Americans, You Don't Need a Passport to Come to Key West

     Key West just feels like a Caribbean Island, fully tropical with the quaint styling of the buildings, attitudes of its people, and the history of the town.  It is truly a tropical island that you can drive to along one of the most beautiful roads in the world.  You can look out on the north side and see the Gulf of Mexico, and to the South the Atlantic Ocean.   Yes this is part of Florida in name only, because one you are here you just know that you should have to show a passport to get on the island.

     Many of the residents of Key West were immigrants from the Bahamas, known as Conchs, pronounced "conks", who arrived in increasing numbers after 1830.   Many were sons and daughters of Loyalists who fled to the nearest Crown soil during the American Revolution. ^.   In the 20th century many residents of Key West started referring to themselves as Conchs, and the term is now generally applied to all residents born in Key West, but those who have lived in Key West for seven years or more are called “Freshwater Conchs.   Many of the black Bahamian immigrants who arrived later lived in Bahama Village, an area of Old Town centered around Petronia Street.

     Key West is closer to Havana, 90 miles than it is to Miami, 129 miles .    In 1890, Key West had a population of nearly 18,800 and was the biggest and richest city in Florida.   Half the residents were said to be of Cuban origin, and Key West, Cubans were actively involved in reportedly 200 factories in town, producing 100 million cigars annually.  Jose Marti made several visits to seek recruits for Cuban independence starting in 1891 and founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party during his visits to Key West.   Key West was flooded with refugees from Cuba and continue to come ashore, on at least one occasion, most notably in April 2003, flew hijacked Cuban Airlines planes into the city's airport.

     Key West is located at 24°33′33″N 81°47′03″W.  The maximum elevation above sea level is about 18 feet, a 1 acre area known as Solares Hill.  According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.4 square miles, of which 5.9 square miles is land and 1.5 square miles is water.  Since the 1940's, the island has more than doubled in size via landfill.   The new section on the eastern side is called "New Town." It contains shopping centers, retail malls, residential areas, schools, ball parks, and The Key West International Airport.

     In 1982, the “Conch Republic” seceded from the Union. Not Really, but they were very upset about a border patrol blockade set up on the only highway in and out of the Florida Keys.  The secession was a little tongue-in-cheek, but the roots of the battle live on, especially during the annual Conch Republic Days.   This town is one part tourist mecca, and one part residential, Duval Street and a better part of “Old Town” is the crazy fun filled part of town, and the eastern side in general is the residential area, where it is only half as crazy as “Old Town”

     Key West has a tropical savanna climate, similar to that of the Caribbean Islands.  Like most tropical climates, Key West has only a small difference in monthly mean temperatures between January,the coolest month and July, the warmest month.  The annual range of monthly mean temperatures around 15 °F. The Florida Keys are one of the only locations on the mainland United States known to never have had a frost or freeze.  The lowest temperature on record is 41 °F on January 12, 1886 and January 13, 1981. Prevailing easterly trade winds and sea breezes suppress the usual summertime heating, with temperatures rarely reaching 95 °F. There are on average, only 55 days per year with 90 °F or greater highs, with the average window for such readings June 10 through September 22, shorter than almost the entire southeastern United States.  However, low temperatures during this period often remain above 80 °F. The all-time record high temperature is 97 °F on July 19, 1880, and August 29, 1956.

     It is easy to see why many people that arrive for the first time in Key West, they feel like they are in some exotic Caribbean island.  This island in 100% America, and a really great place to live if you enjoy the fun loving atmosphere of the people who visit and live here.   Be careful, many of the residents came here on vacation and never returned home.

What is the Difference Between a Wine and a Rum Drunk? Nothing!

     Here's the thing, a 'Gin drunk' isn't real. Neither is the idea that tequila turns you angry, or the stereotype of beer making you loud.   Plenty of people think of alcohol as a sort of personality management tool, you may turn to X liquor when you want to be the liveliest version of yourself, or steer clear of Y drink if you want to avoid sulking in a corner of the bar.  The result is more a product of your own psyche than a result of the specific type of booze you're drinking.   Here are some things to know about the drinking myth that just won't die.

