MACO 1
C A R I B B E A N L I V I N G
MACO
US $7.95
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live20 room in the sky Jamaican cottage inspires bohemian lifestyle
WRITER AlExAndRA EdWARds
PHOTOGRAPHER COOkIE kInkEAd
30 where golf and polo meet Apes Hill is new Bajan luxury community
WRITER COuRTEsy APEs HIll
PHOTOGRAPHy COuRTEsy APEs HIll
THE COvER
The mezzanine bar with black
and white diamond floor and
mural of Cuban mountains at
the luxurious Hotel saratoga in
Havana.
PHOTOGRAPHER
JORGE v. GAvIlOndO
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2features
2036 30 50
36 havana’s heavenly hotels Historic palaces exude glamour
WRITER JulIET BARClAy
PHOTOGRAPHER JORGE v. GAvIlOndO
50 inner peace Bajan house gets extreme makeover
WRITER sARAH vEnABlE
PHOTOGRAPHER BOB kIss
eat76 strong like a lion Coconut water goes high-end
WRITER nIkOlA lAsHlEy
PHOTOGRAPHERs CHAnTEllE WIlsOn
84 going raw Can you live well on green juice?
WRITER Judy BAsTyRA
PHOTOGRAPHERs CATHERInE BEssIn,
RICHARd HAuGHTOn
features
6858 76 84
create58 between worlds Trinidad clay artist turns to sculpture
WRITER sHAROn MIllAR
PHOTOGRAPHER JAMEs O’COnnOR
play68 yielding to the yucatan Couple finds renewal at Mexican hacienda
WRITER JulIE GuAGlARdI
PHOTOGRAPHER JulIE GuAGlARdI
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strong like a lionTHIs ORIGInAl HEAlTH dRInk HAs AlMOsT MyTHICAl PROPERTIEs
And WHETHER yOu TAkE IT sTRAIGHT uP OR MIx WITH sPIRITs, yOu WIll GO nuTs fOR IT
WRITER nIkOlA lAsHlEy PHOTOGRAPHy CHAnTEllE WIlsOn
WHEn PsEudO-CAlyPsOnIAn HARRy BElAfOnTE BElTEd OuT THE 1950’s sOnG “COCOnuT WOMAn,’’
HE IMMORTAlIzEd THE vERsATIlITy Of COCOnuTs And HERAldEd THE fIRsT MARkETInG CAMPAIGn
fOR A nATuRAl EnERGy dRInk THAT Is nOT Only GOOd fOR yOuR dAuGHTER BuT MAkEs yOu
sTROnG lIkE A lIOn. Who can argue with such a rousing sales pitch?
What was once considered a quaint tropical indulgence consumed whilst lazing on a
Caribbean beach is undergoing a revival. In a tale of rags to riches, the global soft-drinks
industry is clamouring to capitalise on the health benefits of this humble, provincial beverage.
vita Coco, endorsed by Madonna and demi Moore no less, is a new york-based drinks
company attempting to reinvent coconut water. In its 2010 advertising campaign, vita Coco
introduces a coconut character named Cocohead, who poses with sunglasses and protruding
straw, and with the wink of an eye he delivers the vita Coco slogan, “How ‘bout you and me
roll down the aisle together?’’
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Challenger brands from Pepsi and Coca Cola
have arrived on the market to romance the health
conscious among us, promoting, the “health
experience’’ of coconut water, creating a market
estimated to be worth us$60 million dollars per
year, according to Bevnet.com, an online review
publication about the non-alcoholic beverages
industry.
The rejuvenating properties of the new lucrative
liquidity already have a long history and need no
further celebrity endorsement. The water was
famed centuries ago by Ayurvedic practitioners
who revered the coconut palm as a divine plant
renowned for its healing qualities.
