When I attended the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s annual convention earlier this year, there was one island that people from islands all over the region were buzzing about: Curaçao. If I was taking an informal poll of people who live in and work to promote the Caribbean, this Dutch island would have been the runaway choice for top vacation destination. There’s just something about this totally chillaxed destination that makes everyone fall in love with it.
And one popular spot that is really doing a lot to raise Curaçao’s status is the Pietermaai District, which has become the place to be for locals and travelers alike. This area is packed with up-and-coming boutique restaurants and hotels that are breathing new life into classic Dutch Caribbean charm, and there’s no better example of this than Curaçao’s first gastropub, Caña Bar + Kitchen.
This tapas restaurant boasts a South Beach vibe while serving everything from fresh seafood plates (tuna steak with salsa verde, anyone?) to traditional bar fare like a pulled pork sandwich and papaya-glazed wings. But the bar staff takes it to another level by crafting cocktails that pair each item, and if guests aren’t satisfied? Make your own highball with the house-made grapefruit-basil, blueberry-ginger and passionfruit-cucumber sodas.
So, when we asked them to share a cocktail recipe with us, we knew we’d be in for something incredible, but this signature ¡Oye! Juanjo drink far exceeds our expectations.
Caña Bar + Kitchen in Curaçao ¡Oye! Juanjo
Ingredients:
- 1.75 oz Blanco Tequila (preferably Don Julio Blanco)
- 1.5 oz Fresh Pineapple Juice
- 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 0.67 oz Fresh Ginger Juice
- 0.5 oz Agave Nectar
How to Make It:
- Add all ingredients to a shaker.
- Shake and fine strain in a tumbler with crushed ice.
- Top up with crushed ice and serve.
