Stay in Bed Morning in Key West

     Thunder and lightning is dominating my Tuesday morning here in Key West.   It is one of those days that you really don't want to leave the boat at all.  But I grabbed a large trash bag and did my best homeless impression and walked down the docks in the rain to the office.   Things are improving, but still pretty stormy yet.   Based on the radar, it should be gone by 10 or 11 this morning yielding us with a nice partly cloudy rest of the day.

    I love to sit in the helm of the boat and look out during these thunder storms.   it is the perfect place to enjoy the exciting show of mother natures forces as the bolts of lightning dance through the clouds.   This morning it was just flashes of light as the lightning was fairly far off.  The cracks of thunder were plenty loud enough though.  I'm still hearing claps of thunder to the south of us as the storm starts to move off. 

    The boat is rocking gently in the winds, while the rain running off of the top and down the sides of the windows.  Sitting in the captain's chair, I can feel the gusts of wind hitting the side of the boat and moving it around in the slip.   Sitting nearly 20 feet above the water this is a really neat feeling as the boat's rocking from side to side is exaggerated by the height of my seat.  

    I've really procrastinated as long as I can, I really need to get up to the office and get writing.  Going to get a little wet on the way, but this too will pass.   They, the "elusive they" promise better weather this afternoon so I can get out on the dinghy for lunch at the Hurricane Hole.  I guess the rain is necessary to keep the tropical paradise growing and happy.  ;o)

The 2014 Gay Pride Parade Culminates a Week of Activities

     The Annual Gay Pride Week finished up on Sunday evening with the fun filled a quirky fun parade that is always a crowd pleaser here in Key West.   The fun of the Drag Queens putting on their shows as they move down the streets.  The 801 Bourbon Streets crew were dressed as the Supreme's and singing their songs.  There were several other fun filled floats that were just plain fun to watch all of the shenanigans going on.  

     Wednesday night there was the "Miss Key West Pride Pageant at the 801 Cabaret, along with Drag Queen Bingo and Karaoke.  

     The Street Fair on Saturday was also filled with the fun loving participants of this wild and nutty week.

     The Parade was made famous a few years back when they made a 1 mile plus long rainbow flag that stretched the entire length of Duval Street.  There are pieces of the flag that are stretched every year as the parade progresses down Duval Street.

     The Gay Community here in Key West do a great job of making this one of the really fun events each year in Key West and this year was no exception.   ;o)

2014 Key West's 5th Annual Bacchanalia

This was a great group of events that were enjoyed thoroughly enspite of the heat and almost no breeze during the evening.   It was a great group of events that were enjoyed by those who attended. 

Darrell Gwynn Foundation, whose mission is to provide support for people with paralysis and PREVENT spinal chord injuries. Proceeds from Key West Bacchanalia will benefit the Darrell Gwynn Foundation.

 

 

A Feast of Ice and Fire at Pier House

     Friday, June 13th, 6 – 8pm at the Pier House at 1 Duval Street, Key West, FL Enjoy world – class tapas prepared by renowned Chef Norman Van Aken, the only James Beard Winner from Key West, prophetic author and restaurateur!   Chef Norman reunited with Pier House’s extraordinary Chef Maria Manso!   I Enjoyed speaking with the Chefs as I tasted their dishes and had the opportunity to watch Chef Norman autograph his book.  The ABC Bartending School was there to serve the incredible cocktails made with wonderful  Bartbancourt  rums.  An elite event, that I enjoyed visiting.
 

Burger Wars and Cocktails at the

Rums  of  Puerto Rico  Grand Tasting Village

     Saturday June 14th, from 3pm until 7pm at Rick’s Entertainment Complex, on Duval Street Key West, Florida.  40 will enjoyed unlimited Rums of Puerto Rico Cocktails along with other great spirits!  We sampled Angus Beef burgers from “Bravo TV’s Top Chef “and restaurateur – Howie “the Bulldog” Kleinberg while chefs from Key West’s great restaurants competed for the “Burger Supremacy” – your vote decided! 

Bulldogs,  Rum and BBQ
 

     Sunday, June 15th  from 11:30am until 2pm.   Hog’s Breath Saloon at the Corner of Front and Duval, Key West was the final stop for 2014’s  5^th Annual Key West Bacchanalia,   You brought your bulldog to one of the most legendary hot spots in Key West.   Enjoying the music and open bar of Rum Cocktails and Party for the Cure while they enjoyed “Bravo TV’s Top Chef” star,  Howie “the Bulldog” Kleinberg prepared you the best tasting Angus Beef BBQ in the world. Howie shared his secret tips of cooking so you can be a master too – this one sizzled and has become a cult favorite through the years!!Heaven! Unlimited cocktails and BBQ included, wow what a party..

