80 Reasons Why Drinking Alcohol Is Great

     Today is the 80th Anniversary of the Repeal of the 18th Amendment.  This Time article by Laura Stampler is a really fun and apt for this joyous occasion.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Happy 80th birthday, Repeal Day: A celebration of the end of Prohibition in America

By Laura Stampler @laurastamplerDec. 04, 2013 

Thursday is the 80th birthday of the repeal of prohibition in 1933, a day that should be heartily celebrated across the country. To give martini aficionado Franklin D. Roosevelt and the 21st amendment a proper “thanks,” we decided to make a list of 80 reasons why drinking alcohol is the greatest.

Let’s see if you can make it all the way through without grabbing a drink. And if you don’t, say safe out there!

1. Because you had a good day.

2. Because you had a bad day.

3. Because, let’s be honest, your day was kind of “meh” and could use something to spice it up.

4. Whiskey.

5. Many doctors recommend a glass of red wine a night to lower the risk of heart disease. And they went to medical school.

6. Although the Mayo Clinic says, “it’s possible that red wine isn’t any better than beer, white wine or liquor for heart health,” which we’re taking to mean all of the above is a healthy choice in moderation.

7. But hey, if you aren’t one for moderation, at least take solace in the fact that every glass of wine you take makes you one step closer to becoming Olivia Pope. (This is an aspirational goal for dudes, too.)

8. It’s called a social lubricant for a reason. Drinking makes you friends.

9. Drinking games!

10. Because alcohol has been there for you during the tough times.

11. There’s nothing quite as warm and cozy as bonding with your family over a cup of eggnog come Christmastime.

12. Or Manischewitz during Passover.

13. Come on, the Haggadah asks you to fill your cups FOUR TIMES.

14. Drinking specialties from your country of origin connects you with your roots. Celebrate that high, Eastern European tolerance!

15. Speaking of Eastern Europeans, Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, thought that beer was so great that he issued a manifesto in 1777 declaring its superiority over coffee, which he briefly banned to boost booze sales.

16. Because somewhere in the world, someone did something awesome right now and you should celebrate.

17. Because drinking can help resolve political and cultural disputes. Exhibit A: Obama’s beer summit.

18. For experiential learners, consuming an aged drink is like tasting history.

19. Were brunches even fun before they were boozy?

20. Because there are more than 20 million bubbles in a bottle of champagne. Gotta catch ‘em all!

     This is only a quarter of the reasons, you can read the rest at http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/12/04/80-reasons-why-drinking-alcohol-is-great/

   Where I work, there was a speakeasy called The Florence Club during Prohibition, today it is the Rum Bar at the Speakeasy Inn in Key West.  Raul Vasquez, a local rum runner of the era was the owner.  At the time he enjoyed some very prosperous times as a result of the Prohibition era.   Later opened a dinner club on the other side of the island called Raul's Club, that flourished for many years until is death in 1966.

     This is a day of celebration for Americans, get out and enjoy your right to safely consume alcohol.   ;o)

 

What does the Cristmas Season Mean?

     Today I find myself very uninterested in Christmas any more.  It starts in October with "Lay Away Sales" and doesn't end until all the exchanges are done in January.   It seems that the only interest is how the retailers are going to get you to spend money you really don't have for stuff you really don't want or need.    Shopping and buying presents is all fine and good, but there needs to be a balance between throwing money at Christmas and enjoying the holiday season with friends and family.  It is really about sharing and spending time with those close to you, not so much how much money can you spend on them.

     There is nothing on TV but Christmas Hype ads and very little of what Christmas is truly about.   They are turning this time of "brotherly love" into a time of pushing and shoving each other around at the mall to get something before someone else gets it and you are left high and dry.   Standing in line for hours and rushing to get an insignificant item doesn't really teach the kids that Christmas is something much bigger.   I remember when we use to go into the work shop and create all of the gifts for family and friends.  Many of these gifts that were made over thirty years ago are still around and being used and enjoyed.  Unlike the latest "plastic fantastic" that hype says that the kid must have today and be lost in the box two weeks later.


