Spring Break Has Hit Key West, and Under Age Drinking Has Risen Its Ugly Head

     As a barman, there is one thing that scares the heck out of me, serving  an under aged person.   This is the worst time of the year for this as well and I do not condone this practice at all..   The bars and stores are busy and you find yourself  "in the weeds" as 8 to 10 will all come through the door at once.  The truth is it is the most likely time to get busted for serving a minor by the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms people as well.   This is no excuse, but it can happen.  The biggest trouble comes when an older person orders several cocktails and takes them out to the porch out of my sight. 

     When the college aged kids hit Key West for Spring Break, I hope that a lot of the parents try to talk to them about under aged drinking, but I feel their words are falling on deaf ears.  Although recent studies have found that talking to kids about alcohol can lead to lower drinking rates, even among college students.

     Robert Turrisi, PhD, a psychologist at Penn State University, and colleagues gave parents booster brochures to help them talk to their recent high school graduates about drinking before they left for college. Four months after this intervention, students were drinking less than their peers.  In another study, Kim Fromme, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Texas at Austin asked college students to take a survey that assessed family and peer attitudes and level of caring.  They found that students who felt that their parents were aware and cared were likely to drink less.

 

 

     As students are adjusting to campus  life, peers become a stronger influence than the parents sometinmes.  In schools where there is an emphasis on athletics and where sororities and fraternities are prevalent, drinking rates tend to be higher.  Still students tend to overestimate how much their classmates are actually drinking and may drink more to try to fit in.  Parents can help with a reality check, reminding students of their goals, and just letting them know they care."

The transition from High School to College can be the undoing of a lot of good judgement, especially if it is their first time away from home and parental control.   "

 

     This is a part of a really good article  by Lise Gervais for Public Action Management.  

 

 

     For college students, you will want to know about their Spring Break plans and communicate your desire for their safety and well being.  Remember... you have more   Having these kinds of discussions with kids of any age can be difficult for both parent and child, but there is help.  The Partnership for A Drug-Free America has a very informative site about the development of the teen brain and how to start a discussion on drinking. Substances Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA.gov) has an interactive video that is worth the time and very helpful.  The American Academy of Pediatrics website http://www.healthychildren.org   also has helpful information on talking with kids about alcohol. 

influence than you think!

 

     The people you keep out of trouble by talking to you kids about under aged drinking goes a lot further than just the kids, it keeps a lot of people that are on the street save from drunken actions and the store keepers and bartenders that are bombarded with the students life safe and out of trouble with the law as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miami Rum Renaissance Festival is Getting Close

     The 2014 edition of the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival is nearing fast.  If you haven't gotten your tickets and your hotel reservations, now is the time to get it done.  April is just over the horizon and the 25th through the 27th will be upon us before you know it.  Tickets are available on line at http://www.rumrenaissance.com/  There you will find all of the information that you will need to be prepared for the days of fun in Miami.

    

     "Rum is experiencing a Renaissance of appreciation.

Savvy consumers come to the Miami Rum Festival to discover a truly remarkable range of fine rums from the Caribbean region, as well as North, Central and South America, Europe, Asia and from the furthest reaches of the world."

 

     "Enjoy a grand two-day exhibition of the best rum brands, the excitement of the Island Lifestyle Showcase, celebrity seminars, workshops and cocktail competitions, the annual RumXP competition and awards, an opportunity to rub shoulders with dignitaries and notable experts, and more."

 

     I look forward to this event every year and will be there for the duration of the event.  I am looking forward to meeting every one at the event and enjoying some fine rums with you. 

 

     Miami Rum Festival takes place in the sub-tropical wonderland of Miami at the world class Doubletree by Hilton Miami Airport Convention Center.  Today is the time to get your reservations and tickets.

 

     See everyone in Miami!  ;o)

Can I Operate a "Home Still" and Produce Spirits for "Persomal Use"?

    A little bit of research into the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) rules makes it really clear that the answer is "NO"!   The stories of being able to produce spirits for your personal consumption is still just as serious of a crime as was moonshining in  the Carolina's during the moonshining days of the 40's and 50's.   "Thunder Road" and the shiners vs the revenuers is going on today here in Florida.  A TTB report of a joint operation with the Florida Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco targeted possession of stills and the illegal production of distilled spirits.