 

 

Lake Norman the Storm is Approaching

    Last week, I was lucky enough to get out on Lake Norman and spend some time on the waters that I lived on for nearly 18 years before coming to Key West.  It is still an absolutely beautiful lake that I really enjoy getting out on and doing some photography while I'm there.  I hope that you enjoy the view of the lake as much as I did cruising across the lake last Monday.

Friday The 13th and a Full Moon

     Today promises to be a wild and crazy day at the Bar.  It is rare when you get hit by two excuses for crazy people to hit the streets in the same day.   There are a lot of people that will stay in bead on a day like this, but I've been pretty lucky so far in any Friday the Thirteenth in the past.  This is a very interesting combination of star crossed events, both in the same day.

     Beside the day at the Rum Bar, I have an event at the Pier House for Barbancourt just to add to the fun before the day came to an end.  

    Friday the 13th and all the Full Moon parties should add up to a really fun and crazy day here in Key West.  Lets see what it actually does bring to the rock.   No matter how it turns out, I bet I'm going to have a really fun day of it.



     Hope you enjoy your day of crazy and weird events to celebrate the day designed for crazy and nutzoid people to get out and play.  ;o)
 

    

Counting Up All the Ways America's Booze Laws are Terrible.

I ran across this article this morning and though you might find it very interesting.  It really shows the need for a set of  uniform alcohol laws in this country.  It is no wonder that many of the finest spirits in the world choose not to bring them to America.

Source: Slate

By Jim Saksa

Jun 12th

      Last week in Slate, Alison Griswold highlighted a costly hurdle for would-be bar owners in Boston. The liquor licensing system in Massachusetts places population-based caps on the number of licenses available in a municipality, forcing restaurant and bar owners to look for liquor licenses on the secondary market, where they cost as much as $450,000.

      When I read about the quota system in Massachusetts-the state I was born in-I immediately thought of the similar systems in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the states where I grew up and currently live, respectively. While $450,000 for liquor is no Citywide Special, it would be considered a bargain in some parts of Jersey, where licenses have sold for $1.6 million. Pennsylvania is comparatively cheap: Lucky buyers can find licenses in the Philly burbs for just $200,000. 

      So are liquor license quotas common, or are they only common in states where I've happened to live? Apparently, no one has bothered to look this up before, so I reviewed the liquor laws in all 50 states. After a few hours of thrilling statutory parsing, I had my answer to which states had quotas: Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and Washington. (Certain neighborhoods in D.C. have a moratorium on the issuance of new licenses, too, if you want to pretend that D.C. is a real state.)

      In most of these quota states, a locality's population limits the number of available licenses there. In New Jersey, the cap is one license per 3,000 municipal residents, and in Massachusetts, it's one license per 2,000. Utah probably has the strictest system, with a quota of one license per 4,925 residents.

      In Utah, licenses are expected to go for about $1 million on the newly legalized secondary market, which is about how much liquor licenses already cost in New Mexico and Montana. Meanwhile, in nonquota states, liquor licenses cost a few hundred dollars in registration fees.

 

Read more at http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2014/06/america_s_booze_laws_worse_than_you_thought.html

Sitting in an Airport Sometimes very Interesting.

     I have been in Charlotte, North Carolina since Sunday evening, this trip was with Delta, meaning it wasn't a direct Key West to Charlotte like previous ones.  I have had several hours of "layover" time on this trip.  People are crazy!!!!!!   I have seen and smelled by the way diaper changes in the waiting areas,  people who can't agree on anything, and a few lovers that needed a room.
     As much as I enjoy watching people, I think that my next trip back to Mooresville will be after US Air starts flying again in October.  The lost productivity time and the long waits and running between terminals is about to wear me out.

     Now lets talk about the mass rush to board the plane.  Those with special needs, first class super premium passengers, then finally the zone passengers.  By the time they get to the zone there are only about 20 or so people waiting to board.   Thing have changed, and I wonder how much of it is really for the good.  The zones really work, because it gets people on the plane in an orderly fashion with people seated by the windows and in the middle seated before those on the aisle so you don't have the aisle blocked as people keep getting in and out of their seats because people that fly a lot are already seated.