    I saw White Christmas and Holiday Inn come on TV and reminded me of what this season is really about.   The miracles of Christmas can still happen with some thought and time spent looking for what is really needed instead of just throwing a volume of stuff at it.   The sparkle in a kids eye when they get the one thing that they really wanted, or Mom's happiness just to see a child again after a long absence.  These are the things that I think of when I think about Christmas.  What is your Christmas going to be this year?  ;o)


 

Thursday Marks 80 Years since the Repeal of Prohibition

    It is hard to believe that 80 years have passed since repeal.   It took until 1966 when Mississippi finally repealed its ban on the sale of alcohol with in the state's borders to fully bring Prohibition to an end.  I question how much that we have learned from the "Noble Experiment", we still ban the sale of Marijuana in all but a few states, and it is the criminal element that make all of the profits instead of the store owners and the government through taxes.  Instead we spend billions trying to stop something that the public, "We the People" want and enjoy.  


   

John D. Rockefeller, Jr. a steadfast supporter of prohibition had to admit that it was a failure. 

“When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be widely supported by public opinion and the day would soon come when the evil effects of alcohol would be recognized. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has appeared; many of our best citizens have openly ignored Prohibition; respect for the law has been greatly lessened; and crime has increased to a level never seen before.”

 

     The only gains made from Prohibition were made by organized crime.  Groups like the Mafia who had limited their activities to prostitution, gambling, and theft until 1920, when bootlegging as an organized business emerged in response to Prohibition.   A profitable, often violent, black market for alcohol flourished throughout the era.   Powerful criminal organizations corrupted some law enforcement agencies, leading to widespread racketeering.   Prohibition provided a financial basis for organized crime to flourish from the beginning until the end of the era.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     It is not clear whether Prohibition actually reduced individual consumption of alcohol.   Some historians claim that alcohol consumption in the United States did not exceed pre-Prohibition levels until the 1960s; others claim that alcohol consumption reached the pre-Prohibition levels several years after its enactment, and have continued to rise.  In the decades after Prohibition, Americans shed any stigma they might have had against alcohol consumption. According to a survey conducted by Gallup, almost every year since 1939, some two-thirds of American adults age 18 and older drink alcohol.

 

    I hope that soon the government of the United States will wake up to the waste of tax payer dollars they are spending  in today's prohibition of marijuana and start to follow the lead of several states and put the product under alcohol like controls and make money from its sales instead of spending monies the government doesn't have, trying to prevent the use of something the people are going to go underground and by anyway.  

 

     Celebrate 80 years with us on Thursday of the repeal of the "Noble Experiment" and raise a glass to freedom of choice.   ;o)

 

 

 

The Caribbean Rum and Beer Festival CAB Rum Tasting Results

    The Caribbean Rum and Beer Festival is over and the final scores have been tallied.  Here are the results for the 2013 CAB Rum Tasting Contest.
The international panel of judges have put forth a lot of time and effort evaluating all 65 of the rums that were submitted to the tasting, now here are the final results.

White Rum

GOLD - Westerhall 12 Degrees Rum (Westerhall Estate Ltd, Grenada)
SILVER - Appleton White (Appleton Estate, Jamaica)
BRONZE - Clarke's Court Superior White Rum (Grenada Distillers Ltd, Grenada)

 

Overproof Rum

GOLD - Clarke's Court Pure White Rum (Grenada Distillers Ltd, Grenada)
SILVER - Westerhall White Jack Rum (Westerhall Estate Ltd, Grenada)
BRONZE - Westerhall Jack Iron (Westerhall Estate Ltd, Grenada)

 

Flavored Rum

GOLD - Blue Chair Bay Coconut Rum (Fishbowl Spirits, USA)
SILVER - Clarke's Court Mojito Rum (Grenada Distillers Ltd, Grenada)
BRONZE - Siesta Key Spiced Rum (Drum Circle Distilling, USA)

 

Rum Punch

GOLD - VSRP Rum Punch (Cutters, Barbados)
SILVER - XM Estate Royal Mango Rum Punch (Banks DIH Ltd, Guyana)
BRONZE - Angostura Rum Punch (Angostura Distillers, Trinidad & Tobago)

 

Gold Rum

GOLD - 4th Umpire (Aone, Barbados)
SILVER - Westerhall Superb Light (Westerhall Estate Ltd, Grenada)
BRONZE - Ron Abuelo Anejo (Varela Hermanos, Panama)

 

Aged Rum (5 - 9 years)

GOLD - Westerhall Vintage Rum (Westerhall Estate Ltd, Grenada)
SILVER - Borgoe 8 Year Old Rum (SAB, Suriname)
BRONZE - Captain Bligh XO (St Vincent Distillery, St Vincent)

 

Aged Rum (10 - 14 years)