     The joint operation resulted in 8 arrests and seizure of 46 stills by Florida authorities. 

    "The possession of unregistered stills and the production of distilled spirits without a Federal permit and without payment of tax are Federal felony offenses which may result in the seizure and forfeiture of land and other property associated with the illegal activity." 

     "Persons wishing to distill spirits legally are encouraged to visit the TTB distilled spirits homepage at http://www.ttb.gov/spirits/index.shtml

 for guidance and to apply for a permit."

 

The process to be able to produce spirits here in America is expensive and very time consuming.   There are a number of companies that sell "home stills", but if you use them to produce consumable alcoholic spirits you are the one that is in trouble, not the makes of the stills.   You  better make sure that there is a market for your product before starting down the road of that business.   Our Federal, State and Local governments still want their cut of any spirits that are produced.  Again it is back to the revenuer vs the distiller.  

 

       "You may not produce spirits for beverage purposes without paying taxes and without prior approval of paperwork to operate a distilled spirits plant. [See 26 U.S.C. 5601 & 5602 for some of the criminal penalties.] There are numerous requirements that must be met that also make it impractical to produce spirits for personal or beverage use. Some of these requirements are paying special tax, filing an extensive application, filing a bond, providing adequate equipment to measure spirits, providing suitable tanks and pipelines, providing a separate building (other than a dwelling) and maintaining detailed records, and filing reports. All of these requirements are listed in 27 CFR Part 19. "

 

    Here are some of the laws that govern the operation of a still for the purpose of producing spirits.  "

     "Spirits may be produced for non-beverage purposes for fuel use only without payment of tax, but you also must file an application, receive TTB's approval, and follow requirements, such as construction, use, records and reports."

 

     The bottom line is you really need to get your spirits at the store or your favorite watering hole, a felony arrest like what is happening in Florida aren't really worth the little bit of savings on your next cocktail.  ;o(

 

Bahama Bob's Ultimate Mojito

     I was fooling around with an idea I had for an ultimate mojito in the Rum Lab the other day, when I hit upon this recipe.   I was looking for a premium mojito rather than another flavored one, so here is what came out of the efforts.

    First of all I had to choose a rum that fit the balance of the cocktail.  It turned out to be from my friends at Diplomatico that provided the one that fit the profile of this cocktail.  Next I needed to add a different twist to the mix so I replaced the club soda with another bubbly, Prosecco Italian Champagne, and of course a touch of St. Germain just as a finishing touch. 



Bahama Bob's Ultimate Mojito

• 2 oz. Diplomatico Blanco Rum
• 1 1/2 oz. Depaz Cane Syrup
• Juice of 1/2  Lime
• 1/2  Bar Spoon of St. Germain
• Prosecco Champagne
• 7 to 10 Fresh Mint Leaves

Place the lime juice, cane syrup, and mint leaves into a  12 oz. glass and muddle with a smooth wood muddler very lightly, fill glass with ice, add the rum and St Germain and shake until chilled. Top the glass with Prosecco Italian Champagne and garnish with a lime wheel and a mint sprig.

     This is a great version for the person that has become bored with the traditional Mojito.  ;o)

Rum is Quickly Loosing the "Coke" and Becoming a Mature Spirit for Sipping

     Rum , as I said in articles before, is really starting to truly mature as a category.  There are many new premium and ultra premium expression hitting the market and the indication of many more coming soon.   I seems to be the opinion of many others in the business that this is going to be the direction of most of the rum producers.

     "Often afflicted by the same irreverent “good time” party label as Tequila, rum has been endeavouring to convey a more grown-up image in recent years, and lose the coke."

     " Alberto Fernandez, global brand director for Diageo-owned Zacapa rum: “As consumer knowledge of the category increases, so does the appetite for more top-end offerings.”

     "As is the case with many spirits categories, the effort to establish a mature representation is often coupled with a necessity to release mature expressions."

     "The industry has therefore recently seen a swell in the amount of older, more luxurious expressions launched, inevitably with a price point to match."

     "Last October, category colossus Bacardi hit the market with four sipping rums priced up to US$250, The Facundo Rum Collection."

    " As well as potential growth in value resulting from the trend of premiumisation, rum volumes have also been forecast to continue to soar."