     I get to repeat the process two more times today before I get home to Key West, and I'm sure that it will be very interesting again. I love to travel and watching what is going on around me is really one of my joys.  ;o)

Aft Deck Cocktail Time

     Summer is here and it is time for some really refreshing aft deck daiquiri's   I had the urge for some watermelon yesterday and it gave me an idea for a new daiquiri.   In the true style of the El Floridita, it is a frozen daiquiri, still Havana day dreaming, no better place for great daiquiri cocktails.  Anyway back here in America, here is an idea that I thing you might really enjoy.

Bahama Bob's Watermelon Daiquiri

• 3 oz.  Matusalem Platino
• 2 Pieces of Fresh Watermelon (Seeds out)
• ½ oz.  Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao or Triple Sec
• Juice of 1/2 Lime
• 1 splash 7-Up or Sprite
• 1 Watermelon Slice Garnish

Place Rum, Watermelon, Curacao, and Lime Juice  in blender with about a cup of ice.  Blend until smooth and pout into a Martini Glass and add a splash of 7 up or Sprite and garnish with a wedge of watermelon.

 

     I'm up here in North Carolina and nothing would suit me better than a really good daiquiri.  We are in watermelon country up so here we go, hopefully there are a lot of you that like watermelon and daiquiri.

 

Crusin Lake Norman with My Friend Mike

    Work done for the day and it is 5 o'clock here on Lake Norman and Mike and I are walking down the dock to the boat and getting ready to head out on to the lake and a dinner stop at the Rusty Rudder.  Mike owns a mini version of the Carver that I live on in Key West, and a real pleasure to get out and cruise with him.   Leaving the dock it was a bit cloudy and there were signs of a thunder storm on the horizon, but undaunted, we headed out on our voyage.






     The water was smooth and the winds were light as we cruised at a leisurely 10 naughts across the lake to the "Rudder".   The journey really  brought back so many fond memories of evening cruises with my friends on Tuesday nights so many years ago.  The Rudder was a bit slow with the weather and all, but it was still fun to belly up to the bar again and enjoy a cocktail and some apps.







     On the way back, there was a very real threat of a thunder storm on the other side of the lake.   Not being one to let a little rain dampen our spirits we pressed on regardless and as it would turn out we had a wonderful cruise and some great conversation as we eased across the lake headed back to the docks and secured the boat.  All this  before the storms reached us.   A really fine evening it was and one that I'd enjoy doing again should the opportunity arise.  ;o)

"Look Out Pretty Mama I'm on the Road Again:" Back up to the Lake

     Work time up in Charlotte, North Carolina has me back up at the lake again.  This trip it isn't going to be
snow and freezing weather like the previous ones.  Might even get a chance to take an evening cruise of the lake with some friends for the first time in years.
      For a lot of years this was where I lived and my playground for many years before moving to The Florida Keys.  I have a lot of fond memories of good times and friends that I don't get to see nearly as often as I would like to.   This is a business trip, but the evenings and the nights are still mine to see some old friends and maybe get reacquainted with the lake.



     There are a lot of fun things to do on the lake, rafting up with friends at the "sand bar", water skiing, or just cruising around.  The scenery is just gorgeous and the people are really friendly, much like they are in the Keys.   Even fishermen can enjoy the lake that is loaded with bass and other fish.

     Look out Lake Norman, Bahama Bob is returning for a short, but fun visit. 

Sugarcane Fields Through Different Eyes

My travels to many islands and countries has given me a different perspective of the sugarcane plant.  I was fooling around with the tools of digital photography the other day and found that you can really get rather "artsy" with your pictures.   Below is a sugarcane field just outside of the Diplomatico Plant in Venezuela's mountains.  The colors are not real, but the effect is very interesting.  ;o)

Cachaca: Brazil's Sugarcane Spirit

     Cachaca is one of the sugarcane spirits that is rarely talked about, yet very widely consumed by tourist to Brazil and Locals as well.   Found throughout Brazil and many American bars, this very basic spirit is beginning to take hold and has gained recognition as an ingredient in several very popular Brazilian cocktails.

     “It is produced in over 20 of the 27 states in Brazil. You have different types of sugar cane used. There are then the different types of wood used in the ageing process and on top of that, you have blends of cachaça that were aged in different woods. The world of cachaça is as rich and as varied as Brazil itself.”


