Mother Nature and Rum, What a Concept

     It never ceases to amaze me what mother nature has to offer as I drift through the seemingly endless waterways around the Key West area.      Recently I went back to the channels of the Mud Keys just east of Key West and wandered around with camera in hand and marveled at all of the beauty that surrounded me.     It was the little things that really got my attention, things like a dragonfly circling over my head as I lie on the beach sipping some rum from a hip flask.     

     The plants and animals all the way down to the beach itself and how the land and the water all come together giving me warm and fuzzy feelings just being there.    When I'm out away from all of the people and noise, I find myself totally in tune with the warm and the best part is that it is only about 10 miles away from my home.      No matter where you live we all need a great little place to go and get away and just relax and chill out for a few hours.    I'm very lucky that my world is based around some of the most beautiful waters anywhere and it's my backyard.

     The Mud Keys are a protected Mangrove area that has some of the most interesting birds, animals and marine life I have ever seen, especially in such a small area.   Whether you are drifting with the currents or walking around on a beach, there are so many things to see.    On this day I had some of my friends with me and we all were able to chill out on the beach and just relax and enjoy the warm sunshine and cool waters.    Oh yeah the rum was good too.   ;o)

January 2012 on the Beach Life is very Special

     Yesterday afternoon was one of those very special days.     A flask of Mocambo 20 Year Old rum, chicken, cheese & crackers, and 4 friends on a very special get away from it all day at the beach.    Basking in the sun and enjoying the sights and sounds of mother nature as we all relaxed.      Today was a the perfect day, because there nobody else in the area, and beautiful 77 degree temperatures.

     That brings me to the main point of this article.     walking up and down this pristine beach my friends and We picked up a trash bag full of broken beer bottles, cans and broken glass.     If you can carry the stuff out with you carry the trash back with you too.    There is nothing more disgusting than coming to a very natural area and find it filled with trash.    

     The day was fabulous and all of us had a great time on the water and on the beach, by the way we brought all of our trash back as well as that of others.     ;o)
        

How Shall I Have My Rum?

     The only question that comes to mind as I sit on the aft deck and ponder what I want to drink, is how am I going to drink it.     Rum is a very unique spirit with the ability to be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or mixed.   Any way you drink rum, it is a versatile spirit.     In the evening when I'm out I tend to have a well rum with tonic and a lime, but in the evening home relaxing, it is usually a ultra premium rum with one cube of ice in a snifter that I slowly sip.

     In the Rum Lab we have spent a lot of time with rum creating cocktails to show off the attributes of many rums.     It is the rum that is so important in these cocktails, because it is the flavor of the rum that is the basis of the cocktail.   The Rum Lab results almost always revealed that the best cocktails were the ones that the mixers enhanced the rum rather than burying it in some other flavor.    Choose your mixers wisely to bring out the flavors of the rum and still enhance your experience with the cocktail. 

     The best of the rums stand alone and don't require anything at all to go with them, with the possible addition of small amount of water or an ice cube.    The small amount of water opens up the rum and bring the flavors out for your special enjoyment.

    It really doesn't matter how you enjoy the spirit of the sugar cane, what is important is that you enjoy it your way.    It goes right along with the spirit of rum in that there are no rule on how the rum is produced, there are no rule for how you enjoy it either.    Your palate is the only one that counts so keep trying the thousands of different rums out there until you find that very special one that makes you heart and mind say aaaaaaaaah.     I'll be enjoying a 20 year old Mocambo, a Mexican rum today as I cruise out toward the Marquesas Keys in the dinghy today.    ;o)

Sunday Morning on the Dock

I just love walking down the dock just before sun-up and seeing the birds waking up at the same time as I am.

Coming to America from Cuba

     There are literally thousands of Cubans that attempt the journey from Cuba to the Florida Keys every year, many make it many more are intercepted at sea and returned to Cuba, and a few are also lost at sea.     These are desperate people trying to escape poverty and the political problems of their home land.  

