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Visit Bajo el Sol Gallery, Art Bar & Rum Room St. John, USVI

Good Spirits, Fine Art, and Rum Stories

By Jim DeLilloPublished about a year ago 3 min read
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Bajo El Sol Gallery & Art Bar is a hybrid art gallery, bookstore, café, rum & cocktail bar.

(c) Jim DeLillo

Never mind the little bottles on the airplane. If you want to take a flight, try Bajo El Sol Gallery & Art Bar, a hybrid art gallery, bookstore, café, and rum & cocktail bar. Nestled among the shops at Mongoose Junction is a refined getaway that will give you a taste of rum — the Rum Room on St. John, USVI, where you can try sips to your heart’s content. Offering the largest selection of aged rums in Cruz Bay, it is tucked into the corner of an art gallery.

St. John USVI (C) Jim DeLillo

I happened upon the store on a recent visit to St. John as we walked down from the ferry dock. A few minutes later, we were browsing the souvenirs among the cobbled steps at Mongoose Junction. This is a small three-story mall. It was a welcome relief from the boutiques to find this interactive spirits bar.

Good Spirits

Goblets of rum at Bajo El Sol Gallery & Art Bar. A flight of three rums © Jim DeLillo

The menu of rums is daunting. The bar features over 150 rums for the asking.

Curator Priscilla Hintz Rivera has put together a collection of rum flights to make selections easier. After reviewing the colorful descriptions, I chose “Guardians of Rum.”

Guardians of Rum (c) Jim DeLillo

The Guardians of Rum is a movement committed to preserving a place in today’s rum world for pure rum and traditional methods, as well as promoting pure rum over doctored rum (added wine and flavorings).

Rum Stories

After pouring the flight, delivered in deep goblets, Ms. Rivera proceeded to describe each rum and the history and importance of the Guardians. Before taking the initial sip of each, she would highlight the bouquet and flavor notes that I should discover.

Not only was this a pleasant imbibing, but it filled my imagination with pirates, sugar cane plantations, windmills, and oak barrels, merging all the ingredients needed to distill a nuanced, historically accurate rum.

The Rum Room features a complete bar offering signature rums and cocktails. © Jim DeLillo

Instead of the usual island calypso music blaring from the speakers, a mix of light jazz filled the room. I was able to sit and sip, lost in island time.

Something to eat

The Bajo El Sol Gallery & Art Bar Rum Room features a complete bar offering their signature rums and cocktails.

You’ll also find Puerto Rican espresso coffee, chocolates, wine, craft cocktails, light savory bites, and locally made pastries at the Art Bar. This provided just the antidote for the “swirlies” after three pours.

The Art

It’s easy to forget that this location also offers a fine selection of art in all media so be sure to admire the pottery, sculptures, and paintings before leaving. The gallery features a variety of local artists in many media and styles.

Visiting the Rum Room was the perfect way to begin our exploration of St. John. It is an experience I would highly recommend if your travels take you to this beautiful U.S. Virgin Island.

Local artists featured at Bajo El Sol include Avelino Samuel, Shansi Miller, Aimee Trayser, Luca Gasperi, Deborah St. Clair, Steve Simonsen, Kaye Thomas Eichner, Janet Cook- Rutnik, Jon Euwema, Karen Samuel, Doreen Walsh, Jessica Rosenberg, Lisa Etre, Kimberly Nogueira, Larry Lipsky, and others.

Curator Priscilla Hintz Rivera and writer David Knight Jr. took the helm of the established gallery in 2016. Hintz Rivera and Knight both grew up in the Virgin Islands and the Caribbean region, and they love engaging visitors about Caribbean history and the dynamics of the current society on St. John. They hope to make every visitor’s experience of St. John not only enjoyable but rich in ways that deepen understanding and appreciation of this amazing, complex Caribbean island. Established in 1993, Bajo El Sol is a five-minute walk from the Cruz Bay Ferry Dock.

Previously published for FWT Magazine and the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association on January 27, 2022

Prints of Jim DeLillo's photographs are available at:

http://jim-delillo.artistwebsites.com/

Be sure to read Jim Delillo's other featured stories on Vocal

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About the Creator

Jim DeLillo

Jim DeLillo writes about tech, science, and travel. He is also an adventure photographer specializing in transporting imagery and descriptive narrative.

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