GOLD - XM Royal 10 Year Old Rum (Banks DIH Ltd, Guyana)
SILVER - XM Special 12 Year Old Rum (Banks DIH Ltd, Guyana)
BRONZE - Cockspur VSOR Rum (West Indies Rum Distillery, Barbados)

 

Aged Rum (15 years and over)

GOLD - Borgoe 15 Year Old Rum (SAB, Suriname)
SILVER - XM Supreme 15 Year Old Rum (Banks DIH Ltd, Guyana)
BRONZE - Ron Matusalem 15 Solera Rum (Ron Matusalem, Dominican Republic)

 

   

  This tasting contest is a competition between the best rums in the world. The blind tasting competition took place in a closed room session with an expert judging panel. The panel sampled over 60 rums and made their decisions based upon four criteria; Appearance, Aroma, Taste and Overall Impression. This year the judging panel included the editors of 'Got Rum' Magazine Luis & Margaret Ayala in conjunction with members of the Rum XP including Dave Russell, Mike Streeter, Bob Leonard, as well as Carl Kanto, Philip Ils, Paul Senft and Jonathan Collymore. 

 

   This year we had a really fun group of people that not only got to enjoy evaluating all of the rums, but had an opportunity to travel around the island together and visit many of the incredible sights of Grenada, "The Spice Island".    I'm looking forward to returning next year to spend more time on the island and enjoy so much more of the event.  ;o)

 

 

Sunday and a Walk in the Flowers

    I love Sunday mornings, especially when I stumble across a beautiful flower in bloom with the sun shining on it just perfectly.   The beauty of a single bloom that is strutting its stuff among the green of the leaves is such an eye opening experience, one that leaves me smiling every time.   For those of you who are snow bound today, enjoy this touch of spring time while you are waiting for the flowers to return in all their crowning glory this spring.   ;o)

Making Rum the Old School Way

     While in Grenada last week, I did have a chance to travel northwest to St. Patrick's Parish and visit the River Antoine Distillery, a step back in time to watch a factory that is still operation as it did in the late 1700's.  This 228 year old Rum Factory is like no other that you have ever visited. The power for the operation come down from Lake Antoine via the River Antoine and an aquaduct to the C. Fletcher and Company of London and Derey water wheel at the Factory.   The wheel provides all of the power for the cane press and the conveyor system that brings the cane up to the pressing unit.   The system is as reliable as the flow of the water.

    
     The press is another of the very old pieces of equipment still in operation at the factory.  It is driven by the water wheel through a series of gears and chains that turn the harvested sugar cane into juice.  The spent cane hulls are then hand lifted into small rail cars and pushed over to the dumping area and allowed to dry in the warm tropical sun.  Later the hulls also known as "bagasse" are used for the most part as fuel to boil the cane juice and fire the still, but some is also used as fertilizer for the crops on the estate.

  After the cane is pressed, the juice flows by gravity to the copper boiling cauldrons where the syrup is thickened and concentrated.  This is a process that is accomplished first by gravity then is hand ladled from the coolest cauldrons to the hottest one.  The syrup is then pumped on to the fermenting tanks in the next room.




     Fermentation in the tanks of cane syrup / molasses picks up natural yeasts from the air and fermentation begins.  It takes fro 8 to 10 days, depending on the weather at the time for the fermentation to bring the alcohol content up to 13 to 15 percent. 

     The  wash is then pumped into one of the wood and bagasse fired "Ventdome Potstills" where the rum is distilled until it reaches the ABV (Alcohol by Volume Percentage)  desired.  The rum is tested in a hygrometer, if the ABV is at the desired level then it is pass to bottling and the process is concluded.  If not, then it is pumped back into the still for further distilling. until desired ABV is reached.

     There was some Coca production being done in days gone by on the estate when the cane was not available for making rum.  You can still see some of the drying tray rails along side of the tasting room.


     River Antoine Distillery is a year round operation, but it is the favorite rum of the region of Grenada in which they operate, and they sell 100% or their product locally as well as to the visiting tourists.   I bought the T Shirt, that says "Don't Say Rum, Say Rivers".   There is an extreme loyalty that the "Rivers" drinkers have for their rum and it can be seen in the rum shops and taverns around the north region of Grenada.

   If given the opportunity to visit this wonderful "old school" distillery, do pass it up, take a taxi, a bus or a car, but make it up and see how rum was made in the 1700's.  There are daily tours and tastings at the distillery and estate.

