What is so Magic about 21 Years Old

     For many years, liquor could be served through out many American states at the age of 18.  Today every state in the union has a minimum drinking age of 21.  How did this come about?   For years the question of states rights was the dominant theme for what age was right for each state, but as the Federal Government started demanding that the minimum age be raised to 21, there were several states that really didn't want to change their laws.   Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984, which required states to raise their ages for purchase and public possession to 21 by October 1986 or lose 10% of their federal highway funds. By mid-1988, 49 states and the District of Columbia had raised their purchase ages to 21, but Louisiana was the last to relent in 1996.

     Today the feds are up to the same pressures on the territories.   The Puerto Rican Government ifs feeling the threat of our financial threats to change their minimum drinking age as well.  Guam has already raised it's minimum age to 21.

     In a article in the Caribbean Business tells of the same financial pressures being put on Puerto Rico.  

     "A Puerto Rico lawmaker has filed legislation to raise the island's legal drinking age to 21, arguing that keeping it at 18 has cost tens of millions in lost federal funds and increases alcohol-related problems. 

     "The consequence of allowing alcohol consumption at 18 years of age in Puerto Rico is receiving 10 percent less federal funds for security on the highways," Popular Democratic Party Rep. Carlos Vargas told EFE. "But on top of the economic issue is the social issue -- the risks and consequences that come from consuming alcohol at such a young age." 

     Puerto Rico gets about $120 million annually in federal transportation funding. However, the island loses about $11 million annually for failing to increase the drinking age to 21 from 18 and bypasses another $9 million for not passing legislation outlawing open alcoholic containers in automobiles. 

     Puerto Rico recently enacted legislation lowering the blood-alcohol level to define what is considered drunk driving, a move that freed up some $12 million annually. 

     Read More at  http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/news/bill-would-raise-pr-drinking-age-to-21-90822.html 

 

     I'm not trying to disagree with the idea of 21 being the minimum age, but I do fee that sovereign nations and states do have some rights to make their own decisions with out "bullying" from Uncle Sam.

 

 

Everyday Havana Living

     There are hundreds of places in Havana for your eyes to marvel at, but there is another side of Havana that is less glamorous.  This is the streets that the everyday people of Havana walk and drive to get to work.     There is a lot of reconstruction and revitalizing of many of the historic buildings going on in Downtown Havana, but there is a lot of rubble piled in the streets also from pieces that are falling from the buildings above.   The narrow sidewalks and people walking in the streets gives me a feeling like being in Key West.  The very narrow sidewalks forces people to use the streets as they meet each other going in opposite directions.


     There is a stark difference between the very posh and pristine looking areas and the residential and commercial areas of Havana.   The polished marble sidewalks of the Paseo and the area of "Parque Central" give way to cobble stone and concrete as you wander outward.  Cars start to disappear and more mopeds begin to appear as you go out from the city into the suburbs .

     The back street and alleys all provide a wonderful view of the daily life in Havana.  It seems that there are a lot of very hard working people that walk and ride to work every morning after stopping for a bite to eat at one of the walk-up cafes.   The streets are quite clean compared to many other cities that I have walked in and there is a lot of pride in what they do have.   Whether it be their cars or their buildings, they seem to make things as good as possible with what they have to work with.  

     I have found Havana on both of my trips to be a destination that I always want to return to.   I see why Ernest Hemingway loved his years her so much and so many other celebrities of the same era enjoyed Havana.   There is a real charm to the city and a warmth that call you back.  

    With some time the infrastructure of this wonderful old city will be brought up to the current times and it will be able to allow the throngs of tourists that would love to visit here.   Given the opportunity I'd be there tomorrow, because there is so much more to experience.  ;o)

On the loss of Manuel Jorge Cutillas Covani Amaestro de Ron

     The Bacardi family lost one of its forward looking members last week, and I ran across a very enlightening obituary that not only shed a lot of light on Manuel Cutillas, but a n interesting information about the Bacardi  Company from the 30's Cuba to the nationalization of the Bacardi Company by Fidel Castro.  It also brings to light to changes the company has gone through from its exile until today.

November 8, 2013 5:08 pm

Master of rum who shook Bacardi into a cocktail of brands

By Phil Davison

     As head of Bacardi, Manuel Cutillas launched the rum producer’s transformation into the multi-brand global enterprise it is today, owning some 200 notable industry names including Dewar’s scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Martini vermouth and Grey Goose vodka.

