Brian and Suzanne Visit: Part 3

On Sunday we drove to Catano to tour Casa Bacardi.  We purchased the premium tickets so we would get a tour of the facility, and a mixology class for the ladies and a rum tasting for the boys. The experience started here where we got a drink and enjoyed the setting for a few minutes.  Suzanne and KC got a drink with cherry rum, and KC knew she had to buy a bottle since it was sweet!  

Then, we hopped on a tram for a tour of the facility.

Next, we were given a tour of a few buildings.  We learned about the history of sugar cane in the Caribbean, the Bacardi family, and the Bacardi distillery.  Also, we were shown the process of how their rum is made.

Part of the tour included a "bar tender" showing us how to make Mojitos and Cuba Libre.  He also talked a little more about the different types of rum Bacardi makes.  The room was a replica of a prestigious club in Cuba.

This plant makes 100,000 gallons of rum a day!

Once the factory tour was over, the boys had a rum tasting.  They were able to try four different kinds of rum.  Their favorite was the Bacardi Eight.  

The girls went to a mixology class.  Suzanne was a pro, and handled all the drinks with ease.  KC on the other hand- well, let's just say it was her first mixology class.  She had to put a lot of sugar in her drinks to drink them!

Before

During

After

Notice: not much ice in KC's drinks

The Pro

The end of the tour was the gift shop.  We purchased some cherry and dragon berry rum, and a bottle of the Bacardi Eight.  Then, we got a free muddler and a glass!   

Next, we drove to Old San Juan to go sightseeing.  But, it was SO busy and there weren't parking spots anywhere!  The Circle Festival was there, and parts of the roads were shut down.  Also, we experienced our first protest, which was for animal rights.  So, we had to skip Old San Juan and drive on...  The girls settled for some Cold Stone ice cream to smooth that over.  

We ate dinner at Salitre in Arecibo.  Jake had been to this restaurant before.  The "island time" phrase was used a lot as it took an hour for our dinner to arrive.  It was rainy, but we sat outside and enjoyed watching the big waves as they rolled in. 

A documented hug for the Honeywell crew! ;) 

We had a great time with Brian and Suzanne!  We had many laughs and great conversations.  They were able to experience some of the Puerto Rico inconveniences of "island life", and no one contracted "chicken marsala" so we call their visit a win!