Pere Labat 59° Rhum Agricole

The Caribbean has captivated me since childhood. The islands seemed incredibly far away, yet not so inaccessible. As far as my travels have taken me in this part of the world, I've not been disappointed yet. If you haven't been to the Caribbean, you can transport yourself to the small island of Marie-Galante off the coast of Guadalupe simply by smelling this agricole made from fresh pressed cane. The clean, saline, grassy purity is outstanding. 20% of the island is devoted to growing sugar cane and four different hand-cut varieties are used to distill this remarkable spirit. Rhum agricole has been produced here since 1916 and is made in a Creole column still—one of the region's oldest. Make a daiquiri with this, but call it a teleporter; it will take you to a faraway locale immediately.