Key West St. Patrick's Day Bar Stroll

     It all started around noon on Saturday and by 4:30 ish most of the revelers were crawling.     This is one of the really fun Key West annual events.     You buy a T-Shirt for $30.00 and that is your ticket to a "high time" on Saturday afternoon.     How popular is this event, well the shirts were sold out by Thursday ( The actual St. Paddy's Day), and scalpers and others were organizing their own crawls.     This is one of the biggest that I've seen in my years here in the Keys.

     The organizers have really done an unbelievable job of promotion and selling of this event this year.     I think that the locals were just ready for a good blow-out afternoon, judging from the number of locals in costume for the stroll.     Everyone was smiling and carrying on, just cutting loose and having a really fun afternoon. 

     The procession went from participating bar to participating bar until they reached the Schooner Wharf Bar and the end of the procession.     That was the start of the real party for some, while others were "finished" when they arrived at the end of the stroll.     They started out at the Southernmost Beach Cafe, then to the Southernmost Tiki Bar, then headed on down Duval Street to Sweet Teas, Cowboy Bill's, Ilona's Garden Cafe, Kelly's Caribbean Bar, The Bull, The Whistle Bar, The Garden of Eden, Rick's Key West, and finally to the Historic Waterfront and the Schooner Wharf Bar.     This doesn't include several of the other stops many of the strollers made at the Rum Bar for instance, as we were completely swamped with "Green People" as they waited to get into Sweet Tea's across the street.   

     The "professionals" were undaunted by the end of the trail and partied on back to Duval Street and joined the "Super Moon" party going on as the moon rose over Key West.     I guess that when you are on vacation and feel the need to party and you don't want to see it end, you just let 'er rip.     That is a part of any good rumstyler's creed, party til you don't feel you can party any more. 

     By the way this sold-out event raised a lot of money for Cancer Foundation of the Florida Keys and the Boys & Girls club of Key West.    Rick Dostal, another terrific job of organizing, promoting, and carrying off this your 35th annual St. Patrick's Day Bar Stroll.     ;o)

Super Moon is Past and the World Still Exists.

     I guess that the gloom and doom folks failed again, and the world did not come to an end on the Super Moon.     The thing that did happen was a lot of people got out and partied into the wee hours and really enjoyed themselves here in Key West.       The Mike, Mike, and Bob brigade left the "Mother Ship" in the dinghy and headed for Schooner Wharf to search for the "End of the World" and only found a great time.     Most of the people we ran into were having way too much fun to be worried about the world coming to an end, so we kept searching.   

      The worries of the combination of a St Patrick's Day Bar Stroll and  the "Super Moon" only produced a bunch of revelers that overcame the bad spirits of the "Super Moon" and balanced the universe to have  a gala evening.     I guess in the larger scheme of things the earth does rely on balance and having the two events simultaneously was really a good thing.   

     Tomorrow I'll cover the St. Patrick's day Bar Stroll with some pictures and stories that I observed from behind the bar yesterday.     It is absolutely amazing what rumstylin on a St. Patricks Day Bar Stroll can discover.    

     The good news is that the world survived and I'll be able to keep inundating you with these stories.     ;o)

    

    

In My World it's All About the Water

 If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this article is already written.    Here in Key West we are a little bit slower in the way we move, but we truly do know how to enjoy our time.    

This was about as laid back and lazy as I know how to be, so enjoy the voyage.     ;o)

"Super Moon", the Rumstyler's Invitation to Howl

     Saturday night we are being treated to a "Super Moon", a full moon isn't enough, we need a "super moon.     What is happening from a scientific view point is the moon is passing closer to the earth than it has in the past 6 years.     Past "super moons have occurred  in 1955, 1974, 1992, and 2005.     There are several predictions that go along with the "super moon", but what comes to my mind is how it will effect the everyday rumstyler out on the town taking part in the St. Patrick's Day Celebrations.      Sure there are the doom mongers that are predicting earthquakes, tsunami's, floods, volcano eruptions, and a host of other "natural disasters".

