Sherry and Rum: New Cocktail Partners

     "Sherry is more than just your grandmother's drink for so long that the conceit itself seems old enough to be your grandmother. And yes, the fortified wine-made from grapes grown in Andalusia, Spain, and allowed to mature in a series of oak casks-has, over the last several years, entered heavy rotation among bartenders with a sense of history and a taste for well-aged ingredients. Yet, in the hearts and on the home bars of a large number of their customers, Sherry has yet to regain a foothold. "

     There is a reluctance due to the misperception that all Sherries are sweet, but this is not so.  There are only a few of the wide range of styles that are actually sweet.    For mixing, Sherries that come from the dryer end of the spectrum mix well.   For many years now, rums have been aged in portion in the sherry barrels from Don Pablo Pedro Ximenez, although this is one of the sweeter Sherries, the idea for mixing sherry with rum seems like a viable idea.   The dry Sherries have a natural, but subtle sweetness from their aging process that make the mixing with rum work out so well.

 

Bahama Bob’s Dry Sherry Daiquiri

·         2 ½ oz. Matusalem Platino Rum

·         ¾  oz. Dry Sherry

·         Juice of a Half Lime

 

Place all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice cubes and shake until chilled, strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lime wedge. 

     I really like the way that the rum and the dry sherry play very well together in the daiquiri.  This is a dry daiquiri that gives you a full bodied blend of flavors that both the sherry and the rum contribute to.   If you need a bit of a sweeter cocktail you can add a sweetener to the mix.  This is my first exploration into the blending of Sherry and Rum, but I feel like there is a real good series of cocktails that can come out of this latest Rum Lab experiments.  ;o)

What Cost Freedom?

Cuban Chug Lying Inverted on the Sand Bar

     Another little break from daily life in Key West at Bahia Honda State Park today.  Walking out to the beach brought me an image of a Cuban Chug upside down on the sand bar.   It brings to mind what does it take for the citizens of Cuba to jump aboard one of these 18 to 24 foot boats made up of scrap sheet metal, odd boards and cast off engines, props and steel rods and head across 90 to 120 mile wide Florida Straights?

The Bottom of the Crudely Constructed but Seaworthy Chug

    I travel around the keys in everything from my 11 foot dinghy to the 51 foot boat that I live on, but to head out on the ocean in the middle of winter where you could hit 20 foot seas, wind, rain and lightning, that is quite a different thing.   One has to be a strong desire in addition to fearing for their lives for these Cuban refugees to head out on such a perilous journey bring them to America.   It makes me wonder, if these people are willing to put their lives on the line to make the crossing in order to be here in a country that most of its citizens take their  freedom for granted.

The Gateway to Freedom for the Cuban Refugees

     I have seem many of these vessels throughout the keys from the Marquesa Keys all the way to Key Largo, but I guess that I will never know personally how bad things are in order for people to jump into one of these "chugs" and head out across the ocean to freedom.

The Mojito: A Cuban Classic

     The Mojito is traditionally a cocktail that consists of five basic ingredients: white rum, sugar,or sugar cane juice, lime juice, sparkling water, and mint.   The original Cuban recipe uses spearmint or yerba buena, a mint variety very popular on the island.   The Mojito is a combination of sweetness, refreshing citrus, and mint flavors is intended to complement the potent kick of the rum, and has made this clear highball a popular summer drink.  

     The History of the Mojito is one that has many origins, but they stay centered around the island of Cuba.  The most important this is that it is a Cuban cocktail that is really refreshing and very popular down here in the tropics.



Bahama Bob's Mojito

• 2oz. White Rum
• Juice of 1/2 Fresh Lime
• 3/4 oz. Sugar Cane Syrup
• Club Soda

     When preparing a Mojito, lime juice, sugar or cane syrup and mint leaves are placed in the a 12 oz. tumbler.   The mixture is then gently muddled  with a smooth wooden muddler, the mint leaves should only be bruised to release the essential oils and not be shredded.   Then ice and rum is added and the mixture is briefly shaken to blend and chill the mixture.   Finally, the drink is topped sparkling soda water and garnished with mint leaves and/or lime wedges.  The mojito is one of the most famous rum-based highballs.

