When You Talk History in Key West, The Cemetary is always comes to Mind

     This unusual cemetery sits in the center of Old Town Key West, and is a colorful and quirky as the rest of Key West.     You will find above ground burials, and very unusual headstones as well as burial site of two dozen sailors from the USS Maine blown up in Havana Harbor in 1898.      The main entrance is at the corner of Margret and Angela streets and the rest of the cemetery is bordered by Passover Lane, Frances and Olivia Streets.     

     The reason for the above ground burials has nothing to do with the low elevation of the island, but rather the coral that has formed the island.     Digging through coral is about like digging through concrete thus the tombs laid on the surface like New Orleans, but for a different reason.      The stacked tombs and the unusual decorations that surround the tombs make this one of the more unique cemeteries anywhere.      

     This is not the original site of the Key West Cemetery however, it was originally located near the southernmost point where the light house was also located before the 1846 Hurricane.     Not only did the lighthouse and the lighthouse keepers quarters get blown away, but the cemetery as well.     There were dead scattered all through the forest and some even lodged in trees according to attorney and port inspector Stephen Mallory.  

     You will find the grave sites of many of Key Wests most interesting people  like, Duncan Cameron, Captain Francis Watlington,The Porter Clan, Thomas Romer, Sloppy Joe Russell and many many more.     I think the most talked about headstone is the one belonging to  Pearl Roberts where she really got her last words in with the epitaph " I TOLD YOU I WAS SICK".     This colorful town has  the most fitting and colorful historic cemetery and worth the time to stroll through and see the history and honor the colorful people that made Key West what it is today.     ;o)

It is a Funny World if You Just Read the Signs

The five man Electric Band in the 60's kind of said it all with their song signs.   Just look around you and you'll get a laugh out of the funny signs that the world has to offer.

    

It really is a very strange world that we live in and thanks to all the stranger people who notice and post the "Signs of the Times"   ;o)

The Bushwacker: A Virgin Island Cocktail Delight

This is a great frozen cocktail with it's origins in St. Thomas, but no one seems to know what bar was the originator.     This is a very decadent cocktail with some resemblance to a Pina Colada or a Mudslide.       There is a bar called "Sandshakers" in Pensacola, Florida that claims to be the home of the original Bushwacker, but they admit that the recipe came to them in 1975 when the then owner visited Sapphire Beach on the eastern side of St. Thomas and there he tasted the Bushwacker and brought it back to try out on his customers at "Sandshakers".

  My first introduction to the Bushwacker was at "Flip Flops" the pool bar at Sapphire Beach Resort.      The drink immediately got my attention, but it is one of those cocktails that you don't want to drink too many of because they are so rich and filling.    

     The recipe is a clean and simple one, but there are several variations of it that I have seen in my travels including some of my own.   

 Bushwacker Recipe
 Cream of Coconut
 Dark Rum
 Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
 Dark Creme de Cocoa
 Milk  or Half and Half                                                                               
All of the ingredient are put in the blender with ice and blended until smooth.     I like to put a swirl of chocolate syrup on the sides of the glass before pouring the ingredients into the glass.     I also top it with fresh ground nutmeg, an orange slice and a cherry.    These are optional, but add a nice little appearance  thing that the customers like.     You can float the Bushwacker with a dark rum like Myer's or even the Kraken, another viable option.   No matter how you  make it it's a great cocktail that you and your friends can enjoy.     ;o)    
  

The Rum Runner a Cocktail from the Keys

     The Rum Runner was created in the late 1950's at the Holiday Isle Tiki Bar in Islamorada, Florida.     The story is that the bar had an excess of blackberry and Banana Liqueurs that needed to be sold before a new shipment of liquor could be brought in, so the Rum Runner was a blend of excess liquor the bar needed to get rid of, and the result is a very popular tropical drink that was named for the real rum runners that inhabited the Keys during the prohibition era.

     The recipe calls for one ounce of light rum, dark rum, blackberry brandy, banana liqueur, orange juice, pineapple Juice, and a splash of grenadine.     All the ingredients placed is a shaker with ice, shaken and poured into a highball glass and garnished with an orange slice.     This sweet and fruity cocktail has been a best seller of the tropics and is usually found in some version or another all over the Caribbean and wherever you find a good tropical bar.    