The slightly dense organic liquid with its high
mineral content and unique earthy taste is loaded
with nutritional value, more so than any other
naturally produced liquid on the planet.
nature’s role in the creation of coconuts is an
intricate and synchronous cycle; the buds take 11
months to grow as rain permeates three layers,
collecting mineral deposits as it seeps into the
cavity. As the nut grows, it locks in the mineral rich
water, protecting it from adverse effects, keeping
it fresh, airtight and sterile.
set apart from its sugar-laden sports drink
rivals, one glass of coconut water is low in fat
and calories and contains antioxidants, vitamins
and the isotonic minerals, electrolytes as well as
potassium—just two of the main minerals found
in modern anti-aging skin products.
during World War II coconut water was used
as a replacement for blood plasma and is still
widely used intravenously throughout Central
Africa, south India and Indonesia. But like most
acquired tastes, when sampled for the first time,
pure coconut water has a distinctive flavour. you
either love it or you hate it. There is no sitting on
the fence where this drink is concerned. It really is
an unusual taste which needs to be tried several
times before it can be truly appreciated.
However, it has its fans amongst discerning rum
drinkers, coconut water being the mixer of choice;
its translucent image and unpretentious taste does
not compete for your attention when combined
with quality rum, yet its taste subtly skims the
surface. A twist of lime or a touch of fresh ginger
in a tall glass of chilled coconut water is clean,
refreshing and quietly sophisticated on the palate.
Water from the popular green nut produced by
the Tall Green Malayan Palm is harvested and sold
throughout the Caribbean and varieties range
from the Malayan yellow or red dwarf nut, locally
known in Trinidad and Tobago as the Chinese. The
distinction lies in age, colour and tree category.
The characteristic taste depends on the texture
and soil composition of where the palm is grown.
MACHETE-WIEldInG MEn MAkE l IGHT WORk Of HACkInG Off
THE TOPs Of THE nuTs WHIlE sEndInG sPuRTs Of COCOnuT JuICE
flyInG InTO THE AIR. TO snACk On THE COCOnuT JElly
(sOfT, WHITE, sl IPPERy) Is A WHOlly PERsOnAl CHOICE,
BuT CERTAInly WORTH TRyInG AT lEAsT OnCE
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A young yellow coconut from Trinidad’s rural east coast tends
to be the sweetest, while a coconut from the Tucker valley
Estate in Chaguaramas has a sweet yet mild salty taste.
little effort is needed to find fresh coconut water in the
Caribbean. If you’re in downtown Trinidad and Tobago on
Independence square along the Brian lara Promenade, any
time from dusk until…coconut sellers are plentiful, and in
particular around the Queen’s Park savannah where joggers,
strollers and lovers stop and sip. And in beautiful Tobago,
head down to scarborough Market, open Monday to friday
from 7 a.m.
If you want to drink your coconut water in optimum
conditions, it’s best done standing at the side of the road
where you can soak up the drama and skill that’s required
to open a fresh coconut, albeit at a safe distance. Machete-
wielding men make light work of hacking off the tops of the
nuts while sending spurts of coconut juice flying into the air.
To snack on the coconut jelly (soft, white, slippery) is a wholly
personal choice, but certainly worth trying at least once.
It has become the norm to use a straw to sip the water from
the nut. no one will laugh, although you may be considered
an amateur since it is still the mark of a true aficionado to clasp
the nut in both hands, bend slightly forward, tilt your head
back and drink every drop without staining your clothes. M
COCOnuT WATER And GInGER
CAIPIROskA
1 ½ ounces White Oak rum
4 eighths lime
1 ounce coconut water
1 piece of ginger, peeled, the size of a fingernail
1 ounce agave nectar or aloe vera nectar
(can also use simple syrup)
2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
1 In an old-fashioned glass, muddle the coconut
water together with the ginger.
2 Add the limes, rum, syrup and muddle again.
3 Top off with ice, then stir gently.
Garnish: coconut jelly (coconut fat)
suMMER IslAnd BREEzE
2 ounces White Oak rum
1 part coconut water
1 part pineapple juice
dash Angostura aromatic bitters
Build all ingredients in a tall glass over ice.
Garnish: pineapple wedge
CHAIRMAn’s CuP
2 ounces Angostura 1919
3 ounces coconut water
1 part pineapple juice
dash Angostura aromatic bitters
Build all ingredients over ice in old-fashioned
glass.
ClAssICO dE COCO
Coconut water (cold)
2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
1 In a hurricane glass, add 1 cube of ice.
2 Top off with coconut water.
3 Add Angostura aromatic bitters.
All cocktails by Raymond Edwards,
mixologist at Angostura
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