Best Selling and Top Trending Rums for 2016

     Spark up a fat one, Fidel. Once again the best-selling rums in the world’s best bars is the one half owned by the Castro’s.   It’s been a tale of towering global sales for Havana Club ever since the Cubans said hello to their little friend Pernod Ricard.  The latest Havana Club- Bacardi bout was won on points rather than knockout blows. In the end, 5% more bars fell into the Havana Club camp rather than that of Bacardi’s.   Either way, only 20% of bars polled didn’t list either Havana Club or Bacardi among their top- three selling rums.  This year the Daiquiri and Mojito were both in the top 10 best-selling classics and while Bacardi might argue its heritage here, if you want to make an authentic Daiquiri the way they do at La Floridita or a Mojito at La Bodeguita, you’re probably best using a brand that’s legal in Cuba. 

     Diageo, meanwhile, is on a different strategy – Zacapa is for the bars you want to go to, Captain Morgan for bars you don’t.   The group has a few other rums, naturally, but in the bars we polled, Zacapa was their smooth operator, talking its way into podium rum position in a third of the 100.  The hurdle for Zacapa is stepping off the back bar on to the rack.  Only 10% of responders said the Guatemalan rum is their default pouring rum.   Yet Zacapa is the trending rum in nearly 20% of polled bars. The rum aged in the clouds looks to be floating in the right direction.

           Diplomatico from Venezuela is on the ascent too. It is fourth among the best sellers and second in the trending list, where 15% of bars said it was the hot rum brand right now.

The World's 50 Best Bars Annual Report 2016

     First Things First, we should say that the World’s 50 Best Bars Annual Report is the new name for the Brands Report and the Cocktail Report combined.   We figured this body of research could be presented in a singular report every January, denoting a full stop, not a comma, to industry’s year of business.    We’re pleased to say that 28 of The World’s 50 Best Bars took part in this survey. Not a bad return, given there’s no prize at the end – except this invaluable report, of course.   But we didn’t stop there. The top 50 are the inner circle, but our Academy vouched for 542 bars in total last year.   Of these we contacted the top-ranked 250, widening the pool to gain greater global insight and reduce the risk of anomalous results.

    In total we gathered 100 completed

questionnaires, which we feel an accurate representation of the best bars in the world.   You’ll see below a list of all the Top 50 bars that took part and those that have featured in previous lists.   This year we had respondents  from bars from 28 cities in 15 countries and six regions.

     Europe,  as a continent of 50 countries and a powerhouse of the bar industry – made up the largest share, but we have strong representation from North America, Asia and Latin America, and a sprinkling of bars from Australasia and Africa & Middle East.  This distribution is consistent with the geographical mix of bars at the top end of the business, as evidenced by our World’s 50 Best Bars poll. 

     We asked bars’ owners and head bartenders to rank their top three best-selling brands in each category.   In previous years we have only asked for the number one best seller, but in learning the top three, we are able to get a better picture of sales.   The best-selling spirits, liqueurs, champagne, beer or water can be measured in bottles used, which provides the most tangible insight into the consuming habits in elite bars.   But, as we know, a best-selling brand, even in the best bars in the world, earns its place on more than taste.   The best bartenders won’t serve any old hooch but they are also running a business. So we too wanted to know the brands that are not necessarily doing huge volumes but have cool-appeal right now.  So the trending lists – to borrow from Twitter parlance – are made up of brands customers are increasingly asking for. 

     These could be offering innovation, or might have benefited from a clever marketing ploy.   It could be down to word of mouth, or maybe a bartender’s recommendation.   It’s possible that trending brands also feature as best sellers in a given category.   But more likely, they are smaller operators that aren’t the hulking front men of large portfolios and have become on-trend in spite of an inferior inability to incentives.  

We have also collated cross-category top 10s. Bartenders’ Choice is one for the purists as it is untouched by the meddling hand of profitability or the whim of consumer trend.   It’s here we see what bartenders themselves prize most. We also have an overall Best-Selling Brands and overall Top Trending lists, which too pit brands across the spirits spectrum, rather than category by category.   Independent, unsponsored, impartial and compiled using a robust methodology, we feel this is the sort of research that makes the drinks industry a better-informed place. 

Read More at http://www.drinksint.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/5815/Annual_Report:_Rum_Top_10_.html 

Mother Nature's Gallery

     One of the most beautiful parts of nature come from the sun, the sea and the sky coming together.  Mother nature has provided us with the opportunity nearly every day to enjoy her fabulous art works.  I spend a lot of time on the water these days and I get the opportunity to enjoy a huge gallery of her works.  Hope you enjoy visiting this gallery today.