     You can read more on the growth of the rum category and the five largest markets for rum in the world at http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2014/03/worlds-largest-rum-markets/

     Don Pancho Fernandez introduced his new "personal collection" of ultra premium rums called "Origenes" last spring at the Rum Renaissance Festival in Miami.

    There is a real solid trend underway that really makes me happy to see so many find high quality rums being produced through out the world today and more on the way.   This is what is going to propel rum's growth and the flooding of the market with flavored unaged distillate under the name of rum.   From my perspective as a server of quality rums, the public, especially here in America, are looking for quality rum they can either sip or use in premium cocktails.   Rum has reached the point where it needs to loose the image of having to be mixed in something to kill the taste.  ;o)

Sunday Morning on the Dock

     I just love walking down the docks on Sunday morning just as the sun make its appearance on the horizon.  It is such a powerful mass of oranges and yellows that really helps to bring me to life in the morning and a smile to my face as I head up to the office.  ;o)

Having a Party, Diageo will Bring the Zombie to You House

Zombie Time

     In a article in Bloomberg Technology, Diageo announced that is bringing the party to your house
for $3300.00.  Just think about it a world class mixologist and all of the booze at your party while you can play along with the rest of the guests.

     " 'At home, people are confident enough to make a gin and tonic, but the cocktail scene is still new,' said Kenji Jesse, who's running the bartender training program for the service. So far, he's trained up 10 mixologists, all of whom were participants in Diageo's "World Class" competition to find the world's best barman, for the new service, which has so far held two events."

 

     "The Internet is the next frontier for Diageo and its closest rival Pernod Ricard SA, (RI) which are looking for ways to grow their businesses in developed markets like Europe, where discounting and fragile consumer confidence have hit sales."

    

     This is a very novel idea being presented by such a very large company, though the program is strictly being offered in London at this time.    "While creating a website and putting in place systems to package and deliver purchases may have been costly to set up, it could be less expensive than the price of buying space to promote brands in a supermarket, Helen Blackholly,
senior director at consultant Alvarez & Marsal, said." 

     "At 2,000 pounds, the parties might be lucrative for Diageo, though they are clearly not for everyone. Should they take off, Diageo’s Jesse says he may train up to 40 more mixologists for the service."

     Read More @ http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-07/for-3-300-diageo-will-make-you-a-zombie-in-your-house.html

     Watch for other companies to follow suit, I think this is going to be a service that really takes off especially in the larger cities around the world.   One perhaps might make use of the service for a wedding, large family event or even for an office party, but I don't see myself spending that kind of money for an everyday get together with friends.  ;o)

Bringing the Cane to the Plant

     Sugar Cane is the basis of all rum.   Bringing the sugar cane to the processing plant is quite another matter.   In different countries it is done differently, but it does require a cutting and a stripping of the outer foliage from the stalks.   In Panama it is done by hand with a machete and in other places you will find it being
done  machine.   The interesting part of this story is that we are deep into an age where machinery does our work for us, yet in many places the work is still being done by hand.  The cane here in Panama is cut by hand, loaded onto oxen pulled carts by hand, and fed into the crusher by hand.   This is reminiscent of how it was done when rum was in its infancy.


     Bringing the cane in from the fields, Panamanian workers use oxen pulled carts to carry the cane to the crusher.  These very old wood and steel wheeled carts can carry a large load of cut cane to the crusher.  Once at the crusher, it is hand unloaded and placed in the hopper and mechanically fed into the rollers of the crusher where the cane juice is extracted and collected.

Nothing like Rum from the Barrel

     It is a real pleasure to see this being done in the traditional way, with no fires burning the cane and polluting the country side.   This is a choice that was made in conjunction with the neighbors that live and work the fields around the estate.  It provides jobs to the community that would otherwise be lost to the locals.   People that I met while visiting the cane fields are very happy with the situation and appreciate the jobs and the opportunity to earn a living.

     This is the end of the road for the cane once it reaches the crusher.  From here it follows the path to becoming rum.   In some places the cane syrup is processed into sugar and the remaining molasses is then fermented into a wash from which the rum is distilled, other places the cane juice is taken straight to the fermenting tanks to become the wash.  

