Yup, it's That Kind of Day

Yup, you know where I am today!!!!!!!      I think that the stress of the world on the precipice of destruction and "Jesus" coming to visit me this week was enough to send me back to some serious "Rum Research" on the back of the boat again.     There is a booklet in the working from all of this research and I think that it will be fun.     The book will not only contain many of my recipes and those  of others that have colorful histories, but there is always a story that goes with any drink and where the idea for it's creation came from.

     Wish me a productive day in the lab and I;ll report back tomorrow on my "progress",  this is very serious business you know.     ;o)

Another Week Fades into the Sunset

This is a week that was suppose to bring the end of the world at 6PM yesterday and like so many of the "End of the World" predictions it to faded away into the sunset.     In Key West we had "Jesus" leading a "Rapture Pub Crawl" and it was a great success, We were saved again from  the hype with our "Tongue in Cheek" attitude toward these events.   

     In Key West, when there is something going wrong we have a pub crawl and all our troubles seem to fade away.    It is too bad the rest of the world doesn't know how to apply a little humor to life and "just move on" and stop making mountains out of mole hills.   ;o)

Where in the World did the Pina Colada Come From?

El Pirata Cofresi

     The Pina Colada has been a part of beach and tropical cocktail fare for as long as I can remember, but it really isn't that old of a cocktail.     There seems to be several theories as to who really created the Pina Colada.     The oldest story goes back to the 1800's and the pirate Roberto Cofresi also known as El Pirata Coefresi, he was said to have served his men cocktails that were a mix of white rum, coconut milk, and pineapple.    The unfortunate part of the story is that when he died in 1825 the recipe died with him and is unverified.



Plaque at the Barrachina in San Juan

     There is the theory that the Spaniard Ramon Portas Mingot, who worked is some of the finest bars in Buenos Aires, and a writer of cocktail books, had met Chef Pepe Barrachina on a trip to South America.     Pepe hired Ramon to be the head bartender in his San Juan Restaurant Barrachina.     It is said that his experimentation yielded the "Pina Colada" in 1963.

The Caribe Hilton Beachcomber Bar

     The most believable of the theories was that on August 15, 1954, a man named Ramon "Monchito" Marrero introduced the Pina Colada at the Beachcomber Bar at the Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan.    The Caribe Hilton was the moist famous hotel of the day and often hosted many of the high rollers and the star studded Hollywood clientele of the day.     The hotel encouraged Ramon to experiment with many different ingredients to create the new Caribe Hilton signature drink.    It too Ramon three months of blending, shaking and mixing ingredients to create the first Pina Colada.    The story in verified by the fact that it uses cream of coconut, which was pioneered by "Coco Lopez" in 1954 by Ramon Lopez Irizarry at the University of Puerto Rico.

     I know that I pretty much follow the original recipe, but instead of white rum, I substitute a "spiced rum" and top the drink with fresh ground nutmeg.     These are some ideas that were introduced to me as I visited different islands in the Caribbean.     Bahama Bob's pina colada does owe it roots to Ramon  "Monchito" Marrero and his experimentation in 1954.     ;o)

One of the Surprises of the Tasting Competition

Siesta Key Rum, created by the Drum Circle Distilling in Sarasota, Florida has proven to be one of the better rum arriving on the scene today.     Troy Roberts has taken resources from Florida and turned them into some fine rums.   After talking to Troy at the 2011 Miami Rum Renaissance Festival, I found how serious he is about making high quality rum here in the United States.

     Right now Siesta Key has two rums on the market, a gold and a silver.    I got a bottle of the silver last year and currently serve it at the Rum Bar in Key West with very warm reviews from the customers.    Recently we have added the gold to out line of 221 rums and the reviews by the customers have been just as positive.     I am proud to have been on to the rum judges in this years Rum Renaissance that rewarded Troy, his partners, and his employees  with the best in class award for 2011.

