Who's The Soberest and the Drunkest Cities in America?

The results are in and Key West didn't even make the list.  with 255 bars on a 2 by 5 mile island we are not even a blip results.  There are some very interesting results that I would not have expected, like Miami among the soberest, and such a group of Central Valley California towns among the drunkest.   Anyway take a look at the list  and see where your city ranks.  ;o)

STONE-COLD SOBER
1.    Salt Lake City, UT
2.    Jersey City, NJ
3.    New York, NY
4.    Plano, TX
5.    Chicago, IL
6.    Miami, FL
7.    Boston, MA
8.    Virginia Beach, VA
9.    Newark, NJ
10.  Bridgeport, CT

11.    Baton Rouge, LA
12.    Raleigh, NC
13.    Atlanta, GA
14.    Manchester, NH
15.    New Orleans, LA
16.    Dallas, TX
17.    St. Paul, MN
18.    Philadelphia, PA
19.    Honolulu, HI
20.    Burlington, VT

31.    Wilmington, DE
32.    Kansas City, MO
33.    Orlando, FL
34.    Fort Wayne, IN
35.    San Francisco, CA
36.    Wichita, KS
37.    Norfolk, VA
38.    Chesapeake, VA
39.    Detroit, MI
40.    Minneapolis, MN

41.    Los Angeles, CA
42.    Charleston, WV
43.    Madison, WI
44.    Omaha, NE
45.    Louisville, KY
46.    San Jose, CA
47.    Jackson, MS
48.    Pittsburgh, PA
49.    Aurora, CO
50.    Houston, TX

51.    Lincoln, NE
52.    Portland, OR
53.    Boise City, ID
54.    Anaheim, CA
55.    Providence, RI
56.    Buffalo, NY
57.    Greensboro, NC
58.    Indianapolis, IN
59.    Washington, DC
60.    Milwaukee, WI

61.    Anchorage, AK
62.    Albuquerque, NM
63.    Winston-Salem, NC
64.    Columbus, OH
65.    Jacksonville, FL
66.    Sioux Falls, SD
67.    Cleveland, OH
68.    Cincinnati, OH
69.    Lubbock, TX
70.    Sacramento, CA

71.    Des Moines, IA
72.    Las Vegas, NV
73.    Tampa, FL
74.    Fort Worth, TX
75.    Columbia, SC
76.    Colorado Springs, CO
77.    Fargo, ND
78.    Oklahoma City, OK
79.    Tucson, AZ
80.    Riverside, CA

81.    Phoenix, AZ
82.    St. Petersburg, FL
83.    Denver, CO
84.    El Paso, TX
85.    Tulsa, OK
86.    Lexington, KY
87.    Nashville, TN
88.    Corpus Christi, TX
89.    San Diego, CA
90.   Toledo, OH

OVER THE LIMIT
91.    Reno, NV
92.    St. Louis, MO
93.    Austin, TX
94.    Billings, MT
95.    Fresno, CA
96.    San Bernardino, CA
97.    Cheyenne, WY
98.    Stockton, CA
99.    San Antonio, TX
100.  Bakersfield, CA

Read More at http://www.weather.com/health/americas-drunkest-cities-20131125

This is a very interesting list and I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I did.  ;o)

 

 

Antigua Through the Windshiels

     Antigua is one of the Caribbean islands that has many faces.  It has bustling cities, open country farmland with violent coastlines on one side and serene calm waters on the other.  It is an island of opposites as you travel around it.   We had the opportunity to enjoy the island on scooters, so through the windshield is a bit of a story, but I'm sure you get the idea.   The texture of the countryside becomes clear as soon as you break out of St. Johns city limits, the open grass and forests with very laid back country atmosphere becomes clear.

     As you approach the northeastern corner of the island things become very different.   It is a much more arid climate.   The plant life as well as the animal life begins to change dramatically.   More of the succulent plants are appearing and wild donkeys are seen moving across the now gravel roads.     This is a more natural part of the island and very beautiful in deed as we slowly drive toward the coast and the Devil's Bridge.