Joy Spence Marks a Major Milestones, As Appleton Estate® Jamaica Rum Master Blender Celebrating 35 Years In The Industry

Gruppo Campari Honors Joy Spence

Joy Spence

     May 19, 2016.  Sesto San Giovani, Italy.  In today’s fast-paced world it might be hard to imagine spending five or even ten years at one job.  Gruppo Campari is celebrating loyal employee and spirits industry legend who has been on the job for three and a half decades.  Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum Master Blender Joy Spence was recognized yesterday at the Gruppo Campari Annual Convention for having served the spirits industry for 35 years.

     In commemorating Joy's contribution to the industry, with a career spanning back to the 1980s, Gruppo Campari’s Chief Executive Officer, Bob Kunze-Concewitz, said: “Gruppo Campari is honored to have a legend of the spirits industry in charge of crafting and ensuring the exceptional quality and taste of our Appleton Estate brand. The entire Campari Joy Spence Family joins with rum enthusiasts around the world in congratulating Joy on this significant milestone in her career.” 

     Joy has the distinction of being the first female Master Blender in the Spirits industry, and she will also celebrate her 20th Anniversary as Master Blender in 2017.  Among Joy’s many award-winning creations for Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum are Appleton Estate 50 Year Old Jamaica Rum (the oldest barrel-aged rum in the world), Appleton Estate Reserve Blend, Appleton Estate Rare Blend 12 Year Old, and the Appleton Estate 250^th Anniversary Blend, which was her first creation as Master Blender. In addition, Joy is currently preparing a limited edition blend of rums aged at least 25 years which will be released in concert with her 20^th anniversary as Master Blender. 

     Joy was awarded the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Officer by the Government of Jamaica for her service to industry. Joy also possesses a honorary Doctorate of Science degree from the University of Loughborough and a honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from the University of the West Indies.

Time is Running Out for the St. Croix Rum Festival

     It is a week from Sunday and you really don't want to miss this one, so get your flights and rooms booked and be ready to party on St. Croix.  Tickets are available on St. Croix at: Global Tours Travel, Hair Plus, Mr. Cheap, Gas For Less, Urban Threadz, Gas City, Neighborhood Pharmacy and The Shoe Bar.   Otherwise you can get them  online @ www.stcroixrumfestival.com  

18th Century Sailors Killed By Poisoned Rum?

The use of lead equipment in 18^th century rum production may have contributed to the deaths of British sailors in the Caribbean think archaeologists.

     Recent examination of skeletons from the Royal Naval Hospital cemetery in Antigua showed extremely high levels of lead in the bones, possibly caused by the high levels of the metal in the sailors’ rum ration.   Anthropologist Tamara Varney said historians have long believed a high death rate among members of the British Royal Navy and at a time when the navy dominated the Caribbean was due to alcoholism and lead poisoning.

     A team from the Lakehead University in Ontario looked at the amount of lead in the bones of 17 adult males.   Concentrations ranged between 13 and 336 parts per million (ppm).    A ‘normal’ amount of lead would be anywhere between five and 30 ppm, while lead poisoning is typically anything over 80 ppm.   The leader of the team, professor Tamara Varney, told the Daily Mail that lead poisoning as a result of high doses in rum rations has previously been suggested as being a serious health issue for the Royal Navy in the 18^th century.   However, she told the paper: “This idea had never been tested on the remains of individuals serving in the navy at the time.”

     If the bodies came from the early 19^th century then food stored in lead cans would be a likely suspect but the bodies in question date from the time of the French Revolution, just before canning came into widespread use in the Navy.  

     Rum was given to the sailors as part of their daily ration (mixed with water and citrus juice) and in tropical regions like the Caribbean their ration was often augmented to help ward off diseases such as Yellow Fever, which ravaged the European garrisons stationed on the islands at the time.   So serious were the epidemics that being sent to the Caribbean was often tantamount to a death sentence and the islands gained the grisly moniker of ‘the white man’s grave’.

     Many of the bones found there also showed high levels of mercury, which was, likewise, widely used as a medicine at the time as its dangerously high toxicity was not understood.   Soldiers and sailors of the 18^th century therefore were, unknowingly, being poisoned with heavy metals from both the cure and supposed preventative to the already lethal ailments surrounding them.