With net sales last year of more than $4.5bn, it ranks as the world’s biggest privately owned spirits company and third overall behind Diageo and Pernod Ricard.

 

     Yet Cutillas, great-great-grandson of the founder, was unable to fulfill his main dream – of returning to Cuba, where the family’s distilleries were confiscated by Fidel Castro after the 1959 revolution.

Cutillas had fled soon afterwards – initially to Miami, on a packed boat of illegal migrants – and the family dispersed. It was he who pulled them together in 1992 to consolidate five separate Bacardi companies they had variously spawned – in the US, Bermuda, the Bahamas (the branch he headed before then), Puerto Rico and Mexico – into a single entity now based in Hamilton, Bermuda. Cutillas became its first chairman.

 

     He remained a passionate anti-Castro campaigner, belonging to several organizations that seek the regime’s downfall and a democratic Cuba. Although a cigar lover and able to get his hands on Havana’s he refused to smoke them, at least in public. On his retirement in 2000 he said of Cuba: “We would love one day to be back in there. You know, I believe that perhaps I will even see that.” His death this month at the age of 81 means he did not.

 

     Cutillas had been with the family firm since 1955 when it was based in Santiago de Cuba, in the east of the island. It had been founded there four generations earlier in 1862 by Facundo Bacardi Massó, an immigrant from Sitges, Catalonia, who, in effect, created white rum as we know it today. But by the 1990s the cane-based spirit was being overtaken by vodka and tequila in world markets, while rival drinks multinationals were growing bigger.

 

     “We saw consolidation happening and with a single brand it would have been very difficult for us to compete,” he said. “We had to grow. Had we not done that, we would have found ourselves having to sell or merge with a larger company.”

 

Read more at  http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/298ea00e-47d1-11e3-b1c4-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2kLAolA6G

 

 

     Phil Davidson has written a well researched obituary that is well worth reading and very helpful in understanding the growth and progression of the largest family owned spirits company.   I'm very sure that Manuel Cutillas will be missed by the family and his friends, he surly was a very dynamic and industrious member of the operation.  

Powerboat Races Finale Today in Key West

     The very exciting Powerboat Races Finals go off today in Key West.  At stake are the series championship in all classes and the bragging rights for the year.   This is an exciting spectacle of speed on the water if you have never seen it.  Piston engines and turbines power these monsters to speed well over 150 miles per hour.   If you have never seen this, it is worth the trip out to Mallory Square of Fort Zachery Turner to take in these three races.  ;o)

Dagger Rums: a former J.Wray & Nephew Rum Line

     Dagger Rums are a now defunct brand of dark rum produced by J. Wray & Nephew.   This Jamaican rum was available for a hundred years throughout the world until 1952 when it was finally dropped.   From the research that I have done, it was an aromatic and viscous dark rum that was produced at 97 proof.   Produced from a blend of sugar cane juice and molasses, J. Wray & Nephew made this available in different age expressions, One Dagger -5 year, Two Dagger - 6 year and Three Dagger - 10 year.  They also produced a Dagger Punch as an 8 year old expression of the line.  J. Wray & Nephew made this rum for more than a hundred years aging it in the Jamaican mountain vaults until it was time for it to be bottled.

     Three Dagger 10 year old rum according to "Beachbum Berry", it had a "sandalwood nose, an impossibly rich, smooth, layered taste redolent of apple, citrus and charred wood".  this rum was often mixed with fruit juices and syrups to create some of the fine tiki cocktails of the 30's through the 50's."

     In a 1934 ad, the rum is described as "Dagger Rums, Jamaican rum, in whose sweet, aromatic fragrance and flavor were born in the spirit of romance, and joyous celebration of history."

     In the same ad, they off several recipes for cocktails.  One a "Rum Old Fashion", is an interesting discovery, having done some serious experimenting making old fashions from rum earlier this year with some very good success.  


