Alexander Britell

It’s a secret recipe. Sure, I can guess. Some form of batter and salted cod. Deep fried until they’ve reached that nexus.

This week was National Piña Colada day. And while I don’t usually wade into these arbitrary calendrical celebrations, it did remind me of a longtime dispute in Puerto Rico: namely, the birthplace of the Piña Colada.

I’ve been coming to Grand Cayman for two decades, and Seven Mile Beach always surprises. Just how warm the water is. How clear it is. How perfect it is.

Saint Lucia is most famous for its Pitons, for its chocolate, for its romance, and for its stunning natural beauty. When ti comes to beaches, though, one stands above the rest:

With rum in the future, I figure it’s better to start higher up in the hills of Old San Juan.

There are only so many variables in the function of a spirit. For a molasses rum, it’s things like the yeast, the fermentation and, of course, the barrel — both different char profiles and cask finishes. For an agricole, it’s terroir or cane varietal and then, of course, the barrel.

There’s one thing travelers prize more than anything right now: authenticity.

The view from the water at Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman.

Spice Mill has a regular cocktail-making class you can take right on the beach.

The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands has one of the Caribbean’s best luxury resort settings, and an Aug. 29 rate check found late-summer prices around $644 per night.