Just got back from a wonderful and warm family vacation on St. Barts and am in withdrawal. Every time I'm there, I stop at Chez Ginette. It's definitely not a tourist trap, as many places on the island have become, and Ginette is always there surrounded by her dogs. She only speaks French, so come armed with your French/English dictionary or memorize, "Je voudrais quelque bouteilles de rum." She'll take you into a back room that's filled with shelves of home made rum punch. (Technically "punch" but with an alcohol content of 38% - very potent.) There is an overwhelming variety of flavors like hibiscus, myrtilles (wild blueberry), and ginger, but my favorite is the passion fruit. It has the tart and sweet flavor of passion fruit to mellow out the white rum a bit, and the seeds floating in it have a little crunch and a great flavor. The faint of heart might mix it with a little juice or soda, but if you want the real Antilles experience, just pour a little glass with a few ice cubes and crank up the heat.
Also, I think the warning sticker on the back is pretty funny.
When were you last there? Heard a rumor that Chez Ginette burned down some time ago. Did they reopen?
ReplyDeleteHi Sydney! You're right - it did burn down sometime last year, but she rebuilt so it's open now! I was there this past March
ReplyDeleteHi Sybil! Love your blog. Would you happen to know what street it's on?
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! If you're driving up from St. Jean, go past the airport and take a right at the top of the hill (there's a roundabout w/ a statue of a native west indian there now). When the road forks, turn right towards Anse des Cayes and Chez Ginette is directly at the bottom of the road. I hope that helps! The passion fruit is my favorite, but the hibiscus is the prettiest - a beautiful striking red w/ actual flowers floating in it
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