    I'm more interested in the effect on the human psyche.     How many people are going to be driven to craziness by the pull of they lunar gravity on the human brain?       This is an interesting combination of events, St. Patrick's Day a drinking day, and a "super moon" both merging to provide the human mind to really turn itself inside out and do some really crazy things.     I'm approaching this from a strictly philosophically, in that it is a watch and enjoy Saturday night.     Big full  moons already bring out all the craziness, and you add in the drunken fun of a Key West Bar Stroll and the "normal" Saturday night partying, you have all the makings for a really entertaining night for me to be wandering through town.     I'll be out with camera in hand and looking to record some of the effects of the moon so I'll be able to relate the event to all of you on Monday.

      I wonder if I can get a grant from the government to finance my expedition trough the hoards of crazes in order to study the phenomena and help prepare the hoards for future "super moons".     It wouldn't surprise me if someone hasn't already done this, my only regret is that I didn't think of this sooner.    Come Monday,(someone should write a song) I'll report back to you with all my findings.     Until then just get out and make a spectacle of yourself and have some fun in the "super moon".

       If you squint your eyes it is amazing how the daiquiri looks just like a "super moon"      ;o)

What is this Solera Rum Aging Process



Here is the Solera System at Valera Hermano

      The "Solera System" is most prevalent among the Spanish speaking rum producers.    This method allows the quick removal of rough edges from the rum than does the single barrel methods.     The rum in the bottom tier is the Solera, or the eldest of the rum.    All of the rows above are the criadera or the younger rums in the system.     The entire stock of the rums in the Solera system is aged at an over proof level and then cut to the proper strength when bottled.     It is estimated on average that rum spends 6 years in the solera system, but because the "mother rum" never leaves the system, the age is really difficult to assess.



Refilling the top of the la criadera

      How does the system work?     As you can see from the picture, the barrels are stacked on their sides in a pyramid like structure that makes up the solera system.     At the end of a cycle about 50% of the rum is taken out of the solera (bottom row for bottling) and the rum from the next row up is transferred down to the solera filling the void created when the rum was removed for bottling.     Because only half of the rum was removed from the solera, the "mother rum" left behind and the rum transferred down from the criadera blend together and the characteristics of the "mother rum" are quickly transferred to the younger rum and the maturity is attained much quicker that if the rum was aged from scratch in a single barrel.    This process is continued all the way to the top of the criadera where new product is added and the cycle begins again.

    The solera system  represents several years of rum production and is a valuable asset of the company.     This is why you see several parallel soleras systems sitting side by side in the bodega.     There are many years of aging involved in making great rum, and the solera is a great way to shorten the actual aging of the rums and allowing  the rum producer to get the rum to market sooner.     Because some of the "mother rum" never leaves the solera, the actual age of the rum can not be published, but the effeciency of the system leaves no doubt that the rum is on a par with rums that have spent much more time in single barrels.



Barrel Proof sitting on the "Solera"

      "La Crianza" or the nursery of the "Mother Rum" is where the majority of the aging or toning of the rum takes place as the rum is moved down the system til it finally reaches the bottom row and is allowed to rest with the "mother rum" before removal for bottling.      Sipping a barrel proof of the mother rum in a solera is an opportunity that should never be missed.      Even at the over proof levels, this rum has a flavor that is almost impossible to describe.  

     Though some rum experts have described the Solera method of aging rum as "cheating", it does shorten the time necessary to mature the rum and the product is still on a par with many of the older single barrel aged rums.     With today's economy, the rum producers need to bring their products to the market sooner, and the solera system allow this without compromising the taste of the rum.     ;o)

Rumstylin' at the Green Parrot Bar

     The Green Parrot Bar is another of the legendary bars that dot the streets of Key West.     The bar is " the first and last bar on U.S.1 and been around since 1890.     The Green Parrot was listed as a grocery store from 1888 to 1927 in the Key West Directory, and the Brown Derby Bar in 1948.     Later in 1948 Judy Sullivan and established the "Brown Derby Sub Shop and Green Parrot Bar.     and the latest chapter is when Mr. Bean purchased the Bar and ditched the sub shop and the Green Parrot is a stand alone Key West landmark.

     Today the Green Parrot Bar is the music center of Key West.    If it Jazz you like the "Parrot"is the place, whether it is from the legendary jukebox of the live music that brings the place to life on weekends and some weekdays.    The music from the jukebox is mostly blues of a Chicago, Memphis, Texas, or Delta origins, but lately the introduction of some New Orleans funk and added even more depth to the sounds.     With a100 selections on the jukebox offering some of the best  blues music there is.    

