Abaco Islands: It's A Smash

Craving a golden — and rummy — taste of "de islands"? Ferry over to Green Turtle Cay in the Abaco Islands. A short walk from the ferry dock, you'll find Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar, a 57-year-old institution where the Goombay Smash, a potent signature cocktail of the Bahamas, was born on a slow, rainy day in the early 1970s. While patrons focused on a game of dominoes, devoted teetotaler Miss Emily Cooper experimented behind the bar. Pineapple juice shaken with coconut rum (and other secret ingredients) turned into a blessed concoction with a unique tropical flavor. She asked the domino players to taste-test it, and their rave reviews have been attracting locals and travelers to the drink ever since. Bartenders across the island nation mix up their own versions of the Goombay — named for traditional, drum- driven Bahamian music — but you can only savor the original recipe at Miss Emily's. One sip, and you think you've struck gold. 242-365-4181

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• Miss Emily's Blue Bee Bar is open daily 10am-11pm-ish.