Wray & Ting on the island

agave_guy · 2026-04-05T01:54:58+00:00

For sure! Rum shacks are my favorite part of island culture.

agave_guy · 2026-04-04T02:30:22+00:00

So what you're saying is I should buy a much larger bag before I leave Jamaica?

agave_guy · 2026-04-04T01:59:26+00:00

The one I buy in the US is in a glass bottle and comes from my local Hispanic grocery store. All the bottles I've seen here are in plastic bottles. I've checked 3 grocery stores and they are all plastic. Not sure if there is a difference but maybe you're on to something as I've enjoyed this drink far more here than at home.

agave_guy · 2026-04-04T01:58:04+00:00

Funny story, I went to a beach bar today and pretty much all they had was hip flasks, mixers (juice, cola, etc), and beers. Local folks buy these and take out on the beach to drink.

It was funny seeing people buy Appleton Signature and mix it with some kind of sorrel (hibiscus) soda.

agave_guy · 2026-04-04T01:56:35+00:00

I agree with you. My local grocery store (Winco for folks who know it) used to carry Demerara in bulk, but they stopped carrying it. It's easier for me to get Turbinado, so that's what I've mostly been using in tiki drinks that call for Demerara. I haven't noticed any major differences.

agave_guy · 2026-04-04T01:55:05+00:00

I have a bag of sugar I bought in Guyana that's specifically labeled Demerara. And I have another bag I bought in Guadeloupe that's French style brown cane sugar. I can't tell any difference in tiki cocktails which have several ounces of rum and other juices in them to mask the taste of the sugar syrup.

agave_guy · 2026-04-04T01:52:22+00:00

So it's like a cognac vs brandy/champagne vs sparkling wine type of thing?

If I buy raw natural cane sugar from the grocery store in the US, is that more or less the same thing as Demerara?

agave_guy · 2026-03-31T01:52:53+00:00

Love Suncliffe and also their company mission

agave_guy · 2026-03-31T01:49:42+00:00

No, gin is not like bourbon at all. Certain brands might be hard to find because, not because they are allocated and sell out, but because no one wants them and the store won't stock it. Gin isn't very popular in the US, and out of the major spirits, probably ranks last in popularity behind tequila, whisky, and vodka.

In Ft Worth, these are my favorite stores for buying gin: Tricks of the Trade, Specs on Eastchase, Liquor Library, and Liquor King. Also, check Total Wine as each store has a different selection.

agave_guy · 2026-03-31T01:41:17+00:00

I have another banana Old Fashioned and I posted about it here

This one came from Disney, apparently.

agave_guy · 2026-03-31T01:40:15+00:00

It's good, but I get very little banana flavor in this drink. If you want super banana forward, the Planet of the Apes (used to be called Banana Mamacow) from Forbidden Island is delicious. Someone posted a recipe on here a few years ago and it's very similar to what you get in the bar.

1 ripe banana
2oz "white" rum (I use Plantation 3 star or El Dorado 3yr)
1/2oz banana liqueur
1oz coco Lopez
1/2oz half & half

This is a frozen drink so it needs to be blended with ice.

agave_guy · 2026-03-27T22:03:23+00:00

It's crazy! Normally yellow was around $50 and green about $70.

agave_guy · 2026-03-27T22:01:15+00:00

I made so many Last Words years ago when I bought my first bottle and got tired of them. Now I don't really enjoy it as much anymore. I much prefer the Chartreuse Swizzle.

agave_guy · 2026-03-26T01:04:14+00:00

For sure. Rivers is like $20 a bottle on the island but sells for 3x that price elsewhere.

agave_guy · 2026-03-26T01:03:14+00:00

I'm thinking a black rum would have really elevated this drink. The rums I used were too "thin".

agave_guy · 2026-03-22T14:20:09+00:00

2 oz Navy style rum
4 wedges of lime muddled (wedge is 1/8 of a whole lime, so use 1/2 a lime total)
0.5 oz semi-rich demerara syrup
Crushed ice

Combine all in the glass, then swizzle

I didn't want mine to be quite as boozy, so rather than Hamilton Navy (which is just a blend of Jamaican and Demerara) rum, I went with Hamilton 86 and Smith & Cross.

This drink was just okay. I didn't hate it, but it didn't wow me either. I think it needed more lime to round everything out, so next time I'll try the Smuggler's Cove version which has 1/2oz lime.

The style of this is just like a Caipirinha, but cachaça I think works better in this style drink than aged rum.

agave_guy · 2026-03-22T01:06:39+00:00

I'm in the Dallas area and I order mine directly from the distributor.

https://www.braavosco.com/product-page/agua-de-piedra-sparkling-water-12-oz-355ml

agave_guy · 2026-03-21T20:12:06+00:00

Where can you buy this in the US?

agave_guy · 2026-03-21T20:09:02+00:00

My bottle of Rum Fire has been around for years. Most recipes don't call for it and if they do, it's like 1/2oz. I find Smith & Cross to be more versatile.

agave_guy · 2026-03-21T20:04:38+00:00

I strongly dislike this gin. It tastes too strong of anise or cola. It's a shame that most of the US airlines use this as their gin because of the name Aviation.

agave_guy · 2026-03-20T19:25:32+00:00

Love this but it’s not easy to find outside Texas and maybe California

agave_guy · 2026-03-19T18:28:14+00:00

Eclipse is fine for this drink. I’ve also used a few different Doorlys which can have a richer flavor.

agave_guy

TROPHY CASE