     Many try to make the 90 or so mile trip across the Florida Straits in homemade tin boats.    Many of these are really inspired designs that make it to the dry land of the Marquesas Keys just West of Key West.     I have spent some really enjoyable days marveling at these crafts that successfully made the crossing and liberated her passengers from Cuba.      Some are powered by 4 and 6 cylinder automotive diesels, and one I ran across was powered by a Russian built 1 cylinder  diesel lawn mower engine. 

     I guess that desperate times bring about desperate measures.     Especially when it come to getting out of a place where life is not good and getting to somewhere where life is portrayed as being a "Nirvana".    I have to lend kudos to the people who have tried to make the journey and all of their ingenuity, stamina, and bravery for even trying.   On one occasion returning from the Marquesas Keys in a storm, saw one of these "Chugs" at sea, but was unable to get any closer than a half a mile or so from it, and in 10 plus foot seas, wasn't going to try.   The boat was in control and very sea worthy, so I kept going on my way back to Key West.     The interesting part is that a week later I returned to the Marquesas Keys and found the boat ashore there.   It was interesting to see all of the stuff that they had aboard the boat and the sturdy construction of this boat as well.     Most of the boats are set afire upon reaching dry land to signal the Coast Guard that they were there and could be picked up.    This one however was still afloat and in very good shape considering the weather that it had gone through to reach land.

     I can feel a kindred spirit with these people because I to like to venture out to sea in small boats as well.   This little 12 foot inflatable craft is what three of us ventured out on this day to find the "chug" that I had see while out in the big boat.    The is a really exhilarating feeling traveling out in the small boat the the big one just doesn't have.    It is the feel of the sea and the rising and falling of the swells out on open waters that is great fun.    ;o)

Guana Cay in the Abaco's

    Great Guana Cay is part of the Abaco group of Cays in the Eastern Bahamas.     This is one of the most exciting cays in the entire chain of cays.     It features great beach bars, restaurants, and some of the most exciting live music and party's anywhere.     This cay features major events for Easter, the Sailing Regatta, and the Barefoot Man yearly, or sometimes even more ofter.

     Nipper's in the most famous of the beach bars on the island, but there is a newcomer making some noise call Grabbers that is following close behind.     Nipper's is famous for its Sunday Pig Roasts and big live music events like when the Barefoot Man comes to town every March.     Sitting on top of the sand dune looking over the third largest barrier reef in the world, Nipper's is so much fun to be there and a part of the fun and beauty of Guana Cay.

     Grabber's is the "new" place in town, but was the first actually, known as the "Guana Harbor Club"when it opened in 1960's, then it became the "Guana Beach Resort" with an owner change.  Today it  has been resurrected from severe damage and a fire at the hands of Hurricane Floyd in 2001.      Operating with the air of it's roots of a laid back and comfortable lifestyle, Grabbers is a fun spot to while away some time and party on Guana Cay.

     There are restaurants, lodging, shops and fun all only steps from the government docks that the ferry from Marsh Harbor or Treasure Cay drop you off at.    Come and try all of the fun and pleasure of Guana Cay.   ;o)  

Centenario About to Announce New 25 Year Gran Reserva

     Ron Centenario's new Gran Reserva 25 Year Systema Solera is one of the best rums I have tasted in some time.    This new rum is an excellent new addition to the already fine line of rums from Ron Centenario.

    This is a product of the unique biodiverse country of Costa Rica.     Made from the molasses of local sugar cane that was hand cut from the volcanic soil and a tropical climate that makes for some of the best sugar cane anywhere.

     This dark amber rum has a rich and sweet aroma that leads you to a great long lasting sweet carmel and fruit taste on the palate and a semi dry finish that seems to go on for a long long time.      I tried hard to talk George out of the bottle, but I had little success, but it will be available in late March or early April.     There is also rumor of a 30 year old on the horizon.

     Keep your eyes open for this one, it is going to be one you don't want to miss.     ;o)

Reality has Set In

     Into every warm and wonderful place a little bit of cold must fall.     Today we dropped to 48 degrees, warm by many standards, but not by the standards of those of us that live in the tropics.     It is hard to type today, my fingers are stiff, my feet are cold, and I'm wearing a parka over warm sweatshirts.     This is not the weather we signed up for, but fortunately it is going away almost as fast as it showed up.     I guess I'll have to "man up" today and live through it.   

