Summer is Really Coming to an End.

     Today it finally dawned on me as I had to stop behind a school bus as it picked up the kids that summer is about to come to an official end this weekend.   Labor Day, the real end of summer with the kids back in school and the parents thinking about school supplies and clothes for the kids instead of heading down to the shore or up to the lake.     It is a funny thing down here in Key West, we don't have the weather change that tells us that summer is ending, our leaves don't turn to colors and it doesn't start to get chilly.     We on the other hand can tell when September arrives by the lack of tourists visiting the island and the chance for us to get out and play a little bit.    

     Monday my wife and several of he girl friends are heading to the Bahama's for a girl's cruise, other friends are leaving to go up North to visit friends and family.     For me I just like to get in the dinghy and cruise out to some of the places around Key West that are usually really crowded the rest of the year and just drift with the tides and currents and watch and take pictures.     The quiet and beauty of this place just puts me in a state of almost nirvana.     There have been very few places in my life that have made me feel so at peace with the world as this one does.      It is like the Jimmy Buffett Song  "When the Coast is Clear",  I get to spend time with the guy that enjoys being out on the water and being one with the sea and the marine world that never fails to amaze me.   

     This is the time of the year to reflect and get away from the hustle of making a living and get out to your sanctuary for a while.     ;o)

Artisan Rums from America

     There has been a surge of growth here in America of some very high quality artisan rums in the recent years.    These "mom & pop" operations are much like the old days of moonshining during the 30's, 40's, and 50's, running legal stills instead of ones hidden deep in the hills.     Today's artisan distillers do what larger mass production distillers can not do, make the "small batch" high quality spirits.     Several of these distilleries have been on my radar for some time and I enjoy each of their products.  

     One of the first that I have dealt with is Phil Prichard (Prichard's Distillery) in Kelso, Tennessee.     Phil produces a fine bourbon, and more recently has gotten into the rum business.     His "Fine Rum", flavored rums, and "Private Stock Rums" are all quality rums that deserve the chance to be enjoyed.    These are purely American made and made with American molasses and aged in American Oak barrels yielding an American high quality rum.

     The Berkshire Mountain Distillers in Great Barrington, Massachusetts is the first legal distillery since prohibition in Massachusetts.     Chris Weld, founder and CEO, a biochemist with the dream of being a distiller, built this distillery in a barn in Western Massachusetts to fulfill his dream.     My interest lies in the Ragged Mountain Rum, even though he has produced award winning gin and vodka as well in the past.     His well rounded amber rum is quite complex and falls into the artisan style rum very well.   This is another of those neat, hard to get rums that are so worth the effort to obtain.

     Most recently I visited the Drum Circle Distillery in Sarasota, Florida the dream of Troy Roberts and Tom Clark.     There little 6400 square foot facility in the heart of Sarasota has a state of the art custom designed Christian Carl copper pot still that produces their award winning fine rums.    Even right off of the still these rums have character and taste that few other rums can match from the large production world of rum.     They have a white, gold , and now the just introduced a spiced rum that has a ginger bread flavor that just lingers on the palate.      Another really enjoyable fine group of rums that can only be gotten through perseverance and determination, that is rewarded when you have accomplished your goal.

     This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these small artisan distilleries that are spread all over America.    The searching out of the rums from these producers will bring you lots of pleasure and enjoyment.   Their ability to produce unique rums is only available in the small batch artisan world of rum.     ;o)

Sunday Morning



Sunday Morning Sunrise in Key West

This is what makes my days here in Key West so special, to have this picture greet you in the morning and the gorgeous sunsets in the evening, it just doesn't get any better.   ;o)

Post Tidbits

     Nothing earth shattering going on down here, but the folks on the coast of the Carolinas are feeling the wrath of Irene, but the good news is she is down to winds of only 85 mph as of the 8:00 am report.      This is a blessing for that eco-sensitive area, people's houses, and the historic lighthouse.     This also indicates that it will not have the catastrophic impact on the rest of the Northeast we hope.

     The Rum Bar reached it's goal of 225 rums this week and will stay at that level, we ran out of shelf space to make it any larger.     We will be making some adjustments in which 225 we will keep as some rums disappear and new ones come on the scene.     Come by and try some of our new ones like Vizcaya Cask 12, Bacardi Oakheart, Siesta Key Spiced Rum, or Mount Gay Black.