Read More at https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2016/05/18th-century-sailors-killed-by-poisoned-rum/

A Rum Distillery Near Charlotte?

     Muddy River Distillery in Belmont, North Carolina is just that.  It is the oldest and the only "Legal Rum Distillery" in North Carolina, really making an original and the real thing.  

     At just three years old, Muddy River Distillery is North Carolina’s first and oldest rum distillery since prohibition, staking claim on an as-of-yet untapped craft liquor market in a state that’s currently home to more than 100 craft breweries.   Banking on a trajectory that would follow that of North Carolina’s craft beer boom, founders Robbie and Caroline Delaney appear to have hit a home run with their rum distillery.   The two-person husband and wife duo took Robbie’s  at-home alcohol-making hobby from borderline obsession to full-blown business in less than a year.

     The idea first came to Robbie on a flight to Charlotte to visit Caroline when they were dating. While on the plane he read an article about the growth of craft breweries across the country and throughout the Charlotte area, thought to himself  that “Beer is already here. Why just be one of hundreds of craft breweries, when you can be the first craft rum distillery?”

     Today Muddy River operates out of a sprawling 6,000-square-foot warehouse on the banks of the Catwaba River in Belmont, just to the east of the Charlotte Airport.  Robbie and Caroline are churning out 300 bottles of rum a day, making a real name for themselves.

     Queen Charlotte Reserve is their nicest expression, it has enough flavor and smoothness to be sipped straight or on the rocks.   You generally don't find a sipping rum produced by a distillery that has only been around for a little over four years, but you will change your mind once you taste Queen Charlotte’s Reserve.

Bahama Bob's Ginger Tea

Looking for a cocktail that has the flavor of a fine agricole rhum and the zing of spices and lime?  This is a take off on a T-Punch, but it really comes to life in your glass.  This is another really nice cocktail for a sunny afternoon on the lanai or the aft deck.

Bahama Bob's Ginger Tea

• 1 ½ oz. Damoiseau XO
• 1 oz. Ginger Liqueur
• Juice of ½ Lime
• ¼ oz. Sugarcane Syrup
• Splash of Barritt’s Ginger Beer

        Place all ingredients except the Ginger Beer in a shaker filled with ice  and shake until chilled.  Strain into a tumbler filled with fresh ice and top up with Barritt's Ginger Beer.  Garnish with a lime and a sprig of mint.

A Taste of Pusser's Spiced Rum

     There is a new Red Pusser’s Rum Bottle out there, It is Pusser’s Spiced Rum.  In the glass the rum is a lovely amber color. The nose is predominantly ginger and cinnamon with notes of oranges with hints of black pepper and caramel.  Despite being only 35% ABV it still provides a good mouth feel like a real rum.

     Pusser’s Spiced has a little surprise in that the Spices are more subtle and much smoother.  The Spiced is very easy to sip and bold enough to stand up to mixing without getting completely lost in the mix.  There is no noticeable notes of vanilla in the spice blend, but rather a rather spicy and zesty flavor.   Notes of ginger, orange and hints of cinnamon and pepper add to the heat of the finish. The finish is flavorful and lingers offering a nice smooth and easy fade.

Grenada's Westerhall Distillery Grounds

     The once massive Westerhall Estate is still a beautiful place to walk through time to immerse yourself in the days of rum making the traditional way of the 1700’s.  You can see many of the remaining pieces of the original equipment that churned out the rum. Located on the southern side of Grenada in St. David, it is a bit out of the way, but a trip well worth making to get a sense of the history of rum making on Grenada.

HISTORY OF THE DAIQUIRI by Cocktails 101

     This is a well researched piece on the background and evolution of the daiquiri over the year.  This is a cocktail that I find to be one of the most versatile anywhere and a favorite for its flavor and simplicity.

     Ernest Hemingway put away 15 frozen daiquiris in one sitting, while John F. Kennedy sipped daiqs when he beat Nixon in the 1960 presidential election—at least according to legend. Today, daiquiris are the beloved beverage of cocktail aficionados and wannabe vacationers to the newly reopened Cuba. Below, every single thing you need to know about one of the most classic of classic cocktails—history, tips and techniques, recipes, and variations.

     While most vintage drinks lack documentation proving their precise point of creation, the daiquiri's origin is backed up by an actual cocktail recipe card signed by a "Jennings Cox" in 1896.

