The Hawaiian Shirt is Back Again and Again Today

Bahama Bob in 2000

     It its all about the way that I dress that spawned the nickname "Bahama Bob" and the Aloha style shirts that I so enjoy wearing.  It is amazing to me how that it keeps returning again and again.  In an article in the "Huffington Post", there is a great history of the shirts and  how they are returning again to the mainstream today.  This is a feeling that I have enjoyed several times in my lifetime as the style seems to be an everlasting one that really makes me smile a lot.

Bursting At The Seams: The Trend Grows In Popularity

Nixon in the 50's

     The word "aloha" was thrown around a lot in the '30s as tourism grew, but Musa-Shiya Shoten, an inspired shirt-maker, was probably the  first person to ever use "aloha shirt"in print. He ran an ad in a 1935 issue of the "Honolulu Advertiser" for "Aloha" shirts: "well tailored, beautiful designs and radiant colors: 95¢." Later, Ellery Chun noticed the hot trend and trademarked the phrase as a way to keep his store in business during the Depression.

     According to Dr. Bradley, aloha shirts of the '30s were technically "hash print," or a "hodgepodge of images [slapped] onto a shirt using linoleum stamps." During the war, stationed servicemen bought tons of these shirts, which served as a colorful antithesis to their uniforms, but it wasn't until a design house led by Alfred Shaheen hired salaried artists in the '50s that the style really took off.

Elvis in the 60's

     "I masterminded the look," Shaheen is quoted as saying in "The Aloha Shirt." "I wanted a certain look that was different from everyone else's. I would not do hash prints or chop suey prints. I avoided bright or garish colors ... I wanted my stuff to blend into a man's pair of pants or into a woman's jacket or skirt."

     Shaheen's mass-produced shirts were sold in 3,600 stores on the mainland, as well as stores in France, Hong Kong, London, Samoa and Cuba. Today, they fetch tens of thousands of dollars each at auctions. One of Shaheen's early designs, the Tiare Tapa, was worn by Elvis on the cover of "Blue Hawaii" in 1961.

     The 1960s also saw a huge shift in aloha shirt design: the reverse print, a more subdued style that looks like a shirt sewn inside out. Design house Reyn Spooner first put the reverse print out and locals loved them. "The reverse shirt was something special," Pua Rochlen, president of Jams World, told Hope in "The Aloha Shirt." "It was for the kama'aina, not for the malihini tourists."

When Shirt Hit The Fan: The Hawaiian Shirt's Fall From Grace

     The 1970s and '80s were a dark period for aloha shirts. The popularity of a mustachioed Tom

Tom Selleck in the 70's and 80's

Selleck in the television series "Magnum, P.I." had every paunchy guy thinking he could look as macho as Magnum if he, too, wore aloha shirts. Rochlen told The Huffington Post that the Hawaii style presented in "Magnum, P.I." "wasn't about embracing unique fabrics, color, art, and imagery." For instance, Magnum's Jungle Bird shirt -- which is now included in theSmithsonian's collection -- was a basic print: a blue shirt with parrots on it. But as Rochlen points out, "it was Tom Selleck. He could have been wearing toilet paper and we would have chased the best toilet paper in the world."

     The real blow to aloha shirts' cred came later, according to Hope, who says you can pinpoint the date to August 1993, the month the brand Tommy Bahama was born.

     Tommy Bahama ushered in a new era for island resort wear.  It championed a Jimmy Buffett Parrothead lifestyle that confused the public's perception of aloha shirts, ultimately dooming the term to nothing more than kitsch.

Read More at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/08/hawaiian-shirt-history_n_6173708.html



Bahama Bob Today

     Today you will still find me wearing the colors of the "aloha shirt" proudly behind the bar at the Rum Bar at the Speakeasy Inn in Key West.  It is a part of me that I don't see me changing in this lifetime.  One that makes me feel young and full of life , something that the colors and the life of the shirt keep alive in me.  ;o)

Heavy Drinker vs Alcoholic

     In Florida it is illegal to serve only two groups of people.  Under aged and "known alcoholics".  The first is easy to detect, just check the ID of the person wishing to buy spirits.   The second however, that is a different story.  The alcoholic most times appears sober and lucid.  If you don't know the person to be an alcoholic you can get yourself into trouble.

     Now they have made it even harder.  This is an article that I read recently saying that heavy drinkers may not necessarily be alcoholics.  This article is a really good read.

The majority of adults who regularly drink an excessive amount of alcohol are not alcoholics or alcohol dependent, according to a new study.

     Nine out of 10 adults who regularly drink excessively are not alcoholics, new research shows.