     The major difference between Cachaca and Rum is that rum is usually made from molasses, a by-product from refineries that boil the cane juice to extract as much sugar crystal as possible, while cachaça is made from fresh sugarcane juice that is fermented and distilled.    As some rums are also made by this process, cachaça is also known as Brazilian rum.     However, the United States recognized Cachaça as a distinctive Brazilian product by signing an agreement with Brazil in which Ron Kirk and Brazil's Fernando Pimetel were involved, hopefully this is likely to drop the usage of the expression "Brazilian Rum".
    The history of Brazil's National Spirit is interesting see it really did not start in Brazil.  “Sugar production was mostly switched from Madeira Island to Brazil by the Portuguese in the 16th century. In Madeira Aguardente de cana is made by distilling sugar cane. The pot stills that make Aguardente de cana in Madeira were brought to Brazil to make what today is also called Cachaça. “

     The distillation process dates back to 1532, when one of the Portuguese colonizers brought the first cuttings of sugar cane over to Brazil from Madeira.    Cachaça is mostly produced in Brazil, where, according to 2007 figures, 1.5 billion liters (390 million gallons) are consumed annually, compared with 15 million liters (4.0 million gallons) outside the country.   It is typically between 38% and 48% abv.    When it is homemade it can be as strong as the distiller wants.  I find it interesting that up to six grams per litre of sugar may be added for flavor."

Caipirinha

·         Juice of ½ Lime

·         2 Teaspoon of Fine Sugar

·         2 oz. Cachaca

Place Cachaca, lime juice and sugar in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled.  Strain into a rocks glass with a sugar in the raw rim.  Garnish with lime wheel.

     The Caipirinha can be made with almost any juicy fruit instead of the lime, many version which are found through out Brazil and the rest of the world.  Let your imagination run and enjoy the fun of the varieties of Caipirinha you can create.

Beaches: Worldwide Chill Spot

     It is really funny, Key west isn't really known for its beaches, but still people gather every day and fill them here.  It doesn't have to be one of the top ten beaches in the world for people to gather and really have fun.  Whether it is Volleyball, football  or tossing a Frisbee people will come in masses to the beach anywhere that there is one.






     I really like several of the beaches that I have had the opportunity to walk down one,  There is
a beautiful beach with the famous little beach bar on White Bay on Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands, Granada is loaded with beautiful beaches as well as the Bahamas.   Where you find beaches you find a flock of people that are enjoying them. 




     I'm getting off of the Rock  for a few days and headed north to Lake Norman.  Business trip, but
the weather has finally warmed up and I can wear shorts and visit some of my favorite watering holes in the evening as well.  But, it is the beaches even on the lakes that draw the crowds every day all summer long.

   Is it your beach time yet?  I'm really ready to head south and find a beautiful beach and a bottle of rum and just sip and relax for a week or so.  How about the Caymans, Jamaica,  or maybe Cancun.   Arte you getting the picture yet?   It is time finally after this ridiculous long freezing winter behind us and head for the beaches again.  ;o)

"The Journalist": What Does This Bring to Mind?

   The Journalist, this is a concept that brings back a picture of an inquisitive man with a trench coat
and a brimmed hat, lerking through the streets searching for the next great story.   The 30's and 40's were made based on this person.  Clark Kent, when he wasn't "Superman", was the "mild mannered reporter from the "Daily Planet".   I always picture Cary Grant in "His Girl Friday" or Clark Gable in "It Happen One Night" sitting at the desk hammering on a "Royal" or a "Smith Corona" desktop model  trying to make deadline and then heads straight for the local bar where all of the other "Journalists" hang out to down several cocktails.

     Now we are at the part of the story that I would like to talk about.   The bar time for the movie and

the real journalists was where you got the real scoop.  Picking up bit and pieces of gossip as you plied your source with liquor.   In a book called "Tropical Bar Book", written in 1986, has a chapter that is dedicated to the famous Cuban Cocktails of the era.  There were drinks like "September Morn" that was invented at the Hotel Inglaterra Bar, or the "Mary Pickford" from the Hotel Seville.   One that I found to be very interesting is "The Journalist" (Periodista in Cuban)   The history of this drink is very fuzzy, but most agree that it was of Cuban origin and most likely from one of the hotel bars in Havana during the late 30's or early 40's.   It was said to be one of Hemingway's often enjoyed cocktails, but that was just a rumor also.  

   Periodista (Journalist)

• 1 1/2 oz. White Rum
• 2 Splashes of Triple Sec
• 2 Splashes of Apricot Brandy
• Juice of 1/2 Lime
• 1 Teaspoon of Sugar

Mix in a shake filled with ice and strain into a cocktail glass with a twist of lime.

Leave it to me to play with this cocktail a little bit, but there are a few new items that I feel can enhance the flavor a bit.


