How Much Can You Drink to be less Calories than a Cheeseburger?

     The basic 1/4 pound cheeseburger has 545 calories.  That is 260 1/4 lb patty, 120 bun, 60 American cheese slice, 15 ketchup and 90 Mayo.  This is a basic cheeseburger, not a double or one with god knows what dripping off of it.   The average recommended intake for men is 2500 calories and women 2000 calories, this is an average of all the weight and activity levels.   500 calories of liquor or cheeseburger boils down to 20% of a mans daily allowance of calories and 25% for women.



     It is actually simple, take a simple Rum and Coke, you get 100 calories from the rum and 90 for the cola, that is 190 calories, and on average most people will drink three of them at a sitting, that is 570 Calories or more than a cheeseburger.  If you start adding heavily sugared mixers like creme of coconut etc, then you can get single drinks like a Pina Colada, that will have more than 400 calories each.

     "A recent survey commissioned by Truly Spiked & Sparkling and conducted online by Harris Poll showed that a stunning 47% of drinkers in the United States believe that there aren’t enough low-calorie drinks options out there on the market, with 45% believing that following a fitness regime makes it more difficult to be social when events revolve around food and drink."

   On the other hand a rum or any other basic spirit on the rocks or with a diet soda, is only 100 calories, about the same as a light beer.  You will be pretty drunk is you have five of those in one sitting, but it is less than a cheeseburger.  Check out the chart and see what you are taking in when you are out grilling and eating burgers and drinking your favorite beverage how many calories your are taking in.  Usually about the equivalent of about 2 to 3 hours of running to burn them off.

LIGHT BEER (12oz)  WINE Budweiser Select 55  55 Skinnygirl  120 Beck's Premier Light  60 Red (Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, etc)  150 Miller 64  64 White (Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, etc)  150 Michelob Ultra Amber  90 Korbel Brut California Champagne  160 Budweiser Select  100 Skinnygirl Sangria 160 Busch Light 100 Sweet dessert (3.5 oz.) 170 Coors Light  100 Barefoot Refresh Pink Spritzer (8 oz.) 180 Corona Light  100 Kirin Light  100 RESTAURANT COCKTAILS  Michelob Ultra  100 Michelob Ultra Lime Cactus 100 Red Lobster Manhattan  160 Miller Lite  100 Chili's Premium Long Island Iced Tea  210 Natural Light  100 Olive Garden Frozen Margarita 340 Bud Light  110 Red Robin Irish Beer Shake 780 Miller High Life Light 110 Bud Light Lime  120 HARD CIDER (12oz) Michelob Light  120 Sam Adams Light 120 Michelob Ultra Light 120 Strongbow Gold Apple 170 MALT BEVERAGES (12oz)  Stella Artois Cidre 180 Angry Orchard Crisp Apple  190 Bud Light Lime Lemon-Ade-Rita (8 oz.) 200 Johnny Appleseed 210 Smirnoff Ice Original  200 Bartles & Jaymes Strawberry Daiquiri  210 PACKAGED MIXED DRINKS Bud Light Lime Lime-A-Rita (8 oz.)  220 Sparks Blackberry (16 oz.)  380 Mr & Mrs T Original Bloody Mary Mix (6 oz) 90 Bacardi Mixers frozen Margarita (8 oz.)  150 BEER (12oz)  Jose Cuervo Original Margarita Mix (6 oz.) 220 Master of Mixes Mojito Mixer (6 oz.)  240 Guinness Draught 130 Bacardi Mixers frozen Mojito (8 oz.) 260 Bud Light Platinum  140 Daily's Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri (10 oz.) 280 Heineken 140 Daily's Frozen Piña Colada (10 oz.) 290 Miller High Life 140 Pabst Blue Ribbon 140 LIQUOR & LIQUEUR Beck's 150 Budweiser 150 Pimm's No. 1  80 Corona Extra 150 Gin, Rum, Tequila, Vodka, or Whiskey  100 Kirin Ichiban 150 Baileys Irish Cream  140 Stella Artois  150 Crème de menthe  190 Allagash White 160 Hoegaarden  160 MIXERS  (4 0z.) Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn Lager 170 Shock Top Belgian White 170 Diet Cola 0 Blue Moon White IPA 170 Cola 91 Samuel Adams Boston Lager 180 Lemon- Lime Soda 70 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale 180 Fruit Juices (Average) 60 Leffe Blonde (11.2 oz.)  200 Ginger Beer 64