 

Weekend in Havana: 1941 Movie

     This morning as I awoke, I noticed a 1941 movie called Weekend in Havana on the television.    The opening scenes in Havana was a head on shot of Sloppy Joe's Bar, the famous watering hole  frequented by so many celebrities through out the years.   The movie was a classic of the era with stars like Alice Faye, John Payne, Cesar Romero and Carmen Miranda.  Set in the 1940's Havana, this movie stirred some excitement in my bones as I saw things that I had seen in Havana in the past year.  Havana today is a "time warp", going back to the 40's and 50's, with many of the sights looking as they did back then.

Sloppy Joe's Bar 1940's

     There were shots of the Tropicana, and The Morrow Castle (Fortress), sugarcane fields and downtown Havana in the movie.  It was a really great way to wake up on a Friday morning.   It really hit a warm spot with the shot of Sloppy Joe's Bar at the beginning of the movie.  The reopening of Sloppy Joe's Bar in Havana last April after many years of sitting in rubble after the roof collapsed.    This famous old watering hole was the hangout for many celebrities from all over the world, and a Havana landmark that I'm really glad to see reopened.

Alice Faye at Sloppy Joe's bar

     Though the movie was only a moderate success, today for me it was a chance to remember all that I've seen in Havana this past year.   Being able to sit at the "long bar" at Sloppy Joe's Bar and see all of the old pictures there of the glamorous days gone by made you feel like you were there and living the life of those days.  The restoration was done to bring back the original look and feel of the venerable old bar and they were very successful. 

     The best thing about going to Havana today is you still feel like you are back in the era of "Weekend in Havana" and watching Carmen Miranda whirl around the stage of the Tropicana or see Caesar Romano and Ernest Hemingway chatting at Sloppy Joe's Bar.

    If you can find this movie on the television or on one of your video services, it is a fun visit to the past in Havana during her hay days.



This is 2013 and here is Sloppy Joe's Bar in all of her restored glory.  With some of the best cocktails in Havana right along side with the El Floridita and the National Hotel.   ;o)

Happy Thanksgiving One and All

     Today is the day of thanks for all that we have been blessed with.  It is a day for reflection and pondering of what is in store for us in the up and coming times.   I always liked Thanksgiving for the opportunity to share the times with family and friends over way too much food and beverage.  It always seems to keep me smiling when I think about the Thanksgivings in the past.

     This Thanksgiving finds me here in Key West getting ready to head down to the Rum Bar on a very chilly and blustery day, but I still remember that I am living in paradise and have to be thankful for the fact that I do have a very nice job along with the fun that comes with the work.

     Hope that all of you are enjoying some quality time and a wonderful day wherever and however you celebrate this day.   If you are in Key West today and looking to escape the hubbub, stop by and see me from 11 until 6pm, we can share some good times.   ;o)

Thanksgiving Rumtini

     The holiday is already upon us and here is an idea for the time before you sit down for dinner
.
I was thinking of something that fits the atmosphere of Fall and Thanksgiving, and two things popped into my head.  First pumpkin pie and then apple pie, from this I immediately thought of Siesta Key Spiced Rum.  This is the perfect holiday rum, it has flavors of gingerbread men and pumpkin pie.  Give this recipe a try, I think you will really like it.

Fall Apple  Rumtini

·         1 1/2 oz. Siesta Key Spiced Rum

·         1 oz. Dekuyper Apple Sour

·         1/4 oz. Agave Nectar

·         1 oz. Barritt’s Ginger Beer

Take a lemon wedge and roll it around the rim of the Martini Glass  and dip it in cinnamon sugar.  Place all the ingredients in a shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled and strain into the chilled Martini Glass rimmed with cinnamon.    Garnish with a green apple wedge.

 

     I hope that you enjoy this light rumtini and all of you have a very happy Thanksgiving this year.

Make your Holiday Parties Fun, and Lawsuit Free

     This is the biggest season for parties and the one that the most lawsuits arise from.   I ran across an article this morning in "Law 360" that offers some pretty good ideas for preventing your holiday fun from turning into legal grief.  Below is an abbreviated portion of the article.

     Here are five tips that employment attorneys say can help keep a lawsuit from crashing your soiree. 

 

Keep Alcohol Consumption Down 

     Most of the legal problems that come out of holiday parties start when an employee has had one too many, lawyers say. 

     The most cautious employers will choose to cut alcohol out of their holiday bashes entirely, but those that do choose to make booze available during their parties should take precautions to cut down on their legal risks. 

