St.Maarten's sweetest export
Legendary liqueur offers potent island tradition
Maura Curley
Guavaberry has long been the legendary liqueur of Saint Maarten, where residents have made it for hundreds of years. References to it can be found in island songs and folklore.
The exotic elixir has a spicy, bitter-sweet flavor with a surprising potency.
It is made from aged rum, cane sugar & wild Sint Maarten guavaberries. The rare berries – not to be confused with guava fruit- are found high in the warm hills in the centre of the island.
Guavaberry liqueur is a traditional drink of the holidays on many Caribbean islands.
But if you visit St.Maarten any time of year, you can sample this liqueur at the Guavaberry Emporium on Front Street in Philipsburg, right, where it is produced. Nearly 25 years ago this local company on the island began producing guavaberry liqueur for commercial consumption, duplicating the traditional process.
The shop, nestled among designer boutiques in this busy duty free port of call, inhabits a Creole townhouse, built on the site of an ancient synagogue.
Shelves are lined with exotic looking bottles in varying shapes, filled with different colored liqueurs, some with fusions of tropical flavors.
The original bottle bears a bright yellow label with a line drawing of the guavaberry man. It is marked Wild Sint Maarten Island folk liqueur.
Visitors love this place, yet many island folks continue to make their own batches to sip and savor.
Around Christmas you'll find village vendor stalls stocked with old rum bottles that have been recycled to hold a private stash of guavaberry liqueur.
Much of it, with varying degrees of potency, is made in private homes, and exchanged among neighbors and friends.
Old time island residents often compare recipes and compete for the best batch.
Photo: Interior Guavaberry Emporium in St. Maarten
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