Rum shops
There are said to be over 1,500 rum shops in Barbados, so it hardly needs stating that the rum shop is much more than a bar – it’s an important cultural institution. Rum shops are often the centre of community social life: places to lime (hang out together, sharing drink and conversation) discuss politics over a game of dominoes and catch up on the local gossip. Inevitably, you’ll see more men than women in them.
Originally squeezed into tiny wooden chattel houses, many a rum shop has now extended to a terrace, car port or even “upgraded” into a cement structure, such as the Bay Tavern, St Martin’s Bay, or morphed into a sports bar, such as Wendy’s.
A few essential groceries are sometimes sold and inexpensive traditional Bajan food is available too, but the drink and chat is the thing. Unlike in a regular bar, rum shop culture entails sharing a bottle of rum (over ice) with friends, and adding your mixer of choice before putting the world to rights and watching the world go by. For beer – Banks or Deputy – you can often get an ice-bucket of four bottles for BD$10–12.
The everyday rum available in most rum shops is a far cry from the premium rums tastings in the main distillery tours.
We’ve listed a handful of joints that are popular with locals and welcoming towards visitors.
Rum bottle sizes range from minis to flasks to pints and half bottles.