Dagger Rum Old Fashion

• 1 Small Lump of Sugar
• 1 Dash of Angostura Bitters
• 1 Drink of Three Dagger Rum
• Fruits in Season

Place all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled and serve in an Old Fashion Glass

   Thanks to my brother for the question about this rum that got me researching it for today's blog.  I wish I had gotten to work with it, as it has a lot of the earmarks of a Mount Gay XO or Black Barrel rum.   This was a very popular rum often found in the wells of some of the better lounges and hotels of the era.  ;o)

    

Today is a Dream Traveling Day

 


    About a year ago, I was in Venezuela enjoying fine rum from the people at Diplomatico and Santa Teresa.  This is a beautiful part of the world with fine distilleries hidden up in the mountain valleys  among the sugar cane fields.   I'm about a week away from my trip to Trinidad and Granada for the 2013 Caribbean Rum and Beer Festival and it has me dream traveling already.

     I spent the better part of a week in country in Venezuela and I have to say that it was a spectacular visit.  I had the chance to travel by plane, train, and automobile throughout the country side and see the beautiful scenery that makes up this very unique country.    


   The first part of the week was spent in Le Miel , Lara, Venezuela, the mountain town in which DUZA Distillery calls home.   Thanks to Tito Cordero, and Alfonso Castillo, we enjoyed three full days of rum education and sight seeing through the area around Le Miel.  We were given the opportunity to see the distillery and the special way they create the magical rums that come from here as well as being able to  sample a prototype rum that was only being distributed in Venezuela called Diplomatico Single Vintage 1997 Rum.  This was a very memorable experience that I took home with me .


     The later part of the week was spent in La Victoria where we visited Santa Teresa Distilleries and go to take in the beautiful country side around this distillery.   It was a real interesting experience to see the very old distillery that goes back to 1796.  Seeing the modern merging with the old methods of rum making, along with the beautiful grounds and park that surround the distillery.   We were afforded to chance to walk around the fabled solera aging bodega at Santa Teresa and visit the Santa Teresa 1796 Ron Antoguo Solera as it was maturing.  Of course we got to sample many of the fine rums as well.

    The beauty and the hospitality of the people that took care of us while in country was impeccable.  They made the stay very fun, tasty and educational.   Like all good things this trip too had to come to an end.  Thus leaving me ready for another dream week coming up in two weeks as I travel to the southern Caribbean for more rum exploration and a new island in the sun to wander and explore.  Looking forward to sending the reports of the festival and the distilleries from Granada and something of interest from Trinidad as well.  All of this is still a couple of weeks away though, I guess I'll just keep having my "dreamcations" until then.  ;o)

The Wind and the Sea Gulls

   The winds have been blowing pretty steady for the past few days here in Key West.  This keeps the temperatures comfortable and the seas pretty rough.  The sea gulls on the other hand really thrive on the winds, putting on aerial shows that can't be matched by many other birds.  To watch them snatch a fish or a piece of bread out of the water in flight or even in from the air is mind boggling.     Their aerial agility and quick turning abilities will just amaze you as you sit on the dock or the bay and watch all of their antics.  

     You can hear them screaming at each other making noise that sound like they are tell others that it is "MINE, MINE" as the fly close to each other.   They have the ability to catch the currents of air and just ride them up and  down Using them to attain the position and the speed they need to hunt their food.   Some times I get the feeling that they just enjoy the aerobatics for the sake of the aerobatics.   They just seem to be able to bank, spin, dive and climb at will for no apparent reason.  They seem to just take pride in the show and the thrill of the flying.

    It is sort of like the story of "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" and how he learned to master the sky just for the thrill of mastering it.  They fly in numbers like WWI Sopwith Camels and Fokkers swooping around the sky passing just inches apart as the pass in the sky above the harbor.    The wing warping they have mastered gives them such absolute control as they maneuver around the skies.   Sea gulls will swirl around the skies for hours and finally approach and make a perfect touch down on land even in the highest of winds and adversity.  ;o)

   

Powerboat Races return to Key West Today

     Today is the first races of the 2013 Key West Powerboat Races.  There is a strong rumor that this may be the last year of the races happening here in Key West.   If you haven't seen them before, this is the year to get out there and enjoy the races.  The entire calendar of events is available for you at http://superboat.com/2013-key-west-schedule/ .   The actual races are today, Friday and the Finals on Sunday.   You can watch from Mallory Square, aboard your own boats along side of the race course or from several restaurants and lounges along the waterfront.   There are large charter vessels that you can book a seat on that will take you out into the center of the race course and be able to see the races up close and very personal.

     These are some of the most exciting machines that you will ever see on the water, and will hold your attention as they literally fly just over the top of the waves.  

