St. John’s: Rum Cooking Class with 6 Rum Tastings

Rum is not just for the glass at Nicole’s Table. It flavors sweet potato soup, marinates flank steak, soaks raisins, and turns up in the butter sauce for dessert. That makes this four-hour cooking class more than a standard recipe lesson. You learn how one Caribbean staple moves from cocktail to starter, main course, and pudding.

I like the small-home setting and the easy choice between hands-on cooking and a more relaxed afternoon. I also like that Nicole and Adam make room for conversation, local food stories, and six tastings from places as varied as Antigua, Guyana, Martinique, and Cuba. The main drawback is practical: there is no hotel pickup, and the hillside home is not suitable for wheelchair users.

Why this Antigua cooking class is worth your time

• Six regional rum tastings: Compare rums from Antigua and Guyana to Martinique and Cuba.
• A full three-course meal: Cook, then eat sweet potato soup, rum-marinated flank steak, Caribbean sides, and a rum dessert.
• A local home with sea views: Nicole’s Table sits high on a hill above the Caribbean Sea.
• An informal teaching style: Nicole explains recipes, food traditions, and life in the West Indies without making the class feel stiff.
• A useful cruise-day schedule: Classes run from 11:00 to about 15:00, which suits many cruise stops and hotel stays.

Cooking rum into every course

The clever idea here is the way rum appears across the meal. You are not simply handed a glass and told whether it smells sweet or spicy. You see what the spirit does to food.

The class begins with drinks, including a local juice and Nicole’s Old-Fashioned Rum Punch. From there, the menu usually moves to sweet potato soup with rum, followed by flank steak marinated with rum and brown sugar. Dessert may be bread pudding with rum-soaked raisins and butter rum sauce, or a butter rum cake.

That spread gives you a useful lesson in balance. Rum can add warmth to a savory dish, sweetness to a dessert, or a sharp Caribbean note to a punch. You will also prepare plantains wrapped in bacon, red beans and rice, and a garden salad. The sides matter because they turn a tasting exercise into a proper lunch.

Recipes depend on the season and what is available, so you should not treat the sample menu as a guarantee. The core idea remains the same: learn how rum fits into Caribbean cooking, prepare the food, and sit down to eat what you made.

Nicole’s Table, high above the Caribbean Sea

Nicole’s Table is in a local home on a hill overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The setting is part of the appeal. Instead of spending four hours in a commercial kitchen, you get a view, a veranda, and a chance to see how a food-centered afternoon works in a private Caribbean home.

You meet at Nicole’s Table rather than being collected from your hotel. Directions are emailed after you reserve, so give yourself time to read them carefully and plan your own transport. The absence of pickup is the clearest logistical limitation, especially if you are staying far from the meeting point or arriving in Antigua without a car.

The home setting also shapes the tone. This is not presented as a formal culinary school with rows of stations and a tight lecture schedule. Nicole teaches in an informal way, and you can take part actively or keep things more laid-back. That flexibility suits couples, friends, and families who want a social afternoon rather than a test of knife skills.

The setting does have limits. The home is not suitable for wheelchair users, and children must be accompanied by an adult. Pets are not allowed. If you have mobility concerns, ask before booking rather than assuming the hillside location will work for you.

11:00 to 15:00, a clear four-hour plan

Classes start at 11:00 and usually finish around 15:00. That schedule makes the activity useful for a cruise stop, as well as for a hotel stay when you want lunch to be the main event of your day.

The first part is likely to focus on introductions, drinks, and the role of rum in Caribbean food. Nicole’s teaching includes stories about living in the West Indies and the story of rum’s development in the Caribbean from around the 17th century. The point is not to turn lunch into a history lecture. It is to help you understand why rum appears so often in local cooking and social life.

Cooking follows. You may work through the recipes directly or take a slower approach while Nicole explains each step. The hands-on format means you do not just watch the food arrive. You help prepare the dishes that later make up your lunch.

After the cooking, you sit down for the meal on the veranda. This is when the class becomes a proper four-hour outing rather than a quick demonstration. You have time to eat the food, continue the conversation, and enjoy the sea view without rushing from one stop to another.

The timing is worth checking against your own plans. A 15:00 finish can work well for a cruise guest, but only if you have allowed enough time to reach the meeting point and return to the ship. Since no transfer is included, you are responsible for that margin.

Six rums, from Antigua to Cuba

The rum tasting is one of the strongest reasons to choose this class over a regular cooking lesson. You taste six rums from across the Caribbean, including Antigua, Guyana, Martinique, and Cuba.

That range gives you a chance to compare regional styles rather than treating rum as one uniform drink. The class connects those differences to food, showing how rum can work in punch, marinades, soup, cakes, and sauces.

Adam takes part in the rum tasting, adding another voice to the afternoon. The activity is hosted by Nicole and Adam, and their shared role helps explain why the class includes both food preparation and a focused tasting session.

The drinking age is 18. You should also remember that six tastings can add up, especially when paired with a rum punch and a lunch that includes rum in several courses. Eat at a comfortable pace, use good judgment, and tell the hosts if you would rather keep the tasting light. The class can be relaxed, but the alcohol is a real part of the activity.

What you actually eat at lunch

The typical menu is generous enough to count as a full meal.

The starter is sweet potato soup with rum. Sweet potato gives the soup a soft, earthy base, while the rum adds a warmer edge. You prepare the soup as part of the lesson, so the useful takeaway is not only the flavor but also how a small amount of rum can change a familiar dish.