Devil's Bridge

     The Devil's bridge is an area on the northeast coast that is particularly violent in nature.  The huge seas crashing against the cliffs  provide a spectacular sight with the huge sprays of water arise.   The Devil's Bridge is a place where many of the slaves would commit suicide in the days of the "Triangle Trade" in the 1700's.



Nelson's Dockyard

     Back into the country and down to the southwestern side and Nelson's Dockyards.



The southeastern side of the island is a rain forests and beautiful blue seas are of a much calmer nature.  The Dockyard is where the British Fleet would retreat to for repairs and provisioning after a tour of duty in the Caribbean.   There are many interesting museums and displays here that are well worth the time to see.

     From the Dockyard it is into the rain forest, then following the coastline back to St. Johns and back to the big city life again.  The differences as you move around this relatively small island are really amazing and fun to take in.  As we head back to St. Johns, I am wishing that I could spend more time exploring this colorful and historic island.

    Another day of looking through the windshield as I go from place to place exploring the fun places that I have been able to visit is over and I hope you enjoyed the trip.  ;o)

    

Where do we get Rum From?

Sugar Cane in the Fields

     I get asked on a regular basis where does rum come from?   Actually rum only has one rule for its production, it has to be made from a derivative of the sugar cane.   With that in mind, why is there so much rum production in and around the Caribbean? 

Water Power Cane Crusher

     Sugarcane is indigenous to tropical Southwestern Asia.   Different species likely originated in different locations, with Saccharum barberi originating in India and S. edule and S.officinarum coming from New Guinea.   Approximately 70% of the sugar produced globally comes from S. officinarum and hybrids using this species.   It is theorized that sugarcane was first domesticated as a crop in New Guinea around 6000 BC.

Loading cane in the crusher

     How did it get to the Caribbean region?   Well, you can give Christopher Columbus most of the credit for that.    On his second voyage, he brought sugar cane with him and distributed it around the islands that he visited.  It would spread throughout the region and to South and Central America as well.    Sugar was a commodity that was very popular and valued in England and Europe in the 1600's and the 1700's and he who controlled the sugar had the power and wealth at that time.


Cooking the Cane Juice

     Sugar production, is a process that takes the sugar cane stocks and crushes them into syrup and then cooks it in stages to extract the crystalline sugar.  The residue left after the cooking is completed is known as molasses.   Originally it was from the molasses that the rum was made.   There was a large amount of it and most every sugar plantation at the time had a rum distillery connected with it.  In fact most of the most famous brands of rum were a part of a very large sugar plantation.

     One of the interesting parts of my trip to Grenada last November was seeing the process being done the old way at the River Antoine Distillery.    Watching all of the steps leading from the field to the crusher, to the cooking pans, to fermentation and finally to the stills makes me appreciate the fine spirits of the cane even more.   ;o) 
    

55 Years Ago Today.

   

      In a frozen corn field in Clearlake, Iowa 55 years ago today, a day that became known as "the day the music died".   Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and JP "The Big Bopper" Richardson were killed when their chartered plane went down in a snow storm.
    

     On this day in 1959, rising American rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson are killed when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza plane crashes in Iowa a few minutes after takeoff from Mason City on a flight headed for Moorehead, Minnesota. Investigators blamed the crash on bad weather and pilot error. Holly and his band, the Crickets, had just scored a No. 1 hit with "That'll Be the Day."

     The distance between venues and the

conditions prevalent aboard the poorly equipped tour buses adversely affected the performers. Cases of flu spread among the band members, and Carl Bunch was hospitalized due to frostbite. Frustrated by the conditions, Holly decided to charter a plane when they stopped for their performance in the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, to reach their next venue in Moorhead, Minnesota. Carroll Anderson, owner of the Surf Ballroom, chartered the plane from the Dwyer Flying Service. Richardson, who was affected by the flu, swapped places with Waylon Jennings, taking the latter's place on the plane, while Tommy Allsup lost his place to Ritchie Valens on a coin toss. Dion DiMucci (of Dion and the Belmonts fame) decided not to board the plane for the $36 fee.