     It is really funny to hear myself talk like this, because six years ago I'd just laugh at this temperature and maybe put on a sweat shirt and go about my business.     Today, I guess that I have acclimated to this climate and the cold really hurts.     I know it must be time to break out the rum filled flask that I got at Saba Rock in November and tip a few, just for the warmth and medicinal reasons.    Oops, I guess I'm not as tough as those California mountain girls.    

     It makes for a good story, one I've heard for several days now, but it is still cold this morning, but by Sunday we will e back in the mid seventy's and life will be back to normal.   I will still have the flask for medicinal purposes, just in case.   ;o)           

Magen's Bay, St. Thomas

     Like so many other spots in the Virgin Islands, Magen's Bay has the charm and beauty of nature as it's biggest asset.   Sunset on the bay is as beautiful as it can be, but it is the lush white power sand is what really makes the beach and the bay so enjoyable for all of the visitors.     I enjoy just wandering up and down the nearly one mile long beach watching all of the different sights that keep popping up in front of me.     With it's soft white sands, palm trees and crystal clear water, this is considered one of the best beaches in the Virgin Islands.

     People playing in the sand and water, all seeming to be having a great time, just like I am as I wander by taking my pictures.    The beautiful water and the almost non existing surf makes this the perfect beach to stand waist deep in the warm water and enjoy a cocktail, just like in the movie "10" from years ago.     The bay has a marked off swimming area that protects us from the boats and jet ski's, but outside the area there are many boats anchored.

     Legend has it the Sir Francis Drake used Magen's Bay as an anchorage from which he could hide while waiting for ships to plunder.    His exploits in the area were legendary, making him a hero to the English and a "Pirate" to the Spaniards to whom he was known as "Draque".

 This is a park that was donated to the people of the Virgin Islands by Arthur Fairchild in 1943.      The far western portion of the park was donated by Fairchild's nephew's widow, Christine Wheaton in 2002.

     I have to say that I did really enjoy my afternoon on Magen's Bay and the laid back time in the sand sipping on a few of my favorite rum cocktails.   

     If you get to St. Thomas, take the time to hop a safari or a taxi, but get out to the beaches and spend an afternoon basking in the Caribbean sunshine and swimming in the crystal clear waters of Magen's Bay.   ;o)

2012: Where are We Going from Here?

     This is the start of a new year and a clean slate on which to carve out a new world for ourselves.     I'm thinking that more travel and new cocktails are in order and the completion of "Bahama Bob's Cocktails and Tales" is in order.    

     Your response to the travel blogs shows me that I need to spend more time out and about finding new and more exciting venues in which to play with the rum.     The world is full of very exciting rum venues and people who call rum when they sit at the bar.    I guess that with some effort, the exploration of these locals can be accomplished.

     The Rum Lab will continue in 2012 as well, this year trying to develop cocktail that are rum specific, as distillers provide us with rum to work out some new cocktails for.    The book development is completed so now it is time to work on the specific rums.   

     Life in the Keys is also another area that I'll continue to explore including, historical, watering holes, and water trips to the areas around the keys.  

     This is going to be a fun and interesting year for us, so keep up with me on the blog, and hopefully we will see you in our travels.   ;o)

Welcome to 2012 Take it to the Limit

Happy New Year to the Rumstyler World,

2012 is going to be our banner year and we will all grow and prosper as a result.     ;o)

Happy New Year to All

Thanks for helping me get this blog launched and taking it as far as you have in it's first year.   

 

The Rum Swizzle from Bermuda Revisited

The Swizzle Inn Bailey's Bay Bermuda

The Rum Swizzle is the "National Drink of Bermuda", but it's history is a bit cloudy like most of the really good cocktails. Swizzles have appeared in literature since the late 1700's from places like Fort Ticonderoga, New York, Saint Kitts and Great Britain, Bridgetown, Barbados in the mid 1800's, as well as St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands in the early 1900's. These early versions of the swizzles were typically mixed with a v shaped stick that was rotated with the palms of your hands. Most of the swizzles contained rum diluted with water and some aromatic ingredients added.