     The musicians are an eclectic group, a fact that doesn't shock anyone.     The bottom line is if you like your music jazzy, funky, or bluesy, the Green Parrot Bar is the place you want to be.     The Friday evening "Sound Check" is one of the more popular events that takes place every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening at about 5:30 pm.     There is a "Sunday Jazz Showcase" every Sunday at 1:00 pm  as well.     This grand historic establishment has seen some of the finest musicians and music lovers together making this one warm and fun venue for any rumstyler.     Hope to see you there some evening.     ;o)

  

The Rumstylers Irish Celebration Key West Style

St. Patrick's Day bar crawl in coming this Saturday.     What a combination, spring break, St. Patrick's Day and a Bar Crawl.     This is going to be the drunken event of the year with the already large number of spring breakers in here and add all the Irish influence and you have a drunken brawl in the making.     This event starts at the Southernmost Beach Cafe and ends at Schooner Wharf, winding it's way through most of the Old Town bars.     This event is truly a "Green" event in this politically sensitive time you should get green and party on in the true Irish tradition.    

     Several of the Irish Bars Like Finnegan's Wake, Shana Key, and Irish Kevin's are having St. Patrick's Day events on Thursday.     This is a drinkin' mans holiday and a great time to get out on the streets and play in you full Irish regalia.

     Remember the St. Patrick's Day Bar Stroll is a charity event that raises money for the Boys & Girls Club and the Cancer Foundation of the Florida Keys.    Not only are you getting out to party, but you are supporting a great couple of causes at the same time.     Lets get out and party on Saturday and support these causes.     Remember though in all of the celebration to stay out from behind the wheel if you have been drinking, in Key West this is a serious offense and one you should avoid , a taxi is cheaper than a D.U.I..     ;o)

Barefoot Man Returns to Nipper's





Barefoot Man at Nipper's



The Reef, the Sea Oats and the Beach



     This is one of the wildest and most fun concerts that you will ever attend.     Nipper's Bar and Grill on Great Guana Cay in the Abacos is the perfect setting for a Barefoot Man concert anywhere.     The breath taking view of the Atlantic Ocean beyond the barrier reef as you sit on top of a salt white sand dune sipping a Nipper's Punch.     This place has it all, beach sand dunes, swimming pool, best Pig Roast anywhere, then you throw in the Barefoot man and you got a party that rocks on late into the night and morning.     I've been in attendance for many a party at Nipper's and you really do not want to miss one if you can help it.

     If it is a party you are looking for and you like to eat, dance and drink, this party is all you.     The music of Barefoot keeps you on your feet for hours.     If you are not dancing, drinking or eating, you're not alive.     This annual event has kept many a rumstyler  talking about it for weeks and even years after attending.     I recently got together with several of my friends that were regular attendees at Nipper's for the party and they still talk about what happened and what they don't remember happening even today several years later.

     If you are of the water persuasion, the pool is directly behind the bandstand and you can hang out in and around the pool before, during, and after the party starts.     I guess it's just like the sign says, "Just walkin' up that dirt road puts a big smile on my face".     Even today as I sit at the computer and write about this party I can't help to grin a bit as I think of all the fun and crazy things that happen there every year. 

     Now is the time to make your plans for a rumstylin' extravaganza and a time that you will never forget.     I really hate it that my schedule will not allow me to attend, but you really need to try and make it.     He is playing this year both on April 1st and 2nd, so get your rooms, and passage to Great Guana Cay and "party like you were dieing".

All of us love this place and so will you once you've been there.     ;o)  

Why Do I Love Spring Break So Much?

     I keep asking myself why do I really enjoy spring break so much.      I guess it is because I enjoy watching and being around people who are not afraid of having a good time.     I guess I still like being around really cute young ladies as well.     Nevertheless, it is always my exit from winter and the start of the sunny time of year.     Seeing all of the kids really having fun and putting their school books down and partying hardy is really a good thing for all ages of people.     Several of my friends from the University of Florida stopped by yesterday to share in a few cocktails with me at the Rum Bar yesterday and it reminded me how fun a little "wreckless abandon" is especially if it is just for a few days or so.     This is a "rumstylers nirvana", a place to get away and let all the stress, fatigue, and other constraints vaporize into space and have some fun.