     The Rum Lab was idle this week due to the boat rocking and generally weather that was not conducive to good rum cocktail development.    We are planning to get it back in full swing next week  working with some of the new rums we have gotten in.

     Really reaching for something to talk about so I'll just call it a morning and head down to the Rum Bar for some more stories and fun with all the tourists and locals.     ;o)

Funny Happened at the Bar Yesterday.

     It was a day of relief and just a few breezes blustering about trying to remind us that we had just missed what could have been a pretty devastating event here in Key West.    I found myself fixing a rather large number of hurricane cocktails that seemed to be raised in defiance to the "weather gods".     With the event past and life running back to normal, tourists returning, locals coming out for a cocktail or two, and most everyone breathing a sigh of relief that we were spared again.      Yesterday provided us with a calm over the island that has been missing for a week or so as Irene was approaching.     At one point we were the "bullseye" in the cone of uncertainty, but as the days went on the storm kept turning to the east and away from us.

     Today I have to be concerned about our friends in the Carolinas and up the eastern seaboard.     With close friends all through this area, the more it turns to the East the better.     The idea of another "New Orleans-Katrina" type of disaster in the I-95 corridor is not what the people and the economy of this area need.    

Local 10 Image

     My friends in the Turks and Caicos are OK, with some damages, but well and it seems that the Grand Bahama and Abacos faired well also.     The biggest worry in the Bahamas because they are like Key West very low lying islands is flooding and storm surge.    Today with the storm waning, there will be more assessment of the damages and we will know for sure.

     We need to turn our focus and prayers to the people in the Northeast and hope it turns more to the east and they are too spared the heart break of this storm's rage.    

Today Marks the Arrival of Siesta Key Spiced Rum at the Rum Bar

    Today marks the long awaited arrival of the Siesta Key Spiced Rum at the Rum Bar in Key West.     This rum is a wonderful infusion of real spices and the award winning Siesta Key Rum.     This is another of the recently released spiced rums that remembered that a good rum to start with makes for a great and sipable spiced rum.      From my original tastes of this rum at the Drum Circle Distillery a couple of months ago, I'm really excited to work wit it in the lab and develop some new cocktails around the great and unique flavor.

     This afternoon, you can stop by the Rum Bar in Key West and give this wonderful Florida rum a try, you won't be disappointed.   ;o) 

Return to the Bar with Some New Rums

     Today is the day that I've been waiting for for a few weeks, the receipt of out new Plantation Overproof Trinidad/Tobago Rum.     This is a quality overproof  that works very well in cocktails like the "Zombie", "Hurricanes", and other drinks that call for an overproof rum.    This is a big and flavorful overproof that add more than an alcohol strength to your cocktails, it adds dimension to make your cocktails truly legendary.     This rum follows in the tradition of the Plantation rums in that the finishing for the rum is done in an exquisite manner making the rum very palatable.   

     This is a unique overproof rum in that there has been some caramel added for color, but you pick up much more that a nose burning from alcohol when you sniff this fine rum from the chateau of Cognac Ferrand, famous distiller of fine cognac and spirits.     This is a proud partner to the log list of Plantation rums including; Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, and Trinidad.    All of these are the fine creations of Alexandre Gabriel, the master blender and the owner of Cognac Ferrand.    

     Today is the first day that you will be able to enjoy this fine rum with us at the Rum Bar in Key West, and an experience that you will not forget.    This is a sipable, though strong rum with a touch of the extraordinary.    I'll be glad to mix you up a fine cocktail like a Keyzombie or Hurricane today at the Rum Bar, where you can experience for yourself the flavor that this Plantation Overproof brings to your favorite cocktail.     ;o)

Looks Like We Dodged the Bullet

     The Keys seem to have dodged another hurricane, Irene is moving to the east and we are now out of the cone of uncertainty.     This is good news, for as much as we joke about this and look forward to the hurricane party's, the mess that has to be cleaned up after one of these storms is no joking matter.    My thoughts and prayers are with my friend Bob Davies in the Turks and Caicos islands.     The last I heard from them, the winds had topped 100 mph.

On a brighter note I'll have two new rums in the Rum Bar when I return on Wednesday.    I'll have the new Plantation Overproof Rum and on Thursday the much waited for arrival of the Siesta Key Spiced Rum.     These two additions will bring the count up to 225 different rums at the Rum Bar, this is the goal that we have been striving for, and we are out of shelf space for any more.    That is unless there happens to be a rum that hasn't done very well should disappear and a new good one slide in in it's place.    Stranger things have happened at the Rum Bar and probably will continue to happen that way.

