Basil Charles

St. Vincent native and namesake of Basil’s Bar, Charles Basil is a gregarious host who loves to engage people from all over the world with his storytelling. He moved to the private island of Mustique in his early 20s and became a barman for the only hotel on the island, the Cotton House Hotel. Eventually, a stand-alone bar was opened right on the oceanfront for Charles to work his magic as the master of mixology. He rubbed shoulders with the late Princess Margaret, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Amy Winehouse, Mick Jagger and Kate Moss, among others, and was even invited to Kate and William’s royal wedding in 2011. Charles still mixes drinks at Basil’s daily, despite having sold the bar back to The Mustique Company two years ago. “You have to love what you do more than anything else to be a good host,” he muses.