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3700150/How-fattening-favorite-drink-55-calories-780-use-chart-tipple-choice-ranks.html#ixzz4F3uVTWVM

Couples That Drink Together Stay Together

     This is an interesting study.  My wife and I have been together for almost 42 years, we share many of the same interests and enjoy a lot of things together.  Our drinking habits are very much the same, most of the time if either of us are drinking we are drinking together.  I feel like this is a very good thing for us, both from a social stand point, but on so many other levels.  Many couples fight over financial things, and if one drinks and the other doesn't, this can lead to a serious financial rift, especially if money is tight.  I feel like this is a very valid study and a good read.

     The study, conducted by the University of Michigan, found that married couples aged over 50 with the same drinking habits as their partner – whether they partake, or abstain – tended to be more happier than those whose drinking habits were misaligned.   The amount that people drank was less important than whether both partners had the same habit of drinking or not drinking, the study found.   Women in particular became increasingly dissatisfied over time when only they, and not their partner, drank.   “Concordant drinking couples reported decreased negative marital quality over time, and these links were significantly greater among wives”.   “Wives who reported drinking alcohol reported decreased negative marital quality over time when husbands also reported drinking and increased negative marital quality over time when husbands reported not drinking.”

     “The present findings stress the importance of considering the drinking status rather than the amount of alcohol consumed of both members of the couple when attempting to understand drinking and marital quality among older couples”, researchers concluded. “These findings are particularly salient given the increased drinking among baby boomers and the importance of marital quality for health among older couples.”

Read More at https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2016/07/couples-that-drink-together-stay-together/

W.C. Fields the Entertainer and the Drunk

     There seems to be quit the direct connection between creativity and drinking.  So many famous 
creative people have been associated with drinking.  Ernest Hemingway is as well known for his 
ability to sip his daiquiri's at the El Floridita as he is for his writing.   Like so many other celebrities, 
W.C. Fields brought drinking out of the closet of the Prohibition Era and on to the screen as comedy.   "It was a woman that drove me to drink and I never got a chance to thank her", has always been one 
of my favorites.  One of his first major movies on the subject of drink came out in 1933, just prior to 
the end of Prohibition.    It was called International House, where Fields played professor Henry R. 
Quail, a professor that was flying his autogyro (a strange hybrid of plane and helicopter) to Kansas 
City but he got drunk and confused and ended up in China.  He did not become known as a great 
actor as a result of the movie, but as an irascible drunk,   “The persona itself was the work of genius.”

        He drank often and well, mostly Martinis, “I work better with them inside me,” he said, but he was not unfamiliar with Irish Whiskey, Bourbon. Scotch, Rye, red wine and sherry. He was also quite fond of rum and Coca Cola.   His staff estimated that he drank about two quarts of liquor a day.   He was always an amiable drunk, and he wore his alcoholism well, like the askew top hat, which he became famous for.  He drank at home and he drank on the set. He would often bring a cocktail shaker filled with gin to work, which he referred to as his “pineapple juice.” When a studio employee once refilled it with actual juice, Fields took a sip and bellowed, “Somebody’s been putting pineapple juice in my pineapple juice!”

   His fondness for drink didn’t impair his acting, and may have improved it. “His timing was better when he was drinking,” said legendary director Mack Sennett, who certainly knew about comedy, since he was responsible for the Keystone Kops. “He was terrified of speaking lines too fast, which he sometimes did if he was sober.” 