     Today with the weather down here a little bit blustery, I'll probably just hang out in the Rum Lab and enjoy some of the results of previous labors.     It's the least that I can do, thunder is rumbling and lightning is flashing, wind is blowing, perfect day to sit on the back of the boat and share a couple of good rum cocktails with some friends.     That is rumstylin' at it best.     ;o)  

The First Threat of the 2011 Hurricane Season

     2011 Hurricane Season is in full swing now and the first threat of the year is upon us.     The past few years have been really calm and we have only been brushed by the outer squalls of a couple of storms.     Irene is the first one that has actually been headed our way in some time.     We are currently only on the far left side of the cone of uncertainty, but we still can expect some rain, gusty winds and rough seas starting about Wednesday.

     What does this mean to a Rumstyler?    It is time to mix up a batch of Hurricane Bob and get together with all my Key West nautical friends and drink in defiance to Irene on the dock to drive her away from out island.      This has been our tradition for the past 5 years and it has worked very well to drive the evil hurricane forces away.     Wednesday about 7:00pm it is on, us against the hurricane on the docks.

      Yes we will really party on in the face of a hurricane, but only after all of the preparation around the marina is completed.     The loose items secured, things that will be damaged in storm surges put on higher ground, lines secured on the boats, and all the other preparation that means minimal damage should the storm make it here.     That being said and done, the best part of a hurricane approach, "The Hurricane Party".     This is a tradition in Key West, there are always several bars open through these storms and we will be partying on the docks and on the boat til it is over.

     If you are in the path of the storm, your preparation is the most important thing you can do, make sure you have all of the essentials for survival without water, electricity, or phone service.   There is a guide for preparation at http://www.ready.gov/  and following these suggestions might be the difference between survival and not.

     When you are ready for the storm it is time to party, so make the best of it, keep an eye on the sky's and above all be safe.     ;o)

Swim at you own Risk

Photo by Nikon Tommy

Sort of like life, when you want to have a little bit of fun you have to "Swim at your own Risk".

Vizcaya Did Well in the Rum Lab

Well it was a pleasant surprise at the Rum Lab yesterday working with Vizcaya Cask 12.    It worked well with nearly everything, except it doesn't play well with grapefruit juice.     I was pleasantly surprised by the very good mixablity of this rum.       It really does well with pineapple, guava, mango, passion fruit, lime, and ginger beer.     I think that this has the potential to be a fabulous all-around rum that can be sipped or mixed in cocktails.     We experimented with swizzles, daiquiris, and traditional style cocktails, all yielding some really flavorful and refreshing beverages.    

  



  Vizcaya Cask 12 Cocktails:



Vizcaya 12 Swizzle

• 1 1/2 oz. Vizcaya Cask 12 Rum
• 1/2 oz. Amaretto
• 1/2 oz. Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz. Falernum
• 1 1/2 oz. Pineapple Juice

Place all ingredients in a shaker and shake til chilled, strain into a rocks glass.   Garnish as appropriate


Vizcaya Ginger-Mango

• 1 1/2 oz. Vizcaya Cask 12 Rum
• 1 oz. Mango Juice
• 1/2 oz. Lime Juice
• Top-up with Barrett's Ginger Beer

Place all ingredients except the Barrett's Ginger Beer into a Shaker and shake til chilled and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.    Garnish as you find suitable.

Vizcaya Keyz Daiquiri

• 1 1/2 oz. Vizcaya Cask 12 Rum
• 1/2 oz. Falernum
• 1/2 oz. Cane Syrup
• 1/2 oz. Lime Juice

Place all ingredients into a shaker and shake til chilled, strain into a martini glass and garnish with a lime wheel.

     These are only the tip of the iceberg of really delicious cocktails that we were able to create with Vizcaya Cask 21 Rum.     Just one other note, it mixes well with Brinley Gold Shipwreck Spiced Rum as well.     These rums are very compatible and work well in creating some "Tiki Style" cocktails.    I'm working on that idea for my next rum lab next week.      Just remember to try a new rum every day that you can.   ;o)

Rum Lab Reopens Today with Vizcaya Cask 12

Vizcaya Cask 12 is a new acquisition at the Rum Bar that is lighter than the Vizcaya Cask 21, but has a full flavor profile.      This lighter and more delicate rum is priced so that it is practical to use in cocktails and still has it's own distinctive flavors.     I'm looking forward to development of some new cocktails this afternoon using this the Vizcaya Cask 12 rum.    It is my expectation that this rum because of it's own strong flavor profile will best lend itself to more simple cocktail recipes rather than  more complex ones.    It's broad flavor spectrum will make it complicated and harder not to have conflicting tastes prevail in the cocktail.     This was one of the challenges that we faced in the development of the Denizen Cocktails as well.

