Sunsets Make me Smile

There is nothing like a beautiful sunset from the back of the boat to make me smile and feel totally relaxed at the end of the day.     ;o)

The Train Came to Key West.

Old and the New Seven Mile Bridges

     It was called the Eighth Wonder of the World at the time and today the highway that it spawned is still right up there as an engineering marvel.     This was the Henry Flagler's idea to be able to take advantage of the United States closest deep water port the the Panama Canal and to take advantage of the Cuban and Latin American  trade potential.    





     Shortly after the announcement of the construction of the Panama Canal in 1905, Flagler became interested in connecting Key West to the Mainland.     Initially it was called "Flagler's Folly", but at it's completion in 1912 a proud Henry Flagler rode aboard his private rail car on the first train to Key West.     The project came with a steep price tag of money and very special engineering innovations.    There were three hurricanes that threatened the project, and a final price tag of more that $50 million.    

     The demise of the Overseas Railroad came on Labor Day, 1935 when a category 5 hurricane, later labeled "The Storm of the Century" devastated Long Key and the adjacent areas.     Much of the Overseas Railroad was heavily damaged by the storm as well as the Florida East Coast rescue train that was blown over with the exception of the locomotive by the storm surge.     The already bankrupt Florida East Coast Railway was unable to financially recover and rebuild the road bed and the bridges, so they sold the entire line to the State of Florida who built the Overseas Highway using the road bed.

     The impact of "Flagler's Folly" on the Keys sis still being felt today, from the ability to drive to and from the mainland and bring goods by truck on a daily basis is something that the Keys can not do without.       We will be looking at some of the other effects of the Overseas Railroad in future articles.     

Florida Caribbean Distillery:Florida's Giant Spirits Center

From the top of the fermentation tank you can see the size of the plant

     The Florida Caribbean Distillery,Winery, and Brewery is one of the most complicated operations of it's kind in the world.     These people do it all, distill, bottle, blend, flavor, brew beer, and make wine.     That is just touching the surface of what this operation can do.    If you want them to make you a "bottle, a bucket, a barrel, or a tanker truck load", they will be glad to work with you.    

      They have been responsible for the bottling of many very popular brands of rums for many years, as well as the flavoring of the rums they produce in the Caribbean.     They produce their own spirits as well that they distribute through their "Ron Carlos Brands" of rums and other varieties of liquors a well.     They are also a huge producer of wine based liquors to fill the needs of the "beer and wine" licensed bars and stores.     They produce the "Ice" beverages and "Mike's Hard Lemonade" for a multitude of brands.     This is one of those company's that have arms that reach into the spirit business wide and far.   

     Down to the nuts and bolts of the rum, you know the spirit that we all have a little bit of interest in.     They receive the bulk of the molasses from South and Central Florida sugar refiners, you can see this arrive by the tanker load all day long.     This molasses is processed through and combined with the proper yeast for the product that is being produced and the computer system that controls the entire process takes over and monitors and controls the rest of the process right down to the cleaning of the fermentation tank after the mash is sent to the distilling section of the operation.

     The computer system through all of it's sensors, servos, and operator really in the brains and the brawn of the fermentation, distillation, and the storage of the spirits.    Once the mash is fermented it is sent through a system of stainless steel pipes and pumps to storage tanks and then on to the still for the separation of the alcohol form the dregs.     The computer also controls the still and it's entire operation, from temperature control to the flow out of the still down to the storage units.    This is a good point to talk about the vast amount of waste materials that are left when the process of removing the alcohol is completed.     In the past we have seen operations that just pump the waste into the ocean and other places, but Florida Caribbean actually turns this into cattle feed and other useful products.    This is a very "Green" operation especially considering the enormous size and  volume of the waste materials.    Great to see an operation of this size so forward thinks to turn waste into profit.

     At this point the lab people take over sampling the batch and running analytical and sensory test on the batch to make sure that it matches the standards which they have to compare each run to.     When the standards of the lab have been met, they will send the batch to the bottling plant  where they are final filtered, flavored, bottled and packed for shipping.



Empty bottles headed to the filling machine

      The bottling operation is absolutely amazing, the can bottle 2 to 3 thousand plus bottles an hour when in full operation, that is a bunch of booze!    This nearly automated operation is a wonder to watch in operation.     The bottles go whizzing by you as you stand there and the fill just as quickly.     The bottles are whisked to the capping machine and then off to the labeler and into the batching area where they are boxed, palleted and sent to the warehouse for shipping.


