Bacchus Wine Bar Cayman Islands was one of the finest establishments on Grand Cayman. Sadly it no longer exists, but the memories certainly do.
Moving to the Cayman Islands
After not bothering to go to university I found my career options in the UK somewhat limited. I therefore did what any sensible man would do, I sold all my possessions and moved to the Cayman Islands.
Why the Cayman Islands? I’d met someone whose son lived there, and she said he earned loads of money. It was in the caribbean so I thought why not?
Moving was one thing, but getting a job was another thing entirely.
Getting a job at Bacchus Wine Bar
Moving to a place is one thing, getting a job? Well that is something else entirely. After a month of searching though and days from being deported I got a job at a new restaurant. Formerly called Maxines it was to be rebranded Bacchus Wine Bar and be managed by a chap called Mario Iacovello.
To say I blagged my way into the job would be doing a massive misrservive. I flat out lied. It turns out pulling pints in a British pub is somewhat different to being a cocktail bartender in the Caribbean. My first night resembled Tom Cruise on his first night in the movie Cocktail . Probably the only time I can ever compare myself with Tom Cruise, aside from questionable sexuality that is.
But eventually I made the job my own and for 2 and half years ran the bar. The ownership changed to a famous chef on the island, Keith Griffin, but the fun and frolics continued.
What was Bacchus Wine Bar like?
To me in those formative years it was everything. I worked 60 hours, 6 days a week, but I loved the job and it paid really well. The food was excellent and we had a great clientele.
Being based in Georgetown the capital of Grand Cayman meant that we were the happy hour venue.
And then there was the social side. We were shut on Sundays, so more often than not would end up chartering a boat, getting drunk on said boat and heading to Rum Point. We would drink rum there. We’d also often sit in the bar and have lockins, or head out after we closed to one of the late night bars.
But, everything good must come to an end. I left Bacchus Wine Bar in February 2004, from where I went onto cruise ships, to China, and eventually start Young Pioneer Tours .
Ironically through one of my other projects, where we bought an island in Belize, our company is actually registered in Cayman.
To read about how I bought an island click here
To randomly read about why Cayman doesn’t have a McDonalds click here .
It turns out that Bacchus managed to survive for a while without me, but eventually closed in 2011 . I was quite sad to hear it, but Bacchus Wine Bar Cayman Islands, you shall live in my heart forever.