Travellers Liquors is a Belizean distillery that has been producing libations since 1953. It chose its name in honor of all of the people it served who traveled back and forth from the former capital of Belize City.
A Brief History of the Company
- The company’s facilities underwent a major upgrade in 1992, changing over from fermentation-accelerating acids to high-test molasses and a double-distilled approach.
- In 1995, Travellers was cleared to offer Vodka and shipped an initial order of 1,600 gallons of “Cane Juice Vodka” to the United States.
- In 1996, Travellers won two awards at the Annual Rum Tasting contest. More notably, it was the only company in a field of 131 different companies to win more than one major category.
- In 2005, the first shipment of “One Barrel Rum,” an order of 75 cases, is sent to the state of Arizona. Since then, Travellers’ One Barrel Rum is distributed in over 20 American states and their Cane Juice Vodka is available in 39 of them.
Products
Travellers Liquors specializes in dark rums like the following varieties.
- “1981” is a cask-strength dark rum made to celebrate Belize’s independence.
- Vintage rum, proudly displaying company founder Don Omario on every bottle and made in honor of the tenth year of his death.
- One Barrel Rums that have been aged for one, three, five or eight years (known as the “tiburon,” meaning “shark”).
- “Tiburon” white rum, also known as “white tip,” is an over-proofed (92 proof) drink that works wonderfully with any cocktail that calls for rum.
- “Cristal Lite” rum is the company’s premier white rum and they encourage pairing it with citrus juice to create a “Cristal Cooler.”
- “Kuknat” is a rum made from Belizean-sourced coconut instead of sugar cane.
- Belizean gold rum. Gold rum, also known as “amber rum,” is rum that is aged for less time than dark rum requires to perfect. It tends to be an excellent mixer with Pina Coladas, Mojitos and even the Cuba Libre.
- “Fiesta” spiced rum.
- White rum. White rum is made into a clear liquid by filtering out the color generated during the process of fermenting the sugar cane into liquor. This particular variety goes incredibly well with pineapple juice and just about any sort of cocktail you can imagine.
Beyond their rums, Travellers also sells several varieties of vodka, liqueurs and wines like the following:
- Tropical Brandy. Travellers offers a brandy made from grapes that are local to Belize.
- “3-Star Brandy” is a variety of brandy that is given aged to smooth out the flavor and strengthen its character.
- Lerskaa vodka. This drink works best when paired with coconut water or the juice of an orange or grapefruit.
- Travellers has made two varieties of wine: blackberry and cashew.
- “Baron Gin” this double-rectified spirit is infused and blended with French gin.
- “Nanche” is a blend of rum and Craboo grapes.
- “Rompope” is a traditional Belizean take on yuletide eggnog and features Mrs. Perla Perdomo’s face on every bottle.
- “Craboo Cream” is a blend of Nanche and Rompope that can be enjoyed in many ways.
- “Gifiti” is a sweet take on medicinal Mayan bitters and is considered an aphrodisiac.
Accolades
- 2006. One Barrel Rum earned Travellers the Gold Medal for dark rum in the first year of the International Cane Spirits Competition.
- 2007. Travellers takes home the Best of Category for gold rum in the second International Cane Spirits Competition.
- 2015. One Barrel Rum earned the distillery a second Gold Medal but unlike the one they received in 2006, this one was given out during the 72nd annual Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America Convention & Exposition.
Heritage Rum Museum
Located in Belize City, the company has a museum to highlight moments in its history, its founder and allows its visitors to partake of various samples. Notable offerings include advice on improving cocktails and allowing guests to try and buy vintage rum.
If you are in the mood for a truly authentic brand that has also earned quite a bit of acclaim, consider giving Belize’s Travellers Liquors a try. They have more than enough products and know-how to satisfy almost any alcoholic craving you might have and never forget their origins.
All images courtesy Travellers Liquors.
