During this stay-at-home time, you can still enjoy a Caribbean cocktail (and won’t need to worry about a designated driver). The often colorful, vibrant drinks incorporate Caribbean flavors and rums that are appetizing, sweet, and delicious. Read one of the following e-books to learn not only new cocktail recipes but the history of drinks from Caribbean areas, such as Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, and Cuba. 

From reading, you will discover some interesting facts about the history of rum from the Caribbean. Mount Gay rum, concocted in Barbados, is the oldest brand in the world with the earliest record dating back to 1703 (Bauer, 2018). With European colonization, rum production involved slavery for the harvesting of sugar cane fields. Most rums are made from molasses which is a byproduct of sugar. An intricate process is used to create the unique and distinct flavors of rums. Today you can visit the Mount Gay Rum Distilleries in Barbados, DDL Diamond Distillery in Guyana, Hampden Estate Rum Tour in Jamaica, and the Centro Historico Ron Barcelo in Dominican Republic. 

Rum Drinks: 50 Caribbean Cocktails, from Cuba Libre to Rum Daisy by Jessica B. Harris

With recipes for 40 of the Caribbean's classic and contemporary cocktails and 15 traditional snacks to accompany them, Rum Drinks provides a tropical taste vacation. More than a cocktail book, Rum Drinks is your ultimate rum resource, including salty talesfrom a history of the sugar trade to the sparkly heydey of the Cuba Librean island-by-island listing of Caribbean rums, and a guide to great rum bars all over the world.

The New Rum: A Modern Guide to the Spirit of the Americas by Bryce T. Bauer

Rum, traditionally relegated to cloying cocktails or tropical- themed novelty drinks, is undergoing a global renaissance. In bars and distilleries across the world, rum is being defined as a dynamic, complex, and versatile drink. New to the scene of connoisseurship, rum is a spirit of possibilities, inviting imaginative bartenders and mixologists to leave their marks on this burgeoning movement. This rum-spiked travelogue also includes a producer-focused drinks guide, covering dozens of the world’s most innovative and iconic producers, making everything from Martinique rhum agricole to long-aged sippers from Barbados and the Dominican Republic.

Cuban Cocktails: 100 Classic & Modern Drinks by Ravi DeRossi, Jane Danger & Alla Lapushchik; photography by Gabi Porter

A spirited collection of 100 recipes that celebrate Cuba's rich history and culture, featuring timeless classics, such as the Cuba Libre, El Floridita Daiquiri, and Mojito, new takes on familiar favorites, such as the Isla Tea, Por Avion, and Rum Old Fashioned and modern craft concoctions, including the Havana Harbor Special, Imperial Fizz, and One Hundred Fires. Brimming with beautiful, evocative images, features shed light on the country's cocktail history, its legendary bars, and the famous cantineros who ran them, while notes, tips, and tricks make it easy to create a tantalizing taste of the once-forbidden Caribbean island.

Don't forget to "return" your e-books when you're done—the sooner you return them, the sooner someone else can use them.

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Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.