     All alcohol is created equal - but the same can't be said of all drinking session     In the U.S., a standard drink is defined by the Centers for Disease Control as 14 grams of pure alcohol, the equivalent of about 12 ounces of beer, 8 ounces of malt liquor, 5 ounces of wine, or a single 1.5-ounce shot of hard liquor (though that definition varies pretty dramatically from country to country). Chemically, the alcohol in any one of those things is the same as the alcohol in any other alcoholic beverage, it's all ethanol, and it works the same way whether you gulp it out of a shot glass or sip it from a bottle.  "Fundamentally, alcohol is alcohol whichever way you slice it."

     The difference, then, is in when and where you drink it, and whom you're drinking it with. "It depends on what mood you were in when you started drinking and the social context." If you're doing tequila shot after tequila shot, you're probably geared up for a wild night anyway.  On the other hand, if you're slowly working your way through a bottle of wine, odds are higher you're settling in for a more mellow evening and, by extension, a more mellow drunk.   Contrary to the way we see things, it's the context, not the drink, that matters, because the context often determines the drink.   When it comes to alcohol, we're mind-bogglingly susceptible to the power of suggestion.  Thinking you're drunk can be enough to make you act drunk, even when you're stone-cold sober.    In one 2003 study, for instance, half the subjects were led to believe that the tonic water they were drinking was actually vodka; compared to the people who knew what was really in their glass, these faux drinkers could be more easily swayed to remember false events surrounding the session, and more confident in their responses.

     Similarly, a lot of your reaction to what you're drinking comes down to how you think you should be feeling, it is like you are acting from a script.   But it's not all in your head, the mixers, not the booze, are to blame for any side effects beyond drunkenness itself.   Let's compare two common combos, a rum and Coke and a vodka-soda, Think about how you'd feel if you drank each of those mixers on their own, taking booze out of the equation - a sugary, caffeine-y Coke is going to give you a buzz that plain old tonic water won’t.    A lot of this is a fine line difference depending on how your body reacts to the mixers that you choose to blend with your alcohol.  I know that personally I tend to stay mellower sipping straight rum and am able to last longer into the night compared to drinking mixed cocktails.  The simple fact is that your body on average will metabolize about 0.016% BAC per hour.   If you are at the legal limit of .08% BAC, it will take about 5 hours to get back to a 0% BAC.  Remember a standard drink will add 0.02% to your BAC and your body will metabolize it at a rate of 0.01% per hour.  If it takes you an hour to sip straight liquor versus 30 minutes to finish a mixed cocktail containing the same amount of alcohol, you will raise your BAC at the end of an hour to 0.03% versus 0.01% drinking straight liquor.

     What you drink has little to do with your drunk, it is more about your attitude and what you drink it with.  This was an interesting thing for me, but I believe that it is correct.  You don't get drunker on rum than beer, unless you drink more of one than the other.

Cognac Fernand and Friends Have Come up With an Overproof Rum for Punches and Cocktails

     

     Plantation O.F.T.D. Overproof Rum – a blend of rums from Guyana, Jamaica and Barbados bottled at 69% abv.   The rum has been created by Alexandre Gabriel, founder of brand owner Cognac Ferrand and master blender of Plantation Rum, with input from David Wondrich, a spirits and cocktail historian; Jeff ‘Beachbum’ Berry, proprietor of Latitude 29 in New Orleans; Martin Cate, proprietor of Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco; Paul McFadyen, proprietor of Trailer Happiness in London; Paul McGee, proprietor of Lost Lake in Chicago; and Scotty Schuder, proprietor of Dirty Dick in Paris.

     The rum, which was brainstormed over a “secret meeting” in New Orleans last summer when the group tasted a number of historical overproof rums and research samples, has been created for use in cocktails and punches.   The group gathered at Chateau de Bonbonnet in December 2015 to taste samples created by Gabriel, unanimously selecting the rum that would become Plantation O.F.T.D Overproof Rum.

