Big Doin's Lobsterfest in Key West

     Today is the annual Lobsterfest Street Fair.   The 100 thru 500 blocks of Duval Street have been closed and the lobster grilles, souvenir  booths, and arts and craft booths have been set up to bring you an exciting Saturday in Key West.   Lobsterfest is the biggest party of the summer time in Key West and is the last hurrah if you will before the kids go back to school and everyone have to become responsible people again and get the kids all of their school clothes and supplies.  Lobsterfest is all kinds of fun for all kinds of people, just get yourself down here today into this evening for a day of lobster and seafood and good music this evening.



     The daytime is filled with the smell of the lobsters, corn on the cob and other tasty items cooking on the grills up and down Duval Street.  All of the booths filled with artsy things and just plain fun stuff for you to add to your trinket collection.   Wandering up and down the five blocks of booths and happenings is just a lot of fun.  You will find yourself enjoying all of the lobster dishes as well as the many other sides available at each of the booths.   Don't forget the hundreds of stores, restaurants and bars that line Duval Street will also be open to give you their own very special kind of entertainment.

     By Night the corner of Duval Street and Greene Street will be turned into a band stand and a concert featuring CW Colt, Cool Breeze and The Durt Bags will be playing.   This is when you get your favorite libations and party in the streets of Key West to the several Keys based acts.

     If you haven't been to Lobsterfest before, tonight is the night and time to head for Key West and enjoy the last major event of the summer in Key West.   Come on down and shop, eat, drink, and then dance the night away in the streets of Key West.  ;o)

Taking Rum Cocktails from So So to So Great

     As I stand behind  the Rum Bar in Key West making cocktails for my guests, I find myself wondering why they are so happy with their cocktails
here so much more than in the party zone.   The question seems to be the quality of the ingredient and the care put into mixing them.    

     Making cocktails pretty much from scratch rather than from commercial mixes is a huge difference.  For instance a Pina Colada made with some mix and adding well rum is not going to taste nearly as good as one that is made to the original recipe of Crème of coconut, pineapple juice, and rum.    The drinks are also improved by shopping the market for the best tasting well rum available by sampling rather that just choosing on based on what the distributor has cheapest.  Believe me there are several really inexpensive  white rums out there that actually are smooth and don't tear up you palate.  All it takes is some research time to find them, then keep the good rums on the well.

     Taking the time to make each drink fresh .  Taking the time to make the drinks correctly as they were in Mojito that is made from scratch with fresh lime juice, fresh mint and a proper sweetener.  All of the little things that "speed bars" overlook, are what make a crafts bar presentations so much tastier.
tended makes a huge difference.   The cocktail class of today is looking for a that real daiquiri, or a

    If you haven't been to a crafts bar before, find one in your locale, the differences are huge and the personal enjoyment will make you question why you haven't been in one before.  ;o)

Two Cuban Historic Barmen

   I ran across an article I just had to share with you today about two very famous Cuban barmen.

What was in the Catalonian air 120 years ago that helped produced two of the best Cantineros ever?

Constante and Hemingway at El Floridita

Some monument really should be raised to honour Lloret de Mar. Not the Lloret de Mar that became, in recent years, the playground for European spring breakers, but the small fishermen’s village that it used to be – and still is when all tourists are away. Its population doesn’t even reach 40,000 so why should we treat the place as sacred and holy ground? Well, two names: Constantino Ribalaigua and Miguel Boadas.
Constantino was born here, in 1888. Boadas was born in Havana, thousands of kilometres away, in 1895 but his parents hailed originally from Lloret. What was in the Catalonian air 120 years ago that helped produced two of the best Cantineros ever? (Hopefully, you do not expect an answer…)

Boadas came to this world in calle Empedrado, a small street that would acquire mythical status: it borders the Plaza de la Catedral, where visitors could find the Havana Club bar, and, since 1950, it houses La Bodeguita del Medio. His parents opened a café but things weren’t going great so he left for Lloret with his mother. He stayed in the village of his ancestors until the age of 13 and then crossed once more the Atlantic to learn the ropes with his father. His big break happened when he started working for his dad’s cousin, Narcis Sala Perera at the small place he operated on the corner of Obispo and Montserrate: El Floridita.

