USA Today's Report of Americas Drunkest States

     USA Today has released its annual report on what states are the real drinkers and which ones

aren't.   This is a good report with a lot of information to glean through, so I have abbreviated it a bit so you can get the gist of what it has to say.

     Excessive drinking can lead to a variety of health problems and significantly shorten a person’s life. The habit claims nearly 90,000 lives each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And those who die as the result of alcohol abuse do so 30 years prematurely, on average.   Excessive alcohol consumption, according to the CDC, includes binge drinking and heavy drinking. Binge drinking is defined as four or more drinks in a single occasion for women and five or more for men, and heavy drinking is defined as at least eight drinks per week for women and 15 for men.   Nationwide, 18.0% of American adults drink an excessive amount of alcohol. However, the excessive drinking rate ranges considerably across states. In some states, just over 1 in 10 adults drink too much on a regular basis, while in others, the share is closer to 1 in 4.

50. Tennessee

·   Adults drinking excessively: 11.2%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 28.0% (11th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 19.9% (9th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin

49. West Virginia

·   Adults drinking excessively: 11.4%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 32.0% (25th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 23.7% (the highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Morgantown, WV

48. Utah

·   Adults drinking excessively: 12.4%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 19.7% (the lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 12.9% (6th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Salt Lake City, UT

47. Alabama

·   Adults drinking excessively: 13.0%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 29.4% (17th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 21.2% (4th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Auburn-Opelika, AL

46. Mississippi

·   Adults drinking excessively: 13.3%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 23.3% (3rd lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 22.2% (3rd highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS

45. New Mexico

·   Adults drinking excessively: 13.8%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 32.1% (25th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 20.2% (8th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Santa Fe, NM

44. Oklahoma

·   Adults drinking excessively: 13.9%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 29.9% (19th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 20.9% (6th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Lawton, OK

43. North Carolina

·   Adults drinking excessively: 14.9%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 32.3% (24th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 18.5% (12th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Jacksonville, NC

42. Arkansas

·   Adults drinking excessively: 15.3%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 28.4% (13th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 22.7% (2nd highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO

41. Idaho

·   Adults drinking excessively: 15.4%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 32.4% (23rd highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 14.1% (14th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Coeur d’Alene, ID

40. Maryland

·   Adults drinking excessively: 15.5%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 32.8% (20th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 13.3% (8th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: California-Lexington Park, MD

39. Nevada

·   Adults drinking excessively: 15.8%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 32.8% (21st highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 17.2% (17th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Reno, NV

38. Arizona

·   Adults drinking excessively: 16.0%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 27.6% (9th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 18.5% (11th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Flagstaff, AZ

37. Kentucky

·   Adults drinking excessively: 16.3%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 28.5% (14th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 20.9% (7th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

36. South Carolina

·   Adults drinking excessively: 16.6%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 37.8% (7th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 17.0% (19th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC

35. Delaware

·   Adults drinking excessively: 16.6%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 37.9% (6th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 16.7% (21st highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Dover, DE

34. Indiana

·   Adults drinking excessively: 16.8%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 23.6% (5th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 18.0% (14th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Bloomington, IN

33. Georgia

·   Adults drinking excessively: 16.8%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 23.4% (4th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 17.5% (16th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Athens-Clarke County, GA

32. Kansas

·   Adults drinking excessively: 16.9%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 27.3% (8th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 15.1% (22nd lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Lawrence, KS

31. Texas

·   Adults drinking excessively: 17.3%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 29.9% (18th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 19.3% (10th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Austin-Round Rock, TX

30. Virginia

·   Adults drinking excessively: 17.4%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 30.5% (20th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 14.6% (20th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA

29. Florida

·   Adults drinking excessively: 17.4%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 28.2% (12th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 17.1% (18th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL

28. Wyoming

·   Adults drinking excessively: 17.5%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 35.3% (10th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 14.4% (19th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Casper, WY

27. New Jersey

·   Adults drinking excessively: 17.6%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 24.3% (6th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 15.2% (23rd lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Ocean City, NJ

26. Missouri

·   Adults drinking excessively: 17.7%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 31.7% (23rd lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 16.6% (22nd highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Columbia, MO

25. South Dakota

·   Adults drinking excessively: 17.7%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 35.2% (11th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 12.8% (5th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Sioux Falls, SD

24. Washington

·   Adults drinking excessively: 17.8%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 35.0% (12th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 14.3% (18th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

23. Rhode Island

·   Adults drinking excessively: 17.9%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 40.4% (3rd highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 15.8% (24th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA

22. California

·   Adults drinking excessively: 18.0%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 29.0% (15th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 17.8% (15th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Chico, CA

21. Pennsylvania

·   Adults drinking excessively: 18.1%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 32.0% (24th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 15.3% (25th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: State College, PA

20. New York

·   Adults drinking excessively: 18.2%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 23.0% (2nd lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 16.2% (23rd highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Watertown-Fort Drum, NY