     In June, Troy and his partners tom and Ryan have invited several of the XP's to come to the Drum Circle Distillery for a tour and visit with the people that make the rum right here in Florida.     Unlike many other rum producers here in America, they use the sugar cane grown here in Florida to make and distill their rum themselves.     These are hand-crafted spirits from start to finish and done in small batches in pot stills to ensure the flavor and quality of the rums.     The passion of Troy and his people is evident when talking to him and in the tasting of his rums.     I'm really looking forward to visiting the Distillery and will have a full report afterward.     ;o)

    

Today Reminded Me Why I Live in Key West

    Looking out over the Gulf of Mexico this morning as I was opening up the office reminded me how lucky I was being able to live in such a paradise and never had to leave the United States to do it.     Key West is a great quirky key that allows people to relax and really enjoy life at a pace that suits them.     This morning as I walked a little white dog that we are watching this week for a friend I kept thinking of how really fun this place is.     I can jump in the dinghy and cruise out to mangrove keys that are totally uninhabited except by birds and fish or I can walk around the island and visit friends and very colorful places.

     I think the part that I enjoy as much as anything is my work at the Rum Bar.    I get to meet and talk with people that are from all over the world and learn of the different cultures that make up this world and even more interest are the local that frequent the bar.     Everyone has a story of how they got here and why.     This is a never ending string of stories and adventures that brought them to Key West.    Throw in the tourists and all the reasons they have to tear up their return flight ticket and stay and you are beginning to see the draw of this magical little key.      I guess it is because it seems to keep me smiling most of the time and having a seriously fun way of living day to day.     If you are wondering why you aren't here today, you are not alone, you just have to make up your mind to start living and do something about it in a full out rumstylin' way.     ;o)

What Does it Take to Create a New Cocktail?

     Yesterday Mike Streeter from Rum Connection.com and I worked for about 4 hours doing what we affectionately call "Rum Research" at the bar on the back of my boat.     We started out by making some existing cocktails that were new to us and then progressed into some new ones of our own creation.      The thing that both of us noticed was that these really good cocktails don't just happen by accident.     We spent several hours mixing old and new ingredients in different combinations learning what thing complement each other and which things don't do well together.     This was an "intoxicating" process and after 4 hours of "strenuous research" we had to take a dinner break before we got ourselves to the point of invalid research.       It's funny that people tell us all the time "where do I sign up for this kind of work, but we invited 4 or 5 people to come by and help, but only 1 showed up and she was late.     You know how wives can be, especially when it interferes with her bingo time. 

     On the serious side, we did come up with a few new punches that will lend themselves to larger batches for parties and weddings etc., and still can be made as an individual cocktail.      The biggest problem and the easiest mistake when trying to create something different is making the cocktail too complicated to be able to make in a bar environment.     Some of the ideas we had involved 10 to 12 ingredients and that is just too many to be able to mix in a commercial bar situation.     The next step is to try and keep the flavor profile that you have created and still cut out some of the ingredients.      This is the part that is really tough and takes a toll on the body as you taste these concoctions.     After 5 tries we reduced the ingredients down  to 8 and got a taste that we were happy with.     The working name is nutty punch #5, this is an interesting combination of ingredients that you don't often see together and turned out very tasty.     You will be hearing more about the research as we move ahead.    The end result of all the research will be  "Bahama Bob Rumstyler's Bar Guide"  that we are hoping to have published by November some time, if our livers survive the research.

     The book will have original and traditional cocktails according to Bahama Bob and stories of where the recipes came from and how they came to be.     This is proving to be a tougher project than I first envisioned, but with Mike's help we will be able to produce a fun and different approach to cocktail making that can be used in the bar or at your home tiki bar.     Keep your eyes open for different ideas and please send me any of your ideas to bob@the-leonard-company.com .      Please put "Rum Book Ideas" on the subject line so I know what they are about.   
The most important thing that I am learning from our research so far is what things that you wouldn't expect to blend well sometimes complement  each other is a surprising and tasty way.    Get out and enjoy a new cocktail when you can.     ;o)      

When You Talk History in Key West, The Cemetary is always comes to Mind

     This unusual cemetery sits in the center of Old Town Key West, and is a colorful and quirky as the rest of Key West.     You will find above ground burials, and very unusual headstones as well as burial site of two dozen sailors from the USS Maine blown up in Havana Harbor in 1898.      The main entrance is at the corner of Margret and Angela streets and the rest of the cemetery is bordered by Passover Lane, Frances and Olivia Streets.     