It wasn’t quite yet the trendy place it would become when Hemingway started visiting (in 1932) and praising it to all and sundry but all the same it was one of the finest bars in town. Constante Ribalaigua was already there (he arrived in 1914 and took control in 1918) and he worked with Boadas, side by side, until 1922. Lloret de Mar meeting in Havana! The greatest in the game, working behind the same bar! Those precious few years are still honoured at El Floridita: above the bar, on the right hand-side, close to the kitchen’s door, there’s one photo of the all-star team. Look for it next time.

Read more at

http://www.havana-cocteles.com/boadas-cocktail

     The picture to the right is the one they are talking about at El Floridita.  I was lucky enough to capture it from a group shot that I took in the bar.  These two men had a huge effect on the cocktail industry and will always be remembered for their contributions.  By the way his art of throwing cocktails sit still being practiced at the El Floridita.  ;o)
 

Finca la Vigia and Pilar

     No visit to Havana would be complete without a trip of about 10 mile outside of Havana to San Francisco de Paula and the home of Ernest Hemingway.  The home he purchased in 1940 after living in the Ambros Mundos Hotel for approximately a year.    The home sat and fell into a state of disrepair for many years after Hemingway's death in 1961.  It had been taken over as the property of the state and sat for many years.   There have been a number of preservation groups that were able to help fund the restoration and get the personal effects of Hemingway so they could be viewed and enjoyed by the visitors.   The beautiful house and grounds where designed by Spanish architect Miguel Pascual y Baguer and purchased by Hemingway in 1940 for $12,500.00.


    Many of the things that remain in the house really indicate how he lived and entertained.  The Swimming Pool, the patios, the tower, were all special places for Ernest to go and work out his ideas for his short stories and novels.  The room that he did his writing in, shows how the shrapnel that never was removed from his leg after World War I, was really beginning to bother him and he found it very hard to sit for any length of time, so he would stand in front of the typewriter and create his manuscripts.


     There are beautiful dining rooms and an office where he would take care of the business, but in every room you will find his hunting trophies on the wall.    One of the curious items in his office was a rubber stamp that he had that said "I Never Write Letters ",  just one of the many quirky characteristics Hemingway had.     Up in the tower there was a telescope and another desk that allowed him to enjoy the view of Havana. and it was said that he would spend some time watch his female movie stars skinny dipping in the pool

     Just down the hill from the main house, there is a fabulous swimming pool.   This area is the grave yard for all of his dogs as well just to the right of the pool.   It was the only pool there in Havana at the time and not just some little toe dipping pool, but a real swimming pool.    Many of his guests would stop by and just hang out even though he was off fishing or something.   The pool made all of them really feel right at home waiting for his return.  There are terrace patios on the way down the hill going to the pool that were perfect for having afternoon cocktails and good conversation.


     The real treat is when you get past the pool and meet up with Pilar.  This is Hemingway's famous fishing yacht that he and Captain Gregorio Fuente spent so much time on during his time in Havana.  Pilar spent a lot of time in the water in the little fishing village of Cojimar just to the east of Havana.  This is the village that became the basis of "The Old Man and the Sea" the story that is based on the times spent fishing and telling lies with the other fishermen of the village sitting around their table at La Terraza de Cojimar.   I was able to capture several old photographs of Pilar in the water at Cojimar, and pictures of both Hemingway and Fuente out fishing on Pilar down there in the Havana area.   This made this trip extra special when I got to see the rest of the fishing and the village where they would sit and drink and chatter with the local fishermen.  :o)

    
 

Ian Burrell' The Rum Experience University.

     This is first of it's kind course to train Spirits ambassadors.   Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell is to launch a five-day immersive Rum 'Experience University' designed to create a new generation of cross-category ambassadors.

