Happy Mother's Day

     This is the day that we honor our mothers with flowers and love.  Don't forget your mother on this very special day.    Happy Mothers Day Mom, and here are some special flowers from paradise.  ;o)

Sammy Hagar's Beach Bar Rum

      Sammy's Beach Bar Rum, first launched in Hawaii in early 2012  has finally reached Florida and the Keys.   We got our first bottles this week at the Rum Bar in Key West this week.  This is a premium silver rum that is a fine addition to your collection for mixing of premium cocktails.   This is great in Mai Tai's, Mojito's or Tiki style drinks, but not the best I've ever had as a mixer with cola though.

Sammy Hagar

     As the rock front man for the supergroup Van Halen for many years, Sammy Hagar today is still touring with his new group "Chickenfoot" and an entrepreneur with restaurants / clubs world wide.   Sammy's Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and the chain of Sammy's Beach Bar and Grill is in Hawaii, Las Vegas, New York City, St. Louis, and now Roseville, California.   Sammy's Beach Bar and Grill's donate all of their profits to the Hagar Family Foundation to help local community children's charities.   Sammy says "You will never stand taller that when you kneel to help a child", and that sums up why he is so involved in the children's charities.  

Mark Nigbur and his unique post stills

      The world-wide success of Cabo Wabo Tequila has led Sammy to venture into the world of rum and specificly Sammy's Beach Bar Rum.    Sammy's Beach Bar Rum is created from the first crushing of Virgin Maui sugarcane.  Using a one of a kind artisan pot stilled process to distill the rum, Master Blender, Mark Nigbur has created an cachaca style unaged product.   The rum is unaged and has that grassy aroma the is very indicative of cachaca's and a very unique flavor that is also similar.  This 80 proof rum that has a smoothness that is a characteristic of aged rum, and with their plans to start aging the rum in the future, it will only further improve.    Both Mark and Sammy are proud of the fact that the rum is made only from Maui sugarcane and the size of the run each year will be determined by the amount of sugarcane available on Maui. ;o)

Thinking of Venezuela and Rum

   Last year I spent a very interesting week in Venezuela with some very special people.   The country is so beautiful, and some of the finest rums in the world are produced there.   Looking toward the mountains and the valleys you are taken to a new level of beauty.    The cane fields to the vegetation to the sheer beauty of the mountains are all a part of this country.   



Tito Cordero

    The climate is also perfect for producing sugar cane and thus a perfect place to make rum.   There are many places on earth that produce rum, but there are few around that overall produce more top quality premium rums like Venezuela.     Whether it be Diplomatico, Santa Teresa, Ocumare, or Pampero, you will find these rums to have extraordinary flavor.     I feel that there are so many great "Maestro Roneros" here and when I think about fine rum in Venezuela, Tito Cordero always come to mind.   It is these fine people that do the blending and control all the aspects of the rum making that make these rums so special.  

    The next time you are in a rum super store, take the time to search out some of these fine Venezuelan rums and take them home for your personal pleasure some afternoon or evening.   The Ambassador is a high end choice, but one you won't soon forget.   ;o)

Hemingway and his Beloved Pilar

Ad for the Wheeler Playmate

Pilar underway off Cuba

     It is said that there is no greater friend than a man's boat, and Pilar was Ernest Hemingway's one true love to whom he was always true.     After returning from safari in Africa in 1934, Ernest Hemingway was headed to the Wheeler Shipyard in Brooklyn, New York to buy his 38 foot fishing boat.   Hemingway was as creative in boat design as he was as an author, putting innovations like the roller on the stearn and the "tuna tower" that were addid to the basic "playmate".   This is where the story of Hemingway and Pilar really begins.  Pilar would become Hemingway's very special place when things were at their best and at their worst.   The boat truly was his best friend and constant companion.   Something the people around him could not offer him like the time that he and Captain Fuentes spent on Pilar.  

Hemingway and Captain Fuentes

     There was another side of Hemingway that wasn't seen on land.  This was Hemingway's place to act out all of his fantasies if you will.  He could be the gracious host, or the biggest boor, he could be a hero, just about anything he wanted to be.   According to Paul Hendrickson, author of "Hemingway's Boat", "If you learn everything that happened on that boat you'll get his entire life".   