A Little Drinking at Work Could Actually Make You Better at Your Job

     I find so many interesting concepts that I hope that you can enjoy and I feel that sharing them with you is fun.  Living in Key West, the concept of drinking before or at work is not that uncommon, but this I find to be very interesting.  This is from "The Huffington Post" and written by Kate Bratskeir.

     Most corporate offices don't condone drinking on the job, but a case may be made for reconsideration. As it turns out, a little bit of alcohol really can support creative thinking.

     Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago found that a certain level of inebriation can help get the creative juices flowing. In the study, participants whose blood alcohol level (BAC) was slightly under .08 percent performed better in a creative task than did their sober counterparts. (The intoxicated group, however, underperformed when they were assigned memory tasks.) The researchers determined that a person's "creative peak" is reached when the person hits a BAC of .075 percent.

     Enter The Problem Solver, a new beer that aims to make it easier for drinkers to find their "creative peak." The drink comes equipped with a scale for drinkers to weigh themselves with; the bottle is labeled with an indicator for drinkers to determine how much they need to drink to get to their sweet spot. BAC changes from drinker to drinker -- while a heavier person tends to require more alcohol to increase his or her BAC, a smaller person may be deemed a "light weight." The Problem Solver simplifies having to do all the math. This drink has a 7.1 percent alcohol content, which is comparable to most malt liquors, and is taken into consideration when calculating BAC.

     As for taste, the company describes the brew as a "handcrafted Indian Pale Ale brewed to tickle taste buds and brain cells. It has a refined bitterness with a refreshing finish." The product's slogan is smart, if lacking a little taste: "Finally, you can drink to solve problems," it reads on their website. They do warn that drinking more than the proper amount will not, in fact, enhance your creative thinking, but reduce it.

Read More at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/23/alcohol-creativity-the-problem-solver_n_6368810.html

 

The New Year Brings Rum Festivals

     The advent of 2015 brings the beginning of the rum festivals all around the tropics.   The year starts off with three very fine events around the tropics.  Take a look and maybe take one of the events in this year.

     Rumbahamas is the first event of the year, from Friday February 27th through Sunday March 1st at the historic British Fort Charlotte overlooking Nassau Harbor just outside of Nassau, the Bahamas.  The event includes Food and rum tastings with many of the top rum producers present to share their expressions with you and talk to you about their products.  There is a rum competition, entertainment and great food displays making this event a fun and exciting.   The combination of rum and the Bahamas is always a fun time, don't miss this event if you can help it.




     Rum Trade Festival is next in Telum, Mexico.  The Casa Manga Resort on the
Mayan Riviera is the site for this event.   The event runs from Friday March 6th through Saturday March 7th, opening at 9am and closing at 5:30 in the evening.   In addition to the rum tastings there will be rum and cocktail competitions.   This is a first ever event on the Mayan Riviera and should be a really fun one.



     April brings the long established Miami Rum Festival held at the Doubletree Miami Airport Convention Center from Friday April 17th through Sunday April 19th.  This annual event is the "World's largest gathering of rum producers, experts, and enthusiasts."   The event brings a very large number of rum brands to the rum grand tasting, along with a rum competition, seminars, and a industry gathering on Friday.

     This is just the beginning for rum festivals in 2015, so get started early, get you reservations and tickets early and enjoy the fund times with all of the Rum Festivals this year.  ;o)

When the Land Meets the Sea



     There is always something new that appears in front of me as I wander around one of the Florida Keys.  Usually it relates to the birds, fish, and the flowers, but once in a while the blending of the land and the sea offers a view that is just captivating.    I wandered upon this view on Tuesday and I had to share it with you, a perfectly framed by nature photo.  ;o)

Heavy Demand on the Cooperages for Barrels

     With the current growth in the demand for bourbon whiskey, there has been a huge growth in the demand for new "American Oak" barrels.   There has been a shortage of the much needed barrels recently, but the real question is where do these barrels come from?

     Making these barrels is a very old craft, almost an art, called cooperage. The Scots-Irish who settled in Appalachia could do this: Cut the white oak boards into staves, steam them to bend, make metal hoops to hold the barrel tight. 

     You can see this process is the small town of Lebanon, Ky. This cooperage is one of several owned by a company called Independent Stave, which is based in Missouri and is the largest maker of whiskey barrels in the world. 

