Belize

Not the most famous drinks-producing nation in the world, but a growing force in rum. Located south of the Yucatan peninsula on Central America’s Caribbean Coast, Belize has an alcohol culture going back thousands of years to early Maya civilisations, when a fermented honey and tree bark beverage called balché was consumed during ceremonies. “Wines” made from local ingredients such as cashews are still made today. Rum was a relative latecomer. As sugarcane was planted in the British colony in the 19th century, rum was obviously a byproduct, but it was in the 1950s when the first large-scale distilleries, those such as Travellers, began operating. Production is largely column still rum, but with a surprisingly big fruity character.​

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