Pilar prior to most recent restoration at Finca

    Pilar has had a rugged life as well,  she was found in
1965 in pretty rough condition and a restoration brought her back to life in 1965, but was left sitting until 1987 when she underwent more substantial repairs was placed in a garage at Finca la Vigia.    In the past decade, she has undergone a very thorough restoration and a relamination of the hull, as there were serious question about the stability of her structure.    Today she is in pretty fair condition for a 79 year old lady of the sea.   This little fishing boat has become a very special part of American Maritime History, and due to politics we are not able to help with the maintenance of this fabled piece of history.    Thanks to the Cuban Historic Trust, both Pilar and Finca la Vigia have been maintained and are open to guests.  There is a lot more that could be done, but that is in the hands of politicians and not "we the people", funny how that goes.    

    Here is the shot that I took of Pilar last year on the grounds of Finca la Vigia.   She is really looking quite fine, and it was a thrill to be able to walk around and shoot the pictures of her.  

    I can really agree with Hendrickson in that your boat is such an important part of a man's life.  My little dinghy that I travel around the islands and waters of the keys feels that way to me as well.  It really doesn't worry if I'm happy, sad, joyous or depressed, it is there and performs for me taking me on my next adventure and finds me new places and things to see and write about.   ;o)

Back to the Bar Wednesday

     After two days off from the bar, today is back to the fun and excitement of Duval Street and the ongoing party  that is the Rum Bar here in Key West.    I find it very interesting that even after some four and a half years at the bar it is still a lot of fun.   You never know who is going to walk through the door and sit down.  I think that is what makes it so much fun.    Who knows what today will bring and how much fun I'll have serving my guests today.

     Just like every morning brings a new and different presentation of the day as the sun comes up over the marina, the Rum Bar offers new adventures in bar tending.     Key West is the most colorful place that I have ever lived and the people never cease to amaze me with their quirky antics and love of life.   The combination of tourists, locals and the karma of the town make this career a forever morphing life.   I guess it is that I just wonder how it is that I am so lucky to be able to enjoy this life down here and still make a living.    I guess it is not my place to question my lot in life, but rather to live it while I'm still here to enjoy it.  ;o)

Panama Red Comes to Town

Panama Red

     Last night was my wife Marta's birthday party here in the marina.   We had a very unique visitor for the party that made the party very exciting.   This exciting Panamanian Redhead lit up the evening.    No, I'm not in trouble for bringing the lovely lady that was the legendary dancer and owner of "Cantina Roja's", but a bottle of Panama Red Rum.   

"Red Sky's at Night"

     This is one of the new wave of bold rums that go back to the roots of rum making and another one of the fine rums made in the Cuban style of rum making by Francisco "Don Pancho" Fernandez.   Panama Red is a bold 108 proof full bodied rum that boasts flavor and aroma that keeps the party going all night long.   It was fun introducing the "redhead" to my friends last night, although she didn't last very long.    The group really enjoyed her as rum on the rocks and as a mixer.   This versatile redhead will really surprise you, even though she is an overproof, her smoothness and flavor will astound you.

     This one has a mahogany "roja" amber color with incredible long legs as well.  Her aromas of honey, vanilla, oak and dried fruit lure you to her like Panama Red drew the sailors to "Cantina Roja's".    On the palate, she is warm and bold with a sweetness and notes of spice and the barrel.   There is an earthiness that is very distinct that appears in the back of your mouth and the finish is smooth with a long slow fade that is a reminder of the flavors from the palate.

   To say the very least, Panama Red was the hit of the evening and one lady that Key West will not soon forget.   Looking forward to partying again soon with this "lovely redhead".   ;o)

Ron Barcelo Imperial Premium Blend Wins Second Gold in a Month

     Ron Barceló Imperial Premium Blend 30 Anivesario strikes gold on both coats in the United States.   In Mid April it was crowned with Best in Class in the Premium Category at the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival and this week it was crowned with Double Gold as Best Extra-Aged Rum at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

     This is another of the presentations of the Barceló Family's fine super premium expertise.  These are private reserves of their fine ten year old Imperial set aside for an additional 2 years of aging in selected white oak barrels.  The oak barrels have different degrees of toasting and sources providing the tools for Miguel Barceló to create his masterpiece.   This is his signature rum, celebrating the Imperial line that he first created in 1980.    There are only 9000 bottles made each year of this premium blend made each year and only about 600 bottles will be available here in the United States.


     During its 12 years in barrels, Imperial Premium Blend 30 achieves an intense amber mahogany color.  The notes of fruit, vanilla, and chocolate on the nose draw you straight to the flavors of nuts, mocha and crème brulee on the palate.  It finishes long and smoothly with an oaky toffee sweetness that lingers for what seems like forever.    Imperial is presented at 43% alcohol by volume making this a very bold rum that still carries all the flavors and characteristics that the true rum enthusiast will appreciate.