     Released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the report revealed that nine in 10 adults who drink too much are actually not alcoholics.

     Excessive or binge drinking is considered as four or more drinks in one sitting for women, or five or more drinks for men; drinking eight or more drinks a week for women or 15 for men; or any level of alcohol consumption by pregnant women.

     Alcohol dependence is a chronic medical condition defined by an existing or previous history of excessive drinking, strong cravings for alcohol, on-going alcohol consumption in spite of drinking-related problems or a lack of control over how alcohol is consumed.

     “This study shows that, contrary to popular opinion, most people who drink too much are not alcohol dependent or alcoholics,” said Robert Brewer, MD, MSPH, alcohol program lead at CDC and one of the report’s authors.

     “It also emphasizes the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to reducing excessive drinking that includes evidence-based community strategies, screening and counselling in healthcare settings, and high-quality substance abuse treatment for those who need it.”

     Furthermore, the study revealed nearly one in three adults is an excessive drinker, most of whom binge drink on more than on occasion.

You can read more at http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2014/11/most-excessive-drinkers-are-not-alcoholics/

Two Days on the Water

     All of the repairs and stuff is taken care of this week and I'm headed out on the water for a couple of days.  My plans call for a leisurely  cruise to the east to Bahia Honda State Park and spend a night on the boat there and heading out again tomorrow and cruise back home.  A day away from all of the stuff and papers that have been holding me in the marina for the past few months and being left behind and I'm taking a couple of days for me and Marta.


    A bit overcast as we depart the marina headed to the east and Bahia Honda.  The seas were building a bit, but "Lil Sanity", the boat, is holding her own as we make way through  the waves.   It was a bit rougher that anticipated, but we were determined to make it for out over nighter at Bahia Honda. 



     Upon  our arrival, we secured the boat hooked up the electricity and the water.  Now it is time to relax and wander around and see all of the beautiful sights of this wonderful state park.  The clouds have gotten thicker and a little bit of mist is falling, but nothing to dampen our enthusiasm for this outing.  The afternoon is just flying by and we are thoroughly enjoying the sights and sounds of the park.

    Getting close to dinner time and hanging out in the cabin of the boat for the evening and enjoying the music and some much needed quiet time for the both of us.  It is days like this that keep us going down here in paradise.  It makes it much easier to do what is necessary to be able to stay here for rest of our lives.  ;o)






    

Professor Cornelias Ampleforth's "Rumbullion Navy Strength"

           A Silver Medal winner in the 2014 Rum Master's Tasting, this rum is a very unique spiced rum.   Professor Cornelias Ampleforth  is known for his very unique spirits.  Things like "Bathtub Gin", "Summer Fruit Cup" and "Besmoked Vodka" are all in his collection, and there is a new addition in his "Rumbullion XO" a 15 Year Old Rum.  

    The official blurb reads as such.. “Rumbullion! Navy Strength is made using a secret recipe with a Caribbean rum at its spicy core. Expect big spicy flavors of cardamom, clove and vanilla in this legendary spiced rum.”

        57% ABV, this is a rich dark golden caramel (real caramel) colored rum. A huge, sweet, spicy warm nose, spiced rum on steroids!
Thick and sweet on the palate, a bit like a melted down cola cube (remember those sweets?!); it slightly fizzes as if there’s sherbet in it. The high ABV is very very smooth and warming, no water at all is needed, you’ll be too busy giggling thinking you’ve been tucking into a bag of sweets like a naughty kid. Water thins it just a touch, but doesn’t detract from things.
     The finish is warming with those sweetie notes continuing for a good long while.  I think you have to be in the mood for a good sweet drink to really love this, but if you are, you will really seriously love this unique expression.

     Though they are primarily available in the UK, this would be a great find for those wo are traveling abroad.  Master of Malt is the distributor in the UK.

Prohibition Era Cocktail: Mary Pickford

     The Prohibition era produced many very nice cocktails.  One of these is the Mary Pickford, named     The Mary Pickford Cocktail is a Prohibition Era Cocktail made with white rum, fresh pineapple juice, grenadine, and Maraschino liqueur. It is served shaken and chilled, often with a Maraschino Cherry. Named for Canadian-American film actress Mary Pickford (1892–1979), it is said to have been created for her in the 1920s by either Eddie Woelke or Fred Kaufmann at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba on a trip she took to Havana with Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks.


     The Mary Pickford is not just one of these "wham Bam Thank you Maam" cocktails thrown together at the moment, it has stood the test of time to still be a really great cocktail.   it is a form of the daiquiri, but it has a very unique flavor that is absolutely wonderful.

