Two popular BVI beach bars — Soggy Dollar Bar and Poor Man’s Bar — have been named among the nominees for USA Today’s 10Best list of the best Caribbean beach bars, while the historic Callwood Rum Distillery has secured a nomination in the best Caribbean Distillery category.
USA Today opened public voting for its 2026 rankings this month, highlighting well-known beach and rum destinations across the region. The competition, which draws strong interest from readers and travellers, features a shortlist selected by 10Best editors before the public vote decides the final results.
Soggy Dollar Bar, located on Jost Van Dyke, is listed for its signature cocktail and its long-standing reputation as a favourite stop for visitors. The bar is known for creating the Painkiller, a rum cocktail featuring cream of coconut, pineapple, orange juice, and freshly grated Grenadian nutmeg, the listing states, adding that guests can enjoy the drink as they look out over the beautiful turquoise water and bask in the warmth of the Caribbean sun.
Poor Man’s Bar, a well-known stop near The Baths on Virgin Gorda, also appears among the nominees. The listing describes the venue as “a fixture on the Virgin Gorda party scene” and says the bar “makes stellar painkillers as well as frozen margaritas, piña coladas, and other drinks featuring plenty of fresh tropical fruit”.
The nominations extend beyond beach bars. Callwood Rum Distillery — one of the oldest continuously operating pot still distilleries in the Caribbean — is recognised among the region’s top distilleries. The distillery produces a 10-year aged brown rum with an exceptionally smooth finish as well as a white rum with hints of sugarcane and citrus.
Callwood’s nomination follows consistent recognition in previous USA Today rankings, including #4 for Best Caribbean Rum in 2025 and several top-10 finishes in earlier years.
Voting on USA Today’s website will continue until the competition closes, with the final rankings expected to be published after the voting period ends. The nominations place the BVI alongside beach bars and distilleries from across the Caribbean.
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