Caps on headed for the labeling machine




Bottles being filled with a favorite rum


















     This plant is a wonder of automation that is interlaced with good people that fill the gaps between what the computers can control and what people can do a better job of.    This a perfect marriage that leads to huge production numbers as good quality products.    The "green operation" in a highly efficient plant is something that really makes this one of the outstanding operations that I have had the opportunity to visit.     
     By the way there is a new Spiced Rum coming from  Auburndale.     "Black Robert" is a well balanced and fine tasting rum that has a great potential in the cocktail market and I'm looking forward ti it's introduction in the very near future.     I also have to thank the people of the Florida Caribbean Distillery for their hospitality and taking the time to show us around the plant.     ;o)

Today We Look at Drum Circle Distillery

     Drum Circle Distillery is the small artisan distillery we visited on Monday.     This is a very unique operation run by Troy and Tom who are responsible for putting out some extraordinary rums.     The amazing part is that in a very short period of time this little distillery has won "Best in Class" at the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival for it's Siesta Key Silver Rum.      Now they have introduced a very nice gold rum and just about ready to release their new spiced rum.    By the way we did get the opportunity to taste the spiced rum at the distillery along with some of the newer rums right out of the aging barrels, very interesting experience, if you get the chance you need to try it.     "Barrel proofs" as they are called are at the 140 to 160 proof level at which rum is generally aged, giving you all of the taste as well as the "kick" of an overproof spirit.





Note the pipe leading to the Column Still from the pot still



     The real difference  with the artisan style of rum making is that there is a personal touch to each and every bottle of rum that leaves the distillery.     Tom and Troy are there to monitor the fermenting of the molasses, the distilling of the spirits, right down to the hand bottling and labeling of each bottle from start to finish.     Their Still is also very unique in that it is a pot still and a column still combined.     The process begins in the pot still and then the output is piped over to the column still to finish the process.       They also can produce just pot stilled spirit by bypassing the column still.      Once the spirit distillation is completed, it is either placed in barrels (the gold rum) until aging of the rum is complete or it is taken to he blending area where purified, finished by osmosis water is added to bring the rum down to it's 80 proof level.     Then the rum is ready to be bottled.





     The bottling process is done with a 4 bottle hand unit that they spend  the day operating to fill and then hand label each of the bottles before placing them in cases and palatalizing them for shipment.     This is a process that takes a couple of days to bottle and label a batch of rum.   



New Spiced Rum Label



     All and all this is a very labor intensive process that is done with a lot of dedication and passion.     The pride in the quality of their product is evident at every level of the process.     Their excitement as they pour a sample for us to taste and watching their eyes light up as we give an approving nod after tasting the rums.     All of us were impressed with the the passion with which they pursue the excellence of their rums.     By the way the new spiced rum is a very exciting product as well, the spice is done differently that most and the results do show.    You can start to watch at your favorite bars and liquor stores for this new Siesta Key Spiced Rum in the near future.     For those of you in the Key West area you will be able to try some just as soon as it is released or who knows maybe sooner at the Rum Bar on Duval Street.   



Sample of rum right off the still

      Well done guys and I wish you all the best and we really want to see this brand take-off and fly.     ;o)






Nothing like spirits right off the still

     

Rum from Florida.?



Boarding the Cape Air plane

     Yes there is an incredible amount of rum being produced in Central Florida.     Our two day trip through the Drum Circle and the Florida Caribbean Distilleries was an eye opener for all of us Rum XP's.



Drum Circle Distillery



Troy & Tom with their Still

      Mike Streeter and I boarded the "Captain Tony" Cape Air plane for Fort Myers early on Monday morning and it was off on our little adventure.     After arriving in Sarasota and getting settled into my friend's boat (our crash pad for the night), we were off the the Drum Circle Distillery.      Drum Circle is one of the fast growing and very popular small artisan distilleries  that have popped up around the industry.     These are the "mom & pop" small plants with very talented distillers and blenders that seem to be able to create very high quality rums and spirits.     Drum Circle is no exception, and they have the awards to prove it, winners of the "Best in Class" at the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival in 2011.    They are continuing to develop new and very fine rums from this fine little facility. 



Some of the brands made or bottled here



     On Tuesday morning we arrived at the Florida Caribbean Distillery and a HUGE eye opening experience and in full contrast to the small plant that we visited on Monday.     This is a full on liquor, wine, and beer facility.     The distill spirits by the ocean load, not to mention the bottling and other creative things they are doing at the "Most complex spirit operation anywhere".    Instead of seeing the entire operation in three small rooms we traveled around several acres of equipment to see where spirits come out of the still like a "fire hose" instead of a slow trickle.     The fermentation and the distillation are all handled by a computerized system that keeps everything consist ant and virtually non-stop.     The fermentation is done in batches, but the stills are run 24-7, keeping the flow of the spirits flowing from the plant non-stop.   