     I'll have some new cocktails for you tomorrow.    This is going to be a fun and challenging day in the Rum Lab.    All of us involved will be analyzing and rechecking all of our results to make sure that only the most flavorful cocktail recipes are released.

     Watch for tomorrow's post for the results of today's efforts.    ;o)  

A Few Tidbits

     Today doesn't hold anything that can fill a post, so it is going to be a "Post-Tidbits".

The Rum Bar received it's first bottle of "Bacardi Oakheart" yesterday and it has been greeted with very warm reviews from all of the customers that tried it in our special cocktail of the day, Oakheart & Ginger.     Many of the customers liked it just to sip, and that is very unusual for a spiced rum.    This is going to be a winner for Bacardi and us at the Rum Bar as well.

     I'm still waiting for the arrival of my other two new spiced rums, "Siesta Key Spiced" from Drum Circle, and "Black Roberts" from Florida Caribbean Rum Distillery, there seems to be a communication problem at the distribution level somewhere.    I have tasted both of these new rums and I'm excited about getting them on the shelf for the Rum Bar's customer enjoyment.

     Tomorrow I'll be back in the Rum Lab doing some research wit a very nice new rum that I've come across recently call Vizcaya Cask 12.    This has proved to be a very tantalizing rum that warrants some more research with.    It is good enough to sip, but the price allows you to use it as a mixer as well.   I feel that the flavors will work well with several different mixes and hopefully we will be able to yield some new cocktails with this rum tomorrow.

     That should just about cover all the "Post-Tidbits" for today.     It is funny that here in Key West in the Summer it is more difficult to come up with many really worthwhile stories like the spring, fall and winter provide.    ;o)

    

Free Museum Weekend at Key West

     WLRN the public Radio and Television for South Florida and Monroe Tourist Development Council are sponsoring the "WLRN Free Museum Admissions Weekend in Key West", August 20-21st.     This event provides free passes  through the website http://www.wlrn.org/key-west-museum-week/   just go on line and print out your free pass.

     This is a great opportunity to go and see many of the really cool Key West museums, and have an opportunity to learn a bit more about this unique community that is so rich with colorful history.     Visit such places as the Hemingway House, Key West Shipwreck Museum, Truman's Little Whitehouse, and so many more places you probably haven't taken the time to see.

The Pass is valid for 6 adults or 1 family at any or all of the 11 participating museums in Key West.     Come on into town and take advantage of this very special offer to visit our fair city and get to know about the special people and events that made Key West the town that is "Close to Perfect, Far from Normal".     ;o)

Tuesday, 16 August, National Rum Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

     This is by one of my favorite days, too bad it isn't really a holiday.     I'm lucky enough to have today off though, so I guess that I'll call it one.      Rum is one of the historical beverages that has been involved in the world history since the 1600's when it was said to have been born on the sugar plantations of Barbados.     Although the sugar is said to have been brought there from Guyana and Brazil, the rum is claimed to have been born in Barbados.

     The St. Nicolas Abbey, one of the earliest of the Sugar Plantations in Barbados is a fascinating place to visit and see much of the sugar history of the island.    They have many of the old cane crushers and are in the process of restoring the wind driven cane crusher as well.    The plantation is operable today and is still growing sugar cane and now they are producing a really fabulous rum on the premises.     This is a must do adventure when in Barbados.


     Today is all about the rum and when in Barbados you eat flying fish sandwiches and drink "Corn & Oil" as your rum cocktail.    

     Corn & Oil

• 1 ounce of Barbados Rum of your choice
• 1 ounce of Falernum
• 1 dash of bitters

Stir or shake with ice and strain into an old fashion glass filled with crushed ice and garnish with a lime.
This can be made in the traditional manner with J.D. Taylor  Falernum Liqueur or with the Fee Brother's mix which ever is available.     Cockspur 12 year old ,  Mount Gay Eclipse, or one of the Plantation Barbados rums  are all great rums from which to make Corn & Oil.    