Cox, an American engineer who lived and worked in Cuba after the Spanish-American War, is believed to have invented the daiquiri after running out of gin while throwing a cocktail party. Since rum is plentiful in the country, it proved a convenient substitute in a punch he was serving. Unlike what's stated on his recipe card, the drink was made with limes—since lemons were unheard of in Cuba—and brown sugar. It turned out to be a huge hit, and Cox christened it the "Daiquiri," naming the drink after a nearby port town, which also happened to be where the U.S. first invaded Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

     However, considering the island has a bounty of lime, sugar, and rum, it's likely that Cox was merely the first to pen the recipe of a cocktail that had already existed in Cuba. Not to mention that a prototype of the daiquiri—"grog" with lime juice, sugar, rum, and water—had been saving the British Royal Navy from scurvy for centuries before. And variations of rum-lime-sugar drinks previously populated Cuba (el draque, the precursor to the mojito, was invented by Sir Francis Drake during the 1500s) and the Caribbean (ti' punch from 1887).

     But, in 1909, Cox's cocktail, which until then could only be found in Cuba, was brought to America by Admiral Lucius W. Johnson. The U.S. naval officer, who had visited Cox and fell in love with his daiquiri, introduced it to Washington, D.C.'s Army and Navy Club.

Then, four years later, bartender Emilio "El Maragato" Gonzalez of Havana's Hotel Plaza started serving the daiquiri up, shaken and strained into a coupe glass, as opposed to shaken and poured into an ice-filled flute. He also swapped in white sugar for brown sugar. This new presentation, along with the sweetener switch, allowed the rum to shine. Plus, it wasn't as diluted.

Between the 1920s and 1930s in Cuba, the daiquiri underwent an important transformation. Constantino "Constante" Ribalaigua Vert, bartender and owner of a little bar in Havana called El Floridita, perfected the drink with just shaved ice and the whir of an electric blender. And the frozen daiquiri was born.

Soon after, Ernest Hemingway, who was living in Cuba, happened into the bar and, after sampling Constante's frozen creation, requested it sans sugar and with double the rum on account of his diabetes. This, of course, made the cocktail conducive to epic drinking sessions and motivated Hemingway to become a bar regular. In one account from Berry's book, Hemingway put away 15 double frozen daiquiris in one sitting. This earned the cocktail a permanent spot on Floridita's menu as the "E. Hemmingway [sic] Special."

Papa Hemingway's super tart recipe eventually evolved to the more drinkable Hemingway Daiquiri, a classic that now includes grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur, in addition to rum and lime.

Read More at http://www.eater.com/drinks/2016/5/12/11327350/daiquiri-cocktail-recipe-rum-lime-cuban-drink 

Gruppo Campari Tests New Spiced Rum Brand, Baron Samedi

     Gruppo Campari is testing a new spiced rum as it looks to extend its presence in the category.   Speaking to analysts following the release of the company's first-quarter results yesterday, CEO Bob Kunze-Concewitz said the move was a "major new innovation" for the company. The new product is called Baron Samedi - named after a Haitian voodoo god.   "The spiced rum world is awash with sailors, pirates, admirals and such," Kunze-Concewitz said. 

Baron Samedi James Bond Movie

  "We're coming with, I think, a very distinctive proposition built on the voodoo storytelling available in the Caribbean.   So, let's see how that goes." Kunze-Concewitz did not disclose test markets on the call but the Baron Samedi website's age gate gives Australia, Canada, US and Mexico as country options.  

Read More at http://www.just-drinks.com/news/gruppo-campari-tests-new-spiced-rum-brand-baron-samedi-ceo_id120184.aspx

     The Baron Samedi features Caribbean column still rum and a small amount of Jamaican pot still rum.   It is made up of 100% natural ingredients including vanilla,  cocoa, cinnamon and our signature spice, Haitian Vetiver - a bunch grass that adds earthy and woody notes.

      On the palate, it is smooth and rich.  Baron Samedi is specifically blended to be paired with traditional spiced rum mixers such as cola or ginger beer, or to be enjoyed as a shot.  Served up at 45% abv this is not your mamby-pamby spiced rum.  It truly packs a punch.  Suggested Retail price is around $29.00.

You Can Buy Your Own Spirits Still, You Just Can't Use It

     Here's the good news. You can own a spirits still. There's no law against that. There's even a company, Clawhammer, that will sell you a beautiful copper still that's designed specifically for producing booze. The bad news? You can't actually make booze in that still. "It's legal to own a still of any size," says Kyle Brown, founder of Clawhammer. "You can have it for decoration, distilling water, distilling essential oils. but it's illegal to distill alcohol without having either a distilled spirits permit or a federal fuel alcohol permit."