     As the barrels take shape they are carried, rolled, and conveyed - sometimes overhead - to the different work stations. Starting out as a collection of oak staves, they are fitted together, steamed, bound with steel and seared with flame before arriving at the end ready for inspection. 

     "The barrel has water and air in it," says Leo Smith, the supervisor for the last stop on the production line. "They're looking for any kind of leak or defect in the barrel. ... He's going to put a plug in that barrel where it's leaking, a small plug in it, and stop that leak." 

     The plug is a simple piece of cedar, whittled by hand.

 

You can read more at http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/12/29/373787773/as-bourbon-booms-demand-for-barrels-is-overflowing 

 

     The real good news is that the more Bourbon that is produced the more barrels that will be available for the rum industry that uses a good portion of the once used bourbon barrels.  Rules, rules, rules, Bourbon can only use new barrels and can not refill them.  They are sold to the producers of other spirits that will make use of them for resting their spirits.  These barrels are a big part of the production of every aged spirit that the world knows today and will always be.  ;o)

 

 

 

Americans Drink More During the Winter Season

     I ran a cross an article the other day about the drinking habits of Americans.  It seems that we do more drinking during the winter months than any other time of the year.  It is an interesting article based on data collected by BACTrack, the makers of breath analyzers. 

     December through March is the peak drinking season in the United States, with the average blood alcohol content (BAC) above the legal limit over 35 percent of the time, according to a report by BACtrack. 

     "Our goal is to shed light on alcohol consumption habits so consumers can make smarter decisions when drinking," Keith Nothacker, president of BACtrack, said in a statement. "We hope this report will make consumers more aware of how much alcohol they consume when at a bar with friends or while drinking egg nog at a holiday party so they can ultimately stay safe." 

     Drinkers Stay Warm with Alcohol: Most Alcohol Consumed During Winter Months.   BACtrack found that between December 1st and March 31st, the average BAC is higher than any other time of the year.   The average BAC is above 0.06% nearly 75 percent of days during this time period; the rest of the year, the average BAC is above 0.06% only 50 percent of days.   More than five out of every seven days have an average BAC above 0.06%.   

     What makes this particularly interesting is that research shows drinkers are "buzzed" and experience stimulating effects such as increased energy and self-confidence when they have a BAC of 0.055% or lower. At 0.06%, drinkers reach peak stimulation and the euphoric effects of alcohol take place.   Once drinkers surpass the 0.06% threshold, the depressant effects of alcohol, such as fatigue, lack of balance and poor coordination, begin to kick in and they're more likely to appear "drunk" to those around them. They are also more likely to have horrible hangovers. 

     BACtrack also found that 14 of the 15 biggest drinking days of the year, all of which have an average BAC of 0.08% or higher, fall between December and March.

 

The days with the highest average include: 

    December 6th and 7th (0.087% and 0.088%)

    New Year's Eve (0.094%)

    January 18th and 19th (0.090% and 0.088%)

    January 25th (0.093%)

    Super Bowl Weekend - February 1st and 2nd (0.090% and 0.091%)

    February 15th - the day after Valentine's Day (0.092%)

    March 7th and 8th (0.088% and 0.088%)

    St. Patrick's Day Weekend - March 14th and 15th (0.087% and 0.094%) 

     The only other day out of the entire year with an average BAC of 0.08% or higher in 2014 was the Saturday before Cinco de Mayo - May 3rd (0.090%)

 

Read More at http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2014/12/25/report-americans-drink-the-most-during-winter-months/

     I guess that the cold weather and having to spend so much more time indoors really has an effect on Americans.  The article show that the East drinks more than the west and This is some very interesting information and it gives us a perspective on the drinking habits of Americans.   December is the month with the highest consumption, something that I understand with the advent of the loss of daylight savings time and darkness greeting you as you arrive home from work.  Cold weather is also setting in and it is a bit depressing not seeing the daylight except during working hours.  

 

     Oh well, December is over and we're are starting a new year.  The days are gaining daylight at the rate of about a minute a day.   All is getting better and the outdoors will soon be a part of our daily routine shortly.   ;o)

 

 

2015

Colorful adventures ahead of all of us

     Here we go again, starting a new year and all of the adventures that are ahead for us.  I always look at it a chance to start with a clean slate and a chance to make the year something really special.   I try to avoid the resolutions  in favor of just following my gut and doing what feel good.  I'm very curious as usual what new things will cross my path and where they will take me.

