When in Rum: Fun in the Sun—and Rain—at the Barbados Food & Rum Festival

The idea of starting a huge party at 5 am sounded insane to me. But sunrise parties aren’t uncommon in the Caribbean, especially at the Barbados Food & Rum Festival. When we entered the expansive beachside grounds of Harbour Lights along the Southeast coast of Barbados near Bridgetown, we were greeted by a beautiful array of rum punches sparkling in the darkness in their novel containers.

Guests were encouraged to wear yellow, and a parade of locals and tourists decked in their finest sun dresses and tropical shirts flowed into the meticulously arranged and decorated areas of the Rise & Rum fest, sampling bites like Chef Kiara Riley’s Da Fuh Lick Yuh ; Chef Nicholas Ifill’s “De Bajan Benny” ; or Chef Marvin Applewhite’s tri-citrus prawn ceviche, spice-scented sweet potato purée with mango bobas.

The party kicked off on Thursday night at Oistins, a southern coastal town known for its local cuisine. Pat’s and Moe’s each offer their competing take on the national dish of flying fish and cou cou, along with macaroni pie and an assortment of other Bajan foods. One of the International guest chefs, Food Network’s Anne Burrell, presented a cooking demonstration for attendees, while local distilleries gave out samples of their various rums.

On the cocktail side, I did my best to sample as many of the dozens of concoctions the island’s best mixologists had to offer, like Natasha Jules refreshing watermelon-and-guave Mellow Water, but my favorite was from Dameain Williams. Featuring States Beach Vat #1, cilantro-black pepper syrup, pink grapefruit juice and Himalayan salt, garnished with lemongrass twist and grapefruit, the drink is called Chef Javon’s Fav, and I have to agree with Chef Javon.

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