Today's Rum Swizzle is said to have been created at the Swizzle Inn in 1932 and so they say the "rest is history". The motto of the Swizzle Inn is "Swizzle Inn, Swagger Out", and also known as the "Home of the Rum Swizzle". Different bartenders like all another cocktails have different interpretations of the Rum Swizzle, but most of them have Gosling Black Seal Rum, a Gosling Barbados Rum (One that I haven't been able to find in the U.S.) fruit juices ( Orange, Pineapple, and Lime) and a flavored sweetener like falernum or grenadine. The drink is often make in a "pitcher" batch and then strained into a cocktail glass with an orange and cherry garnish.

There seem to be a few recipes out there in publication, but the Original from The Swizzle Inn seems to be the most realistic.

               Rum Swizzle

• 4 oz. Gosling's Black Seal Rum
• 4 oz. Gosling Barbados Rum
• Juice of 2 Lime Juice
  
• 5 oz. Pineapple Juice
• 5 oz. Orange Juice
• 2 oz. Bermuda falernum
• 6 dashes Angostura Bitters

Mix in a pitcher with crushed ice, shake vigorously until a frothing head appears. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a orange slice and a cherry. ( Serves 6)

A later version sourced from Gosling Brothers Ltd.:

Bermuda Rum Swizzle

• 2 oz. Dark Rum
• 1 oz. Lime Juice
• 1 oz. Pineapple Juice
• 1 oz. Orange Juice
• 1/4 oz. Falernum

Shake all ingredients wit Ice and strain into an ice filled highball glass, and garnish with an orange and a cherry.

There are other recipes that use simple syrup or grenadine to substitute for the falernum, but those ingredients are not the same. There is really no substitute for the falernum. Falernum is rather hard to find, but it is available as an alcoholic (J. D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum) or a non-alcoholic (Fee's Falernum Syrup) version, and either will make a fine drink. This is another of the classic cocktails that can be done with relative ease at home or be made in the bar for your enjoyment. Stop by your favorite tropical bar and ask for one, it they don't have the recipe, you do so show them so they can make it for you.     ;o)

Cuba Libre Revisited

Por Cuba Libre: Free Cuba or a Great Cocktail?

 

The Cuba Libre's origin is as varied as many other cocktails of the period, but the one sure thing is that was originally concocted by U.S. Soldiers while in Cuba. There are stories if the cocktail appearing in 1898 at a party to celebrate the Independence of Cuba from Spain. "Cuba Libre" was the battle cry of the Cuban Liberation Army during the Cuban War for Independence that ended in 1898 The story of the off duty soldiers in 1898 has some holes in it being that there was no Coca-Cola in Cuba until 1900. According to a deposition by Fausto Rodriguez, it wasn't until August of 1900 that the Cuba-Libre was first mixed in a Havana bar. The story has it that a member of the U.S. Signal Corps was the first to mix the cocktail, and he is only known as "John Doe". It seems that only Cuba has the real story of how this cocktail emerged into the populous.

It took the "Tiki Pop Culture" growth in the United States for the popularity of the cocktail to really take off. In 1945, the Andrews Sisters recorded a song named for in ingredients that made up the cocktail. "Rum and Coca-Cola" as a song and as a cocktail swept the country. Both of the ingredients is the post -war era were cheap and this didn't hurt the growth in popularity of the cocktail. Today this is still one of the more popular cocktails here in America.

 

 

Cuba Libre

• 2 oz. of Blanco or Gold Rum
• Juice of 1/2 Lime
• 4 oz. Coca-Cola

Place all ingredients in a "Collins glass" with ice and garnish with a lime.

If you talk to the Bacardi folks, it was originated with "Bacardi Gold Rum", if you talk to the Havana Club , it was made with "Havana Club Light Rum", thus the mystery continues. Like all good cocktails everyone wants to be the originator, and as a result the story becomes so murky that the truth will probably will never be known.

Modern Day "Rum and Coke"

• 2 oz Light Rum
• 2 oz Cola
• 2 drops of Bitters (Optional)
• Lime Wedge

Mix all the ingredients in a "Collins glass" and garnish with the lime wedge.