19. New Hampshire

·   Adults drinking excessively: 18.4%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 31.2% (22nd lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 11.5% (2nd lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Manchester-Nashua, NH

18. Connecticut

·   Adults drinking excessively: 18.6%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 33.4% (18th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 14.3% (17th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT

17. Louisiana

·   Adults drinking excessively: 18.8%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 32.6% (22nd highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 21.0% (5th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Houma-Thibodaux, LA

16. Oregon

·   Adults drinking excessively: 18.8%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 32.8% (19th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 18.3% (13th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

15. Colorado

·   Adults drinking excessively: 19.1%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 34.7% (13th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 13.7% (11th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Fort Collins, CO

14. Ohio

·   Adults drinking excessively: 19.2%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 34.3% (14th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 15.3% (24th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Columbus, OH

13. Massachusetts

·   Adults drinking excessively: 19.5%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 27.8% (10th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 14.2% (15th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Barnstable Town, MA

12. Vermont

·   Adults drinking excessively: 19.6%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 33.4% (17th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 11.4% (the lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Burlington-South Burlington, VT

11. Maine

·   Adults drinking excessively: 19.6%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 39.8% (4th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 14.9% (21st lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Portland-South Portland, ME

10. Michigan

·   Adults drinking excessively: 20.0%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 29.4% (16th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 16.8% (20th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Lansing-East Lansing, MI

9. Nebraska

·   Adults drinking excessively: 20.4%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 35.6% (9th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 13.4% (10th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Lincoln, NE

8. Hawaii

·   Adults drinking excessively: 20.5%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 38.0% (5th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 13.1% (7th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI

7. Iowa

·   Adults drinking excessively: 21.0%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 25.4% (7th lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 12.3% (4th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Iowa City, IA

6. Minnesota

·   Adults drinking excessively: 21.1%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 30.9% (21st lowest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 11.9% (3rd lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Mankato-North Mankato, MN

5. Illinois

·   Adults drinking excessively: 21.2%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 34.2% (15th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 15.6% (25th highest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Bloomington, IL

4. Montana

·   Adults drinking excessively: 21.8%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 46.3% (2nd highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 14.2% (16th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Missoula, MT

3. Alaska

·   Adults drinking excessively: 22.1%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 33.8% (16th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 13.7% (12th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Fairbanks, AK

2. Wisconsin

·   Adults drinking excessively: 24.5%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 36.9% (8th highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 14.0% (13th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Green Bay, WI

1. North Dakota

·   Adults drinking excessively: 24.7%

·   Alcohol-related driving deaths: 46.7% (the highest)

·   Adults in fair or poor health: 13.4% (9th lowest)

·   Drunkest metro area: Fargo, ND-MN

Read More at https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/03/08/these-americas-drunkest-states/406342002/

How Rum Became an Irish Drink

  

     The Caribbean’s Celtic history goes back hundreds of years to the region’s cane sugar fields.  This St. Patrick’s Day, on an island known as the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean, they will close up the town for the day and the residents will don the green and the streets will fill with music and dance, rum and green beer.  These will be served by the gallons as the soca and calypso sounds fill the air.   You know that we are talking about the island of Montserrat, nicknamed the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean.

     This came about as a result of an interesting history spotted with glimpses of sugar and rum.  The Irish arrival in the West Indies happened on the far away side of the Atlantic during the mid-17th century. There was a huge amount of political problems that included the English Civil War that left the British Isles in a state of disorder as the attempted overthrow Charles II in England, and the Irish Rebellion was in full swing at the start of 1641. The latter involved Irish Catholics vs English invaders, with a resistance movement that persisted until Oliver Cromwell’s forces finally put down the insurrectionists in the early 1650s.

That was followed by many Irish catholic rebels being exiled overseas to prevent them from re-arming and re-rebelling.   Named as traitors and “white slaves,” they were sent to provide labor on island colonies.   Those who tried to escape and were caught were branded with FT, for “fugitive traitor.”  An Irish rum that honors the memory of a band of Irish people who escaped indentured slavery and political upheaval in Ireland to become stinky pirates in the Caribbean. Known as “wild geese”, these Irish escapees became wildly successful in the plundering and marauding business.

Keeping in mind at the same time, many peaceful Irish sought to flee the chaos.  Many had lost everything including their lands and livelihood during the wars. Many of them agreed to be shipped out as servants and indentured laborers on the booming sugar plantations, most of which were producing rum as well as sugar on the islands.  Indentured laborers signed up for up seven years of work in exchange for their passage. As a result, Irish shipped out across the waters, washing ashore at sugar plantations on British islands, including Barbados, Jamaica, St. Kitts, Nevis, Antigua and Montserrat.  The Irish managed to infiltrate nearly every island in the Caribbean, including those held by the Spanish and French.  This is made clear by the names of many of the towns on these islands, give providence to how far they roamed.  You can find names like Cork Hill, Irish Town, Belfast, Sweeney's Well, Riley's Estate, and Kildare, among them.