     No matter how you enjoy your rum and where it comes from take some time this afternoon or eventing to raise the glass filled with rum and salute the fine flavor and fun you enjoy when you are drinking rum.     Happy National Rum Day to all of you.     ;o)

    

Bacardi is Launching a New Spice Rum

     Bacardi has launched "Oakheart" their new spiced rum.     Like good rum pirates Bacardi is out to take the spiced rum market in a siege.     They have launched an all out attack on the category of spiced rum.   This is truly a quality rum that has been enhanced with quality spices like maple, cinnamon, honey, and a variety of others that work very well together.

     This is a very smokey rum with accents of honey, fruits and even some vanilla, that is a very complex flavor profile that is not unlike that of a fine bourbon.     This has a smoothness missing in many of the members of the spiced rum category.    Many of the others have chosen a mediocre rum and tried to hide it with the spice package, not so with  this new addition to the market.    

     Bacardi is looking to improve it's image in the marketplace and with the addition of this new spice rum and some other rum that are said to be in the halls and soon to be released, Bacardi could be right back at the top of the group for quality rums.    

     I'll have Bacardi Oakheart at the Rum Bar in Key West on Wednesday afternoon for your enjoyment, so just drop on by and see what Bacardi has done to the Spiced Rum Category.   ;o)

Reflecting on Sunday

Denizen Party Today at the Rum Bar in Key West

All the preparation and the Rum Lab Days are over and today is showtime at the Rum Bar.       Denizen "Liberated Spirit Rums is the guest of honor for today's party.     Starting at 2pm and running til 5pm there will be a special Denizen Menu of $5.00 "Liberated Cocktails " for all of our guests.     This is a great break for those who are out in the heat on Duval Street for Lobsterfest and Captain Tony Days.     Stop on by and have one of these fabulous cocktails and enjoy the air conditioned and cozy Rum Bar.

     This is a 1 day event so don't put it off and miss the fun of experiencing a truly fine rum at a price you won't see again.     We have created some very tasty artisan cocktails for your enjoyment and at only $5.00 you can't go wrong down at the quiet end of Duval Street.     Many of you haven't had the chance to try this unique rum and this is the opportunity you don't want to miss.    

Just stop by:

     The Rum Bar at the Speakeasy Inn
     1117 Duval Street
     Key West, Florida
     2:00pm til 5:00pm
     TODAY ONLY

Looking forward to making you one of these fine cocktails and seeing the smiles on your faces.     ;o)         

Denizen Day Saturday at the Rum Bar Key West

Tomorrow we will be presenting Denizen Rum for your pleasure and enjoyment at the Rum Bar on Duval Street between 2 and 5pm.     All Denizen Cocktails will be $5.00 from our special Denizen Menu.    

Stop on by and join this special party as you roam up and down Duval Street enjoying Lobsterfest.     This is a one time special event to introduce you to a fine spirit to bring your cocktails to life.    We have created these  new  "liberating" cocktails to showcase how Denizen Rum, the "Liberated Spirit", brings your cocktails to life.     Denizen is a unique white rum in that it adds a flavor to the usual neutral flavor of most white rums.     This is what gives the cocktails made with Denizen Rum their special and unique flavor profile.

Join us tomorrow at:

        The Rum Bar at the Speakeasy Inn

         1117 Duval Street

         Key West, Florida

         Saturday , 13 August, 2011

         2 til 5pm

       Just bring your curiosity and your thirst and these Denizen Liberated Cocktails will take care of the rest.     Let's have some fun and get in out of the heat for a while in our air conditioned and cozy little bar.      Remember all of the Denizen Liberated Cocktails will be only $5.00 each, WOW!!!    Real artisan cocktails for only $5.00 between 2pm and 5pm.     See Ya There!!     ;o)        

Vizcaya Cask 12 new at the Rum Bar

     We have just added a really enjoyable new rum at the Rum Bar, Vizcaya Cask 12, an intimate sipping rum from the Makers of Vizcaya Cask21 VXOP.     This new addition to the Vizcaya family is of the same rich, high quality , but a bit lighter than the Vizcaya Cask 21VXOP.     Made as like an Agricole from sugar cane instead of molasses and aged for 6 years in high quality oak barrels, the very meticulously blended rum boasts a very complex and rich aroma with a more subtle palate than the Cask 21.     Still presenting very nice notes of cocoa, vanilla and maple, this new addition to the Vizcaya family has great potential as a sipping or a mixing rum.    