The Original Mary Pickford

• 2 oz. White Rum
• 1 1/2 oz. Fresh Pineapple Juice
• 1/4 oz. Grenadine
• 1/4 oz. Maraschino Liqueur

Place all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice and shake until fully chilled.   Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a Maraschino Cherry.


 Bahama Bob's Modern Mary Pickford

• 2 oz. Diplomatico Blanco Rum
• 2 oz.  Fresh Pineapple Juice
• 1/4 oz. Pomegranate Liqueur
• 1/4 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

Place all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice and shake until fully chilled.   Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a Maraschino Cherry.

Mangroves, the Place to Find so Many Treasures

It never ceases to amaze me what I find as I float through the mangroves around the Key West area.  These Mangroves act as a filter for the waters around the keys.  The capture things that are floating through them.  The deposit the stuff they catch and deposit them at their roots and build a base for their key growth.  The treasures that you find among them is always amazing.  You can find anything from old bottles to floats and everything in between.  I just love to float into the natural channels and tunnels they form.  ;o)

Origins of Human Alcohol Consumption Revealed

This is an interesting article tracing the beginning of the human consumption of spirits.  I hope that you find this to be as interesting as I did.

     Human ancestors may have begun evolving the knack for consuming alcohol about 10 million years ago, long before modern humans began brewing booze, researchers say. 

     The ability to break down alcohol likely helped human ancestors make the most out of rotting, fermented fruit that fell onto the forest floor, the researchers said. Therefore, knowing when this ability developed could help researchers figure out when these human ancestors began moving to life on the ground, as opposed to mostly in trees, as earlier human ancestors had lived.

     "A lot of aspects about the modern human condition - everything from back pain to ingesting too much salt, sugar and fat - goes back to our evolutionary history," said lead study author Matthew Carrigan, a paleogeneticist at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida. "We wanted to understand more about the modern human condition with regards to ethanol," he said, referring to the kind of alcohol found in rotting fruit and that's also used in liquor and fuel. 

     To learn more about how human ancestors evolved the ability to break down alcohol, scientists focused on the genes that code for a group of digestive enzymes called the ADH4 family. ADH4 enzymes are found in the stomach, throat and tongue of primates, and are the first alcohol-metabolizing enzymes to encounter ethanol after it is imbibed.

Read more at http://www.livescience.com/48958-human-origins-alcohol-consumption.html

Repeal Day 2014

     December 5th marks the 81st anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition in the United States.   The 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified, repealing the 18th Amendment and bringing an end to the era of national prohibition of alcohol in America.   At 5:32 p.m. EST, Utah became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, achieving the requisite three-fourths majority of states' approval. Pennsylvania and Ohio had ratified it earlier in the day.

     Congress passed the Volstead Act on October 28, 1919, over President Woodrow Wilson's veto, beginning one of the blackest periods of American history.   Prohibition or the "Nobel Experiment" as it was also known turned normal law biding citizens into "outlaws".   Alcohol thought to be the root of all things that were bad in the country at the time became the one thing that the American public did not want to do without.

    Finally on December 5, 1933 the 21st Amendment was passed bringing an end to Prohibition in the United States.    It was the end of Prohibition, but we still are laboring under a large number of restrictions and controls as a result of the repeal as well.  The three tier system of spirits distribution and the absolute control of producing spirits even for our own consumption.

    Even though that the system is flawed, it is so much better that having to go "underground" in order to get our alcoholic beverages.  By the way today is the one year anniversary of the opening of the first "legal" distillery in Key West.   Paul Menta and his partners have done a really great job producing rum here in Key West.  His pioneering spirit has lead the way for three others that are in the process of opening distilleries here in Key West and on Stock Island.

Sergeant Classick Rums

     Last September I was in Mountain View, California for my 50th high school reunion, but I forgot that there was a rum distillery just a couple of miles from where I was staying.   I spent one afternoon looking for a suitable rum for the weekend of the reunion, and final found one, but I just needed to stop at the Sergeant Classick Distillery.

     "Dave ‘Sgt.’ Classick, a highly decorated Vietnam veteran, returned from combat and fell in love with the Hawaiian Islands. In seeking his true vocation, he discovered a talent for making (as well as drinking) fine rum. And thus, seeing the islands with sugar cane stretching as far as the eye could see, he set out to create his own."

      "Now you too can share in Sgt. Classick’s affection for exotic spirits. Crafted in the traditional manner of fine rum makers the world over; each batch is hand-distilled in the finest alambic copper pot stills and gathered in pails a few drops at a time. Sgt. Classick’s rum has a depth of flavor unlike any rum you’ve ever tasted".