Bahama Bob's Periodista

• 1 1/2 oz. Matusalem Platino Rum
• 3/4 oz. Apricot Brandy
• 3/4 oz. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao
• Juice of 1/2 Lime
• 1 Teaspoon of Cane Syrup

Mix in a shake filled with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass with a twist of lime.

Start of Hurricane Season and a Rainy Day in Key West

   Hurricane season is in it's fourth day and all is calm.  All of the names have been chosen for the 2014 season, and now we just wait to see what this season brings.   It has been nearly 8 years since we have seen a hurricane here in Key West, though there have been several tropical storms pass over us.  Here in Key West our biggest concern is the storm surge that these storms bring.  With an average elevation of only 3 feet above seal level it doesn't take much of a surge to cause serious flooding.  The wind and rain do little damage here because the buildings have long been built to hurricane standards and people put up the shutters and prepare for these storms.

     This morning we are seeing the first rain in several weeks and it really means nothing other than the plants are getting some much needed irrigation and the tourists are going to be unhappy for choosing today for their vacation.   As for me I still enjoy walking along the docks in the mornings feeling the warm rains on my neck and the relatively cooler day.  

     I just hope that we can just enjoy our summer and maybe have a few threats that never develop into a full fledged hurricane again this year.   Hurricane parties are always fun, but there is a lot of work that must be done before we can just sit and party waiting for the storm to blow through.  As fun as these parties are, they are just the preparation for a lot of work when the storm has blown itself out.   We are in the season now, and lets just wait and see what Mother Nature has in store for us this year.


2014 Hurricane Names

Arthur  Bertha  Cristobal  Dolly  Edouard   Fay  Gonzalo

Hanna  Isaias  Josephine  Kyle  Laura  Marco  Nana 

Omar  Paulette  Rene  Sally  Teddy  Vicky  Wilfred

 

Havana Day Dreaming and Wishing That I was There.

   Seeing the pictures and reading about all of the fun that my friend is having in Havana this week, has me longing to head back over there for some more fun again.  The place is so magic, all of the great places and entertainment has me longing to go back today.   This past weekend at the bar, every one wanted to talk about Havana and what the place is like.  I long to return to the incredible time warp that is Havana and Cuba.  This hasn't eased my longing to return at all.



     I wish that there weren't so many things happening this year, it is making it very hard to escape like I would really like to.   The El Floridita, Sloppy Joe's, Hotel
Nacional de Cuba, The Tropicana, and of course the Bodeguita del Medio all wonderful places to visit.  Climbing to the top of the Bacardi Building and viewing the Havana Skyline is breath taking.   So many things and places that you can spend a year there and still be missing so many unique things and places.


    If I don't make it this year there is always next year.  Still want to visit Santiago de Cuba and see the original Bacardi distillery that is now producing Santiago de Cuba rums, very nice rums at that.   The historic city of Santiago de Cuba has so much history that I could spend weeks there as well.  So much to see, and I am still drawn in so many directions to get everything done and see so many other places..  




     To my friend, have a great visit and I will see you when you
return.  ;o)
 

How About a Rum Smoothie for Dessert?

     Rum for desert, wow what a concept. I have gotten several desert like expressions lately, and I have been playing around with them in the Rum Lab, finding some pretty exciting combinations.  El Dorado has come out with a Golden Rum Cream that is a desert all by itself, but with a little bit of experimenting you can really create some special evening by the pool or on the patio after dinner cocktails using it.

     Using fresh fruits in your dessert cocktails will work very well also. I have had some very good luck playing with strawberry, raspberry, pineapple, grapefruit, and peaches all work very well.  I started out with fresh strawberry and a couple pieces of fresh pineapple and threw them into the blender along with the El Dorado Golden Rum Cream and Brinley's Gold Shipwreck Mango Rum and ended up with a pretty tasty smoothie style dessert cocktail.  These fruit flavors really work well together make this smoothie something special.  This is one of those areas that you can really let your imagination roam and develop some very good things.

     Give this one a try some evening soon, you will really enjoy it's full flavor with all of the fresh fruits and rums that match the quality.



Bahama Bob's Fruity Rum Smoothie

• 2 Large Strawberry's (leaves Off)
• 2 Good Size Pieces of Pineapple
• 2 oz. El Dorado Golden Rum Cream
• 1 oz. Brinley's Gold Shipwreck Mango Rum

Place all ingredients in a blender with a small amount of ice and blend until smooth.  Pour into a chilled rocks glass and garnish with a strawberry.