     An open bar can spell disaster, so lawyers recommend setting up a cash bar or giving employees a limited number of drink tickets.

 

Pick the Right Time and Location 

     The time and place of the party will go a long way toward setting the tone, and attorneys say picking the right ones can help cut back on excessive drinking and other inappropriate behaviors. 

     A daytime event is far less likely to be perceived as a bacchanalia where employees are free to lose control. 

     "One thing employers can do is have an afternoon event rather than an evening event," Billows said. "It can help with overindulgence and help keep concerns about behavior in check." 

     "The time of the week can also make a difference," she said, explaining that parties on weekdays are likely to get less rowdy than weekend events. "It can have an affect when people know they have to work the next day."

 

Don't Make it Mandatory 

     While an employer might want everyone to join in on the fun, it's important to make attendance totally voluntary, lawyers say. 

     Making attendance mandatory sets the employer up for a host of potential legal pitfalls, from wage-and-hour questions to workers' compensation issues if an employee gets hurt at the party.

Ask Managers to Watch for Trouble 

     No one wants to be the party police, but in order to head off potential problems before they boil over into lawsuit fodder, it's best to designate some managers to monitor behavior, lawyers say.  

     "As a preventive thing, I would say have some managers or supervisors who are going to be at the party that you have talked to in advance and said, 'Hey, if you see something inappropriate we would like you to speak up,'" Michael Kramer of Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC said.  

     These managers should be briefed in advance on steering employees away from situations that could be construed as harassment or from exchanges that look like they are becoming too heated.

 

 

 

Remind Employees that Workplace Rules Still Apply 

     Attorneys say that even though no employer wants to feel like a Grinch, it is worth reminding your employees that even at a party, professional standards apply. 

     Employees should be told that the company's anti-harassment policies, dress code and conduct rules will all be in effect during the shindig, lawyers say. 

     "One thing the employer can do is send an email around in advance of the party encouraging people to have a good time but also reminding people of the company harassment policy," Kramer said. 

     "I would say something like: Have a great time and enjoy each others' company, but let's avoid any career-altering behavior," he said. "To me, that's being a little humorous and not too heavy handed, but it is a subtle reminder that if you screw this up, you may not be working here any more."

 

     You can read more at http://www.law360.com/employment/articles/491022/5-tips-to-keep-your-holiday-party-merry-and-lawsuit-free

 

     These are some really good ideas if you are going to throw a company or even a private party during the up and coming holiday season.  I really do not want to loose any of my readers to over use of alcohol or worse yet bad decisions.   ;o)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

America is Getting Tired of Well Cocktails!

     In the past couple of years, there has been a movement to much higher quality cocktails and liquors by the American consumers.  In my little corner of the world, we are selling many of the upper tier rums that in the past few people would look at.  It seems that people are learning that rum has a fine side too.  Like scotch and bourbon, there are fine aged rums out there with flavor and character that no other category can match.   The days of flavored distillate and biting white pirate rum are waning.   I am asked constantly what is my favorite rum, but I have to answer that depending on my mood, there are many of them that are my favorite at that particular moment.  Rum is very much a palate spirit and every mood requires a different taste.

    Rum is undergoing a revolution of the category and there is much more time being spent developing upper tier expression and less and less emphasis on the "well" grade rums.  The fact that rum was always the cheapest liquor on the shelf has hurt the efforts of so many of the developers of quality rums for so many years.   The "cover-over tax refund" for the US territories hasn't helped either.  This is just another incentive to make a large quantity of low grade bulk rum and dump it on the American market.

    If the Rum Category is to grow, it will be in the premium and ultra premium sectors of the category.  I feel that there is a space for fine rums just like there is for any other fine aged spirit and it is rapidly finding its niche in the spirit world.  If the rum producers keep their eye on the market and give the public what it is craving, then the growth will continue and there will be many fine rums out there to be your "go to" rum in the near future.  ;o)

Grenada Farewell

     The beautiful view from my window at the Flamboyant Resort and Hotel is a sight that will be etched in my mind as long as I live.  The Spice Island of Grenada is one of the most beautiful and fun islands I have ever visited.   It was an honor to have been invited to be a part of the 2013 Caribbean Rum and Beer Festival, and an experience that I will always remember.   Enjoy the view, and if the opportunity arises, don't miss a chance to visit this fabulous island in the southeastern Caribbean.  ;o)