     This rum mixes well in many of the traditional rum classics and from some or my quick tries with other items looks like a candidate for a day or 2 in the rum lab for further development.    It is my humble opinion that this rum is going to be a  regular on the boat and at the Rum Bar for some time to come.    Drop by and taste it at your leisure and maybe bring a fine cigar and lounge on the porch with snifter of Vizcaya Cask 12 and a fine cigar.     ;o)

Rum Research Day Yields 2 New Cocktails

     Yesterday was another day at the Rum Research Lab, and two new cocktails were created that have some real promise.     These days in the lab are starting to provide us with a better understanding of what things work well together, and those that don't.   They also provide some incite as to what to do to solve the bland or awful tastes that sometime appear when you combine certain ingredients.     For the past couple of sessions in the lab, we have been concentrating on cocktails made with Denizen Rum, getting ready for our Denizen Rum Day at the Rum Bar here in Key West.     We now have our menu set for the event and just have to put the final touches on these new and interesting cocktails.


     Here are a couple of the new recipes that we have come up with and will be on the menu for Saturday's event.

     Denizen Beach Cocktail

• 1 1/2 oz Denizen Rum
• 1/2 oz. Creme of coconut
• 1 1/2 oz. Pineapple Juice
• 1/4 oz. Lemon Juice

Place all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shale til chilled and strain into a cocktail glass filled with ice. Garnish with an orange wheel and a cherry.

     Denizen Sunset

• 1 1/2 oz. Denizen Rum
• 1 oz. Orange Juice
• 1/4 oz Cane Syrup or Sugar in the Raw Simple Syrup
• 1/2 oz. Pomegranate Liqueur
• Barrett's Ginger Beer

Place all ingredients except the Pomegranate Liqueur and the Ginger Beer into a shaker filled with ice, shake till chilled and pour into a cocktail glass filled with ice.  Top up with Barrett's Ginger Beer, add the Pomegranate Liqueur slowly down the side and garnish with a sprig of Mint.

     Both of these Cocktails are very tasty and refreshing  perfect for an afternoon on the boat or patio.     You can try both of these cocktails and more at the Rum Bar on Saturday from 2 til 5 pm.     Come on by and see me and I'll be behind the bar to create your Denizen Cocktail.     ;o)

Lobsterfest 2011 is this Weekend in Key West

     The 2011 Lobsterfest gets underway on Friday 11 August with the "Kick-Off Party" at Rick's / Durty Harry's Complex on Duval Street.     The Lobersterfest Duval Crawl (tm) begins immediately after sunset with all proceeds going to the Key West High School Scholarship Fund.     Saturday kicks  off the "15th Annual Street Fair" from the 100 through the 500 blocks of Duval Street.  The Street Fair features arts, crafts, merchandise, an plenty of lobster.       This site www.keywestlobsterfest.com/ will provide you with all of the details and the schedule of events. 

 This is a fun event that celebrates the start of the regular lobster season in the waters around the Florida Keys.      This is a great event that features food, drink, fun, and more fun.    Free Concerts featuring Howard Livingston and the Mile Marker 24 Band, Alphonse, Cool Breeze, and CW Colt, at the corner of Greene and Duval  Streets on Saturday from 1pm til 10:30 pm.    The Street Fair will also feature some of the fine local lobster prepared in some very creative ways, all of which are absolutely scrumptious.

    There are artist displays as well as crafts people there to acquaint you with all of their wares.    Just stop on by and have some fun down on Duval Street on Saturday.    

     There is a special event at the other end of Duval Street at the Rum Bar, 1117 Duval, featuring Denizen Rum cocktails from 2 til 5pm.    Stop on by there where I;ll be behind the bar to greet you and mix your favorite Denizen Rum cocktails.  

     You won't be disappointed no matter what events you participate in at the 2011 Key West Lobsterfest, so make your plans and get on down here for the festival.     ;o)
    

Denizen Day at the Rum Bar in Key West Saturday

     There is going to be a fun day on Saturday 13 August at the Rum Bar.     This is a special Denizen Day where there will be $5.00 Denizen Cocktails and a chance to taste talk and get to know more about this fine rum.     We are working on some new cocktails for you to sample on Saturday and some other exciting things for this event.     This fine rum is a blend of Jamaican Pot still and Trinidad column still rums http://rumconnection.com/uncategorized/story-denizen/ that will fill your palate with excitement.