The acronym O.F.T.D. stands for ‘Old Fashioned Traditional Dark’.   “At Maison Ferrand, I often feel that we are a team of misfits having fun,” said Gabriel. “With the O.F.T.D. band of rum geeks, I felt at home.

     “I will never forget the special moments we had creating this rum: the secret meeting at Arnaud’s, the week in Cognac, the many samples tasted and the discussions about the true nature of overproof rum spoken with the same gravitas and intensity of statesmen discussing peace treaties. And all the time we were having a ball!   “These special moments of communion with a talented and passionate team are the reason I love my job. These guys are my rum brothers for life.”

     Plantation O.F.T.D Overproof Rum is available across the US at a suggested price of $31.99.   Earlier this year, Cognac Ferrand released its pineapple-infused Plantation Rum, "Stiggin’s Fancy as a permanent annual limited edition in the United States following its successful debut last year

Superboats to a Supermoon, What a Week in Key West

     Things seem to keep happening here in Key West, This week we had the Superboat Championship Races all week long, and to cap off the week, we have the visit of the supermoon.  This was not just any supermoon, it is the closest the moon has been to the earth since 1948.

     There will be an amazing spectacle tonight as the first supermoon in almost 70 years appears in the night sky. In fact, if you’re younger than 68 you have never witnessed this record-breaking supermoon in your lifetime.

     The technical term for a Supermoon is perigee-syzygy of the Earth-Moon-Sun system. In astronomy, the term syzygy refers to the straight-line configuration of three celestial bodies.  When the Moon is close to the lunar nodes of its path during syzygy, it causes a total solar eclipse or a total lunar eclipse.  Tomorrow morning, November 14, 2016 the moon will be the closest it has been to Earth since January 26,1948.   It will appear 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the average monthly full moon. Of course that’s dependent on hopefully viewing the supermoon without the obstruction of a cloudy night. Thankfully it appears most of the United States will remain mostly clear for tonight’s supermoon.

     If you happen to miss the moon tonight, you’ll have to wait until November 25, 2034 so take some time to go outside tonight and witness the impressive moon.

Volume Two of Mount Gay Origin Series has Arrived

Mount Gay Origin Series Volume Two

     Volume One of the Origin Series featured a chance to understand the differences between aging in Virgin Casks versus being aged in Charred Casks.    Volume Two allows you to further understand the distilling process and how it effects the flavor of the rum.

     Volume two of the Origin Series is a pairing rums with identical ingredients, fermentation and maturity, but different in the way that they are distilled.    Both are distilled in copper stills, but one is a pot still and the other is a column still.   This is a great chance for you to answer the question of the difference between these two distilling methods.     Allen Smith, told us , "We created the Origin Series collections so that we could give rum drinkers the unique opportunity to experience rum by tasting the pure essence of the distinct distillation methods and a deeper understanding of how each part of the process can change the taste of rum entirely”.

Mount Gay Pot Still

     Pot-distilled rum is derived from the old-fashioned copper pot with the big coil attached to it, basically like those used by the moonshiner's.    This style of still will produce between 60 and 80 percent pure alcohol.   The remaining materials consist of water and various flavorful organic compounds, some really good and others not so good.  The output from a pot still is thick-textured and can be really flavorful as a result of the remaining materials.   The richness of the pot stilled expression makes it clear that there is a lot more than just the barrel giving it the full and rounded flavor.   A column still is a tall, very efficient copper column similar to those used to refine crude oil into gasoline.    Capable of refining the fermentation to well over 90 percent pure alcohol through this method.  The output from these stills is a lot purer, but not much flavor or texture.  When distilled to over 95%, the output is called a neutral spirit, because it has virtually flavorless.   The flavors that are tasted in the column still expression are mostly from the barrels, because there is little to no flavor in the alcohol that comes out of the still 

     Mount Gay Rum’s flavor profile is partially obtained by the blending of pot stilled and column still produced rums, Origin Series Volume Two was made to offer those interested in a deeper understanding of the subtleties created by each still, allowing rum drinkers a better understanding of the differences. Rum aficionados can explore the different aromas and taste of the two rums side by side the Mount Gay way, neat or with a single cube.