No matter what you call it or how you mix it, this is one of the true classic cocktails and a great "go to" cocktail for anyone wanting a refreshing drink. ;o)

Revisiting of the Bacardi Cocktail

The Bacardi Cocktail/Daiquiri

The "Bacardi Cocktail" like the "Dark and Stormy" is a proprietary cocktail. Like the "Dark and Stormy", the "Bacardi Cocktail" spent some time in the courtroom. In 1936 the Bacardi Company brought before the courts several bar owners that were substituting another rum in their "Bacardi Cocktails". The American version of the "Bacardi Cocktail" had grenadine, but the original did not, and this was a big part of the discussion in the courtroom as to the proprietary nature of the recipe. Bacardi was really only interested in one thing with it's actions and that was that a b"Bacardi Cocktail" was to be made with Bacardi Rum. Bacardi received an affirmative ruling from the New York Supreme Court stating that "Bacardi Cocktails must be made with Bacardi Rum".

The earliest written records of the "Bacardi Cocktail" go back to 1917 in Hugo Ensslin's "Recipes for Mixed Drinks". In Ensslin's book, the recipe is the early Cuban version of the cocktail was basically the same as the Daiquiri.

The Earliest Recipe

• 1 drink Bacardi Rum
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 2 dashes Gum Syrup

(Simple syrup with gum arabic added to smooth and emulsify)
Shake well in a mixing glass with cracked ice, strain and serve.

Bacardi put out a booklet in 1930 called "BACARDI Algunos De Sus Muchos Usos" a name that roughly translated means "Bacardi some of it's many uses". In this book there is a change in the recipe for the "Bacardi Cocktail".

The more accepted Version

• Juice of half a lime
• 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 oz Bacardi White

Mix thoroughly, then shake well in cracked ice. May be served strained or unstrained. Important Do Not alter the order of the ingredients.
This is the real change that separated the Daiquiri from the cocktail when it could be served unstrained.

In America a "red" version of the Bacardi Cocktail was originated in New York, this one containing grenadine.
The Red Version

• 1 1/2 oz Bacardi White Rum
• the juice of 1/2 lime
  
• 1 bar spoon of Grenadine Syrup

Shake all ingredients in a mixing glass and strain into a cocktail glass.

Whether you serve the cocktail as a daiquiri, a cocktail, or unstrained over cracked ice, this is a delicious cocktail that stands alone as one of the very early classic cocktails of the world. It also makes sense that a "Bacardi Cocktail/Daiquiri" be made with Bacardi Rum seeing how it bears the name of the rum. Whether you like red or original just get out and enjoy this wonderful cocktail. ;o)

Revisiting KeyZombie

Bahama Bob's KeyZombie

Bahama Bob's KeyZombie

Made in the tradition of Don the Beachcomber's time honored recipe with a little KeyZ twist to it.

• 1 oz  Siesta White Rum
• 1 oz  Myer's Dark Rum
• 1/2 oz  Plantation Barbados 151 Rum
• 1/2 oz  J.D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum
• 2 drops of Aguardiente Anisette Rum
• 1/2 oz  Pomegranate Liqueur
• 2 drops Angostura Bitters
• 1 1/2 oz  Pineapple Juice
• 1 1/2 oz  White Grapefruit Juice
• Juice of 1/2 Lime
• Splash of Barrett's Ginger Beer

Combine all of the ingredients except the ginger beer in a shaker with ice cubes and shake thoroughly and strain into a tall glass filled half full with crushed ice. Add Barrett's Ginger Beer to taste and garnish with a orange slice. Enjoy this taste of the Tiki Era.

 

     This is one of the fun cocktails that we have played with in the Rum Lab to expand the scope of some of the old classic cocktails to take advantage of the modern flavors, liqueurs, and rums.     ;o)

Pina Colada Revisited

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 fair for as long as I can remember, but it really isn't that old of a cocktail. There seem 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

The Bushwacker: A Virgin Island Cocktail Delight

Revisiting the Bushwacker

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 Revisited

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)

The Daiquiri Revisited

Here we go a gain with another famous cocktail that has a very unusual origin. They say that an American, Jennings Cox invented the cocktail as a result of running out of gin when he was entertaining American guests in the late 1800's in Cuba. He also happened to be an engineer at the Spanish American Iron Company mine located in the Village of Daiquiri. Any guesses where the name came from? This was pretty much a local drink until a navy Admiral Lucius W. Johnson ( Medical Officer) tried his cocktail in 1909, and he introduced it to the Army and Navy Club in Washington D.C. The spread of the cocktail increased rapidly throughout the next couple of decades. Like all stories over the origin of a cocktail there is some dispute as to weather he had some assistance from another Cuban engineer named Pagliuchi, or if the drink was an existing Cuban speciality.

