Quench the heat and humidity of the Caribbean Islands

Feel the tropical heat and humidity. Listen to the sounds of steel drums and the beep-beep of aggressive taxi's jockeying for position curb-side. Feel the trickle of sweat between your shoulder blades. Caribbean beers are as much a part of the islands as beaches, bikinis and, of course, swim-up bars.

Antigua's Wadadli

Ms. GoGirlfriend and I explored 14 luscious, sweltering, hot Caribbean islands, loving the sights, sounds and feelings of each. Along the way we tasted many beers native to the islands themselves in the pure hedonistic pleasure of an island beer - liberally mixed with sun, sand and heat. Here's a sampling of the major beer labels of the Caribbean we experienced as we cruised the southern Caribbean seas:

Island Tastes

• Aruba - Balashi Beer, a smooth, clear, golden pilsner with a soft bitternesd..
• Antigua - Wadadli, crisp, spicy-sweet, refreshing golden lager.
• Barbados - Banks Beer, delicious barley and hops, brown and naturally limestone-filtered Pilsner beer.
• Bonaire - Polar Beer, light-body Venezuelan pilsner in a baby-size bottle with a slight hint of sweetness.
• St. Lucia - Piton Beer, a crisp, refreshing pilsner with a slight flowery, hoppy essence.
• Dominican Republic - Presidente, crisp ,refreshing and golden with robust, clean flavor
• Puerto Rico - Medalla, very light tasting lager with dark finish and a sweeter side.

Cruising mix

Piton Beer - St. Lucia

• Dos Equis, Mexican Cerveza, light amber, clean, carbonated refresher with a hint of hoppiness.
• Corona, distinctively refreshing Mexican Cerveza, yellow, best with a twist of lime.
• Carib, pale amber lager from Trinidad, with slightly stronger overtones that work to quench your thirst.
• Red Stripe, Jamaican lager with sweet malty overtones, light golden in distinctive stubby bottle.

Personally, my favorites were the Banks Beer of Barbados and Presidente of Dominican Republic fame. Unfortunately, back home these beers lack the hot, sweaty, humid, bikini-wearing days of summer to truly be enjoyed as they are in the Caribbean.

They just don't taste and evoke the same emotions in the winter weather back home. Oh well, guess we'll just have to go back to the Caribbean again soon.

Which of these was your favorite beer on your southern travels? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or drop us a line to let us know.