     "Recognized around the world, the biggest offshore racing event is ready to play host to the most powerful fleet of Super Boats. No class will have an uncontested winner and many classes are brimming with more boat entries per class than any race all season. The big boats will include multiple turbines, four or more Superboat Unlimiteds, eight or more Superboats and many more in other classes. This is expected to be one of the most exciting World Championships in the recent past. Many, if not all, of the National Champions are set to compete and defend their honor of being the most winning boat of the season. The World Championship does not carry over any points from the seven National races run this past summer and fall. All boats start even at the Key West event and, with 3 days of racing, they have to be there on Sunday to win. The first two days of racing is ½ the laps of the final race on Sunday. So, while many teams will replace engines on Saturday in preparation to have fresh engines on Sunday, the name of the game is to protect your equipment and make it last to the finish line."   Read More at: http://superboat.com/2013/10/33rd-annual-key-west-super-boat-world-championships-ready-to-begin/

Governor's Reserve Dark Rum: Cayman Island Rum

Governor's Reserve Dark Rum

Pot and Column Combination Still

     The Cayman Island Spirits Company in Georgetown, Cayman Islands is responsible for the entire line of Governor's Reserve Rums  a line of really nice though young rums. An exceptionally smooth rum, boasting a mellow hint of molasses and a slightly fruity flavor that lingers long after the flavorful finish.   Though the rum is currently only available in the Cayman Islands, it has the potential of growth and distribution outward to other places. 

     The Governor's Reserve line includes a Blood Orange, Spiced, White, and the Dark Rum.   It's famous sister rum, Seven Fathom Rum, aged in the warm Caribbean Sea is hopefully headed to the United States in the very near future. 

    Though this is a line of inexpensive runs, the value and flavor is extraordinary and deserves your attention.  The distillate, fresh from the still is some of the sweetest and smoothest that I have ever tasted.  It is made from a blend of sugar cane juice and molasses fermented and distilled in a combination Column and pot still.   The results are very nice even though it has not been aged for any long period of time.

     On your next visit to the Cayman Islands, make some time to go by the Cayman Island Spirits Company  take the tour and taste the fine line of local rums.  ;o)

Monday is Just for the Birds

     It is a windy day down here in Key West today and the birds are just loving it soaring with the currents.    I love these kind of days to take the camera out and just try to catch the image of as many of these very interesting feather friends as they soar above and around me.  This is the perfect day to put the big lens on and shoot hundreds of photos and hope I get enough good ones in focus to use.  Hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do.  ;o)

Caribbean Rum and Beer Festival: Just a week and a half away

    Your opportunity is waning to go to Granada for a fun 3 days of rum and beer festivities.     I'll be there as a judge for the CAB rum event and looking forward to meeting up with many of you that are attending.     Your tickets are available on line at www.rumandbeerfestival.com .

     Get your tickets and head on down to Granada for a really fun in the sun and rum event.  There are a goodly number of rum and beer companies participating in the event and should provide a great three days of rum, beer and fun.  The entire schedule is printed below for your information. o)

An Evening at the Hurricane Hole

     Just in case you've never heard of the Hurricane Hole Restaurant and Bar, it is a little waterfront dive bar located on Stock Island.  Just a stone's throw from Key West, this is my personal hang out and one of the really fun places for both locals and tourists alike.   I find the place perfect for me, because it offers a relaxed and chilled atmosphere in which I can unwind from my day with friendly people and staff.

     This restaurant, bar and marina brings fishermen, tourists, captains, and a wide variety of other colorful people together every evening for some fun, libation and conversation.  A very laid back waterfront atmosphere that brings in a great group of very interesting people every evening.     Whether you are looking for a good cocktail, or a fun dining experience, this is your place.  You get to drink and dine out on the docks, rain or shine it is always a fun and relaxing evening next to the water.  

     There are lovely fun bartenders and servers that will make your evening fun and enjoyable with their good service and fun loving personalities.  The place kind of goes to the "dogs" during happy hours and into the evening, but that just adds to the personality and color of the place.  

     Just stop in any evening and enjoy the atmosphere of an old eclectic Key West waterfront bar and restaurant, you won't be disappointed.   I find myself there most evenings enjoying a cocktail of some really good bar and restaurant foods.   If you happen to be down here in Key West, just drive over the Cow Key Channel bridge and it is on the right.  You will find this to be a nice change and an opportunity to experience the real feeling the Keys waterfront life.