     It never ceases to amaze me how a series of minor events can change the course of history like it did at the Surf Ballroom on the night of February 3. 1959.  I just know that rock and roll took a huge turn that day and things never were the same afterward.   Rock and Roll would see several other losses of very talented people through the years, but nothing will ever match  " The Day the Music Died".

Ah, Super Bowl Sunday in Key West, No Snow!!!

     It is going to be another beautiful day here in Key West, temperatures edging toward 80 and all is well with the world.   Everyone down here is heading for their favorite watering holes and trying to find a seat for the game.  No tailgating here, just belly up to the bar and talk the talk all day long and then watch the game.  Afterward, half of the people will be happy and the other half not so much.  The important thing is that Super Bowl  Sunday is here and the game is going off at 6:30 this evening.

     Crystal clear water and the serenity of the Heron, perfect.    Enjoy your day where ever you are.  ;o)

What Did We Learn from Prohibition?

     The year before the Volstead Act became law, it was estimated by the 1930 Prohibition Commissioner, that the average drinking American spent $17 per year on alcoholic beverages.    By 1930, because enforcement diminished the supply, this had increased to $35 per year (there was no inflation in this period), resulting in an illegal alcohol beverage industry that made an average of $3 billion per year in illegal untaxed income.

      Heavy drinkers and alcoholics were among the most affected parties during prohibition. Those who were determined to find liquor could still do so, but those who saw their drinking habits as destructive typically had difficulty in finding the help they sought. The self-help societies had withered away along with the alcohol industry and in 1935 a new self-help group was founded: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)."

     "Prohibition had a notable effect on the alcohol brewing industry in the United States. When Prohibition ended, only half the breweries that previously existed reopened. Wine historians also note Prohibition destroyed what was a fledgling wine industry in the United States. Productive wine quality grape vines were replaced by lower quality vines growing thicker skinned grapes that could be more easily transported. Much of the institutional knowledge was also lost as winemakers either immigrated to other wine producing countries or left the business altogether.   Distilled spirits became more popular during Prohibition, and because of its higher alcohol content in comparison to fermented wine and beer, mixing and watering down the hard alcohol also became common. "

     Let me see if I have this right, Wed took the price of $17.00 per year as the cost of drinking to $35.00, the taxes on nearly $3 Billion in illegal liquor sales.  Maybe the good thing was the emergence of Alcoholics Anonymous, that is about it.

     The real benefit came to the alcohol industry where they learned to water down distilled spirits.   The state of the art institutional knowledge in the wine industry was lost as vintners move away to other countries where wine was legal.

     Funny thing about prohibition is that you really can not ban things that the American public really wants, because they will become criminals and go under ground and get them any way.  All that happens is the increase in police costs to enforce an unpopular law and the loss of tax revenue from it.  It seems to be a double loss that we as a country still haven't gotten a grasp upon to this day.

 

The Superbowl Sunday

     To keep you warm while watching the "Frost Bowl" on television, try this warming libation.   This is one of those simple, but very different type cocktails that is very refreshing without being too sweet.  

     Whip up a couple of these and sit back and enjoy this Sunday night's game.   You probably won't care who wins if you have more than a couple of these.  It might be smarter to save them for the second half or even the halftime show.

The Super Bowl Sunday

·         2 oz. Plantation Trinidad 1999

·         ½ Tsp. Agave Nectar

·         2 Dashes of Fees Old Fashion Bitters

·         Juice of ½ Lemon

·         Fill with Barritt’s Ginger Beer

Place all ingredients except the Ginger Beer into a shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled strain into a Collins Glass filled with ice and top up with Barritt’s Ginger Beer.  Garnish with a lemon zest.

What are the Cocktail Customers Looking for in 2014?