    Each bottle is hand numbered and presented with an engraved wood stand and is sold at about $120.00 a bottle.    Ron Barceló Imperial Premium Blend 30 is available in Florida, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.   It is soon expected to be available in other states soon.     ;o)

The Rums of Venezuela

  

     The Rums of Venezuela Booth at last month's Miami Rum Renaissance Festival was one of my favorites.  Not only were all of the rums that comes from Venezuela wonderful, but the people that man or should I say woman it were equally wonderful.   Give some of the lesser known here in America rums of Venezuela a try you will be impressed.  ;o)

Sunshine and Some Lifted Spirits

    Today is one of those beautiful Key West days when you step out on the dock to a nice breeze and a blue sky.  These are the days we live here for, they put a bounce in you step and a smile on your face as you saunter down the docks and up to the office.   I'm watching the charter fishing boats headed out for the day and the azure colors of the water as they blend with the blue sky and I try to talk myself into going into the office to write the blog this morning.   After the weather this week has provided, this is what the doctor called for.

   As I stand here just eying the sky, I caught the unusual wings of a Frigate bird making lazy circles in the sky a few hundred yards away, as I continued to watch, he kept circling closer and closer.   These are amazing birds that are found all over
the Caribbean, and along the Pacific Side of Central and South America.  They are the most efficient fishermen, yet look like something right out of prehistoric times.   This is a huge bird with a body that is about 39 inches long and a wingspan of nearly 85 inches.

     The Frigate Bird feeds mostly on fish, but is somewhat of a pirate as well.  Known to attack other sea birds and get them to drop their catch and then scoop it up, "steal the booty" if you will.   Kind of fitting a "pirate bird" in the land of the pirates and other scoundrels.  I find the bird to be one of my favorites, I've seen them in Mexico, Panama. Venezuela, Trinidad, Barbados, Virgin Islands and many other destinations  I've visited in the tropical waters.

    Anyway it is a day here in Key West that has really lifted my spirits and got me ready for a fun day down at the Rum Bar in a few hours.   If you are in the area today, stop on by and say hey, or head out and enjoy the sunshine, it is really great for the spirits as well.  ;o)

Fording the "Duval River" in Key West

 


















 Key West experienced an onslaught of rain against a high tide yesterday resulting in street flooding on Duval Street and other places.    Not that uncommon in  heavy rains, but let the quirky Key West residents take hold and it becomes an adventure of Paddle Boarding, Kayaking, and wading.    This rather unusual storm stalled over Key West yesterday for about 4 or more hours dropping several inches of rain.   Thanks to many of my Key West Friends we have pictures of all of the excitement on the North end of Duval Street yesterday.     I hate it, but I was inside keeping my customers happy that had escaped the rains and were partying with me inside at the Rum Bar.  Terrible, hate it, NOT!.  

     By sunset, most of the street flooding had subsided and the 15th Annual Songwriter's Convention was underway again like nothing ever happened.  I just love Key West and all the people that live and visit us down here.  We are all pirates and crazy adventuresome lunatics that really know how the make the most out of any situation.   Not many places can you kayak Duval Street by day and dance in the streets by night.  Life here is awesome.  ;o)

Ron and Don Part II

     The ever active Don Pancho Fernandez has joined up again with Ron Jeremy to create a new Spiced Rum.    The original collaboration produced a fine seven year old aged rum.  This is not another of the celebrity named spirits that have covered the market in the past few years.  I do have to admit this one is not just a distillate with sugar and vanilla added and a celeb name put on the label.   Bringing in Don Pancho as the Master blender for this rum is a masterful move, what we have here is a fine traditional Cuban style rum.   The original offering was not at all what people expected. it had a nose of dried fruit, spice and a bit of sugarcane to act as a lure to get you to taste this one.  On the palate it wasn't too sweet, but has a full flavor of spice and dried fruit that the nose drew you in with.  The finish is no joke, it is of good length with a clear taste of oak and spice coming through and a hint of the sugarcane reappearing again.  

     The Spiced Rum is also a serious Don Pancho creation, the rum is three to five years old and is flavored with fresh French Vanilla and other spices macerated and blended into the rum.  This is a serious spiced rum for the Captain and whatever kids that want to move into the adult world of rums.

    If you are of the aged or spiced rum persuasion, both of these rums are well though out and the blending and making of them is another masterpiece of the 72 year old Legend of Cuban style Rums Francisco "Don Pancho" Fernandez.   Don't let a celebrity face on this bottle give you second thoughts, the contents are of the highest quality and a fine rum for the money.   Try it you will be surprised.  ;o)

Sailing Around Key West

     The waters around Key West are perfect for sailing, there is almost always a good breeze and the waters open enough to have some room to play.   So it might get a little crowded during the yacht races, but overall, this is a very nice place for sailing.   