     My life has always been an adventure and I think that because I'm not afraid to look life right in the face and try so many new and different things, I don't loose interest in what I'm doing.   Keeping my life fresh and vibrant keeps me young and enjoying all that I do.  If it becomes tedium, then it is time to try something different.

     Here is to 2015, may it be a year of new and exciting adventures and challenges that make all of us stronger and better people for the efforts.   Look at your life straight on and let it take you to new and untraveled paths filled with eye opening fun and new perspectives.  ;o)

2014 The Last Hurrah!

     2014 has been a very interesting year for me.  I have not traveled as much as I would like to have, but obligations too a fair amount of my time this year.  I did get to know the Florida Keys a little bit better as I took more tine to explore close to home.  

     I am looking forward to 2015 and a chance to do more traveling and see more rum related locales.   I know that I want to return again to Cuba and Spend some time in the area of Santiago de Cuba and Visit the old Bacardi Distillery that is now producing rums like Santiago de Cuba Rum and others.  I also hope to make it to Guyana and visit the historic distilleries of Demerara and their El Dorado Rums.

     I plan to make more time to be able to create new and exciting stories of rum and festivals to celebrate the spirits of the sugar cane.   2014 was a really fine year, but it is time to do more around the rum world as well as the tropics to make 2015 absolutely spectacular.  ;o)

Rum: Casting Off its Party Image with Super-Premium Expressions.

     Over the past few years, the rum industry has suffered at the hands of other categories, due in part from the image of pirate swagger of low to middle grade expressions and a real lacking of the real premium expressions within the category.   Here lately in the past few years there has been a growth in the ultra premium portions of the Rum Category.  

     The Spirits Business has a great article that covering the growth of this part of the category.

     Rum brands are taking premiumisation seriously, but which will be the ones to watch in 2015?  Rum is frequently cast with the same party image as Tequila, and similarly for some time now, rum producers have sought to shake this reputation and entice a new generation of aspirational drinkers.  It is no secret that consumer knowledge across the spirits spectrum is growing, and with that so is their desire for more top-end offerings, with rum being no exception to the rule.

     Earlier this year Diageo’s Ed Pilkington made the statement that the rum category has “lost its soul” in nightclubs and “fallen behind” other spirits categories as a result of its “devaluing” association with the international nightclub scene. His solution?  Premiumisation to “bring it back to its roots” expressing companies should be targeting “connoisseurs, not clubbers”. Unfortunately for rum, emerging market consumers hungry for more premium products are migrating to other more “fashionable” categories such as light brandy in the Philippines and whisky in India, both of which contributed to a 2.9% volume decline for rum last year (IWSR).  However, in an effort to move the category in the desired direction there has been an array of new launches in 2014. Bacardi said it hoped to premiumize the category “as a whole” with the launch of a new super-premium white sipping rum in global travel retail, Bacardi Gran Reserva Maestro de Ron.

The Party Continues

     Furthermore the brand increased its footprint in the flavored rum department with the launch of Bacardi Mango Fusion. But the brand is certainly not shying away from rum’s party persona – quite the opposite. Not too long ago, 1,862 fans were flown to the Bermuda Triangle for one of the world’s most elaborate events featuring music from Calvin Harris, Kendrick Lamar and Ellie Goulding.  Meanwhile, spiced rum is continuing to grow in popularity and stealing focus from white rum, which was always had a solid starting point among new rum drinkers. As such, UK boutique drinks distributor Maverick launched what it claims is the world’s first super-premium spiced rum, Rumbullion! XO. Also making headway in the spiced rum market is Lamb’s Navy Rum, which is set to launch a Spiced Cherry expression and a range of super-premium dark rums in the New Year. A smart move, perhaps, considering the UK’s rum market bucked the trend of decline, with quarterly sales up 6% and flavored rum in particular soaring by 34% according to Wine and Spirits Trade Association (WSTA) figures. The organization stated a trend of premiumisation was apparent providing “hope that the market may finally be turning a corner”.

Read More at http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2014/12/the-rum-brands-to-watch-in-2015/

     It is my firm belief that the future of rum is a two prong path, we still need the party, but the premium and ultra premium expression will give the category the strength to be take serious in the world of spirits.    ;o)

Bahia Honda: Flowers, Butterflies and Birds

     These past few weeks I have had the pleasure of "camping" at Bahia Honda State Park, here in the Florida Keys.   This park will take many more visits to really get the feel for all that there is to see here.  Today I would like to let you look and a few of the December flowers, butterflies, and birds that the park boasts for the holidays.