The course will be held later this year in a part of Spain that boasts mainland Europe's only working rum distillery and will combine seminar-based learning with practical demonstrations. 

It will teach every aspect on rum production and even teach rudimentary neuro-linguistic programming and hypnotherapy to help budding ambassadors impart knowledge. A diploma will only be issued after students have passed an end-of-course exam - around 30 places are expected to be offered this year. 

Ian, who is down to the final shortlist in this year's Best International Brand Ambassador award at Tales of the Cocktail, is hoping that the course, which is backed by the Spanish government and aimed at intermediate to advanced rum aficionados, will create an army of like-minded ambassadors who can spread the word about his favorite spirit. He is also hoping that the course will become an internationally recognised qualification that bartenders can use to help them get a job as a rum expert. 

He has been keen to establish a rum centre of excellence in Europe ever since self-funding his own trip to the Caribbean when he was learning about rum in his early 20s. "There hasn't ever been really any official training to become a spirits ambassador, let alone a rum ambassador. I was very lucky that I had a few friends and family to stay with and most of the distilleries were happy to show me around. But for those that don't know anyone, that's prohibitively expensive and today it's not so easy to get into distilleries. 

"By running this course in Spain we can empower people in a far more practical and thorough way as possible, without them having to spend thousands flying to the Caribbean." 

Ian said he has seen too many brand ambassadors "thrown in the deep end" and expected to promote categories and brands based on a PowerPoint presentation but without ever having visited the distillery or maturation warehouses where their products are made. 

The Rum Experience University is expected to include speakers such as drinks historians, food scientist and distillers from at least two rum makers. 

Ian said he was delighted the university was close to coming to fruition. "I can't believe it's actually happened," he said. "I'll probably cry after the first course." 

 

 If you are in the area of Andalusian, the charming views the Mediterranean Sea, Take the time o come to the Rum Experience University and get a first hand knowledge of what being ambassador really is.

 

 

Key West survived the 20th annual Battle of the Bars

     The 20th annual event drew many of the teams from all of the best bars in Key West.   They had to chug margaritas, run obstacle courses and many other events in and around the Schooner Wharf complex.   This is a fun drunken Key West event that happens each year allowing the local bartenders and servers to get involved in a really fun event to really to get involved in.

    Schooner Wharf Bar's Knot & Shot 2013 Competition Results ... Buffet, Free Shooters, Raffle, Hosted by Key West emcee and personality Hoebee, 2013 ... 2013 Naval Parade and Great Battle - Victory Party & Surrender Ceremony Pictures.

The battle promises to be a lot of fun for all that attend and participate in frivolity.







     This is a day of beer, bartenders, margaritas and mayhem that is designed to help improve the lives of Key West people that are supported by Several of the local charities here in Key West.   This years event will benefit the Florida Keys SPCA.


     Teams of seven race against the clock and each other on a hilarious obstacle course on the street behind the Schooner Wharf Bar.   For the race the team must mix perfect margarita, serve it without spilling any, tap a keg, and sort recyclables.  Then when this is completed they must chug a beer.



     Annually they raise some $20,000 for the local charities.   This is a really fun and productive event for the community. 

     The 20th Annual Battle of the Bars at Schooner Wharf Bar will take place Sunday, August 4th at noon. Teams of seven, from local bars and restaurants, will race against the clock and each other in a hilarious obstacle course that fills the street in front of Schooner Wharf Bar. Trophies and bragging rights will be awarded for the Most Outrageous Team Costume and Deepest Pockets.   Unfortunately it was a work day for me and I didn't get the opportunity to participate.  ;o)






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Sky, Beach and the Ocean

     It seems that summer has finally made an appearance here and the time for life out on the water has arrived.   The beaches in Grand Cayman are some of the nicest anywhere, and the water is crystal clear.   This is my idea of what summer is really all about.     There are beautiful shorelines near you no matter where you live, whether it be a lake or the sea shore.   Take some time to get to the beach and enjoy what makes you happy in the summer.  ;o)

August: Outdoor Cocktail Time

     August is the warmest month of the year and a perfect time to get the blender out on the patio and make some of those fun frozen cocktails.   The Pina Colada, Bushwacker, or Frozen Daiquiri all seem to pop out of most people's mind, but today I want to explore something different.