Part of the fermentation process



     This plant is also very "green" in it's operation, the leftovers from fermentation are turned into cattle feed and they make wine from the rinds and pulp from a local orange juice concentrator, among the many interesting things they do to make use of all of the waste from the process.    I commend them for this policy, not only is it a profit center when done properly, but it helps keep the landfills, streams, and especially in this area, the everglades clean from the industrial waste. 



The laboratory





     Next we are taken to the laboratory that tells how well and consistent the products and through many electronic and tasting methods to ensure the consistency of the products they are producing.    As we are moved into the lab and bottling areas we are required to dawn hairnets and safety glasses for our and the product's protection.     In stark contrast to the filling of four bottles at a time at Drum Circle, this plant can fill nearly a thousand  an hour under the proper conditions. 



Bottles being filled



      The two plants are in stark contrast to each other, but both provide services that make the industry and the rum so interesting, not only to drink, but to admire the unique ways that it is produced.     I'll bee focusing a bit closer of both of these facilities in the next few days and the differences in the ways that they produce the products, but a little bit if the differences in where they are heading  with the products and production of them.     Oh, we did get to have dinner at Trader Vic's in Sarasota as well.     ;o)



Look Out Drum Circle Distillery Here We Come

     The Rum XP's are on the move again this morning.     A bunch of us are all converging on Sarasota, Florida for a tour of the Drum Circle Distillery makes of the fine Siesta Key Rums.     All of us are looking forward to seeing the facilities and learning what they are up to there and what new products are on the horizon.     The distillery tours are always informative and gives us a clear view of what they are thinking and a chance to taste some of their new products.     With our stories and pictures we are able to help with the introduction and fill in the blanks on the older products as well.

     After our tour we are headed for Trader Vic's in Sarasota for dinner and a few of the famous Polynesian Cocktails.     This is surely one of the highlights of the trip, and a part I'm really looking forward to.     I haven't been to a Trader Vic's since the 60's in San Francisco, this is going to be a real treat.      This group always causes something to happen where ever we go so lets see what kind of trouble we can stir up in Sarasota.

     Tuesday morning it is off to Lake Alfred and the Florida Caribbean Distillery for a tour of that facility.     They are the makes of several rums and other spirits.   

     I won't be writing any more reports til Wednesday morning when I return to Key West.     I am staying on a friend's boat at Long Bow Key and there are no internet facilities there     I'll give you a full report of the trip on Wednesday.      ;o)

This is the proper way to spend a Sunday in paradise

The Bacardi Cocktail/Daiquiri: Another Proprietary Cocktail

      The "Bacardi Cocktail" like the "Dark and Stormy" is a proprietary cocktail.     Like the "Dark and Stormy", the "Bacardi Cocktail" spent some time in the courtroom.     In 1936 the Bacardi Company brought before the courts several bar owners that were substituting another rum in their "Bacardi Cocktails".     The American version of the "Bacardi Cocktail" had grenadine, but the original did not, and this was a big part of the discussion in the courtroom as to the proprietary nature of the recipe.    Bacardi was really only interested in one thing with it's actions and that was that a b"Bacardi Cocktail" was to be made with Bacardi Rum.     Bacardi received an affirmative  ruling from the New York Supreme Court stating that "Bacardi Cocktails must be made with Bacardi Rum".

     The earliest written records of the "Bacardi Cocktail" go back to 1917 in Hugo Ensslin's "Recipes for Mixed Drinks".   In Ensslin's book, the recipe is the early Cuban version of the cocktail was basically the same as the Daiquiri.

• 1 drink Bacardi Rum
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 2 dashes Gum Syrup (Simple syrup with gum arabic added to smooth and emulsify)

Shake well in a mixing glass with cracked ice, strain and serve.

     Bacardi put out a booklet in 1930 called "BACARDI Algunos De Sus Muchos Usos" a name that roughly translated means "Bacardi some of it's many uses".     In this book there is a change in the recipe for the "Bacardi Cocktail".

• Juice of half a lime

• 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 oz Bacardi White

Mix thoroughly, then shake well in cracked ice.     May be served strained or unstrained.    Important Do Not alter the order of the ingredients.
This is the real change that separated the Daiquiri from the cocktail when it could be served unstrained.    

     In America a "red" version of the Bacardi Cocktail  was originated in New York, this one containing grenadine.

