I recently took a post-pandemic trip to Aruba and Curacao, two islands located in the very far southwest of the Caribbean, well out of the path of any hurricanes, and just 17 km off the coast of Venezuela.

Usually when I venture to warm climates, wine is not an option, and because beer is not my ‘go to’ drink, I focus on the cocktail menus at the restaurants we visit.

This past trip, we were extremely fortunate to stumble upon a lovely restaurant, Flor de Oriente.  And stumble over it we did – dazed and compressed from 24 hours of travelling, we took a nap and a shower, and returned that evening to enjoy Dutch treats like stamppot, frikandel, and bitterballs – and some incredible drinks made for me by mixologist, Peter.

I left it wisely to ‘bartender’s choice’ each evening – after all, Peter really knows what he’s doing.  He has published a recipe book of drinks called ‘How Can I Make You Happy’.  And I was – very.

I drank the Lemon Drop before I remembered to take a picture, but the dirty Gin Martini with a whole dish of olives was a hit, followed the next night by a Reverse Cosmo (aka Char-Tini).  The Dark & Stormy was delicious, and again, I drank the Old Fashioned made with Diplomatico Rum instead of Bourbon before I realized I’d forgotten to document its deliciousness.

But the pièce de résistance was the Pornstar Martini, complete with its accompanying Prosecco shot.

If luck should find you in Orangestad, Aruba looking for a fabulous meal and even more fabulous cocktails, you need to visit owner Marion and her crew.  With its full five stars on Trip Advisor, it’s a true find on this beautiful Caribbean island.