     The reason for the above ground burials has nothing to do with the low elevation of the island, but rather the coral that has formed the island.     Digging through coral is about like digging through concrete thus the tombs laid on the surface like New Orleans, but for a different reason.      The stacked tombs and the unusual decorations that surround the tombs make this one of the more unique cemeteries anywhere.      

     This is not the original site of the Key West Cemetery however, it was originally located near the southernmost point where the light house was also located before the 1846 Hurricane.     Not only did the lighthouse and the lighthouse keepers quarters get blown away, but the cemetery as well.     There were dead scattered all through the forest and some even lodged in trees according to attorney and port inspector Stephen Mallory.  

     You will find the grave sites of many of Key Wests most interesting people  like, Duncan Cameron, Captain Francis Watlington,The Porter Clan, Thomas Romer, Sloppy Joe Russell and many many more.     I think the most talked about headstone is the one belonging to  Pearl Roberts where she really got her last words in with the epitaph " I TOLD YOU I WAS SICK".     This colorful town has  the most fitting and colorful historic cemetery and worth the time to stroll through and see the history and honor the colorful people that made Key West what it is today.     ;o)

It is a Funny World if You Just Read the Signs

The five man Electric Band in the 60's kind of said it all with their song signs.   Just look around you and you'll get a laugh out of the funny signs that the world has to offer.

    

It really is a very strange world that we live in and thanks to all the stranger people who notice and post the "Signs of the Times"   ;o)

The Bushwacker: A Virgin Island Cocktail Delight

This is a great frozen cocktail with it's origins in St. Thomas, but no one seems to know what bar was the originator.     This is a very decadent cocktail with some resemblance to a Pina Colada or a Mudslide.       There is a bar called "Sandshakers" in Pensacola, Florida that claims to be the home of the original Bushwacker, but they admit that the recipe came to them in 1975 when the then owner visited Sapphire Beach on the eastern side of St. Thomas and there he tasted the Bushwacker and brought it back to try out on his customers at "Sandshakers".

  My first introduction to the Bushwacker was at "Flip Flops" the pool bar at Sapphire Beach Resort.      The drink immediately got my attention, but it is one of those cocktails that you don't want to drink too many of because they are so rich and filling.    

     The recipe is a clean and simple one, but there are several variations of it that I have seen in my travels including some of my own.   

 Bushwacker Recipe
 Cream of Coconut
 Dark Rum
 Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
 Dark Creme de Cocoa
 Milk  or Half and Half                                                                               
All of the ingredient are put in the blender with ice and blended until smooth.     I like to put a swirl of chocolate syrup on the sides of the glass before pouring the ingredients into the glass.     I also top it with fresh ground nutmeg, an orange slice and a cherry.    These are optional, but add a nice little appearance  thing that the customers like.     You can float the Bushwacker with a dark rum like Myer's or even the Kraken, another viable option.   No matter how you  make it it's a great cocktail that you and your friends can enjoy.     ;o)    
  

The Rum Runner a Cocktail from the Keys

     The Rum Runner was created in the late 1950's at the Holiday Isle Tiki Bar in Islamorada, Florida.     The story is that the bar had an excess of blackberry and Banana Liqueurs that needed to be sold before a new shipment of liquor could be brought in, so the Rum Runner was a blend of excess liquor the bar needed to get rid of, and the result is a very popular tropical drink that was named for the real rum runners that inhabited the Keys during the prohibition era.

     The recipe calls for one ounce of light rum, dark rum, blackberry brandy, banana liqueur, orange juice, pineapple Juice, and a splash of grenadine.     All the ingredients placed is a shaker with ice, shaken and poured into a highball glass and garnished with an orange slice.     This sweet and fruity cocktail has been a best seller of the tropics and is usually found in some version or another all over the Caribbean and wherever you find a good tropical bar.    

     The next time you are traveling through Islamorada, stop by the Holiday Isle Tiki Bar and experience the original Rum Runner for yourself.     ;o)

Sharing the Day with Nature and Rum

     I spent most of the day yesterday out at Snipes and Mud Keys just drifting and enjoying mother nature at her best.     As I walked the beach and sand bars of low tide I found little worlds in the tidal pool and birds that came by to see what we were up to as we explored the tidal zone searching for new worlds.    This area is usually full  of revelers and sun worshipers, but on this Tuesday afternoon, the tide was unusually low making it harder to the boats to make their way out to this marvelous area.   