     This is an excellent cocktail rum that will liven up your fine cocktails.    Try this one here it has it's roots back in the Tiki era of Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic.

     Denizen Swizzle

• 1 1/2 oz Denizen Rum
• 3/4 oz J.D. Taylor's Falernum
• 1/2 oz Orgeat
• 1 oz Orange Juice
• 2 oz Pineapple Juice
• 2 dashes of Bitters

Place all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake til chilled and strain into a cocktail glass filled with crushed ice, stir with your swizzle (or a quick hit from the blender).  Garnish with an Orange wheel and Mint sprig.

     Try some our new recipes or stop by the Rum Bar on Saturday from 2 til 5 and have some of them there for only $5.00     This is a deal that may never be repeated again, so don't miss it.     ;o)

Captain Tony Days in Key West

     This larger than life icon of Key West is remembered and celebrated here in Key West this week ( August 11 - 14, 2011) with events all over the city.   Tony lived here in Key West for over 60 years and partied with it's most famous citizens and when things were in trouble here they elected him mayor.   

     If you are able to get down here come and celebrate the life of Captain Tony Tarracino at the first annual Captain Tony Days in Key West.   ;o)

Puerto Rico: One of the Worlds Largest Producer of Rum

Around the world when you speak of Puerto Rican rum, you hear the response "Oh Bacardi", but that is only the tip of the iceberg.     The production of "Ron" ( Spanish for Rum) has been a major part of the Puerto Rican economy since the 16th century.    

has had over the years the largest number of distilleries and bottlers of rum in Puerto Rico.     Rum Distilleries like Jose Gonzalez Clemente y Co., Ron Oro Nativo ( Segram), Alfredo Vega Toro y Co., Baltasar Cruz y Co., Luis Garcia y Co., Julio Maldonado y Co., Mayaguez Rum Company, and Primitivo Grau y Co..     These rum producer have over the years given us such brands as Christophe5r Columbus Rum, Government House Rum, Reserva Especial, Ron 738, Ron Delicias, Ron El Campesino, Ron Imporico, Ron Latino, and the list goes on and on, 21 of them in all.     The Puerto Rico Sugar Company opened a new distillery in Mayaguez in 2009 called Distileria Coqui, named for the curious little tree frog that makes a sound like it's name in the evening in Puerto Rico.    They make an artisan rum known as Pitorro ( meaning Moonshine).

     Arecibo is another Puerto Rican city known for it's rum production.    Barcelo, Marques y Co. (currently owned by Serralles Distileria), known for Ron Palo Viejo.     Roses, Garcia y Co., makers of Ron de la Casa de Roses as early as 1868.    Ron Llave goes back as far as 1891 and purveyors of rum from the Royal House of Spain in 1893.   At the start of the 1900s many of the rum producers of Arecibo merged their operations into a single operation known as Puerto Rico Distilling Company (1911)   This company became a supplier to the aging, bottling and blending producers in Mayaguez and Bayamon.   During the prohibition years the company produced denaturalized alcohol to be used in the making of "Bay Rum" an after shave lotion.    Rum production returned in 1934 and a new corporation developed called Ronrico and a new distilling plant opened in 1942.    

     Ponce is another of the significant historical producing towns.    It's primary operation is Distileria Serralles, Inc., an operation producing rum since 1865 in Ponce.,  http://bahamabobsrumstyles.blogspot.com/2011/07/destileria-serralles-and-don-q-rums.html, The Don Q brand ( best selling brand in Puerto Rico) dating back to 1932.

     Bayamon is another of the rum towns, with Edmundo Fernandez's Ron de Barrilito distillery leading the way.   This is considered to be the closest thing the the traditional rum producers of the 1800's.    Produced inside of a brick windmill at the sugar cane plantation called Hacienda Santa Ana, now an industrial park, that only make s one production run per year.

     San Juan is the other rum town, housing Bacardi, one of the largest and most well know rum brands in the world.    They are sort of a "johnny come lately" to the rum production of Puerto Rico, but never the less an important one.   They move to San Juan after being bounced out of Cuba when Castro took over, and set up their operation in San Juan.  The rest is history.

   Today Club Caribe, a new operation is under way in Cidra.   Having taken over a closed pharmaceutical plant and in the process of building a most modern and efficient distillery that is has the potential for tremendous growth in the next 20 or so years.  

     This is a country who's government sees the value of keeping it's rum production operations healthy and is offering incentives to keep them in Puerto Rico.     ;o)