    Once a year the racing yachts come to Key West for the  annual regatta, then things get a bit crowded out to the southwest of the island, but otherwise it is smooth sailing here in the area.

The sunny days sailing on the waters around Key West can be fun, being a power boater myself, I still do enjoy a day our sailing around in the silence of the wind propulsion.   It is hard to describe, but slowly sliding through the waves and the sails filled is a pretty good feeling.    You can travel all over and all at the expense of the wind, a commodity that we have a pretty good supply of here in the keys.    

     There are many excursions out of Key West that will carry you out on the briny and let you experience the joy of gliding through the water on the wind.   Take any one of these and enjoy it the next time you come down to Key West for a visit.   The thrill will be one that you will not soon forget.   ;o)

Debonaire Coffee Rum

Phillip S. Zanghi III

     Debonaire Rum and Debonaire Cigars are two of the finest anywhere.   Phillip S. Zanghi III has brought his Cigar business together with some fine rums created by Don Pancho Fernandez gives this combination a 1 2 punch, that is just what the cigar smoker and rum drinker loves, a great cigar to go with a great rum.   He has a 5 Years, an 8Year, a 15 Year and a 21 Year old premium rum.    The combination of the fine rums and the fine cigars will fill an evening after a fine dinner.

     There are two other unique rums from Don Pancho as well.  There is a honey rum and a absolutely wonderful coffee rum.   During the Grand Tasting, Gayle Seale and a few of her friends were looking for my coffee morning cocktail.   I managed to come up with all of the ingredients that were necessary and they got to enjoy the cocktails   The real special part I the Debonaire Coffee rum, this is macerated from real coffee beans and has the aroma and taste of real good Cuban coffee.  This will be a must have in the Rum Lab and in the Rum Bar in Key West when it arrives here in Florida.




Bahama Bob"s Coffee Delight

• 1 1/2 Oz. Debonaire Coffee Rum
• 3/4 Oz. Vizcaya Cask 21 Rum
• 2 Oz. Half and Half

Place all of the ingredients in a shaker and shake until chilled and pout over fresh ice in a rocks glass.  Garnish with ground hard chocolate.  or fresh nutmeg.

The Real McCoy: The Rum and the Man.

    William McCoy, born in Syracuse, New York in 1877.   This is the man, son of a brick mason, Civil War Union Navy man and he graduated top of

Captain Bill McCoy

his class at the Pennsylvania Nautical School on board the USS Saratoga.   Captain Bill McCoy served as quartermaster and mate aboard many vessels among them was the steamer Olivette.  Bill was aboard the Olivette in the Havana Harbor when the USS Maine Exploded in 1898.   Bill and his brother Ben were residents of Holly Hill, Florida, a coastal town just north of Daytona.  There they operated a freight and excursion boat business and built yachts for the likes of the Carnegie's and the Vanderbilt's and others.

    During Prohibition the brothers fell on hard times and decided to get into the rumrunning business.  They soon sold their business and moved to Gloucester, Massachusetts.  They bought the Schooner Henry L. Marshall and began smuggling whiskey from Nassau and Bimini in the Bahama's, to the east coast of the United States.  They spent most of their time on "Rum Row" off of Long Island, New York.  After several successful trips Bill bought the Schooner Arethusa, and placed it under British Registry to avoid the restrictions of a US Vessel.  Bill renamed her "Tomoka" after a river near Holly Hill.  Bill wound up operating up to 7 vessels.  Bill was also credited with inventing the "Burlock" a burlap package that would hold 6 bottles, and was an economical way to stow and handle the bottles of liquor.    The legend of the McCoy's grew as his high quality liquor and fair pricing perpetuate the phrase "It's the Real McCoy".    The McCoys continued their operation until the capture on the "Tomoka" on November 23, 1923 in International waters.   After serving 9 months in jail, the returned to Florida and invested in real estate, and continued with the boat building business.

     Today we have been introduced to a new rum bearing the same honesty as the name implies.  The Real McCoy Rum is the brain child of Bailey Pryor, the man who was responsible for the documentary on the life and the legend of Captain Bill McCoy.   He wanted a rum that would live up to the legend and the quality that McCoy would  have been proud to sell.    In this vein, he contacted Richard L. Seale in Barbados and the rum was conceived.   This is an authentic rum, properly aged with the flavors, color and quality that is truly "The Real McCoy".

     The rum is a pale amber with delicate aromas of fruit, nuts, spices and wood.  The aromas complement the flavors on the palate, and it finishes in a long and subtly toasted nutty flavors. 