     The next time you are traveling through Islamorada, stop by the Holiday Isle Tiki Bar and experience the original Rum Runner for yourself.     ;o)

Sharing the Day with Nature and Rum

     I spent most of the day yesterday out at Snipes and Mud Keys just drifting and enjoying mother nature at her best.     As I walked the beach and sand bars of low tide I found little worlds in the tidal pool and birds that came by to see what we were up to as we explored the tidal zone searching for new worlds.    This area is usually full  of revelers and sun worshipers, but on this Tuesday afternoon, the tide was unusually low making it harder to the boats to make their way out to this marvelous area.   

     Because ewe travel in a little 12 foot inflatable boat out some 15 mile from Key West to get to this area the shallow waters don't pose much of a problem for us as we drift along the edge of the mangroves observing the beauty of these keys.      Today we were lucky enough to come a cross a pod of dolphin about 20 strong that we were able to hang with for a while before moving on and later the tiny world of the tidal pool and all it's curious life forms.

     As we drifted though the mangroves of Mud Key we saw many different fish and even a couple of rays as we floated along sipping on a nice rum and watching intently into the clear waters to see what would appear next.     As I looked up a curious gull was circling us and watching us watch the fish and what was in the water.       I do have to say it really becomes clear to me why I live where I do on a day like today  when the sky's are blue and the water is clear and only being colored by the bottom.      I hope you enjoyed my day as much as I did.     ;o)

Key West lost Shel Silverstein 12 Years Ago Today

It was 12 years ago today that Shel Silverstein passed away at the age of 68 here in Key West from a heart attack.      Shel along with a number of his friends made Key West a very colorful town in the late Seventy's and Eighty's.      From his second story apartment on Caroline street we was known to walk to the Fisherman's Cafe ( Harpoon Harry's today) and be joined by several of his friends.     Shel added color to Key West like so many others before him.   

     Today his cartoons, children's books, musical lyrics, poems, screen plays, and the cartoons from the early days of Playboy Magazine make up a legacy that will endure the test of time.    In his children's books he became "Uncle Shelby" and the books sold over 20 million copies.    

     Later he bought a house on William Street where he lived until his passing on May 10, 1999.    Born in Chicago in 1930, he truly was a self made man that knew no boundary's.     The ability to support himself on his talent was more important to him that the money.    

     I just don't want him to be forgotten, his talents and drive made him very special in my eyes.     Should you ever drop by Capt. Tony's there is a great picture of Shel there along those of Jimmy Buffett.         Shel Silverstein you are truly missed in this world.

Family Day Today

Today is a day that I have set aside for Family.     My mother, 2 sisters and 2 nephews are all in town and I am taking a day off.     I'll be back tomorrow with some little tidbit of something to chat about.     See Ya Then.   ;o)

The 2011 Miami Rum Renaisance Festival in Review

A very special thanks to all of those that made the 2011 Miami Rum Renaissance Festival so very special.

How We Roll to Our Favorite Watering Hole

     Work ends at 6:00 and I'm homeward bound for a quick change of clothes and it's into the dinghy and off to the Hurricane Hole for Happy Hour or what is left of it.     This is a routine that has been become a tradition that had it's roots up on Lake Norman 6 or 7 years ago.      Tuesday night was the "Guys Night Out" up there and  would all congregate at several docks and wait for me to come and pick everyone up in my boat and go bar hopping.     There were several bars that we would make appearances at the around midnight it was back home we would go. 

     These day things are very similar, but a little different, in that we just hop into the dinghy and head to Hole.       The Hurricane Hole is a great little restaurant, marina and bar located on the water on Stock Island just over the bridge from Key West.    It is a place to meet friends, locals, and tourists  as  everyone congregates to share the news of the day and have a few cocktails and beers.      There are several fishing charter boats based in the marina so the "fish tails" are a big part of the conversations as the captains and their angles stop in to have a cocktail and share all of the experiences and tales of the one that got away with the rest of us.