     These kids energize me as I'm buzzing around behind the bar trying to keep up with the drink orders and still be able to carry on something of a conversation with them.     If they aren't talking at light speed, they are texting friends at another venue, or sharing pictures with their friends.     The internet and smart phones are really helping to keep the friends closer than ever even when they in different parts of the city,untry or the world.     The other really fun part of spring break is the wide age spread, young and us old farts and everyone in between all sharing experiences and all having fun together.   

     This is why I live here in Key West, mutual respect and people that can really have fun at the same time.     There is no necessity to trash other people or property, just cut loose and have some fun.      The "single rule" philosophy really works (anything goes, as long as you don't hurt others in the process).     I think is this rule was followed as well in other parts of the world everyone would be having as much fun as we do in Key West.        Thanks to all the kids of Spring  Break 2011, keep up the good work and lets have a little bit of fun.     ;o)   

The Rum Bar becomes Official

     This evening at 5:30 the plaque proclaiming the Speakeasy Inn and Rum Bar building a historic landmark takes place.     This is a special honor for all of the people who have been a part of this colorful structure since it was first built in circa 1889.        In a previous article, I covered much of the history of this unique building ( 8 February, 2011), today is the day that we celebrate it's history.

     If you happen to be in the Key West area today , stop by the Speakeasy Inn and the Rum Bar and celebrate the plaque being presented at that time.     If you haven't seen the building or don't know anything about the history, you will have a chance to hear about it and have a cocktail or three in the tradition of Raul's speakeasy (The Florence Club).     Looking forward to seeing many of you and talking with you this afternoon.     ;o)

Cruising Spring Break Key West

     I find it interesting all that happens down here during the Spring Break time.     Yesterday I hopped on my scooter with camera in hand and started driving and walking around Key West to see what this is all about.     I find all the energy that the kid have very refreshing and fun to watch.     Many saw so many things at once that they didn't seem to know which one they really want to do first.
 Many rent scooters and this mobility carries them all over the island, horns blowing at every other scooter they meet and just having a lot of fun.     The one thing that all of them have in common is the huge smiles on their faces and a look of relief just being down here in the sun.

     Many of the others are busy meeting new friends and shopping on Duval Street.     You literally see thousands of kids introducing themselves to each other and going in and out of shops everywhere you look all over old town.
I find it amazing how much fun and how little strife there is as these kids intermingle while getting to know each other.    Even though there are a lot of rival schools present, it really doesn't seem to matter unlike it does back home.     Sure they are all proud of their school, but it isn't the pressing issue down here in the sunshine.

     The other thing I'm impressed with so far is the manners and the respect they are showing each other and the locals around Key West.     Unlike years past when things were being trashed by the revelers.     As a bartender, I really appreciate the polite manner in which they are conducting themselves in my place.     Yes the streets are jammed with people traffic is snarled, but people are having fun and not stepping on other peoples toes to badly as they party through the streets and beaches.    Keep up the good work and have yourselves a blast.       ;o)

Spring Break: Key West 2011



"Where the Boys Are" 1961

      It has descended upon us, Spring Break 2011.     This is a fun time of year for most of us down here in Key West, with in influx if thousands of college kids here to escape the chilly north and the pressures of school for a week or so.     This is a tradition of college students that was really kicked into high gear in 1961 with the movie "Where the Boys Are" that told the story of 4 Midwest college co-eds going to Fort Lauderdale for their spring vacation.      The adventures these gals have as they seek out romance and fun on their vacation.     This was a bit of a provocative movie for the day, but very tame by today's standards.     

      Anyway this is kind of the start of a tradition that still takes place today as thousands upon thousands of college kids head to the tropics and Key West for their spring breaks.     Key West provides a special attraction for the college kids these days because of the safety, close proximity, and it is in America.     This means no passports, border crossings of foreign police.     Key West with it's "live and let live" attitude allows these spring breakers to be themselves and not have to be worried about what people think about them.    

Key West offers large beaches with relative freedom to party and dance to loud music all day long and the Duval Street night life is hard to beat at any other venue.     Day time is a constant parade of bicycle, scooters, and pedestrians moving to and from the beaches, restaurants, and bars as these kids frolic in the tropical sunshine.     One of the gr e at phenomenon that takes place here in Key West is how the locals and the tourists seem to be able to blend and both enjoy the same spaces as the "normal" year-round party's just ramp up a bit for spring break.     2011 looks to be one of the bigger turn outs for Key West, because of the cold weather up North and even in northern Florida, and the additional safety issues in Mexico and other places, Key West seems to be the destination of choice this year.  

