Cruisin' for a Cruzan
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A steady supply of yachties, sailors and cruise shippers continually drop anchor on St. Thomas in search of duty-free bounty and the obligatory colada. Yet despite the numbers jumping the gunwales, bustling Charlotte Amalie had in recent years been curiously short of true waterfront hangs.
Then Yacht Haven Grande opened in 2007; 80,000 square feet of luxury retail shops - st
uff your souvenirs into a Gucci or Louis Vuitton tote - now share a prime harborfront address right next door to the cruise terminal. Within the fancy new digs was born just what the port town was craving: a bar at the water's edge.
The typical Friday scene at the Fat Turtle grooves late into the night as a thickening crowd spills out of its stone arches onto the patio, past DJs and dancers and beyond to the grass. It's a mix of yacht crew on leave, their floating homes docked just feet away, and expats and locals who turn up every week. Bright lights from the mega-yachts illuminate patches of intense turquoise in otherwise dark waters while the celebration ensues above. Big acts like the Beach Boys and Steel Pulse even rock the venue from time to time.
By day, the Fat Turtle's a low-key watering hole supplying die-hard shoppers with sustenance and a tropical tipple. By night, it's Charlotte Amalie's best bet for sinking a cold one over a tranquil marina view.
Fat TurtleYacht Haven Grande, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas - USVI340-775-8328; fat-turtle.comLunch served from 11 a.m.; drinks poured until 2 a.m.
MIX IT UPTortuga Gorda☐ 1 ounce Cruzan 151 rum☐ 1 ounce pineapple rum☐ 1 ounce blue Curaçao☐ 1 ounce melon liqueur☐ 1 ounce each of pineapple juice and orange juice☐ 1 ounce SpriteMix in a big glass with ice. Stir, then garnish with an orange and a cherry. Click Here to Check Out More Delicious Island Cocktail Recipes in Our Featured Drink Collection...Learn more about St. Thomas...
