Mixologist Rhea Cox Is Stirring Up History at Liquid Gold Feast

Think you know what a rum cocktail tastes like? Rhea Cox would quite like to hear your answer. Sweet, perhaps. Fruity. Something tropical with a garnish you have to negotiate before you can take a sip. She has a few ideas that might give you pause.

One begins with cinnamon, ripe mango and a gentle suggestion of smoke. It is called Burn Mr Harding, and she is preparing it for Liquid Gold Feast on Sunday 8 November 2026. Before the glass reaches your lips, there is already something to be curious about.

The name reaches into Barbados’ Crop Over traditions, recalling the burning of an effigy known as Mr Harding. For Rhea, that history offers a way to explore hardship, hope and renewal through the evening’s theme, “These Fields and Hills”. Smoke and sugar cane syrup help make the connection. Mango brings a familiar sweetness, while the rum has a very particular job to do.