The Eighteen 34 vs The People's Choice

Last week was a celebration for guests at Sandals Resorts, following the announcement of the merging of two iconic brands: Sandals Resorts International and Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum.

The Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum range now exists in all of the 19 Sandals and Beaches properties throughout the Caribbean.

Sandals Resorts International Chief Executive Officer Adam Stewart noted, "I'm delighted that we were able to join forces to offer the best of the Caribbean at our resorts. Whilst Sandals is a global brand, we remain a family business that is passionately committed to our country of Jamaica and the region as a whole and, therefore, it's great to see two local brands linking up to offer a true Caribbean experience."

To celebrate the merger, the team visited the Gleaner offices with two speciality drinks made with us in mind. The Eighteen 34 representing the year The Gleaner was established, and The People's Choice in honour of The Star.

Here is how they measured up by our testing group.

The Eighteen 34 was a sweet drink - not too strong. Wouldn't have to worry about getting drunk while knocking back a couple of those. The People's Choice was also a nice touch. Something to look forward to when you finish the drink.

The People's Choice: Great taste. The fruit juice blends well with the alcohol and I must say the sour taste that I think comes from the orange juice really works. Overall, it is a nice drink.

Both were nice and refreshing, but I prefer The People's Choice; kind of a 'girlie' drink.

The Eighteen 34: Great taste

The Eighteen 34: Very tasty, but I prefer The People's Choice. It has a much smoother taste and is less alcoholic.

The People's Choice is smoother, lighter and also seems a bit watered down. It has a nice flavour and it is definitely a drink that a lot of women will like.

The People's Choice: The taste of the Appleton is much stronger. The flavours are also nice in this one, but more noticeable than the previous drink. I prefer The Eighteen 34 though.

The People's Choice: Love the fruity flavor, feel light-headed already with the amount of alcohol ... so loving it!!!!

The Eighteen 34: A milder flavour than The People's Choice; not much of a fan.

The Eighteen 34: Pretty good. Mild, but refreshing; tastes like rum punch.

The Eighteen 34

Created for the Gleaner

Ingredients

12oz glass

1.5oz Appleton special

0.5oz apricot schnapps

0.5 oz Blue Curasao

2oz pineapple juice

1oz lime juice

splash of simple syrup

Method

Mix all ingredients together and pour over ice in glass

The People's Choice

Specially created for The Star

Ingredients

12oz glass

1.5oz Appleton Genesis

0.5oz creme de banana

0.5oz strawberry syrup

0.5oz peach schnapps

1oz orange juice

1oz pineapple juice

Method

Mix all ingredients together in shaker and pour over ice in glass.