As I lugged 5 gallon buckets of water around the property to wet down my thirsty plants, I passed under the big coconut tree and realized that we have these Coconuts hanging over our pineapple plants, and thought “this is the pina colada section of the yard”. How clear the impetus for this drink became and I wondered if some pineapple farmer like myself came up with it. I then walked around the corner, and realized we have the sugar cane growing right nearby. So I got to get a still going, and start making our own rum because we are literally growing our own Pina Coladas here on St John at Starlit Escape. It reminded me of this story an old salt told me about Foxy, on Jost Van Dyke. Foxy is this idyllic islander; barefoot, dreadlocked, smiling and way laid back. He is famous now for singing these reggae/blues/jost van dyke swing songs at his tamarind bar on the beach. Gripping the guitar with work worn hands and making tourists laugh with innuendo and anecdotal songs about politics. He has this knack for knowing a song about anywhere in the world that someone is from. Well this old salt was telling us the other night beneath the shade tree about how when Foxy first opened his bar, he stocked whiskey, rum, and beer. Confiding in the old sailor shortly after he opened he says “I don’t get it, I got de whisky, i got de beer, you knows i got de rum, but these tourists come and all deh wan is de piNa colada” he drags through the words pina colada with specific tone of being unfamiliar with a word “what i ask is a pina colada?” I am going to have to start working on recipes from the yard. Maybe I can bring one over to Foxy.