   

     Toward the end of Field’s life, his drinking became less funny, his nose larger and redder.   Fields suffered from roseacea, did little to treat it, and helped cement a link between excess drink and scarlet snouts.    Yet he always maintained his ability to function appearing in his last film, Sensations of 1945, 72 years ago next week.  “He keeps on drinking and keeps on being funny,” said one colleague of that era, “so whose business is it except his own?” 

     W.C. Fields died 70 years ago. He had been a bridge between the dour temperance era, and the boozy, goofy humor of Dean Martin, Joe E. Lewis, Foster Brooks, Jackie Gleason, and Red Skelton.   His Los Angeles tombstone was famously engraved with the line, “On the whole, I’d rather be in Philadelphia.”

Read More at http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/06/21/how-w-c-fields-helped-end-prohibition.html

International Spirits Challenge Rum Winners

    The 2016 International Spirits Challenge results are in and some good friends are the big winners.
  Trophy Winners R.L. Seale and Pusser's Rum are both outstanding example of the rum production industry.   There are a whole lot of others that showed very well in the event, as you can see below with all of the gold medal winners being listed.   The silver and bronze metal winners can be seen by clicking on the "Read More at" website.   Congratulations to all of the winners, you are examples of how far that the rum category has come with their drive for excellence.

Brand Name

Brand Owner          Company Name

Tasting         Medal

Trophy Winners

Pusser's Rum Gunpowder Proof	Pusser's Rum Company	Trophy
Foursquare 2004	R L Seale & Company	Trophy
Gold Medal Winners
Branca	J.Faria & Filhos		Gold
Facundo Exquisito	Bacardi		Gold
Foursquare Zinfandel Cask Blend	R L Seale & Company		Gold
Havana Club Añejo 15 Años	Havana Club		Gold
Mezan Panama 2006	Marussia Beverages		Gold
R H Jefferson	Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners		Gold
Red Heart Original	Pernod Ricard South Africa		Gold
Savanna Rhum Vieux Traditionnel 5 anos	Distillerie de Savanna		Gold
Woods Old Navy Rum	William Grant & Sons		Gold
Foursquare 2004	R L Seale & Company		Gold
Pusser’s Rum Gunpowder Proof	Pusser’s Rum Company		Gold

Read More at http://www.internationalspiritschallenge.com/isc2016/2016-results

Pussers Gunpowder Proof “Black Tot Day” Launch in the United States

     This year's celebration of  "Black Tot Day" is going to be a very special one, marking the 46th anniversary of the removal of the daily ration of rum from the British Royal Navy ships, Pusser's Rum is introducing their new Pusser's Gunpowder Proof expression to the United States.  This is the rum that was just awarded the trophy in the rum category at the International Spirits Challenge last month and a "Best in Class" at the 2016 RumXP event in Miami in April.

    Pusser’s Gunpowder Proof Rum Leaps Across the Pond Aged Overproof Expression to Launch July 31 in Select U.S. Markets to Commemorate “Black Tot Day” Pusser’s Gunpowder Proof, the last rum issued by the modern Royal Navy to its enlistees in 1970, will launch in seven U.S. markets July 31 to commemorate the 46th anniversary of Black Tot Day. Gunpowder Proof is an aged overproof expression at 54.5 percent which was the formula last used by the Admiralty.   Pusser’s Rum Pusser’s Rum is produced in strict accordance with Admiralty blending specifications last used by the Royal Navy for issue to its fleet, a tradition which began in 1655 when it first served rum as its spirit of choice, with extra “tots” being offered before and after some of the most infamous battles in history.

