Hey Hey, it’s time for Vacay! Belize welcomes you! We hope our visitors enjoy their adventures here and partake in the world-class fishing and diving, marvel at the immense natural beauty and fascinating archeological sites, indulge in intriguing flavors and cultural cuisine of the region, and get LOOSE if they like. A bit of rum-soaked revelry is all par for the course on a Caribbean holiday. Here are my tips for how best to imbibe in Belize.
Duty Free at Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport
You’ll likely arrive by air to Belize and go through our one international airport in Ladyville, just outside Belize City. Whether you continue on from there by land transfer, a connecting flight on either of the teeny domestic carriers, or go for a water ferry, you can (and should!) hit up the Duty Free shops at baggage claim.
Once you clear Immigration, you grab your bags and go through Customs but before you do– you can shop! I always pick Premier as they seem to have a bigger selection of the flavored vodkas I like but the stock is always changing so take a browse for what tickles your fancy.
What to Buy
If you are particular about your brand of spirits, buy it at Duty Free. A 1L bottle of Absolut Pear vodka is $18usd in the airport but $54.55usd at the grocery stores in country. So if you know you’re going to want a whiskey or a bottle of wine or certain liquor during vacation, it is a real money-saver to grab it upon arrival instead of when you get to your vacation destination.
Don’t waste your space or money on Belizean booze at Duty Free, buy those things in regular shops in the country. Local rum and fruit wines are widely available and cheap IN country but will have a higher price tag in the DF shops. That said, I personally wouldn’t waste my time buying imported rum in DF either because I like the local rum in Belize so much better. If you’re a high-end rum drinker I would recommend sampling our finer offerings such as Tiburon or, my favorite, Copalli instead of an imported Flor de Cana or Mount Gay. And absolutely, under NO circumstances, do I recommend you buy Malibu Coconut Rum at Duty Free (or ever! how revolting), you should buy and try Belize’s coconut rums when you get in the country. They are far superior to Malibu’s syrupy swill, seriously! I especially like Travellers’ Kuknut; I could drink it straight up just over a bit of ice, our coconut rums are so much nicer and clean-tasting than what you’re used it.
How Much to Get
Don’t go overboard. I see this happen all the time; people get excited about the low prices at Duty Free and they go wild, buying their 4 1/2 liter limit for a one-week vacation. They’re almost always left with loads of liquor at the end of their trip because they enjoyed the concoctions at the beach bars too much, they didn’t make drinks at their accommodations like they planned to but went out mostly instead.
As a little hotelier, I won’t be mad if a guest has to abandon a bunch of unfinished booze when they check out. My friends and I will make sure they don’t go to waste at the next birthday party or BBQ, but for you to sidestep buyers remorse try to show some restraint when planning your purchases. (or don’t, if you’re staying at Driftwood Gardens hehe)
When You Go Out
Belize does have a national ordinance against drinking in public but it is rarely, if ever, enforced. It is a commonplace practice to mix your own drink in your Yeti before heading out to the beach or the bar. It’s both a budget, and environmentally friendly practice. Bars and restaurants are happy to sell you a refill in your own cup; it reduces plastic waste and gives you greater mobility for bar hopping.
Specify you want the local spirits when you order your beverages out at a bar. Say you’re ordering a vodka and soda, the bartender might ask you what type of vodka. You’ll say a brand that you’re familiar with- a Tito’s or Absolut- and inadvertently make your simple request a top-shelf pour. A vodka soda can either cost $5bz if made with the local vodka, Hyper, or $15bz if you have it with an import.
Here you have it! My hottest tips on Duty Free boozing baby! Cheers to saving money ::clink clink::
Meg, You forgot to mention that when you are checking out at Premiere, and only Premiere, and before they ring you up, if you say TACOGIRL, they give you 15% off! It sounds nuts and when I tell the person behind me in line, they look at me like I’m nuts and kind of don’t believe me (til I do it). Every little bit helps! But it really works. Save it for your friends or I guess the world knows now!
That is a tried and true coupon code! Totally! I was really thinking it’s about darn time RealLifeRecess becomes a discount code don’t you think? Premier, make it happen!