     I'm thinking of an original concoction we came up with last year in the Rum Lab that was an instant hit and continues to be.  I keep seeing people with their con leche's on facebook and other places so I thought that a frozen boozy con leche would be in order.


Bahama Bob's Frozen Con Leche  

•  1 1/2 oz. Brinley's Shipwreck Coffee Rum
• 1 oz. of Dark Crème de Cocoa
• 1 oz. Amaretto
• 1 oz. Half and Half
• Pinch of Apple Pie Spice

Place all ingredients in a blender with a cup and a half of ice.  Blend until smooth and serve in a pint glass garnished with fresh ground nutmeg.

   This will cool you off and put a real fun smile on your face this afternoon.   ;o)

Back to the Thirties and the Tropicana

    Dinner and a show, what a concept.  I've forgotten how much fun it is to go out for and evening that includes a five course dinner and an extravagant show.  Not a movie, but a real Caribbean 1930's style revue.  You know like the ones from the Carmen Miranda movies.    This is a really spectacular production that could only be done in the atmosphere of the outdoor theater at the Tropicana.   

     The show lasts for about two hours and it just keeps happening all around you.  One set of dancers and costumes that will absolutely dazzle you right after another.   The extremely skilled dancers and singers combined with the unbelievable costumes keep your attention throughout the show.   There are no breaks, just a continuous flow of dancers and singers for two hours of exciting entertainment.

     This is really a story that words can not do justice, so I think that I'll just let you see all of the pictures.  They tell a much better story that my words could ever do.   If you get the chance to see one of these Latin productions, don't let the opportunity slip by you.  It is one of the most unforgettable show that I have ever seen.   Like I say, words can not describe the show that comes at you from all sides, at eye level, above, behind and across from you.  It keeps your head spinning all evening from start to finish.  ;o)

Tipping: A Curious Practice

   In the late 19th century some wealthy Americans brought home the practice of tipping home from Europe upon returning from vacations,   The Americans thought it to be a form of bribery, a practice that the State legislatures banned very quickly.    Like so many other laws in this country, it was overturned when restaurateurs saw it as a way of passing the labor cost on to the customer.  The American public was finally convinced that tipping was acceptable.  The laws banning tipping were repealed, and lower minimum wages for employees in the service industry to adjust for the tips came to be.  

   I find this is a very interesting juxt of position, Europeans as a rule don't tip, because they pay their service employees the same minimum wage as the rest of the work force.  The greed of some service industry management require sharing of the tips has become a source of many problems and law suits.   Tipping originally was thought to be an incentive for hard work, but that is simply not the case.  The size of the tip today has little to do with the quality of the service.  Credit card users as a rule tip higher that cash patrons.   Large parties tip disproportionally small tips compared tips of individuals and couples.   According to a survey of customer assessment of a server's tips, indicate that work quality only accounts for 1% to 5% of the variation of the size of the tips.

   The real problem with the tipping system is that it allows for wages as low as $3.25 an hour by the "Federal Tip Credit", and the short fall making the customers co-employers when they go into a restaurant or bar.  This "tip credit" has turned the gratuity into a moral obligation of diners and cocktail lounge customers.   

   The concept of tip sharing has only put profits in the hands of the lawyers in the past few years with cases in California, Hawaii, New York, and Oregon.   Management is feeling that they are entitled to a share of the tips as well in some cases leading to some very expensive judgments.   

