GEORGE TOWN, CAYMAN ISLANDS – APRIL 24: The Cayman Islands most famous attraction, Stingray City and … [+] the nearby shallows know as the Sandbar provide the only natural oportunity to swim with Atlantic Southern Stingrays on 24 April, 2008 in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Grand Cayman is an island paradise long-associated with turquoise waters and serene stretches of soft sand. Its status as a world-class destination for food and drink is much more of a recent development. But the beachside bars and restaurants here have been quietly stepping up their game for years. Suddenly, global recognition is pouring in and 2025 promises to be the year that this tropical landscape asserts itself as the culinary capital of the Caribbean.
The campaign kicks off not long after New Year’s. During the second week of January the island welcomes Fiesta de Agave, an ebullient three-day showcasing of agave spirits, cocktails, and local cuisine. Beginning on the afternoon of the 11th, tequila experts will mingle with world-renowned chefs to offer tastings, masterclasses and one-off dining experiences—all of it backdropped by captivating surf and sand.
By and large, the celebration will center around Library by the Sea, inside the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa. The beachside venue earned the number 35 spot last year on the annual list of North America’s 50 Best Bars, giving it claim to the title of “best bar in the Caribbean right now.” In the past, the watering hole has hosted prominent takeovers by other top bar programs, including Allegory out of Washington DC, as well as Milady’s and Clover Club from New York.
During the festival, their talented team will collaborate with colleagues from Rayo out of Mexico City as well as from Tommy’s, the legendary San Francisco intuition, to assemble agave-inspired cocktail creations and dining pairings. On the production side, prominent brands in attendance so far include Ojo de Dios Mezcal, Siete Misterios Mezcal, Kilinga Bacanora, Olmeca Altos Tequila, and Ocho Tequila.
The top-rated Caribbean bar of 2024 according to North America’s 50 Best Bars.
Library by the Sea
But no matter what time of year you sink your feet into the sand around here, you’ll find incredible flavor and expert hospitality awaits. As Library by the Sea is, in fact, an actual library, its menu is divided into literary genres. Vintage specials like the E. Hemingway incorporate rum and modifiers from Papa’s era. Elsewhere on the list, mixologists jazz up elegant spirits with the use of fruits native to the island and botanicals from the neighboring sea.
A short 5-minute stroll along the shore brings you to the newly-opened Bonny Moon. Although it only set up shop here in May, the eccentric beach club and and restaurant has already established itself as a local institution. Its elevated cocktail collection has played no small role in that positioning. The Message in a Bottle shakes up a Penicillin with Tiki vibes. The Sultans of Swing combines coconut rum with Luxardo liqueur for something that’s interesting and refreshing all at once. The food, meanwhile, is equally as inspired; playful tiraditos and ceviches are served alongside pork schnitzels and smash burgers.
Since the place was named after Anne Bonny, one of history’s few documented female pirates, it has to reserve a section for rum-heavy fare that would make a bootlegger blush. And there’s always something boisterous happening at this spot, whether it be speed dating, tarot reading, and the obligatory full moon party.
Cocktails with a view on Grand Cayman Island
Bonny Moon
On the opposite end of idyllic Seven Mile Beach, Ms. Piper’s exists as a charming backyard oasis beside the four-star Grand Cayman Marriott Resort. Here, executive chef Ayelen Esquef assembles whimsical, wood-fired delicacies in a garden-setting. Highlights include Napa cabbage grilled in miso butter with toasted pumpkin seeds, and Arroz Meloso; rice with calamari and shrimp under a cilantro green curry.
The signature cocktail list at Ms Piper’s is “inspired by iconic women from around the world who have smashed the glass ceiling and paved the way for others,” according to the menu. “We honor this sisterhood collective by capturing the fearless spirit and bold personalities of these timeless women in our drinks.” The Yoko Ono is a notable example: vodka and grapefruit with pomegranate and house-made kombucha. Rita Moreno is another heavy-hitting standout—peanut butter and chocolate fat-washed rum with bourbon, cognac and banana oil.
Pancake brunch and cocktails in the garden.
Ms. Piper’s
This is hardly your run-of-the-mill beachside fare. Which makes sense, because Grand Cayman is by no means your average Caribbean island paradise.
Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=67624139b0804782ad0d4d94035b6fd6&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Fbradjaphe%2F2024%2F12%2F17%2Fgrand-cayman-is-poised-to-become-caribbean-culinary-capital-in-2025%2F&c=14181153627582925900&mkt=en-us
Author :
Publish date : 2024-12-17 13:18:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
