The History of Rum Shops in Barbados

“ There are two things you’ll find in every village in Barbados and that’s a church and a rum shop. Both have a lot of spirit.”

Surely if you hear someone say this, most-likely it will be followed by a hearty and infectious belly laugh that can be easily associated with many Bajans! More than likely, you won’t be able to help but laugh along because it’s true. Everywhere you may visit on your trip to Barbados, be advised, it may seem that close to every church there may be a couple of brightly coloured rum shops!

It’s not surprising that the people of Barbados love their rum as their country is home to the oldest, and arguably the best, brand of rum in the world.

Rum is one of the oldest spirits in the world and Barbadians claim it was born in Barbados in the first half of the 17th century.

Barbados Rum Shops are woven into Barbadian history and culture, going back 300 years or more. Rum shops have always been an integral part of Bajan life, whether in rural Barbados or in the towns.

They were the center of attraction in any village,as most of them were also the grocery shop, with a little partitioned off bar , for those who groceries were of the strong liquid kind.

Rum shops were also the center of entertainment, when the Wurlitzers Juke Boxes made their debut on the island.

Rum was perfected in Barbados; the process of cold pressing and distilling rum from cane juice was a Barbadian innovation. There are more than 1500 rum shops all over the island, at least one in every village.

Soon after the island was settled in 1627, the rum trade flourished and it’s said there was one rum shop for every 20 inhabitants of the island.

The rum shop was and still is a traditional gathering place for people of all backgrounds, nationalities and classes to socialise and discuss just about everything. The more rum gets drunk, the more heated the discussions can become! You can bet that there’s many a lively discussion about cricket and politics!

Barbados Rum Shops are usually small in size and traditionally attached to the owners house, made in the original chattel house style. However this has changed somewhat over the years.

They are always brightly decorated, advertising products, for example types of beer, liquor or other products.

As well as enough rum to choke a donkey with a strong constitution, you can purchase beers, spirits and soft drinks. Snacks are often available and some have local specialities like fish cakes made from salted cod fish, or pudding and souse; a traditional Bajan dish, hot and spicy, using every part of the pig.

Food and drink in a traditional rum shop will be much cheaper than you’ll find elsewhere.

Usually the rum is bought by the bottle with a large container of ice on the side. Don’t go there expecting quiet reflection though! Barbados rum shops are usually noisy, the language can be expletive and loud; points being made by definition of the volume not necessarily validity of argument! However, the topics debated tend to be intelligent and informative.

Assuming you can understand the dialect, you can learn a great deal about Barbados by eavesdropping on the conversations. You can expect to find very competitive games of dominoes and cards, serious karaoke, tasty snacks and an inexhaustible supply of rum and gossip!