Surrounded with a Swirling Pod of Fish

     Sitting in the marina looking down at the fish pod that has shown up at the Side of Lil' Sanity here at Bahia Honda Marina.  Very impressive pod of yellow tail, snapper and mullet gathering at the boat.   This is the stuff that makes my visit to all of these places so special.   ;o)

Premium Cachaca to Save the Catagory

     Cachaca in the United States only popular in a small sector of the market, but there is a movement afloat to try and improve the image that Cachaca has.   Like so many other category of spirits, it takes a premium expression of the spirit for it to have any reputation that that will be able to sustain the product.  
      A closer and a slow but pervasive trend of premiumisation can be spotted, slowly redefining the category by challenging old prejudices and adding incremental value. Despite a 6.2% value decline in 2013, the cachaça category has grown by US$2.2bn in the last five years, a staggering increase of over 2,500%.   “There’s a lot of opportunity for cachaça in terms of value growth,” adds Malandrakis. “But the only hope for volume growth is that it merely stabilizes at this stage.”  

This move towards premiumisation in the category has undoubtedly been aided by the involvement of international spirits groups such as Diageo. Seduced by the allure of such a voluminous sector with prime opportunities for premiumisation – as well as access to one of world’s most coveted emerging markets – the group spent US$450m (£278m) acquiring Ypióca in 2012.

“Diageo saw an opportunity to form an alliance in Brazil,” says Daan Dekroon, export director for Ypióca. “The company chose a brand which has high-quality liquid and is versatile. We do not want to be seen as the poor man’s drink; we want to premiumize the category in terms of taste and packaging. We have a vision to do something different with Ypióca.”

Read More at http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2014/10/cachaca-now-more-aspirational-and-sophisticated/

     Life is really good on a hot afternoon at the lake or at sea sipping on a nice Caiparinha made with a fine premium cachaca.

Bahama Bob's Caiparinha

• 2 oz. Premium Cachaca
• 1/2 oz. Agave Nectar or Cane Syrup
• Juice of 1/2 Lime

Squeeze a fresh lime half into a rocks glass filled with ice, add sweetener and Cachaca.  Shake until chilled and strain back into a rocks glass rimmed with sugar in the raw and filled with fresh ice, add a splash of club soda.  Garnish with a lime wheel.

 

 

 

U.S. Rum War between Bacardi and Pernod Ricard

     With President Obama's executive order to bring back diplomatic relations with Cuba, come the potential for a rum ware between tow of the largest producers of rum in the world.  Bacardi and Pernod Ricard will be back at it over the "Havana Club" brand name.  Below are excerpts of and article I ran across in the

 

     Forget a real war with Cuba. Enter the prospect of a rum war.   With the Cold War in the rear view mirror, President Obama's decision to loosen American trade restrictions on Cuba has made a diplomatic détente possible-but could also set off a corporate skirmish with potentially billions of dollars at stake.   It all has to do with the Cuban rum Havana Club, which was first manufactured in the 19th century. Following the Cuban revolution in the late 1950s, the communist government seized the brand's distillery, without compensation. But communist cadres aren't natural rum-makers, so the regime began a partnership with French company Pernod Ricard.   Bacardi, another company that saw its assets famously expropriated by the regime, purchased the American "Havana Club" trademark from its original owner in the late '90s. 

     So in America, "Havana Club" is made by Bacardi in Puerto Rico and can be found in five states. Everywhere else in the world, it's Cuban-made and distributed by Pernod Ricard.   Assuming that America's trade relationship with Cuba continues to improve, this could mean that the Cuban-made Havana Club could soon be available in the United States. But whose version will it be?

     "The central question now is who will get to bring Cuban-distilled Havana Club rum back to the U.S.A.: Bacardi or Pernod. The mellowing of U.S.-Cuba relations could well spike a D.C. rum war," said Charles Benoit, a lawyer specializing in alcohol legal issues.

 

Read More at http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/19/why-congress-hates-your-cuban-rum.html

      The only question is where will "Havana Club" sold here in the states be "Havana Club" or "Havanista"?