     Over the next few weeks I'll be covering "Spring Break 2011" as it is just getting underway and will continue til Easter.     Come along and join me as we get to see what this traditional migration is all about.   ;o)

Rumstylin to the Oldies



Callwood Still in Operation.

      The oldest continuously operated pot still in the world, having been in operation for more that 200 years.     Their rum is brewed from sugar cane juice rather than molasses.     This method according to Michael Callwood, current proprietor, is the best to produce a pure authentic rum.     Many claims of the medicinal properties of this style of rum, but there is not a shred of scientific proof that these clams are true.      The exact age of the distillery is not known, but based upon the architecture of the buildings it is thought to be from the mid 1700's.     The Callwood's have owned the distillery since the late 1800's and today it is still being operated by the Callwood's.



Oak barrels and Old Still

      The distillery is an operating museum of rum distillation with the demijohns, large glass bottles used to store white rum, the oak barrels used to age the amber rums, and the old burned out still in the store.     You can buy a bottle of Arundel Rum at the distillery, of which I do have one in my collection, or just taste it there in the distillery .     The collection of relics and the rum making operation seem to be one of the same.     Have seen some of the most modern of the rum distilleries, it is refreshing to go back in rum history and see the art of rum making being done in the old traditional way.

     Richard Callwood, a buccaneer from the 1800's, and owner of Little Thatch Island, bought the Arundel Estate on Cane Garden Bay for his son Richard, Jr.     The Estate is where the distillery is today.     Michael Callwood is a fourth generation Callwood to operate the distillery.     The next time you visit Cane Garden Bay, Tortola, British Virgin Islands, this is a must see for the true rumstyler.        Be sure and taste the rums especially the oer proof that is straight off of the stills.     ;o)

The American Tiki Hut

     As I boat around the canals and waterways here in Key West I occasionally come upon a Tiki Hut or two.     This picture that a friend of mine sent me recently reminds me, with daylight savings time starting next Saturday that it is time to clean up the back patio or tiki hut bar and get it ready for spring and summer rumstylin'.     Some of our Florida friends have already started having backyard parties already, but as the warm weather slowly pushed it's way back up north it is time to begin preparation.     

     I just love the stuff people find to put under the roof of their tiki huts.     I have a friend that has his decorated with a Landshark Surfboard, like the one in the picture, oars from a "Cuban Chug" ( refugee boat), fishing nets and floats, beer signs, and any other bits of nautical debris that has floated ashore and collected.     These tiki huts seem to be the location of some of the craziest and funest parties that I've ever attended.     There is something about a tiki hut, a warm afternoon or evening, and a bottle or two of your favorite rum that says PARTY loud and clear.    No matter where the tiki hut is, it takes you and your mind to a beautiful tropical location and hanging out on the beach.    Folks it don't get any better than that.     If you don't have one, just build yourself one, you won't regret it.     ;o) 

Rumstylin' with Plantation 20th Anniversary Barbados Rum

     Alexandre Gabriel the master blender at Cognac Ferrnad has released one of the finest yet from the Plantation collection.       This elegant rosewood colored rum has a viscosity and flavor that really stays with you long after the rum should have finished.     Gabriel's methodology of starting the aging process in Bourbon barrels the finishing it in the fine cognac barrels used in the production of the Cognac Ferrnad spirits has produced a very unique and high quality spirit.    

    20th Anniversary Plantation Extra Old Barbados Rum has an incredible bouquet that is carried straight to the pallet where the fruity spicy flavors come to life.    There is a distinctive finish that seems to last and last, making it easy to sit in the evening and sip this fine rum.    

     This is the flagship of the Plantation line of multi-matured rums that are brought to the French chateau from, Barbados, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Guyana, Panama, Grenada, Trinidad, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.     The process of aging in unique manners by Alexandre Gabriel and his people has produced a line of really outstanding rums that bring out each countries rum strengths and flavors.     If you haven't taken the opportunity to try this fine Plantation rum, then you need to add this one to the collection.     ;o)