     The staff is a great bunch of people that make you feel right at home when you arrive.     The menu and the cocktail list is impressive and always served with a smile, unless you make someone mad (Not a Smart Thing to Do).     The nautical atmosphere combined with the great staff is the main reason that this has become my kickback place to escape the craziness of Duval Street.

     The rest of the fun is all about being able to boat to and from the Hurricane Hole, making the evening a relaxing journey before supper.     If you make it down to Key West, don't forget to stop in in the early evening and say Hey to all my friends, and very likely you can say hey to me as well.     ;o)

And Now the Rest of the Tiki Story: Trader Vic

Victor Jules ( Trader Vic) Bergeron, born December 10, 1902 in San Francisco, became the most successful of the Polynesian style restaurateur's of the era.      The friendly competition between Trader Vic and Don the Beachcomber really kept the Tiki scene alive for so many years.     Trader Vic is credited with creating the first successful themed restaurant chain in the world.    In 1974, Bergeron also after putting Polynesian food on the map in his restaurants, wrote a book called "Rum Cookery & Drinkery".     This is the history of rum and the different ways that it can be used and served.    and discussions of the recipes that he found that had been passed down for generations.     This is only one of the many books that he wrote during his 81 year lifetime.   

     Bergeron attended Heald College of San Francisco, and upon graduation he was able to borrow $500 and open "Hinky Dinks" a small bar and restaurant located across the street from his parents grocery store at the corner of San Pablo and 65th Streets in Oakland, California.     The little restraint grew and as it became more and more popular, the menu and cocktail list became more tropical and the name was changed to "Trader Vic's".     Bergeron franchised the first Trader Vic's in Seattle in 1940 and at the peak of the Tiki era he had 25 franchises all over the world.     The Polynesian artifacts, exotic cuisine and the unique tropical cocktails were the cornerstone of the chain's popularity. 

     With the newest of the Trader Vic's just opening in 2010 in Palo Alto California, the number is back up to 25 Trader Vic's open around the world again.     There seems to be a resurgence of the popularity of the Tiki theme restaurants and cocktail lounges around the world and the Trader Vic's people are poised and ready to capitalize on the trend.  

     As a young man in the sixty's I do remember the era when the Tiki lounges were all the rage and having many a great night in Hawaiian garb and leis.     It does my heart good to see the revival of the Polynesian themed venues appearing again in my lifetime.    ;o)

Visiting an "Old Friend" from my Youth: "The Zombie"

     The past week in Miami not only gave me a chance to enjoy many fine rums, but a trip to the Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale gave me a chance to revisit an old right of passage upon turning 21 in the sixty's in California.     Part of my college days were spent in Arcata, California where besides or studies much of my education was learned around the town square at one of the many local bars.    back in those days for your 21st birthday the fraternity brothers would take you down to "Marino's" and they would buy you a Zombie or 6, but you usually could barely crawl away from the experience.

      The Zombie Jamboree at the Mai-Kai gave me a chance to revisit the world of Don the Beachcomber and the Polynesian craze of the 50's through the 70's in California.     Donn Beach, as he was know was actually born Earnest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, in Limestone County, Texas.     This former bootlegger of the prohibition era managed to travel the South Pacific and explore many of the islands of the Caribbean on his way to becoming a restaurateur in Hollywood, California.     Know as Don the Beachcomber, his legendary knack to understand how to combine unusual fruits, herbs, and flavors to make some of the most popular and flavorful "Tiki Cocktails" ever created.    This world famous Zombie has appeared and reappeared in different forms since it's inception in the mid 1930's.     This famous cocktail mas been released in many recipes that claim to be the original recipe, but because of his quirky codes for ingredients, the recipe kept being rewritten until 1956 when it is said that the real recipe was finally revealed.    

     Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, put on a very enlightening seminar at the Mai-Kai revealing the fruits of his 25 or so year study of their life and times of Don the Beachcomber.      His expertise and laid back presentation was not only enjoyable, but very thirst quenching as he served up the different versions of the Zombie from the "Original 1936", to the "Original 1956" recipes.     Jeff and his "Rat Pack Rumposium" are a treat to be around and see seminars.