Facundo Rums are Finally going to be available in Florida.

Facundo Rum Collection

     Facundo Bacardi has announced the release of the new "Family Reserve" Facundo Rums here in Florida.    These are the very best of the Bacardi line of rums and hold a very special place in my mind as well.     This is a project that has spanned several years of blending and evaluating of the family reserve rums that have been stored in the Bahamas for up to 23 years.   There were 300 or so different rums that were involved in the project that were blended very carefully by Manny Oliver, Master Blender for Bacardi Global.  

Facundo L. Bacardi and Bahama Bob Leonard

     The celebration of the company's 150th anniversary was a time to look back over what had been accomplished and marvel at the heritage of the fine rums that had been produced through the years.  Facundo L. Bacardi, great great grandson of the Founder Don Facundo Bacardi Masso` said "There was a consensus that now is the time to share this with our customers." 

     I was honored to have been asked along with a several of the International Run Expert Panel to be a part of the tasting and evaluation over the past three years at the Bacardi headquarters in Coral Gables, Florida.   The entire group of us were invited to a special reveal of the four very special rums this past April in Miami.     This super secret project that spanned several years was well worth the effort for the quality of the final ultra premium rums that have just been released.

 

     The four rums, Neo, an up to eight year old white rum, Eximo, a medium to heavy bodied rum blend aged up to 10 years, Exquisito, a medium to heavy bodied blend of seven rums aged up to 23 years and Paraiso, the very best of the best, made from a blend of Bacardi's private reserves ranging from 15 to 23 years and finished in French cognac barrels.   These rums for which there are not enough ultra premiums for are now available ranging in price from $45 to $250 at some of the better liquor stores, restaurants, and cocktail lounges in Florida.

     Whether you think you like rum or not, this is an experience that you should not miss.  These rums will make you a believer that rum is not just some swill that a bunch of pirates drank on the high seas any more.  The fine abilities of Manny Oliver and his staff have produced some of the finest rums in the world for your enjoyment.  They are priced such that you can afford to enjoy them.  I personally liked all four of them and look forward to getting them in the Rum Bar in the next few weeks as they become available through my distributors.  

   I would like to pass on a very heart felt thanks to Facundo L. Bacardi, Manny Oliver and the staff at Bacardi for allowing me to be a part of the tasting and evaluation of these fine rums over the past three years.  ;o) 

Happy Halloween Rumstylin'

     October 31, 2013 is already here and Halloween Night looms over us.   This is usually a fun night of very strange cocktails that look something less than appealing.    I propose a fun evening of
unappealing costumes and some fine eye appealing cocktails that are enjoyable to the eye and palate.

     There is a great tasting Cocktail that Don the Beachcomber created back in the 1930's called a "Zombie" that in it's original presentation would turn you into a "Zombie" rather quickly.   I have an idea for a simplified concoction that will be less "lethal" for a party made cocktail.

Halloween Party Zombie

• 3/4 oz. White Rum
• 3/4 oz. Dark Rum
• 1/2 oz. Dekuyper Pomegranate Schnapps
• 1 oz. Pineapple Juice
• 1/2 oz. Grapefruit Juice
• Dash of Bitters

Place all ingredients into a blender with ice and turn it on and off quickly 4 or 5 times until the ice is crushed like a swizzle.  Pour into a pint glass and garnish with an orange zest.  If you need some strength added just float with a flavorful 151 proof rum like Lemon Hart.

     Halloween can get pretty ugly, but you can have some very fun and tasty cocktails without the stomach turning appearance of a blood clot or brain hemorrhage.   Take some time with your Halloween cocktails to make they taste and appear friendly, even though they could be deceptively dangerous.

Grand Cayman Through the Windshield

     Last July I had the pleasure of four days in Grand Cayman, it was a chance to relax on the beach at The Reef Resort, but even more it was a chance to drive from one end of the island to the other a couple of times.     I was looking through my photos and noticed a number of shots that I took through the windshield of the vehicle we were riding in and I enjoyed them enough to share them with you.   I usually don't put a lot of credence in these pictures, but in this case they show how really nice this little island in the Caribbean really is.  Just spend a little bit of the time traversing from the airport to the resort looking out the windshield and you will be amazed what is out in front of you.  ;o)