    The system of tipping in America has really gotten out of hand.  There needs to be a uniform set of rules that will turn the gratuity back into what it was intended to be in "appreciation for good service" instead of moral pressure for the customer to become a "partner" liable for the salary of the servers, hostess, busser, and others.  It is a system that has no consistency from state to state, or even from city to city.   The reality of tipping is that those in the service industry depend on the generosity of their customers to maintain their minimum wage.   Like the system or not it is the way the federal and state governments here in America made things and it is a big part of the service industry employee's take home pay.  ;o)

Sloppy Joe's Bar Havana Reopened

     The historic bar in Havana known as Sloppy Joe's Bar has reopened after a long and arduous restoration.   I was absolutely stunned with the accuracy of the
restoration when I visited there this month.     It was filled with historic pictures from the hay days including the many stars that would frequent the establishment in the twenties through the fifties.  I got to see the progress that was made since I was there last September, but what absolutely amazed me the spectacular job that was done bringing it back to life.


     A short ten months ago I was stumbling over rubble at a construction site in Havana looking at the project being built.   The famous long bar and the cabinets were being built, the whole building, inside and out was undergoing a complete face lift.   The attention to detail by the workers was amazing and the finished product, what can I say, it is great.  I feel like I just walked into a 1930's bar and I was going to be sitting by any one of many celebs that would be stopping by for cocktails.  

     The people behind the bar and the servers dressed in traditional black with orange ties fitting to the dress of the era and the entire experience.  Being able to walk behind the bar with the staff  was an experience that I really enjoyed, and will never forget.    It is so great to have been able to experience the fun and excitement that was "Sloppy Joe's Habana", the atmosphere and the décor is fabulous.

     Today, the people working there are what make this such a special place.  I guess that the same can be said for the days of the bar in the past.  It was really true then as it is now, the décor draws you in and the people keep you coming back.   I do have to say that I did spend quite a bit of time here on this visit.  

     Just down the street from Parque Central and the Bacardi Building, Sloppy Joe's  is a must see on any Havana visit.  Jump into the past and have a super time gazing into the days of fun and frivolity from the Prohibition Day in Havana.  ;o)


    

What Does Rum Mean to the World?

   That is a funny question, but one that I was pondering as I looked over some spirits industry news.   For some it is an old pirate and crusty sailor's libation, but to others it is a very sophisticated spirit to be lavished with a cigar and a restful evening on the patio.  Still others see it as a means to make a living working in the industry.  No matter how you see rum, it has become a major player in the world economy and in the eyes of the people that enjoy it.

    In Barbados for instance, rum has a major effect on the economy of the country.  The sugar cane and the rum industry make up a very large portion of the little island's economy, and how well these industries do has a big effect on the welfare of Barbados.   But over and above that fact the people and the producers of rum enjoy the high quality of their rums as well.

     National pride is involved as well, the pride of the people that produce rums in Panama, Cuba, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Trinidad, Venezuela, and the many many other countries involved are extremely proud of the rums they put their names on.   From the cane farmers and the field workers to the Maestro Roneros and the distillery workers, they all play an important part in the making of their countries rums.



     I find that there is so much pride in the people that make your rums every where that I travel.   Finding new ways to make their rums unique, like aging the rum below the ocean, or blending with the use of varied types of barrels, the product is what is important and the pride they get from producing a high quality product is always in their eyes.  It is their willingness to share what they have been doing with all of us that will listen that makes my job so much fun..    I feel that it is this price in their product that separates the rum category from all of the rest of the spirits.  No where is their such freedom to make a product as unique and different as your imagination will allow you to create.   Many of the old masters in the business are coming up with rums today that have you singing their praises every time a new rum is introduced.  

     It is these masters creating the honest and traditional based rums that will take rum to it's next level.  There is enough of the vanilla flavored
and caramel colored rums out there already, we need to allow the real masters to apply their skills and keep creating some of the honest rums that are getting their flavors from the barrel instead of the chemistry lab.  Making use of quality barrels, solera systems, clean distilling practices and good blending procedures will take the category to a place of higher respect in the spirits world.