The collection became available in  October 2016 at top end liquor providers throughout the United States and will generally be price at about $95.00

Today is the Finals of the 2016 Superboat International Championship Races Here in Key West

     The First Race goes off at 10:00 am followed by Race 2,3, and 4 beginning at 12:30.  Today's races are the ones for all of the marbles in the championship.  Wednesday and Friday races were for 1/2 normal points, but Today is  for full points in each race.  The results of this weeks races will have an effect or the final points tally for the 2016 championship in each of the classes.

Sunday • November 13 , 2016 – Race Day #3
6:30am	–	7:30 am	Racer Physicals: Truman Waterfront Registration Tent
7:30am			Race Morning Drivers Meeting-Truman Waterfront Registration Tent
7:00 am	–	5:00 pm	Race Village Open – Race Boats on Display: Truman Waterfront
7:00 am	–	4:00 pm	Passes – Credentials: Truman Waterfront Entrance
7:00 am	–	5:00 pm	Launch & Recovery of Race Boats: Truman Waterfront
8:00 am	–	1:00 pm	Fueling: Official Fuel Southern Racing Fuels – Truman Waterfront
CLOSED			REGISTRATION CLOSED
10:00am			Start of 1st Race – Off Truman Waterfront
11:30am	–	12:30 pm	Harbor Open for Commercial Traffic
12:30pm			Start of 2nd Race – Off Truman Waterfront
1:30 pm			Start of 3rd Race – Off Truman Waterfront
2:30pm			Start of 4th Race – Off Truman Waterfront
7:00 pm	–	9:00 pm	Race Award Presentation: Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel 3841 N Roosevelt Blvd- Racer Pass, Guest Credential or VIP pass required

Study Shows That Most Excessive Drinkers Are Not Alcoholics

I found this to be an interesting article, it is a very informative article that really shows the difference between "alcohol dependence" and just being a heavy drinker.  

     The majority of adults who regularly drink an excessive amount of alcohol are not alcoholics or alcohol dependent, according to a new study.   Nine out of 10 adults who regularly drink excessively are not alcoholics, new research shows.   Released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the report revealed that nine in 10 adults who drink too much are actually not alcoholics.

     Excessive or binge drinking is considered as four or more drinks in one sitting for women, or five or more drinks for men; drinking eight or more drinks a week for women or 15 for men; or any level of alcohol consumption by pregnant women.

     Alcohol dependence is a chronic medical condition defined by an existing or previous history of excessive drinking, strong cravings for alcohol, on-going alcohol consumption in spite of drinking-related problems or a lack of control over how alcohol is consumed.

     “This study shows that, contrary to popular opinion, most people who drink too much are not alcohol dependent or alcoholics,” said Robert Brewer, MD, MSPH, alcohol program lead at CDC and one of the report’s authors.   “It also emphasizes the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to reducing excessive drinking that includes evidence-based community strategies, screening and counselling in healthcare settings, and high-quality substance abuse treatment for those who need it.”   Furthermore, the study revealed nearly one in three adults is an excessive drinker, most of whom binge drink on more than on occasion.

However, the number of adults considered to be alcoholics is much lower at just one in 30.   CDC and SAMHSA scientists analyzed information on 138,100 Americans aged 18 and above who took part in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) in 2009, 2010, or 2011.

The survey questions participants on their alcohol use, including current drinking habits, binge drinking, average alcohol intake and symptoms of alcohol dependence.

Source: http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2014/11/most-excessive-drinkers-are-not-alcoholics/

First Day of the Powerboat Races in the Books

     Wednesday was an exciting day of sitting on the water in Key West Harbor enjoying the Superboat Races while sitting only about 50 yards away from the edge of the course.  These boats provide a day of thrills and excitement as we watched the boats speeding by at speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour.

