melted chocolate, and rum in your shaker. Next, add five dashes of Angostura Bitters, an ounce of Frangelico, and ice. Now, shake vigorously for a good couple minutes and strain into a coupe, or similarly-styled wine glass. Top with foamed milk and garish with a bit of grated nutmeg.
A rum punch may provide a more direct route back to the beach, but Ruminiscing’s frothy-chocolate rum goodness seems more suited to the wintry wilds, while also putting me right back at Carmichael’s with Cordel & Co.
Cheers!