     This is probably the best expression that Pusser's has produced to date.  The two existing wooden pot stills, first put in use in the early 1700's and located in Guyana’s Demerara River Valley, impregnate the rum with esters (naturally occurring organic flavoring compounds) far beyond those of any other rum. What results is a truly unique, award winning taste. The name “Pusser’s” is nothing more than a corruption of the word “Purser,” the Royal Navy ship’s supply officer who retained the stocks of rum. Before hydrometers, the ship’s Purser would test rum strength by mixing a few grains of gunpowder with rum to see if it would ignite under the heat of a magnifying glass. If it did that was 'proof' the rum was “at strength,” if it was not, the Purser was threatened with bodily harm for “watering down” the rum. “Gunpowder Proof is riding the wave of hand-crafted artisan spirits that are authentic and all-natural,” said Pusser’s CEO Gary Rogalski. “Forbes Magazine called the blend ‘the single malt of rum’ because of the painstaking batch process required to blend, bottle and bring the rum to market.  

     

Where are You Going to be Most Apt to Consume Alcohol This Summer?

   Summer time is a curious time when it comes to the consumption of alcoholic beverages.  Depending on where you are, it could be at the beach, the mountains, on the lake or many other places.   The summer provides us with so many opportunities to quench our thirst with a refreshing beverage.     It seems that Americans seem to be most apt to have an alcoholic beverage at a barbecue.   Portability and the ability to keep the beverages cold are big decision factors as to what they are going to be consuming.   

  According to Nielsen almost two thirds of regular alcohol consumers in the US say they will drink at barbecues this summer, ranking it the top consumption occasion.

     With more than 90% of regular drinkers above legal drinking age planning to consume alcohol outdoors during the summer season, picnics and barbecues rank the most popular occasion, followed by pool-side, at the beach, and then at patio bars.   In terms of summer alcoholic drink qualities, “refreshing” was ranked top by both men and women, at 61% and 64% respectively. “Natural” and “handcrafted” were expressed strongly with men, while “fruity”, “sweet”, “citrusy”, “frozen” and “bubbly” were more popular among women. 

     Nielsen data also found that social media had become a key influencer when choosing drinks for US consumers. One quarter of legal drinking age plus consumers said what other people are seen drinking on social media, increasing to 45% of 21-34-years old.   42% of the demographic also said that they like to post pictures of their drinks on social media, well above the average of 25% for all drinkers.

Read More at http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2016/07/barbeques-top-summer-imbibing-occasion-for-us/ 

The Sun Playing with the Clouds and Water

     Saturday as I was headed home from Rat Key's rum tasting, I noticed that the clouds and the sun were playing "peek-a-boo" and creating quite the beautiful picture.  I couldn't help myself, I had to stop and shoot some pictures.  I just love this place, it always give you a new scene to drive through when you are out and about on the water.

“Smoking” Alcohol Vapors Warned to be More Dangerous Than Drinking

     "Smoking" alcohol vapors was a fad that went around a few years ago, and it has seemed to made
a come back again.  This time there has been enough research that is telling us that it is more dangerous than drinking alcohol.  I got one of the unique devices that allows you to "smoke" alcohol, and tried it, but found that it lacked the flavor  and the oral satisfaction that I get from enjoying a good cocktail.  Anyway, here is the research and the impending warning that is being issues to the residents of the United States.

"Residents in the United States are being warned that the re-emerging trend of smoking alcohol is more harmful than just drinking."

     A number of videos have recently appeared online apparently giving youngsters tips on how to vaporize alcohol to inhale it, and more dangerously, there is no need for any kind of device to implement this.  However, there are alcohol bongs, dry ice cocktails and people even free-base alcohol over an open flame.  The goal is to inhale the alcohol through the lungs to feel its effects, but doctors are warning that this method could prove to be much more dangerous than simply ingesting it normally.

     “Absolutely as bad as drinking, maybe worse,” said Dr. Alfred Aleguas with the Florida Poison Information Center at Tampa General Hospital.   “You have really no clue as to how much you’re ingesting,” said Aleguas.   Aleguas explains that the vapor goes straight into your lungs, thus bypassing the stomach, liver and other organs that metabolize and slow the absorption of alcohol into the blood. And worryingly, there are no typical signs of over indulgence like vomiting and the vapor can damage the lungs, leading to infection.