 

      The amber color leads you into the toasty vanilla and brown sugar notes on the nose.   Your first sip presents unsweetened cocoa, cherry, fresh suede, crème brulée and dark roasted spice nuts.   It finishes with singed cane stalk and a peppery finish.   Aging in oak provides the rum  with the  medium bodied character.   This is a genuine rich rum that provides fine taste for a young rum.

 

Revisiting Foxy's on Jost Van Dyke

     The little island of Jost Van Dyke has so many legendary establishments for such a tiny island of the British Virgin Islands.  One of my favorites is Foxy's.  Foxy and his family have run their restaurant and bar for many many years and this place tucked away in the corner of Great Harbour has drawn people from all over the world to taste, drink and listen to the creations that Foxy has produced.

     On my last visit, I had the opportunity to spend a few hours on the porch chatting with the man behind so many projects at his establishment.   This is a colorful man that cooks, produces beer and spirits, plays guitar and sings, just to name a few things.   His many experiences over the years make an afternoon with Foxy a laugh a minute and very informative about the history and times that are Jost Van Dyke.

   When you are in the Virgin Islands, the trip to Jost Van Dyke and Foxy's will definitely be one of the highlights of the trip.   Imbibe in some cocktails, listen to the music and enjoy a fine meal, they are all a part of the experience.   By the way the t-shirt shop is really cool as well.  Believe me I found it and I've got the hat, t-shirt and all.  

Bahama Bob's Faux Egg Nog

     Christmas time is rapidly approaching and the time of the year that we get to enjoy all of the fun Christmas libations.   I love my Egg Nog, but it is only available during the month of December each year and quite frankly, that is not enough.  I finally came up with an idea the will bring me back to this time of year at any time.   It is a combination of spiced Siesta Key Rum and El Dorado Rum Cream.




Bahama Bob's Faux Egg Nog

• 1oz. El Dorado Rum Cream
• 1 oz. Siesta Key Spiced Rum

Place the ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake until chilled.  Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice and garnish with fresh ground nutmeg.

     Give this one a try, it will get you through anytime that you feel the need for an Egg Nog fix.  ;o)

St. Nicolas Abbey in My Mind

Entry to the Main House

     It has been three years since I last visited the Abbey, and the Warren family in their fabulous plantation.   The history, and the unbelievable restoration of the grounds makes this a place that I will never forget.   Larry Warren and his family have been restoring the Abbey for many years now and it never ceases to amaze me seeing what new projects have been completed and what they are working on now.





Dining Room

 

     From the first step as you enter through the front gate until you exit at the end of your visit, you will continue to see things that are absolutely amazing.   I love the antique furnishings of the main house and the wonderful gardens, but the production areas are what really interest me about the grounds.  

Steam Powered Cane Crusher

    I love the sugarcane fields, the old steam powered cane crushing machine and lets not forget the still.  Larry has spent a lot of time and money restoring the plantation and has put "Annabelle" the still in the factory to produce their fine rums.  




Larry Warren and "Annabelle"

St. Nicolas Abbey is one of the real highlights of any visit to Barbados.  You will find yourself mesmerized as you wander around the grounds as see and taste the essence of the place.   I'm looking forward to another visit to Barbados and the St. Nicolas Abbey in my future.  Don't forget to get one of their fine bottles of their award winning rum that can be personalized for you to take back home. 

Sunset on November

The Sun is Setting on November, bringing to an end another month.  As we look ahead to December and a fun holiday season, I like to think of all of the colors of November and all that has happened this rapidly fleeing year.  Today officially marks the end of another very quiet hurricane season down here in the keys.  ;o)

History of The Zacapa Bottle Band

This is an interesting history that I came across the other day and I felt you might find it interesting as well.  Enjoy.

     Early Zacapa bottles came in a bottle covered in a petate - a hand woven matting made from palm leaves which dates from the Mayan period. More recently they feature a band around the middle of the bottle.

     The packaging of Ron Zacapa Centenario has changed a few times since its introduction in 1976. Lorena explains that only the outside has changed, not the inside. The process they use now is the same they used before.

     Though it is a process with a lot of hand labor and it is always possible that (slowly) some minor changes appear, but people have to understand that this is not a mathematical process but a very personal one.

     Some people say they have noticed a change in the flavor, but there is nothing changed in the process in the past 15 years that might explain that.

     Perhaps it is perception or something psychological. Many people think that since Zacapa is with Diageo the quality has to be different.
     At Zacapa they say this is not true. The bottle changed in 2004 and Zacapa wasn’t with Diageo at that moment. The bottle is now transparent instead of the old dark. Perhaps sunlight has its influence on the rum on a molecular level.