     A Federal Fuel Alcohol Permit, which is free and easy to get. "We've never heard of anyone being denied this permit and have never heard of anyone even being checked up on after obtaining the permit," Brown says. The ingredients, the process, and even the final product is the same when making high proof distilled spirits and fuel alcohol. "With this permit, you can make distilled spirits," Brown says, "but the product is supposed to be used for fuel alcohol purposes only."   Legally, you're not supposed to drink it. You're supposed to put it in your lawnmower.

Read More at http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/05/you-can-buy-your-own-whiskey-still-you-just-cant-u.html

     The real question is what is being done about this?  There is an outfit called the "Hobby Distillation Association" that is working toward legalization for the hobby distiller. 

  LEGALIZATION PROGRESS

    The Hobby Distiller's Association is working towards the legalization of hobby distilling.   Unless you live in New Zealand it is most likely illegal for you to distill alcohol at home, even if it is purely as a hobby. This is in contrast to making beer or wine, which is legal in most countries without permits, licenses, or payment of tax. It is time for change!   The hobby distiller is not a backwoods moonshiner distilling for profit.    He often uses sophisticated equipment, distilling mainly for enjoyment, and often as the next step in the legal hobby of wine or beer making. 

     In the United States, distilling alcohol without proper permits is illegal.   And although there are permits for distilling alcohol for use as a fuel, there's no such license for distilling small amounts of beverage alcohol.   That leaves the hobbyist with two options- distill as a hobby illegally, or don't distill. The HDA (Hobby Distillation Association) is pressing to change to this by forming the first single, unified, consistent, and strong voice for the hobbyist.   “We absolutely do not support ‘moonshining’ activities where individuals sell their shine for profit.”.

     It is going to be interesting to watch if this idea of making small quantities of drinking spirits for personal consumption will ever happen here in America.   Right now you can get into serious trouble if you get caught today.

Troy Roberts of Drum Circle Displaying his 1 Gallon Research Still at the Miami Rum Festival

Grander Panamanian Rum

     “Grander Rum is a new, independently owned spirits brand that’s producing an eight year old

Cane Being Hand Cut in Herrara Province

Panamanian rum. “  The process begins in the sugar cane fields of Herrara, Panama, where the sugar cane is hand-harvested and turned into Grade-A molasses.   Grander is fermentation from molasses and distilled at the Ingenio San Carlos Distillery with copper plated column stills.   Grander is aged for eight years in once used Kentucky Bourbon barrels.     This expression is aged for eight years in the warm Panamanian temperatures  and then blended before being reduced to 45% ABV and bottled.   This expression is unaltered rum that is rich and full bodied as a result of its higher proof presentation.

     Panama is home to some wonderful rums, like Ron Abuelo, Zafra, Ron Duran and Yolo.  This is why when a new expression comes onto the market there is so much excitement about getting our hands on it and tasting it.    The area that surrounds Herrara Province is loaded with fields that produce high quality cane from the rich soiland a great group of master distillers to produce the high quality rums on a regular basis.   Grander comes from a solid stock being produced in this area.

      Grander Rum shows with a rich amber color that brings a blend of vanilla, spices and heavy oak to the nose.   Grander is rich and with flavors of vanilla and spice notes that hint of nutmeg and cinnamon, in addition to those of dried fruits.   The finish turns decidedly dry, leaving a taste of warm oak with some notes from the bourbon casks that they were aged in.  Eight years in barrel brings out a spirit with plenty of wood without being overpowering, instead yielding a nice balance of the wood with those of sweet spice and fruit. 

     Selling in the 750 ml size here in the United States at about $37.00, it makes a nice package of enjoyable tasting.

Papa: Hemingway in Cuba

  The new movie Papa: Hemingway in Cuba has just been released in the theaters.  This reminds me of so many places that he would hang out in Havana, San Francisco de Paula and Cojmar, Cuba. The film relates a story of a young journalist that ventured to Havana in 1959 to spend some time with his idol.    Roger Ebert made this comment on the movie.  “The script was written by Denne Bart Petitclerc and was based on his own experiences with Ernest Hemingway, whom he befriended as a young journalist. Petitclerc passed away a decade ago, and he would’ve been thrilled to learn that the long belated project would become the first Hollywood film shot in Cuba since 1959, and that various scenes would be shot in the locations where Hemingway once resided. Even Mariel