     It is fun to read all of the predictions for the "new trends " for 2014, but the reality is that the people that frequent your cocktail lounge, bar or rum shop are really looking for one thing.   It is good service, properly crafted cocktails and a congenial atmosphere in which to relax.

     In the past five plus years I have had a rare opportunity to work in a fine little bar on Duval Street here in Key West.   The biggest thing that I have learned is that you have to make your customer comfortable.  First and foremost this is what makes people come back and talk to their friends about you.   I try to use the evaluation comments I find on Trip Advisor and Yelp as guide to see what is working and what is not, by doing so I can fix what I am doing wrong and emphasize what the customers are liking.

    By following this plan we are able to draw a great group of customers to the Rum Bar and have them tell their friends and return themselves.  This is the basis on which the bar has grown and become so well known.  " This was, by far, my favorite drinking spot in Key West. Conveniently on Duval Street, but towards the south end and far enough away from the high traffic area. Bahama Bob was a wonderful bartender and a delight to talk with. This place has an impressive selection of rums (one of the largest in the country) and Bob makes a kick-ass painkiller. We recommended this place to everyone we met during our stay in Key West. Definitely worth checking out!"  From www.yelp.com .


Keep them happy and interested.

     I find it funny that in the predictions for 2014 cocktail trend they are saying that it is going to be "moving back to more well cocktails and better customer service" that's what the customer will be looking for.  What else is new,  all that people really want is a good cocktail and to be made to feel at home when they are there.

     All the customer trends in the world all boil down to two basic things when it comes to the operation of a good bar and that is treat your customers like the friends that they really are and make a good quality and consistent drink for them.   The rest of the stuff will pretty much take care of itself if you do this for your customers.  ;o)

I Know Why I Moved to Key West.

Talladega Speedway Yesterday

     I am sure that most of you know that I made a living as an engineer working with NASCAR race teams before moving to Key West.  This meant that I spent the month of January commuting between Talladega and Daytona Speedways for testing.    Nancy Wood from the Wood Brothers Race team posted a picture yesterday of the Talladega Speedway that reminds me why I became a bartender.  There were many mornings in Daytona the were in the upper 20's when we arrived at the track for testing and the same if not colder in Talladega.   I remember Loudon in June being snowed out when we went there for testing as well.



Key West This Morning

     I remember going to Richmond, Atlanta, and Rockingham in February and March and huddling around barn heaters trying to get warm while the icicles were hanging off of the lift gates on the haulers.
     It was so cold some mornings that the computers did not want to start up.   No Thanks!!  I'll take my life today here in Key West and struggle with occasional rain storm and 50 degree nights in the winter and just smile.

     Best wishes to all my friends that still make their living in the game, and may your season this year be an enjoyable and successful one.  Keep it safe and make everyone proud of the year ahead. 

     No I'll just stay here and enjoy my new life and think of all the fun you guys are having today.  ;o)

        

Festival Rum Bahamas is Just Around the Corner

     .Just a quick Reminder that we have what looks to be a fun rum festival coming real soon in the Bahamas.     Friday February 21st thru Sunday February 23rd you can enjoy a fun and festive event .  

    The event is happening in Fort Charlotte, near Nassau.  Fort Charlotte was named for King George III's wife and the largest of the three forts found around Nassau.   The for has never fired a shot in combat and has a great view of the Nassau Harbor.

"The Bahamas has a lot to offer, more than sun, sand and sea. We wanted to create a festival that showcased aspects of our history that we don't typically celebrate, piracy, rum-running, and how those past events have given birth to our distinct flavours and a culture of appreciation for the art and beauty of rum making." 

Stated Andrea Jackson-Coakley, the marketing partner from the Ministry of Tourism.

     Festival Rum Bahamas is an enticing mixture of local, regional and international rum exhibitors.     During the three day festival there will be product sampling, master classes on rum, bartending and cocktail competitions, as well as Caribbean music and food. Of course there will be the opportunity to buy all that you try.