     Recently Lorena had a tasting in London with old and new bottles of their rums. She could not find any differences.
     The outside of the bottles has had a big metamorphose in 2004, especially the looks. The bottle used to be entirely wrapped in royal palm leaf which was hand woven by the women of the Chorti community in Jocotan.

     Now there is only a palm leaf band around the waist of the bottle and the label is decorated with illustrations of the flower:   The use of the dried palm leaves (known as petate is a reference to the pre-classical Mayan era in 1400 B.C.
     This petate was first made as floor-mats for Mayan kings, who were the only ones entitled to use it. It was believed that sitting on a petate changes your whole view of the world and forces you to look at life with humility and to see things for what they are.   Until 2003 there were only a few artisans who produced about 2000 bands per month. In that year (2003) a productive chain was created that allowed Jocotan to sell its artisan products.   Now 350 artisans work here and produce 20.000 petate bands each month. This economic growth has raised the strength of women in the local community. The sustainability of this project is supported by the producers of Zacapa and has allowed these woman artisans to improve their quality of life. Other industries have followed suit and employed these workers to create other types of creations from petate.
 

    Finally, the bottling is done in the city of Mixco and so is the distribution. By doing all sort of processes in different cities, Zacapa Rum is integrated with the communities throughout the country. This is one of the reasons why there is a Petate around the bottle. It also symbolizes the unity of everything.

     Since Zacapa is so closely connected to the land and culture it is appropriate that the woven band is placed on the bottles.   Alas it is not known how many bottles Zacapa produces now per month or year. All they say, is they are a small company who won’t be growing suddenly just because they work with Diageo.

Black Friday: What Were they Thinking?

     I've really got to wonder what has happened to our holiday season.  It is nothing about time with friends and family and all about spending lots of money on meaningless stuff.   What has happened to a great Thanksgiving dinner and an evening at home with the family watching a football game or playing cards.  
     Nope, it is gobble down the dinner so we can rush to the Black Friday sales.   I really feel that the country is loosing something very important about the holidays.  It is not about how much money that you spend, it is about being with people and sharing, 

     Give the seasons a second thought this year and see if you can find more to it than just hustling out to the store and grabbing up all of the specials ahead of your neighbor and miss the real meaning of the holidays.   ;o)

Happy Thanksgiving to One and All

     I'm glad to be wishing all of you a Happy Thanksgiving and hope that you are getting to be with the ones you love.   For me, I'm going to be at the "Rum Bar in Key West" all day Thursday making sure that everyone that is down here in Key West for your Thanksgiving holiday have a fun place to drop by and enjoy your day with me.

     For those of you that are staying home for the holiday, make the time to enjoy the family and or friends and don't get over stuffed where you have to miss "Black Friday".  Just Kidding.  ;o)

Cracking the American Spirits Market

     People often ask me why I don't carry the great rum that had while they were in the Caribbean, but it is really expensive and time consuming to bring a new spirit into the US.   Two years ago Don Pancho Fernandez introduced his "Life's Work" rum Origenes, but I was finally to say that I have it for my customers in the "Rum Bar in Key West" last week.   What had to take place in order for this to happen?

      There was an article in the "Spirits Business" last week that gives you a pretty good idea of what has to transpire in order for brand to be on the shelf for sale
in America.

     Spirits brands continue to covet the US market, but it is one of the world’s most difficult markets to crack

     To make it in America is not just the dream of every British rock band since the Beatles’ invasion of 1964. Every non-US brand of vodka, gin, whisky, or whatever, also wants to crack the most lucrative and dynamic international spirits market on the planet. Thousands try, but few succeed.

     “The structure of the US market makes it theoretically almost impossible to break into,” says Jacob Ehrenkrona, CEO of Reformed Spirits, owner of Martin Miller’s gin. “Basically there hasn’t been a single European brand owned by an independent company that has really conquered America.” When pressed, he makes a possible exception for the Dutch vodka Ketel One, before Diageo bought a 50% stake and took over distribution in 2008.

     “Martin Miller’s has just about managed to get a foothold in America that no one can take away from us,” Ehrenkrona says. “We’ve made every mistake, but we’re still there and we’re growing.” The biggest mistake he sees time and again is “to be mesmerised by the opportunity the US represents. Most brands start in New York, California or Florida, and then other states start demanding the product. It becomes exciting and, all of a sudden, you get swept away by your own success and start spending money. You spend a fortune and spread yourself too thin. That’s the main reason people fail.”

Read More at http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2014/11/us-almost-impossible-for-indy-spirits-to-crack/

     I hope this will help you understand why so many really fine rums are not being sold here in America.   I really wish it was easier, but the post prohibition laws for the distribution and sale of spirits here in the United States.