     Now it is time to leave the estate and move on to another rum adventure, but seeing the process through to rum is always a memorable one.  The basics are always the same, but the little things that make these rums so wonderful and different are what I really enjoy about traveling through the world of rum.  ;o)

Chris Blackwell, Ian Fleming and Golden Eye

    Golden Eye, named for the mission he was a part of during World War II, is the 15 acre estate that belonged to Ian Fleming and where he penned all of the James Bond novels.   Just after World War II ended Ian Fleming returned to Jamaica and bought the 15 acre plot of land in the banana port of Oracabessa, Jamaica, located due North of Kingston and just to the East of Ocho Rios.   After his death in 1964, the family retained the estate until 1976.   Chris Blackwell, a location scout for "Dr. No" and owner of Island Records and discovered Bob Marley, bought Golden Eye.

     The Blackwell family once owned J. Wray & Nephew, the number one rum from Jamaica.  Blackwell wanted to revive the family tradition of rum making by creating his own rum made from local Jamaican resources.   This is a classic Jamaican style pot-stilled rum that is combined with the lighter column still rum.  It has burnt molasses and tropical fruits notes with a long and fruity finish.   The rum is produced today by J. Wray & Nephew and finally headed to the United States in the very near future.



The Golden Eye Rum Cocktail

• 2 oz. Blackwell Rum
• 1 oz. pineapple juice
• 1 oz. coconut juice
• 0.25 oz. coffee liqueur
• 0.5 oz. sugarcane syrup
•  0.75 oz. fresh lime juice.

Shake all ingredients together with ice and strain into an ice filled glass. Shake ground nutmeg on the top of the filled glass and garnish with cherries.

 

     Give the rum and the cocktail a try and conger up some of the romance of Jamaica and Bond, James Bond on the beach with Ursela Andress exiting the water onto the beach in Dr. No.  ;o)

 

 

    

The Basics of Rum

Water Power for the Crusher

Wood for the Fires

Cane Crusher

Wood Fired Cooker

     What is really needed to produce rum?  It is not as complicated as you might think.   Rum is made by fermenting a sugar cane derivative, whether it be fresh pressed sugar cane juice all the way to the lowest grade of Molasses, this is all that is required.   Next we cook the cane syrup for a short period of time and then it is off to the fermentation tanks where yeast is added to start the fermentation process and create the alcohol. In the tanks, it  usually reaches upwards of 15% alcohol.  Next it is off the still where the alcohol is distilled from the wash yielding a high percentage alcohol rum.  Finally it is cut to the desired proof and bottled for consumption.

     This all sounds very simple, and the basics of it are.  The hitch comes in amassing all of the equipment necessary to do these "simple " things.  On a very small scale you can pretty much make a still in the garage.  A copper pot, a heating element, and some copper tubing are most of what you need to create your still.  After all it has been dome for centuries all over the world.



Fermentation Tanks

Wood Fired Still

     Seeing things being done in a  back to the basics way at the River Antoine Distillery in Grenada, was a real testimonial to the people of the islands during the early 1800's.  Today at River Antoine Distillery you to can see rum being produced just as they did back then.  Wood fired cookers and stills and water powered cane crushers, all used to create some pretty good strong rum. Like they say there,"It is not rum,its River".



Spring is Finially Showing Her Head in Key West

A Honey Bee collecting the nectar to make the honey

     First Signs of Spring and an idea for a new cocktail from Key West.  The flowering shrubs are beginning to bloom and the palm trees are greening up, all telltale signs of spring down here in Key West.    I love it when it first starts warming up here with the approach of spring, things come to life in a big way.   They  do it rather quickly as well.   Everything seems more lively, the birds are flying, the flowers are attracting the honey bees and the world seems to much brighter just because the sun and the warmth are back.

     This gives me an idea for a spring is springing type of cocktail.  The idea of the nectar calls upon the Agave plant, source of some really fine sweetener.  Then maybe the ginger blossom was inspirational to bring in the Barritt's Ginger Beer into play.   Now all I need is a rum and maybe something to bring it all together.    I'm feeling the urge to get out on the water, luring me to an idea of a nice Papa's Pilar Blonde Rum as the base.