Jennings original recipe was just the beginning of a string of recipes most more complex in nature, in the daiquiri family.     

Jennings Cox's Original Recipe

• 1.3 oz. light dry Cuban rum (Bacardi according to the stories)
• .7 oz lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 crushed ice cubes

Mix the ingredients in a shaker and serve.

There are many other versions of the daiquiri that have arisen including the soda shoppe slurpee stuff sometimes found in speed bars today. However there are still a few good bartenders that know the meaning of a good daiquiri. One of the other really good daiquiri's in the one that was made for Ernest Hemingway at the El Florida in Havana.
Hemingway's Daiquiri

• 2 oz. White Rum
• 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz fresh grapefruit juice
  
• 1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino Cherry Liqueur

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice add all the ingredients and shake till thoroughly chilled and strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lime.

The basic recipe of a daiquiri is 1 strong , 1 sweet, and one sour, these are the directions of the early days of Cuban cocktail mixing, but things got more serious as to the ratios with time. Today the Daiquiri has shown a resurgence in America especially in the South Florida area. Should you be in Key West stop by the Rum Bar for some Daiquiri lore and some creative "Keys Daiquiri's". ;o)

What is this Solera Rum Aging Process

This is a re post of this article.  

Here is the Solera System at Valera Hermano

The "Solera System" is most prevalent among the Spanish speaking rum producers. This method allows the quick removal of rough edges from the rum than does the single barrel methods. The rum in the bottom tier is the Solera, or the eldest of the rum. All of the rows above are the criadera or the younger rums in the system. The entire stock of the rums in the Solera system is aged at an over proof level and then cut to the proper strength when bottled. It is estimated on average that rum spends 6 years in the solera system, but because the "mother rum" never leaves the system, the age is really difficult to assess.

Refilling the top of the la criadera

How does the system work? As you can see from the picture, the barrels are stacked on their sides in a pyramid like structure that makes up the solera system. At the end of a cycle about 50% of the rum is taken out of the solera (bottom row for bottling) and the rum from the next row up is transferred down to the solera filling the void created when the rum was removed for bottling. Because only half of the rum was removed from the solera, the "mother rum" left behind and the rum transferred down from the criadera blend together and the characteristics of the "mother rum" are quickly transferred to the younger rum and the maturity is attained much quicker that if the rum was aged from scratch in a single barrel. This process is continued all the way to the top of the criadera where new product is added and the cycle begins again.

The solera system represents several years of rum production and is a valuable asset of the company. This is why you see several parallel soleras systems sitting side by side in the bodega. There are many years of aging involved in making great rum, and the solera is a great way to shorten the actual aging of the rums and allowing the rum producer to get the rum to market sooner. Because some of the "mother rum" never leaves the solera, the actual age of the rum can not be published, but the effeciency of the system leaves no doubt that the rum is on a par with rums that have spent much more time in single barrels.

Barrel Proof sitting on the "Solera"

"La Crianza" or the nursery of the "Mother Rum" is where the majority of the aging or toning of the rum takes place as the rum is moved down the system til it finally reaches the bottom row and is allowed to rest with the "mother rum" before removal for bottling. Sipping a barrel proof of the mother rum in a solera is an opportunity that should never be missed. Even at the over proof levels, this rum has a flavor that is almost impossible to describe.

Though some rum experts have described the Solera method of aging rum as "cheating", it does shorten the time necessary to mature the rum and the product is still on a par with many of the older single barrel aged rums. With today's economy, the rum producers need to bring their products to the market sooner, and the solera system allow this without compromising the taste of the rum. ;o)