Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar on
Green Turtle Cay
Our favorite bar in
the Out Islands is Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar, on Victoria
Street in New Plymouth (tel. 242/365-4181). This simple bar
is likely to be the scene of the liveliest party in the Out Islands
at any time of day; even normally buttoned-up types find themselves
flirting or dancing before long. You never know what will be going
on here. Until rising waters from the 1999 hurricanes washed some of
them away, most of its walls were covered with the business cards of
past guests and celebrities. Only some now remain, but stop by and
see how many replacements have been plastered up. The Goombay
Smash, the specialty here, has been called "Abaco's answer to
atomic fission." Its recipe includes secret proportions of coconut
rum, "dirty" rum, apricot brandy, and pineapple juice. Miss Emily
(Mrs. Emily Cooper) was a legend in these parts. She's gone now, but
her memory lives on: Her daughter, Violet Smith, knows her secret
recipe for The Goombay Smash, as well as a potent version of a rum
punch. Tips at the bar go to St. Peter's Anglican Church. Food is
now served here, and the bar is open Monday to Saturday from 11am
until late.