J.Wray Jamaica Gold and Silver Rum Coming to the United States

     This is really great to see, J. Wray and Nephew brand rums are the original rums of Jamaica, they have such a bold pot stilled flavor and are the rums of choice for the people of Jamaica.  The familar green and yellow label of J. Wray and Nephew Overproof Rum is legendary and I'm sure these two will follow in their footsteps.

     The oldest continuously operating rum producer in Jamaica, J. Wray & Nephew Ltd., is giving two of its classic rums a Jamaican inspired makeover, along with a new name for the introduction of J.Wray™ Jamaica Rum Gold and Silver.   “J. Wray & Nephew Ltd. has a special place in spirits lore with a legacy of more than two centuries crafting high-quality rums,” said Christine Moll, Category Director-Rum, at Campari America.   “J.Wray Jamaica Rum offers an enticing and authentic Jamaican rum to enjoy in flavorful cocktails.  The lively packaging firmly ties the rums to the brand’s storied history and ensures they visually stand out on the shelf.” 

   J.Wray Jamaica Rums replace Appleton Special Jamaica Rum and Appleton White respectively in the USA. The eye-catching packaging highlighted by traditional bright, vibrant colors evokes the alluring and free-spirited vibe characteristic of Jamaica.   Smooth and light-bodied, J.Wray Jamaica Rum Silver is a white rum that’s aged and filtered slowly through special charcoal filters. Clean and crisp, the brilliantly clear rum is light and fruity with pear and apple notes. This critically-acclaimed rum was recently awarded 91 points in the 2016 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.  This dazzling, warm golden rum is smooth and fruity with a rich body, long finish and hints of exotic spices. A gold medal recipient at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, J.Wray Gold is already being recommended by the world’s top bartenders and spirits writers.

The Barrel Cooler: Awesome for the Summer

      The idea of a refreshing cooler in the heat of summer is a;ways a good idea.  Here is a way to include fresh grapefruit with Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum and have a cocktail that will quench you thirst during these hot summer days.  Mount Gay's Black Barrel Rum and grapefruit work so well together and with the addition of Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur to lighten the flavor, you have a real winner.

     Give this one a try, if you want a little less sweetness fool around with the amount of agave nectar to sweeten to your personal liking.

The Barrel Cooler

·         2 oz. Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum

·         1 oz. Fresh Grapefruit Juice

·         3/4 oz. Agave Nectar

·         1/2 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

·         4 drops of Fee Brothers Barrel Aged Bitters

 Combine all ingredients shaker with ice and shake. Strain over fresh ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon zest

Great Turn Out and a Great Mount Gay Black Barrel Competition

Great Group of Bartenders

    The Mount Gay Black Barrel Bartenders Competition and tasting was a huge success.  There was a good crowd of spectators that were offered a chance to sample the Mount Gay Black Barrel cocktails and watch the competitors build their entries.   The nine competing bartenders did a superb job creating cocktails in the three round competition. This was a unique format, in that the bartenders could only use ingredients that were provided.   No outside ingredients were allowed.   In the first round they were allowed to choose any ingredients that they wanted to use, but they only had one minute to create the cocktail.  In the second round they were only allowed three ingredients plus the Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum and a garnish.  In the final round they were allowed to use any and or all of the ingredients provided to produce their final cocktail.

Excellent Crowd for the Event

     The group did a tremendous job in all three rounds and the blind judging was a tough job for all
four of the judges.  Karlene McLeod of Mount Gay, Mike Streeter of the International Rum Council, Austin Jagnon of the Elite Bartending School and myself were the judges for this event.  All of us were very please with the overall quality of the cocktails that were presented to us.

AlanGold, Mindy Moore, Scott Epifanio and Karlene McLeod

     When the tasting was over and the points tallied, Mindy Moore of the Rum Bar was the winner, Alan Gold of the Rum Barrel was second and Scott Epifanio was third.  Congratulations to all of the winners, and a heart felt thanks to the entire group of bartenders who participated.