The main course is rum and brown sugar marinated flank steak with onion jam. The marinade brings sweetness and spice, while the onion jam adds another layer of flavor. Flank steak is also a practical choice for a home cook because the preparation and slicing matter as much as the ingredient itself.

The side dishes give the plate its Caribbean character. Plantains wrapped in bacon bring a sweet and salty contrast. Red beans and rice add substance, and a garden salad keeps the meal from becoming too heavy.

Dessert is either bread pudding with rum-soaked raisins and butter rum sauce or a butter rum cake. Both options continue the class theme without making rum feel like a gimmick. You get to see how the same ingredient shifts from savory marinade to sweet sauce.

Because recipes depend on seasonal supplies, anyone with a strict menu expectation should ask what will be served on the date of the class. Food allergies and dietary requirements should be shared when booking, not once you arrive.

A local lesson, not a polished restaurant show

Nicole’s teaching style is informal. That is good news if you enjoy asking questions, hearing stories, and learning at a natural pace. It may be less appealing if you want a tightly timed, professional kitchen session with exact portions and formal instruction.

The experience also lets you choose how much work you want to do. You can get involved with the recipes or take a more relaxed role. That flexibility makes the class suitable for people with different cooking confidence levels, although anyone hoping to spend every minute actively chopping and stirring should say so early.

The personal feel is the part that gives the activity its strongest character. Nicole and Adam are not simply presenting a dish. They welcome you into their home, talk about food and life in the West Indies, and share lunch at the end. Several visitors have described the hosts as warm, fun, and easy to talk with. One person called the class a cruise-stop highlight, while another praised the simple recipes as easy to make at home.

That detail matters. You are not paying only for ingredients and instruction. You are paying for access to a local setting, a personal conversation, a regional tasting, and a prepared meal with a view.

Is $164 a fair price?

At $164 per person, this is not a cheap lunch. It is also not priced like a basic cooking demonstration. The fee includes hands-on training, meals, drinks, six rum tastings, and a recipe booklet.

I think the price makes the most sense if you value the complete package. You receive a four-hour activity, a three-course lunch, alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, instruction, recipes, and a home setting. The class also replaces several separate choices: a rum tasting, a cultural food lesson, and a substantial meal.

The value is weaker if you only want to eat lunch or only want to sample rum. You can find less expensive food and drink options elsewhere in Antigua. This is best treated as a special half-day outing rather than a practical way to save money on a meal.

The recipe booklet helps extend the value after you return home. The menu is built around recipes that people have found manageable to repeat, though seasonal changes mean the exact dishes may differ.

Who will enjoy this class most

I would recommend Nicole’s Table to you if you like food with a story behind it. It suits people who want to meet local hosts, see a private home, and spend time talking instead of moving rapidly between sights.

It also works well for:

• Couples looking for a relaxed shared activity
• Friends who enjoy cooking and rum
• Cruise guests with a free late morning and early afternoon
• Visitors who want a Caribbean meal they helped prepare
• Confident cooks and beginners, since the class can be hands-on or relaxed
• Adults interested in comparing regional rums

Families can attend, but children must be accompanied by an adult, and the minimum drinking age is 18. Since alcohol is central to the activity, this is not the best choice for anyone who wants to avoid drinking altogether.

The four-person minimum is another point to watch. If your own party has fewer than four people, you may need to join an existing class or have the booking moved to another day. Check this before building the class into a tightly packed itinerary.

Practical details before you reserve

You meet at Nicole’s Table. There is no hotel pickup or drop-off, and directions arrive after booking. Plan your route in advance, especially if you are visiting Antigua from a cruise ship.

The class is taught in English. Specific dietary needs, especially food allergies, should be given when you book. Hand washing is required, and you must wear a mask if you have flu-like symptoms.

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and the reserve-now, pay-later option lets you hold a place without paying immediately. Those policies are useful if your Antigua plans are still shifting, but they do not remove the need to confirm the meeting details and minimum attendance.

Should you book Nicole’s Table?

Book this class if you want a personal Antigua experience built around food, conversation, sea views, and rum. The strongest reasons are the home setting, Nicole and Adam’s relaxed hosting, the six-rum tasting, and the chance to prepare a complete lunch instead of watching a demonstration.

Skip it if you need hotel transport, cannot manage a hillside home, dislike alcohol, or want a strictly formal cooking course. For everyone else, the $164 cost is reasonable when you count the meal, drinks, instruction, recipes, and four hours of local contact. It is especially easy to recommend for a cruise day, provided you leave enough time for your return trip.

FAQ

Where does the cooking class take place?

The class takes place at Nicole’s Table, a local home high on a hill overlooking the Caribbean Sea. You receive directions after making a reservation.

How long does the activity last?

The class lasts four hours. Classes start at 11:00 and usually finish around 15:00.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you must arrange your own transport to Nicole’s Table.

What food will I prepare?

A typical menu includes sweet potato soup with rum, rum and brown sugar marinated flank steak with onion jam, bacon-wrapped plantains, red beans and rice, garden salad, and either bread pudding with rum-soaked raisins and butter rum sauce or butter rum cake. Recipes depend on the season and availability.

How many rums are included?

The activity includes tastings of six rums from Caribbean locations including Antigua, Guyana, Martinique, and Cuba.

Is the class suitable for children?

Children may attend if accompanied by an adult. The minimum drinking age is 18, and unaccompanied minors are not allowed.

Can I attend if I have dietary requirements?

You should advise the hosts of any dietary requirements, especially food allergies, when booking. The recipes may vary with the season and available ingredients.

Is the experience wheelchair accessible?

No. The activity is not suitable for wheelchair users.