Toppa Top 10: The Caribbean’s Best Rum Creams

Words by Steve Bennett—

Tis the season… for milky, creamy drinks spiked with alcohol. Hold the Bailey’s, Kahlua and white Russians, though: nobody does cream liqueur quite like the Caribbean, where just about every island has its own unique variation on the warming cocktail. With the holidays in view and rum cream drinking season in full effect, we asked Steve Bennett, editor behind our favorite travel blog Uncommon Caribbean (where he and his brother, Patrick, reviews rum, beers and Caribbean-themed libations of all kinds every Friday as part of its Friday Happy Hour series), to select the region’s best of the best.

Eggnog ain’t ready for we in de Caribbean! I mean, the stuff is okay, I guess, but how good can it really be if those who love it only drink it during the hap-happiest season of all? We West Indians love our rum creams all de time! Even with our more seasonal favorites, like coquito and ponche de crème, there’s a big difference. Whereas your typical non-Caribbean holiday party will serve up both high-test and non-alcoholic versions of eggnog, all of our creamy treats are always big on booze. Here are a few of my favorites…

Castries Peanut Rum Cream Liqueur

Choosy moms may choose Jif for Junior’s lunch, but when it comes time to party I recommend this dream of a rum cream from St. Lucia. Silky smooth and creamy, though not overly thick or sweet, Castries combines St. Lucian rum, spices and fresh cream with vanilla from Madagascar in a thin, sexy bottle with curves worthy of any MILF.

RumChata

This relatively new “Caribbean rum” treat (that’s actually brewed in Wisconsin) has roots in the Spanish horchata tradition that, while most closely associated with Mexico, actually extends all the way back to ancient Egypt. The flavor, though, is up-to-date: smooth and lighter than you might expect with cinnamon and vanilla spices enhancing the rum goodness. Wepa!

Ponche Kuba

If ponche de crème and coquito had a child, it would be Ponche Kuba. Cuban-born, though pulling together many different ponche traditions from all over the Caribbean, Ponche Kuba carries a nice, light spiciness and an easy rum foundation perfect for carrying your holiday celebrations well into the night.

Crisma Rum Cream

Considering the key ingredient of any rum cream is, well… rum, you’d be hard pressed to beat a creamy concoction from the birthplace of the quintessential Caribbean spirit, Barbados. Crisma carries the torch for its home island’s exalted rum heritage nicely, pampering palettes with a secret blend of herbs and spices, plus a healthy dose of fine aged Bajan rum. Hazelnut fans, this is the rum cream for you!

El Dorado Cream Liqueur

There’s no disputing the mastery of Guyana’s Demerara rums, particularly the El Dorado blends. Dark, robust, sweet and full-bodied, the 12-, 15- and 21-year-old El Dorado’s are as desired a threesome as I’d ever hope to be a part of. The brand’s Cream Liqueur employs a five-year-old gold El Dorado that is a marvelous mixer in its own right. Loaded with natural spices with a rich toffee flavor, this stuff is heaven in your coffee, or chilled to cap a special day.

Ponche de Crème

The creme de la creme of Christmas cocktails in Trinidad & Tobago, ponche de crème is the Caribbean’s answer to eggnog, only this version always carries a distinctive citrus flavor (lime peel is a key ingredient) that sets it apart. You can’t have black cake without it, and it’s always made with rum.

Kremas

Haiti’s entry into the rum cream field, kremas, is the best of all worlds, combining the flavors of nutmeg/almond, lime, anise and coconut, along with sweet milk and, of course, Barbancourt rum. While a kremas retail product has yet to be successfully launched on the international market, kremas can be easily found in Miami, where it’s sold at some of the area’s best Haitian eateries (like Tap Tap, above). Fortunately, another favorite, Chef Creole, will ship it to you anywhere in the US for $20, too.

Coquito

A nice blend of coconut, spices and rum, coquito is arguably the Caribbean’s #1 answer to eggnog. In fact, it’s known as Puerto Rican Eggnog, so there you go. Mucho mas than just a Borricua thing, coquito is enjoyed all over the Latin Caribbean. White rum makes coquito sing. Kick it up with some overproof if you wanna’ howl. (And here’s LargeUp’s very own recipe—Ed.)

Sangster’s Blue Mountain Coffee Rum Cream

Thank God for the good doctor Ian Sangster, a former Scottish professor who originally arrived in Jamaica in the 60’s to teach for a time, but stayed to develop some of the finest cream liqueurs the world has ever known. The Blue Mountain coffee blend well cris –it’s incredibly smooth and creamy, combining premium aged Jamaican rum with the rich, aromatic flavor of Blue Mountain coffee to put you instantly at ease. And for the coffee averse, there’s similarly tasty original, banana and rum raisin flavors.

Cruzan Rum Cream

As a born and bred Crucian, my home island rum cream tops the list. Each sip magically transports me back to Vel’s Restaurant on King Street in Frederiksted, where we used to jam in the street to Blinky and the Roadmasters playing quelbe and scratch band faves from before dawn to midday Christmas morning. Like that old Crucian tradition, though, Cruzan Rum Cream will soon be discontinued, so get some while you can!