     The have four groups each day, with the slowest classes at the start of the day and the unlimited class as the final event.  The Classes for the Key West event are P3, P4, Stock, Vee, Extreme and Unlimited.  There are two different hull designs used in Superboat Racing,  Vee and Catamaran.

Vee Bottom Hull Boats

 Vee Bottom Boats

Vee Bottom hull is designed to slice through rough water easily while the V-shaped bottom softens the up-and-down movement of the boat. The design offers a quick, smooth ride in rough water and is one of the most popular hull designs on the market. Most manufacturers and race teams make modifications to their boats in an effort to increase speed and minimize drag.

Catamaran Hull Boats

Catamaran Boats
Catamaran Boats, also known as “Cats,” are designed to skim the surface of the water. The boats are equipped with a “planeing” hull, which lifts the boat partially out of the water. Planeing hulls are typically flat and fast. Cats can achieve high speeds with less power than other models, and are easy to identify with their signature twin-hull design.

Here is the schedule for the remainder of the events. 

Friday • November 11, 2016 – Race Day #2
6:30am	–	7:30 am	Racer Physicals: Truman Waterfront Registration Tent
7:30am			Race Morning Drivers Meeting-Truman Waterfront Registration Tent
7:00 am	–	5:00 pm	Race Village Open – Race Boats on Display: Truman Waterfront
7:00 am	–	4:00 pm	Passes – Credentials: Truman Waterfront Entrance
7:00 am	–	5:00 pm	Launch & Recovery of Race Boats: Truman Waterfront
8:00 am	–	1:00 pm	Fueling:Official Fuel Southern Racing Fuels –  Truman  Waterfront
CLOSED			REGISTRATION CLOSED
10:00am			Start of 1st Race – Off Truman Waterfront
11:30pm	–	12:30 pm	Harbor Open for Commercial Traffic
12:30pm			Start of 2nd Race – Off Truman Waterfront
1:30 pm			Start of 3rd Race – Off Truman Waterfront
2:30pm			Start of 4th Race – Off Truman Waterfront
7:00 pm	–	11:00 pm	Duval Street Party

Saturday • November 12, 2016
9:00 am	–	5:00 pm	Race Village Open – Race Boats on Display: Truman Waterfront
9:00 am	–	3:00 pm*	Racer Registration – Truman Waterfront
9:00am	–	5:00pm	Passes – Credentials: Truman Waterfront Entrance
10:00am	–	5:00pm	Fueling: Official Fuel Southern Racing Fuels-Truman Waterfront
12:00pm	–	4:00 pm	Launching – Truman Waterfront
12:00pm		4:00 pm	Testing for Race  Boats – Off Truman Waterfront

Sunday • November 13 , 2016 – Race Day #3
6:30am	–	7:30 am	Racer Physicals: Truman Waterfront Registration Tent
7:30am			Race Morning Drivers Meeting-Truman Waterfront Registration Tent
7:00 am	–	5:00 pm	Race Village Open – Race Boats on Display: Truman Waterfront
7:00 am	–	4:00 pm	Passes – Credentials: Truman Waterfront Entrance
7:00 am	–	5:00 pm	Launch & Recovery of Race Boats: Truman Waterfront
8:00 am	–	1:00 pm	Fueling: Official Fuel Southern Racing Fuels – Truman Waterfront
CLOSED			REGISTRATION CLOSED
10:00am			Start of 1st Race – Off Truman Waterfront
11:30am	–	12:30 pm	Harbor Open for Commercial Traffic
12:30pm			Start of 2nd Race – Off Truman Waterfront
1:30 pm			Start of 3rd Race – Off Truman Waterfront
2:30pm			Start of 4th Race – Off Truman Waterfront
7:00 pm	–	9:00 pm	Race Award Presentation: Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel 3841 N Roosevelt Blvd- Racer Pass, Guest Credential or VIP pass required
*REGISTRATION CLOSED FOR LUNCH 1PM -2PM