Spirits Labels are Seriously in Need of Change

     The talk has been going on for years on this subject, but little has been done.  The results has been a myriad of lawsuits over "claims of homemade craft and a load of infringement by other brands because not enough effort has been made by governmental agencies before approval.  The other area of concern is the content of the spirits.  Not only what has been added, but the source of the spirit itself.  "The spirits industry has evolved, but directives which govern how liquor is labeled have remained static."

      "I wouldn't say it's a once in a lifetime opportunity, but it is once in a very long period," says Paul Hletko, president of the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA), and founder and distiller of FEW Spirits, of the TTB's forthcoming open commenting period. The golden opportunity here is to, "really work with the TTB to help modernize, and work with a lot of labeling regulations so that they really represent the business as it is, and not as it was."   According to Matt Hofmann, co-founder and master distiller of Westland Distillery, and an ACSA board of directors member, the TTB has been planning this commenting period for six years. He adds, "For us, this is pretty critical, and we don't know when the next time is going to happen."

 Major Issues to Tackle

 A "Distilled By" Requirement

Issue: Who's actually distilling the whiskey or spirits which goes into that bottle? Does anybody know?

 Figuring Out This Whole "Craft" Thing Issue: "Craft" is one hell of a confusing word.  What does "craft" mean? What is a "craft" distillery? What is a "craft" spirit? Who knows. 

 "Small Batch," "Handmade," "Handcrafted"  Issue: These words, and similar ones, are thrown around haphazardly, and are essentially meaningless.  Moving beyond craft, there are plenty of other words and phrases which bear no meaning, but may be used in an attempt to falsely convey quality level to a consumer.

Label Approval Speed & Process Issue: There's a massive backlog of labels, slowing down the approval process, keeping TTB employees tied up from handling other matters, and potentially allowing more rogue labels to squeak through.

Compliance Issue: If producers take the rules were meant to be broken approach and nothing comes of it, what's the point?

     These are only a few of the issues, but the most important ones to the rum category.  I hope that things can get done this time.  The other most important thing is that there is a means of enforcement this time and some real penalties for breaking the rules.  Lets hope they get it right this time, because here in the United States, liquor laws take decades to get any changes.

Read More at http://www.eater.com/drinks/2016/7/6/12098886/booze-label-craft-ttb

2000th Post to this Blog

Historic Flying  Boats

     This has been a great experience for me to have been able to produce so many stories from so many places and so many events.  Hopefully this is only the beginning of the adventures that I've been lucky enough to be involved in over the last five and a half years of writing the blog.

     It has been a heart warming thing for me to watch this little blog grow and see the number of people grow and grow that read it daily.   Here we go for another coup of thousand more.

Beautiful Beaches and Islands

Historic Houses and Buildings

Great Rums from around the world

Wildlife of the tropics up close and personal

Famous Boats

Coral Bay From the Hills of St.Johns

     Cruising by land or sea, St. Johns in the U.S. Virgin Islands is a beautiful sight.  I love to drive up the ridges and look down on the water from all around this island.  This is Coral Bay, one of the most beautiful views anywhere.

What Was the Worst Ever Rum Disaster?

     When you think about rum disasters you have to think about the ships that hauled the rum and sank or a lost British Royal Naval Vessel.  You would be wrong, because, the biggest rum disaster was in London by the Thames River April 21st 1933. Britain imported large quantities of rum for naval supplies and stored in large vaults at Rum Quay by the India Docks. The adjoining lumberyard caught fire and spread to the rum stores where 3.1 million liters were held in 6,500 puncheons. The rum fire burnt for four days, spreading across the Thames River. The fumes were so potent it intoxicated the firemen. When extinguished the fire had destroyed the equivalent to a year's production of rum from Barbados.

 Damaged vaults at the Rum Quay at the West India Docks after the great fire of 21 April 1933. The fire took four days to put out.   One of the worst fires in the docks occurred at the Rum Quay, at the West India Docks.  One of the main sheds and a vault were destroyed.

That was a lot of rum lost in those four days and a disaster that I hope never occurs again.