Fort Charlotte, Nassau, The Bahamas

F   For more information visit http://rumbahamas.com/ or contact:

Ms. Alexandra Maillis-Lynch
(242) 677-2835
(242) 557-3557
(242) 328-8865
rumbahamas@gmail.com

A Faux Daiquiri

     I was thinking of something out of the ordinary and refreshing this morning to celebrate our warm day.  I looked up and saw two bottles that were standing out on the shelf of the bar shelf and went to work.  Doorly's XO and St. Germain Elder Flower Liqueur.   This is what I was craving and needed to put it together with some new flavors to create something exciting and fun for the evening.

     Getting tired of lime juice in most daiquiri style cocktails it was time to give a lemon a n opportunity to show its stuff.  

     Lets see what we ended up with that filled the bill so perfectly.

 
Bahama Bob's Faux Daiquiri

• 2 oz. Doorly's XO Rum
• 1/2 oz. St. Germain Elder Flower Liqueur
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• Top Up with Barritt's Ginger Beer

Place all ingredients except the Ginger Beer in a shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled.   Strain into a Martini glass and top up with Barritt's Ginger Beer.   Garnish with a Lemon Zest and enjoy.

     Give this one a try, I think you might find it very interesting.   ;o)

Good Morning Grenada

     The early mornings looking down from the steep hills that rise from the beaches of Grenada are some of the most breath taking any where.  You can catch a glimpse of and hear the surf as it crashes on the beach while the dew is still on the leaves of the dense vegetation.   This is a sight that you will not likely be forgotten.  ;o)

Venezuela Through the Windshield

Barquisimeto

     Like so many of the other countries and islands that I have had the opportunity to drive through, Venezuela is one of the more beautiful ones.   We flew into Caracas and then a quick flight to Barquisimeto in the mountains of Venezuela.  We boarded a van for the rest of the travel time in country.    This is a beautiful country with the mix of the mountains, cities and the coast lines.   

DUSA, La  Miel

     Just out side of Barquisimeto is the Diplomatico Distillery with their grounds that are absolutely beautiful.   Located in Le Miel, a small mountain town just outside of Barquisimeto.


    Then it was off through the mountains for the trip to El Consejo on the other side of the mountains.  This is a very interesting and colorful trip through the densely forested mountains of Venezuela.  There seems to always be a mist or clouds that are hanging along the valleys giving the picture a very eerie look to it.  

     These mountains are so serene and peaceful to see as you transverse the country.  They make the hours from La Miel to El Consejo and the Santa Teresa Distillery just melt away.

     The roads are multi lane freeways all the way, and remind me of traveling through the mountains of Northern California on Interstate 80 or 50.    As the highway winds through the dense forest growth, you just seem to fade off into a state warm of amazement as you take in all of the beauty.

     As we approach El Consejo, we pass a huge lake and then back into the mountains again.  This countryside is just too beautiful to describe.

     Venezuela, like the other countries I visit, offers more when you are on the road to see than just transport from one place to another.  Enjoy the view out the windshield, there is a lot to see out there.  ;o)

Legal Rum in Key West

     It has finally happened, a rum distillery in Key West.  Paul Menta and his partners have jumped through all of the legal hoops and opened a distillery and tasting room for his "Chef Distilled Rum" on the corner of Simonton and Front Streets.   Located in the location that once was Jack's Saloon in 1900, then in 1903 the building became the Coca Cola Bottling Company, today it is producing a high quality white rum and soon aged and flavored rums.

     There is a pair of 200 gallon stills on the property, one to strip the impurities from the wash and the other to extract the alcohol.   The rum is passed through the still 6 times to remove all of the unwanted materials and leave a pure clean and honest rum.  It is then charcoal filtered before being put into sea water washed 5 gallon barrels to begin the aging.   Much of the rum now is unaged and bottled as the clean white "Legal Rum" that is sold through the tasting room and distributed by Opici Wine and Spirits.


