What better to go with that delicious Jamaican cuisine than exotic drinks to wash it all down and lift the spirits. Visiting Jamaica means taking in the entire experience which includes having a few of the cocktails so often enjoyed by those who live on this beautiful island. After you taste of a few of these, you may discover just why Jamaicans are so happy and so incredibly friendly.
Sour Sop
This is a drink you will certainly find poolside in Jamaica and it even contains a few B-vitamins and vitamin C so you can feel good about indulging. Sour Sop contains sour sop fruit (here’s one you probably won’t find back at home), condensed milk, vanilla and nutmeg. This is a drink that will deserve an encore.
Jamaican Rum Punch
Don’t try to keep up with the natives drinking this one because it will definitely sneak up on you! Jamaican Rum Punch contains a little water, lemon or lime juice, strawberry-flavored syrup and a whole lot of Jamaican white rum.
Red Stripe
Everywhere you go in Jamaica, you will see this lager beer. Interestingly a few Kingston natives first manufactured this as a soft drink in 1918 but it was too heavy for local preference. At 4.7 percent alcohol, it’s no surprise! It was later introduced as a lager in 1928. Just look for the short red and white striped bottle that looks as fun as the island.
Jamaican Fizz
Just because white rum is used in many local recipes like cowcod soup, mannish water and plenty of cocktails, doesn’t mean that dark rum doesn’t find its home here as well. A Jamaican Fizz contains dark rum, club soda, pineapple juice and simple syrup and is nothing short of delicious.
Guinness
There’s so much Guinness in Jamaica, you would swear that this was a Jamaican beer, not an Irish one! Yes, this dark, frothy porter is strong but it also contains protein and most of the calorie content comes straight from the alcohol, not the carbohydrates so despite the fact that is makes you feel full, it’s not too bad for your waistline.
Jamaica Mistaica
There certainly is a story behind every song. Are you familiar with the song Jamaica Mistaica by Jimmy Buffet? In January of 1996, Buffet’s plane was shot at by the police in Jamaica who believed it was smuggling marijuana. The Jamaican government apologized, everybody had a good laugh, Buffet wrote a song and the bars created a drink by the same name. Jamaican rum, curacao, maraschino and grenadine are in this fun cocktail that natives still get a kick out of telling the story about.
Jamaican Sorrel
If you visit Jamaica during the Christmas holiday, this is a cocktail found everywhere. Jamaicans even say skip the apple a day because this drink will keep the doctor away! Sorrel, ginger and white rum go in this festive cocktail. Sorrel is known to treat bladder infections, high blood pressure, nausea, cramps, inflammation, fever, bronchial problems and the common cold!
Jamaica Ginger Beer
Here’s the one you’ve been waiting for and surely you’ve heard of it. Made from ginger root, lime juice, water and sugar, it’s a slow process to make this drink so when you find a batch freshly made, quickly indulge before everyone else drinks it all up!