A generous dose of sugar helps island sodas stand up to the intense flavors of Caribbean cuisine—and this is especially true in Haiti, where dishes can be umami-rich, salty or intensely spicy. Bennett points to pikliz—a condiment made with cabbage, vinegar, bell peppers and fiery scotch bonnets, a must on any Haitian table—as an example of why Cola Couronne’s potent flavor is necessary. “You definitely want something refreshing when you’re eating that,” he says. Like most rums (other than Rhum Acricole and Cachaca) Jamaican rum is made from molasses left over from the process of crystallizing sugar by boiling the juice. What makes it distinctive, as we talked about with the Kingston Negroni, is using pot rather than column stills. That results in a rum with a distinctive funkiness known as “Hogo”. The word comes from the French term Haut Gout that refers to meat a bit on the gamey side or any other strong yet desirable flavor.

e) "Our", "Us", "We" means us, Refresco Beverages UK Ltd (Company Number 00161079). If You want to write to Us, Our registered office is at Citrus Grove, Side Ley, Kegworth, Derby, DE74 2FJ. Of course, one of the most popular ways to drink Coco Rico is to combine it with white rum and a lime wedge, or to use it in highballs in place of lemon-lime soda or coconut water. Many Caribbean sodas are ultimately added to rum to create a pleasant, easy-drinking mix that combines two of the region’s most beloved items. “Rum is the essential Caribbean spirit, so naturally it always gets combined with sodas because it’s easy and it tastes good,” Bennett says. “In the case of overproof and homemade ‘bush’ rums, sodas are sometimes employed as a chaser.”At rum shops in the Caribbean, sunny afternoons slip into dusky evenings as drinkers talk about the news, personal affairs, island gossip or whatever the day brought into their lives over the soft sounds of reggae and pop, or the hard drum and frenetic-paced soca music. Islanders’ allegiances to their rum shops run deep—almost as deep as allegiances to particular rums—and while the liquor is often served neat or over ice, sometimes it’s topped or mixed with a bubbly soda. The soda used varies depending on the island, but the effect is the same: a simple, fruity, effervescent highball that drinkers can casually sip as the night goes on. By 1893 some 90% of the acreage used for sugar can cultivation belonged to owners that operated their own distilleries. At that time there were about 148 different producers, which shrunk to 25 by 1948. There are currently five, but they produce some mighty fine rum. A truly Jamaican product, the Jamaican word ‘Ting’ means ‘Thing’ in English. Ting is a raw, sweet Jamaican experience, made with 6% real grapefruit juice, traces of grapefruit juice pulp and sweetened with the finest cane sugar. Tart and tangy with an underlying sweetness, grapefruit glimmers with amazing health benefits. Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C, a vitamin that helps to support the immune system.

Our astute readers already know that a drink celebrating virtually anything in Jamaica is going to be rum-based. After all, the British brought over rum production from Barbados. Other than finally abolishing indentured servitude, it was clearly the best thing they did. Ting is a carbonated beverage popular in the Caribbean. It is flavored with Jamaican grapefruit juice (from concentrate) and is both tart and sweet. Ting comes in a green glass bottle, green plastic bottle or a green and yellow can. Like Orangina, the beverage contains a small amount of sediment consisting of grapefruit juice pulp. Ting is produced in the United Kingdom under license by Refresco Beverages. [1] Ting also now makes Pink Ting Soda, Orange Ting, Diet Ting Soda, and ginger beer.Caribbean sodas are their own category of soft drink, different from the big brands available in the states. Often brightly colored and saccharine sweet, and varying from island to island, they offer teetotalers and tipplers alike a refreshing respite from the sun and the heat often found in Caribbean food. With flavors running the gamut from raspberry to coconut to banana to malted molasses, they’re the drink of choice for children heading home from school, as well as rum drinkers looking for something to mix. They’re also a part of each island’s distinct culture, and beloved edible ties to the islands, displayed in grocery stores, rum shops and Caribbean immigrant enclaves around the world. Dive into di Flava of Jamaica. Refreshing till the end, experience the stimulating real Caribbean Grapefruit sweetened with real cane sugar. Jamaica loves Ting and Ting loves Jamaica!