     Having been inspired by the seminar and my youthful experiences with the Zombie, I've decided to pursue in greater depth what really makes the Zombie such a great cocktail even after so many years and create my own    " Bahama Bob Zombie".      This will take some time to work out, but I will let you know about the progress as it progresses.     ;o)

Maimi Rum Renaissaince Festival Results and James Bond on the Same Day

 The results of the judging from the 2011 Miami Rum Renaissance Festival are out and there were some surprises.       You can view the results at http://rumrenaissance.com/Competition2011.html .     Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to all of the producers that participated in the competition. 

     This was a very enlightening experience for me and one I'll not likely forget in the near future.    Again thanks to all of the rum producers and the Burr's for a job well done in making the 2011 Miami Rum Renaissance a huge success.  


Enough of the old news and on to the fun stuff.     Yesterday afternoon as I walked back down the docks toward the boat and a little bit of relaxation, I noticed a tower of whit water out in the gulf.    After pausing to look, I really wasn't sure what I was seeing, so I continued to wander back to the boat and some feet up in the air time with a nice little sipping rum.

     About 10 or so minutes later I heard an odd noise out side of the boat so I peaked out the window and lo and behold I saw 007 and his water rocket pack flying into the marina.    I don't have to tell you that it surprised me when I saw what it really was.      Being the good journalist that I am, I grabbed the camera and went out to document the entire affair so you folks would think the 60's had come back to haunt me.     This machine is really cool, he drops down and raises up with the twist of a and grip throttle and is able to steer it where he wants to go.    I have no Idea who it belongs to who manufactured it, but it is a real 21st century marvel.

     What a day, I go back to work today at the Rum Bar so I wonder what little wonders will be lurking around today.     ;o)

2011 RumXP Judges Luis and Margaret Ayala Dirk Becker Forrest Cokely Bob Davies Juan del Busto Joe and Nicole Desmond Chip Dykstra Nick Feris Lyndon Higginson Peter and Pauline Holland Adam Kanter Pavol Kazimir Bob Leonard Roger Patteson Matt Robold Dave Russell Arturo Sighinolfi Mike Streeter Rene van Hoven Ian Williams Kristina Wolfe Rocky Yeh

Time for a Little Bit of Rehab

     The Miami Rum Renaissance Festival has now come and gone, but not without a price to be paid.    Seven days and nights of rum sampling, very little sleep, and a grueling schedule has taken a toll on this body of mine.     I will have to say that I would not trade the experience for anything and the new contacts and friends that I have made is very rewarding.     It is going to take weeks to sort through all of the information and ideas before this will all sink in for me and then be able to relate some of the many stories to you.     I'd like to also congratulate the Burr's for a job well done throughout the event and having things happen in a very smooth flow.     Seven days of judging, breakfasts, lunches, VIP partys, and the finale of the Grand Tasting on Saturday was an event that took lots of planning and coordination to come off that well.

     For myself I really was able to broaden my horizons in many areas and learn much about parts of this industry that I had not been exposed to before and a chance to sample so many new cane spirits.     Representatives from all over the rum world were there and available to fill you in on the subtleties of their rums and where thy are and are not distributed.      One of the good things is that I have already added new rums to our inventory at the Rum Bar pushing us well past 220 rums.     I'll be letting my liver recover this week as well as the rest of my body.      The price you have to pay if you want to learn and enjoy this many really fine spirits in a short order.

      Now it is back to reality and gleaning new stories from all the information that I have accumulated in the past 7 or so days.   ;o)

Today is the Last Day of Hanging with My Many Friends

     It is probably a good thing, but a lot of information has been obtained and several new contacts made.     This has been a week that I am very glad to have been here, but my liver probably would not be able survive much more of the judging, sampling, and partying.     Special Thanks to the Robin, Robert A., and Robert V. Burr for the production of a very fine event.

     The Grand Tasting was very impressive, all of the rum producers did an impressive job of showing their rums and liquors.

 

   This have been a difficult assignment, but I'm glad to have been able to handle the chore.  

I'll will be attending part of the second day of the Grand Tasting, but because I'll be driving home it will only be a Grand Viewing, but I can make the sacrifice for the cause.   ;o)