     The rum is available now in Connecticut, but I hope soon it will be here in Florida where we can start enjoying it.   I will keep you informed as to its arrival here at the Rum Bar.   ;o)

Sunday Morning's Pastels

   Sunday Morning  just as the sun begins to rise here in Key West always provides us with some amazing colors to brighten my day

 

 

Who has $1200 for a Bottle of Rum?

   Papa Andres is a fabulous Rum named for the founder of Brugal.  There are only 500 decanters of this fine rum produced a year and are sold mostly at "Duty Free Stores" for a mere $1200.00 for each decanter.  The proceeds from the sale of Papa Andres all go to the Brugal Foundation.

     Papa Andres has a dry profile and was made to satisfy the tastes of the family.   Created from the best casks in the bodegas of resting rums.  There are white oak and PX, and Sherry casks that hold this rum and they are carefully blended to bring the flavor the family so desires.

      Tasting the elegance of the rum is a pure and unadulterated pleasure.   The rich mahogany amber color of the rum leads you to the complex aromas of dried fruit, caramel and wood.  Once on the palate, this velvety rum exhibits subtle sweetness of a very well balanced rum.  The long, dry and smooth finish leaves you with a very special warmth from the whole experience.

     Expensive yes, but well worth the money for the memorable experience.   ;o)

Something about My Friend: Francisco "Don Pancho" Fernandez

Francisco "Don Pancho" Fernandez Perez.

    It is an honor to be able to call Don Pancho my friend.   This is a gentleman that has put his entire life into the betterment of rum as a category and the making of ultra premium rums.   His career spans some fifty years beginning in Cuba and today the pride on Panama's rum industry.

     His career began working with his father a wine and spirit merchant.   Don Pancho earned a degree in Microbiology in Cuba, but like so many of us, found that his passion for rum directed his life to follow a different path.  He was the drive behind the  creation of some of the finest rums in the world.   Working with Don Ramon Fernandez Corrales as a mentor, he learned the "Carta Blanca" method as a basis of creating aged rums used throughout the world today.  
He is also credited with the modernization of the Cuban rum industry while working for notable distilleries like Havana Club and Matusalem.   Known as the "Minister of Cuban Rum" and the "Director of the Cuban Beverage Industry", he was responsible for the training of the master blenders for distilleries around the world today.     He is also well versed in the art of whiskey, vodka and wines making as well.   The training of the "Maestros Roneros" in Cuba and the rest of the world owe the vast experience and passion of Don Pancho for the excellent rums that come from Cuba and many other places these days.  After 50 years of making rum and many international awards he is still in the prime of his creativity.



Olli Hietalahti, Don Pancho Fernandez and Carlos Esquivel

     After leaving Cuba he went to work for Verela Hermanos (Abuelo Rum) in the early 90's.  He became the Master Blender for Varela Hermanos, having a very big influence on the company's rum quality.   There he became very well known and an influence on the growth of the brand.  He also was reunited with his old friend Carlos Esquivel. 

     The discovery of an old distillery sitting in disrepair  just a few miles from the Valera Hermanos Distillery in Las Cabras de Pese, Herrera.    The renovation into one of the best distilleries of the world.  Today they are producing rum for 6 brands.   The latest of which is Don Pancho's own "Origenes Rums".   With names like Zafra, Panama Red, Panamonte, Debonaire, Casa Brava and Bohemio being made at PILSA with the watchful skills of Don Pancho and his long time friend and associate Carlos Esquivel the Las Cabras Distillery and Francisco "Don Pancho" Fernandez are only beginning to hit their stride and setting the standards for quality rums. ;o)

The Varied Moods of the Sea

Absolutely beautiful as she awakens in the morning

    My world is surrounded by water.  I find it to be a very warm and wonderful place in which to live.   "Mother Mother Ocean" as Jimmy Buffett says in his song, I think best describes her.  She is a lady of beauty, strength and many moods.  Her beauty is splendid as she awakens in the morning.  The colors of morning will hold your attention and have you marveling in her beauty.





 When she gets on the move with her tides and the wind she can be a terror as well.  The surf as it beats upon the shore can tear the land to shreds.  She can attack with a very impressive amount of force the spouts up as to let you know just how much power she really possesses.   Whether this be a small wave over some rocks on the shore, or attacking huge cliffs, she will hit with a wallop.

     The days when she really gets cranky and storms around , these days can be her most beautiful and scary at the same time.  Her colors and fearsome power during a storm make her the most exciting thing I have ever seen.   Just take some time and get to know the "other woman" that fills my heart with warmth, joy and fear.  ;o)