     Sitting on the table in the still room, was one of the new rums, a 105 proof version of the white rum.  This is coming out soon, boasting a strong and smooth flavor that offers flavors that only the overproof versions of rums can offer.  It will be called 105 Simonton from the address of the plant and the proof of the rum.  There are a number of flavored varieties being developed and being readied for your palate in the very near future.

    Today you can visit the plant and tasting room and be a part of the process and bottle your own bottle of rum.  This is a unique experience and one that you will not forget. 

     I thoroughly enjoyed the visit to the distillery here in Key West yesterday morning, and it is a destination as well as a distillery that needs to be seen on your next stop in Key West.   I will also be featuring the "Legal Rum" at the Rum Bar in the next few weeks.  This is a good rum and worth a taste and a visit to Paul's distillery.  ;o)

The Red Mount Gay Regatta hats are Back in Key West.

     Yesterday I was the guest of Mount Gay Rum on the America 2.0 for a day on the water watching the Quantum Key West Sailboat Races.   It was a perfect day for sailing, good winds and the sunshine on one side of the boat anyway.   We left the Key West Historic Seaport at about 10 am and headed out to the race courses to observe the races.  All of the crew and the Mount Gay people were clad in their Mount Gay racing caps and we were off to a great day of racing out on the water.


     We first went to the smaller boat course and watched the J Boat and Melges 24 classes compete in the first race of the event.   Both classes were very exciting to watch as the boats jockeyed for position entering the turn gates and weather marks on the course.  The J Boat class had 65 starters and the pure congestion of the class made for some very exciting close racing.   They are the largest class of the event, and provide some very exciting moments during the day.

     Then it was off to the big boat course to see the very large and high tech Super Maxi Boats as well as the other large boat classes.  The Super maxi's are boasting spinnakers in excess of 2000 square feet and boats in excess of 50 feet in length.   These are the super complicated boats that have the ability to shape their sails and angle the masts in order to capture all of the wind possible.  This makes these very powerful yachts that are also very fast by sailing standards.


    The other classes are equally as exciting in their large boats as well, but it is hard to take your eyes off of the massive Super Maxi Class Boats.


It was a fun day of exciting race action and a fine lunch and good Mount Gay Black Barrel and Mount Gay XO rums.   The sailing around under the sheets of America 2.0 and her fine crew made for a very fun day on the water.  I always look forward to the Quantum Key West Race Week each year and I recommend that you come out and enjoy the races as well if you are in the Keys this week.  ;o)

  

Rum Idea from the 50's

     I love to look back on the old cocktail recipes from bygone eras and come up with new spins on them.  Today I ran across an old recipe for the "Rob Roy", a Scotch based cocktail that was very popular in that era.   The "Rob Roy Cocktail" was created in 1894 by a bartender at the famous Waldorf - Astoria in New York.    The drink was named in honor of the premiere of the operetta Rob Roy that was based on the Scottish hero Robert Roy MacGregor, a "Scottish Robin Hood" if you will from the 18th century.  

     While similar to the Manhattan, it was based on Scotch instead of Rye or Canadian Whiskey.   There were several versions of the Rob Roy circulating around in the Fifties.   There was a sweet, a Dry, and the "Perfect" Rob Roy recipes.   The difference being the type of Vermouth that was used.

I'm tending toward a dry version that is being made with Plantation Trinidad 2000 Rum.   The notes of Scotch that a apparent in the Plantation rum makes for a great marriage into the cocktail's original recipe.  There is an inherent sweetness to the rum that lends its self to the dryer versions of the original cocktail.

Bahama Bob's  Rum Roy

• 1 1/2 oz. Plantation Trinidad 2000 Rum
• 1  oz. Ultra Dry Vermouth
• 1 Dash Fee Brothers Old Fashion Bitters
• Lemon Zest

Place all ingredients in a shaker and shake until chilled, strain into a Martini glass and garnish with a lemon zest and a cherry.

Give this one a try, I think you will find it very satisfying.   ;o)