• 1 1/2 oz Bacardi White Rum
• the juice of 1/2 lime

• 1 bar spoon of Grenadine Syrup

Shake all ingredients in a mixing glass and strain into a cocktail glass.

Whether you serve the cocktail as a daiquiri, a cocktail, or unstrained over cracked ice, this is a delicious cocktail that stands alone as one of the very early classic cocktails of the world.    It also makes sense that a "Bacardi Cocktail/Daiquiri" be made with Bacardi Rum seeing how it bears the name of the rum.    Whether you like red or original just get out and enjoy this wonderful cocktail.     ;o)

The Dark and Stormy: Corporate Trademark, or Cocktail

     One of the more refreshing drinks in the tropical menu is a "Dark and Stormy, but Gosling's pursuit of absolute control of the cocktail and it's ingredients has taken much of the luster off this fine drink.    
  
     Let's start by looking at the history of the "Dark and Stormy".     As the story goes, the Gosling Brothers made a dark bitter rum that the Royal Navy in the 1860's bought for its sailors.     At the same time the Royal Navy had access to a "Ginger Beer" ( Containing up to 11% alcohol at the time) that was produced by Mead & Metheglin in England.      It has been said that a sailor had poured some dark navy rum into a glass containing ginger beer and "whala", he was quoted as saying, "there isn't a sailor that would sail under that dark cloud".     With that story in mind and the fact that the rum was more than likely a Gosling dark rum, the rest of the story unfolds.

     It seems that because Gosling has trademarked the "Dark and Stormy", a bar that doesn't make the drink to their recipe can be sued.     I can understand the principle, but sometimes you have to choose your battles if you really feel that you product is not as good as someone else's, then improve your product and don't stifle the creativeness of the bartenders that choose to sell your product or not.     In 2009 Zaya ran an ad that recommended the use of their rum in a "Dark and Stormy" to which Gosling using their two U.S. Patents and Trademarks as ammo made threats that were stated as"they we are going to persue compensation from Zaya rum for the ad that was placed in Imbibe".     It is not known if it went any farther than threats, but this is not a good public realations move in such a competitive game.    The sad part of all this is it really in't necessary because Gosling's is the only rum that has that taste to make a really proper "Dark and Stormy".

     The "Dark and Stormy" is a unique drink that gets it's taste from Gosling's Black Seal Rum, and any other rum used in it's place is not a "Dark and Stormy".     That is what make it the distinctive cocktail that it is and not the "trademark".     Thor early "Dark and Stormy's" were made using Barritt's Ginger Beer until the partnership with Barritt's dissolved for an unknown reason and Gosling made their own "Gosling's Stormy Ginger Beer.    It is a good thing that the ginger beer isn't specified in the recipe.     The real issue is if you substitute another liquor or add an ingredient to this recipe don't call it a "Dark and Stormy".    

     The Dark and Stormy:

• 2 oz. Gosling's Black Seal Rum
• top off with Ginger Beer

In a tall glass filled with cracked Ice add the Gosling's and top with Ginger Beer.    Garnish with a lime wedge.   Even the Garnish is not part of the official recipe.

     Ther is only 1 other "Brand Specific" cocktail that I know of and that is the "Bacardi Cocktail" and I'll have to persue it's history and story in another article.     Meantime just get out and enjoy one of the fine tropical and refreshing "Dark and Stormy" cocktails at you favorite bar or even at home.    ;o)

Odd, Did you See What I Saw?



Dogs that drink at Bars



People riding hammerheads



That is a head of Hair

Key West is a funny town with some very odd things happening.     Everything from dogs that  drink at bars, people that ride hammerheads, and a host of other odd things that people do here in Key West.     We are an interesting group of people here in the southernmost city, wee ride bicycles and scooters, and have been known to do very strange things  for no apparent reason.     In other words we are not afraid to have a good time and let life happen spontaneously. 



Now this is a parrot head

      Many times we might just be walking down the street and a parrot land on your head, or you walk into a store and find a new wig, all things are fun if you look at them from the right angle.     We have chickens, cats, dogs and some very strange people here and we love them all.



The Catman of Mallory Square



     How about cats jumping through hoops, chickens that have the right of way on the streets, and a flock of motor scooters that buzz around everywhere.  



BO's Fish Wagon



     You know this is a very nice little key that is just plain fun to live on.     Where else is a diner, an eclectic pile of rusting automobiles and stuff, and an anchor lying in the square?    I guess we're just lucky and happy to be silly and have a little fun at the same time.      It's funny, because this silliness is contagious in that it seems to be caught by the visitors as well.    Stop by Key West and join our rumstyle of fun and giggles.   ;o)