Pilar at Finca de Vigia

Hemingway, the writer’s granddaughter, turns up in an all-too-brief cameo. These behind-the-scenes factoids are the most interesting aspects of the film—and, regrettably, the only interesting aspects, as well.”   Read More at http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/papa-hemingway-in-cuba-2016

Having a Papa Doble With "Papa"

     Earnest Hemingway loved his life in Cuba,  pre-revolution

El Floridita

Cuba, in particular.  Nothing made him happier that big game fishing in the Caribbean, Cuban cigars, and Great Cuban Rum.   Although he didn’t drink his rum straight, his daiquiris, made with a higher quality Cuban rum.   During the 50’s most of the rough “Kill Devil” rums of earlier eras were gone and replaced by smoother, sweet, white expressions crafted to accommodate the cocktail craze currently of the new era.  Hemingway embibed at the El Floridita, this was his favorite Havana watering hole.  There he was served his self-created daiquiri, known as the “Papa Doble” This was a very clean sugar free version of the #4 El Floridita Daiquiri that was sans sugar and double the rum, thus the name.

Ambros Mundos Hotel

Finca la Vigia

     I have had the privilege to visit so many of the haunts that where Hemingway spent his time in Cuba, and I couldn't help to wanting to have seen myself walking and spending time in that era in Cuba.  Great shows, cocktail lounges, fine rum and cigars.   From the Ambros Mundos where if first lived when in Havana and wrote For Whom the Bells Tolled, to Finca la Vigia, his beloved villa in San Franciscio de Paula. This was a place to be if you wanted to live the "high life" that was filled with the excitement of the Caribbean.  I am looking forward to seeing the film and see ho well they did bring us back the early fifties in Havana.

The bedroom where he would stand in front of the book case and write

Zafra 30 Year Old Rum Debuts

     Zafra 30 Year Old Rum masterful expression rested in oak barrels in Panama, Zafra 30 Year Old aged rum is a luxury limited edition of 6,720 bottles   The Zafra Master Series, well known for the 21 year old Master Reserve, gained worldwide attention upon its debut in 2009.   This 30 year old luxury rum debuted in Miami last month.   Zafra 30 Year Old aged rum is the latest of a legendary master blender Don Pancho Fernandez’s talent.

      "The product has been aging for 30 years in Bourbon casks. We closely monitored the aging process and we batched until we came to the conclusion that it had reached its optimal condition," co-owner of the brand Gardner Blandon says. "The task of batching many times over is tedious, but was necessary to the fulfillment of our goal of offering our consumers our ultimate expression to date."

    With a color of deep mahogany, with an aroma of old oak and fruit, and caramel vanilla.   In the mouth, balanced notes of wood, vanilla and honey that develops into a complex notes of sherry and bourbon.  The Experience finishes with a long lasting smooth and flavorful experience.

     This is a very limited expression and will not be around for very long.  With only 6720 bottle made it will be gone in no time at all.  The price is around $200 US for a 750 ml bottle.  The expression is presented at

Bahia Honda Convergence

     Nothing provides a better back drop for a sunset than the coming together of the Overseas Railroad double deck bridge and the highway bridge at Bahia Honda.  Nothing leaves me feeling better than when you marry the land, the sea and the sky at the end of a beautiful day.

Kayaking Spanish Harbor Key Quarry

     This week we went to the west out of the Bahia Honda Marina and went to explore a place some of the locals call the horseshoe.  When we got there we found a chunk of local history that was really unexpected and beautiful as well.  Known as the horseshoe by the locals, it is about 35 feet deep and today, the old quarry which was one of many dug for fill from 1905 to 1912 by the railroad crew during construction of the Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railroad is a favorite spot for divers and fishermen.

Old Seawall that kept the sea from the Rail bed and now the Highway

    Originally, there were three keys at this location. They were connected by fills at the time the Overseas Railroad was built. The Keys were West Summerland Key, Middle Summerland Key and an unnamed easternmost key. West Summerland retains its name, but the other two are known simply as the Spanish Harbor Keys; named for the anchorage located between this key and Big Pine Key. Interesting features of this key include Indian mounds and storage buildings still standing from the Flagler Railway construction era.

Old Concrete Railroad Ties

     On the northern side of the keys there are still several sea walls that acted to contain the fill used to connect the three keys.  You can also see mounds of old concrete railroad ties behind the ties from when the rails were removed and the highway was constructed.   Kayaking along this edge of the islands gave us a chance to view the work that made the Overseas Railroad and then the highway possible.

Nurse Shark

Egret