     Because ewe travel in a little 12 foot inflatable boat out some 15 mile from Key West to get to this area the shallow waters don't pose much of a problem for us as we drift along the edge of the mangroves observing the beauty of these keys.      Today we were lucky enough to come a cross a pod of dolphin about 20 strong that we were able to hang with for a while before moving on and later the tiny world of the tidal pool and all it's curious life forms.

     As we drifted though the mangroves of Mud Key we saw many different fish and even a couple of rays as we floated along sipping on a nice rum and watching intently into the clear waters to see what would appear next.     As I looked up a curious gull was circling us and watching us watch the fish and what was in the water.       I do have to say it really becomes clear to me why I live where I do on a day like today  when the sky's are blue and the water is clear and only being colored by the bottom.      I hope you enjoyed my day as much as I did.     ;o)

Key West lost Shel Silverstein 12 Years Ago Today

It was 12 years ago today that Shel Silverstein passed away at the age of 68 here in Key West from a heart attack.      Shel along with a number of his friends made Key West a very colorful town in the late Seventy's and Eighty's.      From his second story apartment on Caroline street we was known to walk to the Fisherman's Cafe ( Harpoon Harry's today) and be joined by several of his friends.     Shel added color to Key West like so many others before him.   

     Today his cartoons, children's books, musical lyrics, poems, screen plays, and the cartoons from the early days of Playboy Magazine make up a legacy that will endure the test of time.    In his children's books he became "Uncle Shelby" and the books sold over 20 million copies.    

     Later he bought a house on William Street where he lived until his passing on May 10, 1999.    Born in Chicago in 1930, he truly was a self made man that knew no boundary's.     The ability to support himself on his talent was more important to him that the money.    

     I just don't want him to be forgotten, his talents and drive made him very special in my eyes.     Should you ever drop by Capt. Tony's there is a great picture of Shel there along those of Jimmy Buffett.         Shel Silverstein you are truly missed in this world.

Family Day Today

Today is a day that I have set aside for Family.     My mother, 2 sisters and 2 nephews are all in town and I am taking a day off.     I'll be back tomorrow with some little tidbit of something to chat about.     See Ya Then.   ;o)

The 2011 Miami Rum Renaisance Festival in Review

A very special thanks to all of those that made the 2011 Miami Rum Renaissance Festival so very special.

How We Roll to Our Favorite Watering Hole

     Work ends at 6:00 and I'm homeward bound for a quick change of clothes and it's into the dinghy and off to the Hurricane Hole for Happy Hour or what is left of it.     This is a routine that has been become a tradition that had it's roots up on Lake Norman 6 or 7 years ago.      Tuesday night was the "Guys Night Out" up there and  would all congregate at several docks and wait for me to come and pick everyone up in my boat and go bar hopping.     There were several bars that we would make appearances at the around midnight it was back home we would go. 

     These day things are very similar, but a little different, in that we just hop into the dinghy and head to Hole.       The Hurricane Hole is a great little restaurant, marina and bar located on the water on Stock Island just over the bridge from Key West.    It is a place to meet friends, locals, and tourists  as  everyone congregates to share the news of the day and have a few cocktails and beers.      There are several fishing charter boats based in the marina so the "fish tails" are a big part of the conversations as the captains and their angles stop in to have a cocktail and share all of the experiences and tales of the one that got away with the rest of us.

     The staff is a great bunch of people that make you feel right at home when you arrive.     The menu and the cocktail list is impressive and always served with a smile, unless you make someone mad (Not a Smart Thing to Do).     The nautical atmosphere combined with the great staff is the main reason that this has become my kickback place to escape the craziness of Duval Street.

     The rest of the fun is all about being able to boat to and from the Hurricane Hole, making the evening a relaxing journey before supper.     If you make it down to Key West, don't forget to stop in in the early evening and say Hey to all my friends, and very likely you can say hey to me as well.     ;o)