Rum & Oak Infused with Salted Black Porter

     Here is an interesting twist on Salted Black Porter, a brew that is brewed with traditional Dutch dropsies, also known as salted black liquorice (licorice in America), offering flavors of coffee, liquorice, chocolate and caramel for a balanced malt profile and residual sweetness.    This beer pours out a deep near-black brown color with a foamy cream colored head that lasts a long time and leaves tidal lacing patterns. The nose has notes of sea salt, liquorice, anise, caramel malt, and molasses. The palate follows suite, but has the addition of dark chocolate a touch of coffee. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied, with moderate carbonation, and a bittersweet finish.

      Field House Brewing in as announced the release of Rum & Oak Infused Salted Black Porter, a limited edition variant on one of its most popular seasonal brands.  Rum & Oak Infused Salted Black Porter (6.6% abv or 13.2 proof) is described as having all the same goodness as our Salted Black Porter, brewed with traditional Dutch licorice candies, but with the added depth and rich flavor that comes from being infused with Caribbean rum and American oak.  Rum & Oak Infused Salted Black Porter is available now on tap and in 650 ml bottles at Field House.

Why is a Copper Pot Still Still So Popular Among Rum Makers?

Retired Santa Teresa Pot Still with a "Thumper"and Condenser

     The alembic has three basic parts namely, the retort pot, the onion head and swan neck and, the condenser and coil.  The lower part of the still, which is the retort pot, is responsible for firing or heating. The pot resembles a cauldron with a flat bottom to stand still on a heating surface, normally an electric stove or a hot plate. This is where the fermented wash is boiled until alcohol is vaporized, ahead of other materials in the wash because of lower the boiling point relative to water and other components of the wash.  The vapor rises into the onion head.  As the wash is heated, the steam naturally rises and swirls around the onion head that sits atop of the pot. The vapors slowly pass through the swan neck pipe sometimes called the lyne arm.  This is the delivery tube that connects the still to the condenser.

 

Hybrid Stainless and Copper Pot Still at Hemingway Rum Co.

         Copper is the preferred material in the construction of a still to impart flavor into the distilled spirits.  Stainless steel and copper are excellent conductors of heat, dispersing the heat evenly across the entire surface of the metal and creating a more even distillation.  Where neither stainless steel nor copper will not put harmful chemicals into your final product, copper has the advantage over stainless in that rum out of a copper still simply tastes better.   In the process of distilling, the sulfur coming from the yeast binds itself to the copper, making hydrogen-sulfide which in turn, forms copper sulfate. The copper sulfate sticks to the inside of the still after distillation is completed.   After thoroughly cleaning of the copper still, the copper sulfate is washed down the drain, and not into your rum unlike other stills made from different metals.

Classic Pot Still With Huge Lyne Arms at DUSA

    The lyne arm angle, diameter and material all have an effect in the final distillate. The angle determines how heavy or light the flavor of the rum, while the diameter controls the amount of vapor that can swirl through the pipe.  The lyne arm is usually made of copper, which helps speed up the moving vapors.  It also helps to eliminate undesirable sulfides and other chemicals produced during fermentation while it helps improve the flavor.

     From the lyne arm, the vapors move to the worm or the coil that sits inside the condenser with a top and a bottom fitting. You simply put the water supply hose into the condenser near the bottom and use the top outlet to prevent overflow. The water-filled condenser cools the alcohol vapors and turns it back into liquid, which then drips off through the tail box of the condenser.

Modern Pot Still at St. Lucia Distillery

     This is the basics of a pot still, the oldest and most common type of still used by craft distillers, home distillers and even the old moonshiners.  There is a reason for this, the simplicity of it and the flavor that it leaves in the final product.  A lot of your favorite rums are at least in part still being made with pot stilled distillate.  

Spring Color Season Has Arrived in Key West

     Each season has different color patterns for the sunsets.  Spring can be Fire hot or a chilly cold blue to them.   This year is supplying some very exciting colors as we move into the spring season an between the wind blown cloud and the sun, we get some very dynamic colors for the beginning of the evenings.

Captain Morgan Announces Their New Watermelon Smash Expression.

     Captain Morgan rum company is introducing the newest addition to its shot family with Captain Morgan Watermelon Smash.  The explosively delicious, watermelon-flavored shot is arriving just in time for backyard cookouts and pool parties. Captain Morgan Watermelon Smash blends Caribbean rum with ripe, juicy watermelon flavor that’s synonymous with summertime. Best enjoyed as a chilled shot, Watermelon Smash can also be served in any number of delicious cocktails. 

     Not only does Watermelon Smash taste like a watermelon, it looks and smells like one too.  Watermelon Smash packaging resembles a watermelon and produces the sweet aroma of ripe watermelon when you scratch the bottle. Watermelon Smash presented at 50 proof or 25% ABV and has a suggested retail price of $15.99 for a 750 ml bottle.