Vol. 11, No. 4 | Right Place, Wrong Season
Holy Sip on the Rio Grande, banana daiquiris, and choosing the right Jamaica for a wedding
Hi Ya’ll!
I’m back from ten incredible days in Jamaica. I have a lot to say, so I’m just going to jump right in:
Holy Sip Jamaica - As I mentioned a few months ago, I didn’t do a dinner this year. Instead, we spent an afternoon drifting down the Rio Grande to old school reggae and a lunch stop at Belinda’s. It’s exactly what I imagined it could be. This is an activity that I’ve meant to do for over a decade and after doing it I can say it’s one of the most amazing experiences of my life, which is saying a lot.
Banana daiquiris - It wouldn’t be Holy Sip without a beverage. For the occasion, I made a banana daiquiri kinda thing (not frozen) because the rafts were originally used to transport bananas and other produce throughout the country before being used for leisurely trips. (I was going to list the name of the guy that started this, but I went down a Wikipedia rabbit hole and realized how skeevy he was, and I just can’t do it.) The only challenge to the cocktail is that I wanted to create a banana syrup from the peels, but post-hurricane bananas and plantains are scarce. A liqueur made it possible.
Ice - I ran into a supermarket in Jamaica to get some ice for the cooler to take down the river. I asked the most helpful guy for ice, and he asked me if I wanted it from the refrigerator. Perplexed, I replied with a high-pitched, “I guess”. (Clearly, no one wants ice from the refrigerator.) He took me to the refrigerator and handed me a Smirnoff Ice! Sir, no! Welp, turns out they did not have ice cubes, but Smirnoff Ice was aplenty. And yes, that does make sense that it’s in the refrigerator and not the freezer.
My Big Jamaican Wedding - The first few days before heading over to Port Antonio for Holy Sip, we toured the island trying to find a wedding venue. Before we went to Jamaica, I’d planned out the whole wedding and was convinced that Treasure Beach was where we’d have it. However, we went to Treasure Beach, and after running through the logistics of having 120-140 people there, I realized very quickly that I was totally wrong. I love Treasure Beach and think it’s amazing, but it’s a quirky bohemian sort of place, and it just didn’t seem fair to bring over 100 people to a place that they probably wouldn’t choose on their own. Some places are great for some things but not for others. Similarly, I ruled out Port Antonio for the same reason. It’s my absolute favorite part of the island (and it now has new, glorious roads!) and one of my favorite places in the world, but it can’t contain that many people well. Anything over 50 would make me uncomfortable about everyone having a great experience.
Well, after hours and hours of searching, I found the place! It’s everything I was looking for in a part of the island that really surprised me. It has a great food and beverage program, locally sourced ingredients, Jamaican culture at the forefront, easy for people to access, and the views are incredible. It’s a vibe. It’s a place I’d host something anyway. But most importantly, I trust their team. As someone who plans things for a living, I can’t stress enough how important it is to me to have people who will allow me to let go. I honestly didn’t know how important it was to me until I found it. Yes, I should tell you where the place is, but you’ll have to wait a little longer.
I hope you’re all well!
Shannon