 

The Pelican pondering this cocktail

Early Spring Escape Cocktail

• 2 1/2 oz. Papa's Pilar Blonde
• 1/2 oz. Agave Nectar
• 1 dash of Fee Bros. Old Fashion Bitters
• Barritt's Ginger Beer

Place all ingredients into a shaker except the     Barritt's, shake until chilled and strain into a 12 oz. class filled with ice.   Top up with Barritt's Ginger Beer and float an orange zest as a garnish.

 

   

Feeling Like its a Monday

    Got up this morning dragging after finishing a very busy week yesterday.  As I walk up the sidewalk to the office I'm reminded that I do have another long road to go down to get to  Sunday.   At least the sun is shining and this helps me pick up my feet and continue to the office and get the tasks that lie in front of me done.   Maybe if I had a hangover or just not feeling good this would be easier to rationalize, but there is no excuse for having the Monday blues today.

     There are those of you out there that are facing all the traffic and grid lock of the big city.   I really understand this as well, I saw it as I was walking down the dock watching all of the fish try to get some where and are all jammed up at the corner.   I actually saw another person on the docks this morning as I walked down to the office, this was a nice thing to just be able to say "hey, how's things with you?"   Today can't be that bad, once I get the morning tasks done, the afternoon is going to be mine.  I do have Monday's off in my world.



    I will just have to sit out on the fore deck and watch my friend the "Kingfisher" as he is searching the waters for food and see what he is up to today.  He is such a real help in deciding what really has to be done and what can be put off until some tomorrow.  He can be such a good friend and help me make the important choices and doing the right things.






     I guess that I will make it a wonderful Monday after all, it really is how you look at it.  I try hard to feel sorry for myself sometimes, but it is really hard to maintain it.  I do live in paradise,  so many great friends and a wonderful environment to enjoy my life.  We will have another fun day just because I can.  ;o)

A Happy Heron in a Fisherman's Paradise

   The Heron that is almost always around the marina when I mosey up and down the dock has the patience of a saint just waiting for his dinner to swim by so he can snatch it from the nearly glass like water and enjoy the feast.   So serene to watch him just ever vigilant in the water.  ;o)

Learning About the Daiquiri Floridita

El Floridita in Havana

     The El Floridita in Havana is famous for being the place that Ernest Hemingway spent a lot of time enjoying the daiquiris that Constante Ribalaigua created.

     Constante, who took over as owner of the El Floridita in 1918, created three different recipes that did not live up to what he was looking for in a daiquiri.    The fourth version, of which he was very pleased, he named  "Daiquiri Floridita".   To prepare his cocktail, Constante purchased a machine called a "Flak Mark", an  ice crusher from the United States.  He built a metal box with the bottom drilled full of holes to allow the water to drain and keep the ice in good condition. 

Daiquiri Floridita

    " He added crushed ice and five drops of Marasquin, a cherry flavored liqueur made from the distillation of green cherry kernels, to the original daiquiri recipe of Jennings Cox. He mixed these ingredients in an electric mixer and served the drink well cooled in a frosted glass. The strict observation of the mixing time and of the proportions gives to the Daiquiri Floridita its characteristic density, its unique texture and its inimitable taste."

     The original recipe called for the barman to put the rum in the shaker followed by one teaspoon of finely granulated sugar and not powdered sugar.  Then add one teaspoon of Marasquin (Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur), then squeeze the juice of a half lime.  Add finely shaved ice until the shaker is nearly full (Note: the ice needs to be so fine it is almost snow in its texture).  Then place the the shaker under a mixer of the type that were used to make milkshakes at the drug stores for three minutes.  The Martini glass is then chilled by filling it with cracked ice and a small amount of water.
The water and ice are tossed and the daiquiri was strained into the glass and served.



     Hemingway had Constante removed the sugar and doubled up on the rum  to create his famous "Papa Dobles" or "Papa's Double".  This daiquiri known as the "Hemingway Special" this is also being served today at the El Floridita, "La Cuna del Daiquiri" (The Cradle of the Daiquiri).
Today they do use the modern blender instead of having to shave the ice that fine, but otherwise the daiquiri is still being made to the original recipe.  

     It was a pleasure for me to be allowed behind the bar at the El Floridita to learn the tricks of making these fine and flavorful daiquiris.   ;o)