Fellow drink-lovers, unite! Time to quench your thirst in another segment of our island-wide hunt for St. Maarten’s best drink!
The Friendly Island is sometimes also referred to as the “Little Miami of the Caribbean”, so it is high time to put those names to the test to discover where we can get both a friendly chat and a good drink. We took the crucial task upon ourselves to go out and about and sample the island’s specialty sips and then to report our findings back to all you thirsty people. The best part? While we’re at it, we get to ask the island’s talented bartenders, baristas, and smoothie specialists for their secret recipes so that you can try your hand at these special sips at home!
This week, our search for the island’s hottest drinks takes us Bold Buddha in Philipsburg. As promised in our last article about the beautiful restaurant, we had to come back to try their delicious drinks. We arrive there around 1:30pm to find that Bold Buddha is a welcome escape from the September heat. There is no ship in town, so the tables are occupied by locals enjoying tapas and cocktails for a lunch overlooking the turquoise waters of Great Bay beach.
Here, we meet with talented bartender Anthony Philis to discuss his bartending journey and Bold Buddha’s craft cocktails and mocktails. Anthony tells us he started experimenting with drinks after Irma. “I basically taught myself at home – I just googled the 20 most popular cocktails and started experimenting with different spirits, measurements and ingredients.”
According to Anthony, he makes his customers most happy with his customised drinks. To create their very own personalised signature sip for them when time allows, he loves to ask his customers what kind of drinks they like. “It’s like putting their personalities in a cup,” he says.
But no need to worry, if it is too busy in the restaurant for Anthony to make everyone a personalized drink, customers still have plenty to choose from. Besides 24 classics, Bold Buddha’s menu offers nine unique craft cocktails and seven special mocktails.
Of course, we had to put Anthony’s talent for creating cocktails on the spot to the test. When he asked us what our favourite drinks were; it was an easy question for the Out ’n About ladies. The pornstar martini and spicy margarita!
Anthony started grabbing bottles and ingredients. The end result was a tequila-vodka-based cocktail with passion fruit, strawberry and jalapeno. And as expected, we love the now-called Sizzling Passion’s perfect combination of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavours.
The second drink is one Anthony was willing to share with our readers. The refreshing Zen Tsunami is a perfect drink for a hot September day. Its fruity and fresh taste and sunny blue and yellow colours work perfectly for a beach or pool day.
Last, but certainly not least, is Bold Buddha’s famous Dragon Breath shot. Our verdict? It is no wonder this shot is so popular, with its surprising combination of sweet and spicy. Unfortunately, this is a top-secret recipe, but that is the perfect excuse to head to Bold Buddha to experience it yourself. Don’t forget to tell them we sent you!
Zen Tsunami
- 2 oz. orange juice
- 2 oz. mango juice
- 2 oz. mandarin vodka
- 2 oz. white rum
- 2 oz. Blue Curacao
- Ice
- Garnish: lime, orange and/or mixed berries
Combine all ingredients into a blender with ice and blend it, baby. Pour Blue Curacao into a glass and swirl it around to give the glass a blue colour. Pour mixture into glass, garnish with mixed berries and/or lime and orange wedges and ENJOY.