    Rum consumers are the ones that will move rum to the next level by speaking with your consumer dollars and buying the quality rums rather than the cheap ones that just perpetuate the pirate swill image rum has had in the past.   ;o)

Ron Varadero and Key West Sunshine

    Ron Varadero Anejo Seven Anos Rum is another of the fine rums produced at the Santiago de Cuba distillery.  This rum is one of the "light traditional rums" that came into being as a result of the hard work by Don Facundo Bacardi at the Santiago de Cuba factory many many years ago.    Traditional rum made from molasses, the end product of the boiling of the sugar cane to make the sugar crystals, light because it is clean and naturally distilled.   Don Facundo was the first to use aging bacteria and cultivated them and his own special yeast at his distillery.  These discoveries brought refinement by aging and a consistency into the world of rum .   The Santiago de Cuba Distillery's maestro ronero's continue today to make these fine rums in the traditional way. 

     Ron Varadero Anejo 7 Anos has a very light and delicate flavor that is so typical of the traditional rums of Cuba.   The rum has a medium caramel color with a subtly fruity and woody flavor that emits inviting aromas to draw you in.  The extraordinary smoothness and the lingering finish bring you back for a second and third sip.   The rum is made by traditional methods and is slow aged in oak barrels yielding a truly unique superior rum.   I found this rum to be a really a one of a kind fine rum that I wish that I could enjoy more often, but the American embargo of Cuba prevents the Americans to enjoy so many of the fine things that are Cuba.  

     Should you come across this rum in a "Duty Free" shop while abroad, pick one up, you won't be disappointed.   ;o)

Grand Cayman Lost

    The beautiful Cayman Islands just south of Cuba provide a beautiful backdrop for a holiday from the hustle and bustle of the city.   It is really along way to anywhere from here.   From the Tiki Bar at the Reef Resort, the world slips away in a fine glass of local Cayman Spirits Rum and the sound of the ocean rolling on to the shore.

Central Parque Havana

    Staying in the Telegrafo Hotel with its view of Central Parque in Havana brings visions of the "hay days" of Havana during the 30's through the 50's.   Between the cars and the architecture of the buildings it is like being in a "time warp".  From sun rise to sunset it is a breath taking sight.   Looking out toward the Bacardi Building and the Plaza Hotel to catch the first rays of sunlight in the morning, the city seems to come alive right before your eyes.



     Watching the people beginning to start moving around, the buses and taxi's begin to bustle up and down the street, you come to life watching the 1950's American cars moving down below on the street.  I found myself staring out the window from the fourth floor just wondering what would draw past catching my eye this time.   It was almost like I was watching the television instead of looking out the window.   The light shining on the buildings change the entire mood of the parque constantly.   I was thirteen years old when Cuba became one of the "forbidden fruits", it has taken until I was sixty-six to finally be able to see why people were so enamored with this magic city.


     Early afternoon brings the light from the west giving the parque an entirely different look.  It glistens and begins to get the look of being ready for the party of the night to begin.  This time of day reminds me of postcards from the 30's and 40's of the hotels and fun places that all seemed to say "having a wonderful time wish you were here".  






    As I look to the left down the "Prado" I see the entrance to Havana Harbour and the old fort and lighthouse that protected it.  The blend of the 1800's with the middle 1900's makes for a very picturesque sight.   What I find about the window is that it is almost like having a very special window on the world that takes you back to the era of your childhood, and get to see many things that you otherwise only get to remember and do not get to see any more.  

    This well preserved piece of history is around because of the way things were done in this country in the past.  Buildings were built to last forever, and even though there has been very little money for maintenance in the past couple of decades, the city is surviving very well.   With the advent of more and more tourist dollars arriving, there seems to be more and more of the buildings being restored and brought back to their previous glory and beauty.

    This is a city that needs to be seen to believe.  After my second visit, I can hardly wait for the next opportunity to travel back and find new sights that I have never seen in this infatuating place .   Every alley or covered sidewalk opens up into a plaza or parque to spin you around again and again.

   Eventually it will be open for the easy 90 mile trip from Key West and everyone will be able to cross the Florida Straits and spend some very special time in the magic that has always made Cuba a draw for the American people.   ;o)