Bahia Honda Springs to Life

    Bahia Honda in the early spring begins to come to life again as buds open and the butterflies begin to reappear.   Tuesday I was able to wander around the park and see really pretty flower buds beginning to open and the butterflies in all their color.  

The Dark and Stormy as Medicine

     Berumda’s national drink, the Dark ‘n’ Stormy cocktail, has hidden health benefits. Traditionally made with Gosling’s Black Seal rum, it also features ginger beer and lime.   The  drink has an interesting naval history.   In the 1800s it was common practice for the British Royal Navy to give rum rations to sailors from navy bases on rum-producing Caribbean islands including Bermuda.

     Ginger beer was first brought Bermuda by William John Barritt.   Barritt’s Ginger Beer was created in Bermuda in 1874 and still being sold today.   Sailors started adding ginger beer to their rum.   Ginger Beer,  a well known cure for sea sickness and rumored to ward off flu, aid digestion and facilitate blood circulation, adding the lime to the drink was added to help prevent off scurvy.

     "The name Dark ‘n’ Stormy came about when a sailor held up the drink, which looks like a dark cloud gathering in the glass when the rum is added, described it as the color of a cloud 'only a fool or a dead man would sail under'”.

 

     Alcohol consumption in quantities over  weeks of parties, tends to irritate the lining of your digestive system. This is just the medicine you need. Research conducted at the University of Michigan discovered  ginger can helps settle the stomach, by blocking the serotonin receptors in the stomach.    For years, I've given bar customers Ginger beer with a few dashes of bitters in it to settle their stomachs.  I call it a bartender's antacid.

 

Admiral Nelson unveils Black Spiced Rum

Heaven Hill has introduced the latest addition to the Admiral Nelson’s Rum portfolio, a “darker, bolder” Black Patch Premium Black Spiced Rum. 

     The new bottle features a cream, black and silver label to reflect the bolder flavour of the rum.       Marketed with the strapline, “Admirably Smooth. Mysteriously Dark”, the new release has been filtered through charred American white oak barrels used to age Bourbon – a process which is said to enrich the flavor of the spirit.

     Bottled at 47% abv, Admiral Nelson’s Black Patch Rum features a cream, black and silver label to reflect the bolder flavor of the rum   Hannah Venhoff, Admiral Nelson’s Rum brand manager, said: “The emergence of Spiced Black Rum is a tremendous opportunity for Rum consumers.

     “Admiral Nelson’s Black Patch is a natural extension of the franchise as Rum consumers seek out more dynamic, bolder styles.”   The new flavor will be available from June at an RRP of US$10.99 for 750ml. It will also be available in 50ml and 1.75l sizes.

     The only bad art to this story is that Admiral Rodney has not found his way into the United States yet,   This is a great St. Lucia Rum that very few of their products ever make it to the United States.  ;o)

What is in a Garnish?

     I find it funny how some people pas so little attention to the garnish on a cocktail.  The truth is that the customer seems to be more impressed with the appearance of a cocktail when it is presented to them than they are when tasting it.  

     Appearance is paramount when it comes to making a good cocktail.   You can be the greatest mixologist in the world, but if you drinks lack the "curb appeal" they are not going to sell.   I find it very interesting how customers are more interested in taking pictures of their cocktails and sending them to their friends on the social media that they are taking that first taste.   The garnish is a big part of that.

    Garnishes are as varied as the people that stand behind the bar and create the

cocktails.  You can find anything and everything hung on cocktail glasses to draw attention to the glass.   I've seen everything from batteries to a chicken  used as a garnish on a cocktail, but what it is isn't nearly as important as how it embellishes the "eye appeal" of the cocktail.  


     Whether you garnish for the  "shock factor" or for just plain pleasing
the eye of the customer, the garnish is every bit as important and the cocktail itself.  You bring the customer in with their eyes as well as their palates and noses, so
don't for get to finish your cocktails with an appropriate garnish.

2015 Miami Rum Festival just Over Two Weeks Away

    For those of you who haven't gotten your tickets for this year's Miami Rum Festival, remember you must purchase your tickets in advance this year.  There will be NO tickets sold at the door.  













     Get your tickets online at  https://tickets.completeticketsolutions.com/RUM/Online/default.asp

Tickets For Rum Renaissance Events

Trade Expo Admission Three Day VIP Admission Trade Expo Admission Sunday Gen. Admission for professionals and members of the spirits trade, bartenders, F&B managers, liquor store employees, distributors, importers, producers, press for the ultimate weekend grand rum tasting experience, enjoy VIP admission to the Grand Tasting exhibits for three days for serious rum enthusiasts, enjoy a five hour VIP tasting session on Saturday with complimentary re-admission on Sunday for the casual rum enthusiast, enjoy a five hour Grand Tasting session featuring hundreds of fine rums for an afternoon on Sunday Friday, 3 to 6pm Saturday, 1 to 6pm Sunday, 1 to 6pm Friday, 3 to 6pm Saturday, 1 to 6pm Sunday, 1 to 6pm Saturday, 1 to 6pm Sunday, 1 to 6pm Sunday, 1 to 6pm qualified professionals only $100 $75 $50 Purchase Tickets online        https://tickets.completeticketsolutions.com/RUM/Online/default.asp Or You can also purchase tickets by calling toll free: 877-855-3378          No Matter which way you get your tickets, just get them and I'll see you there at this years Miami Rum Festival.  I'm looking forward to seeing all of the new rum expressions and visiting with friends at this years annual get together.

 

Grapefruit Juice as a Daiquiri Mixer

     Grape Fruit juice is a very interesting citrus to work with.  It is very tart by nature, nut works very well if you are trying to avoid the sickish sweet tropical cocktails that are so traditional.   I had an idea to do some work with grapefruit juice and rum the other day and found that if I mix the right rum with it and add a bit of sweetener there is a great flavor there that comes through making the cocktail very flavorful.   I really like the daiquiri style cocktail and this one lends itself very well to the style. 

Grapefruit Daiquiri

• 2 oz. Plantation Barbados 5 Year Old Rum
• 1 oz. White Grapefruit Juice
• 1/2 oz. DeKuyper Pomegranate Liqueur
• 1/2 oz. of Agave Nectar

Place all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice.  Shake until really chilled and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a cherry.

What Drinks To Avoid on First Dates

     It has been forty years since I had a "first date", but I still think about how awkward that they could be.   Chilled Magazine has made a list of 8 drinks you might want to avoid on a first date.  This is an interesting insight to the cocktails that obviously ruin first dates.  

     Tropical Cocktails.  Yes, blue curacao is trending right now, but more as a novelty than a  long-term bar ingredient. If you find yourself at a Sandals resort or you’re in a craft bar with a sense of humor, sure go for it. Otherwise, order your tropical drinks in their natural colors.

     Topped with whipped cream.   If your first date is at a ski lodge and they make dynamite hot chocolate, have at it. Or you’re in an Irish pub and they are known for their Irish Coffee, sláinte. Otherwise, whipped cream belongs on dessert, and you’ve only embarked on the first course.

     A Boozy Milkshake.   First, see directly above. Milkshake = whipped cream. Second, you’re an adult on a date, not a 12-year old at an ice cream shop.

     A Drink Garnished with Insects.   With the rise of tequila and mezcal, so too there’s the rise of curious south-of-the-border toppings. Unless you meet your beloved on an episode of “The Amazing Race,” keep the crunchy critters for date # two, or three. After all, who wants to kiss someone who has just eaten a cricket? And worms in mezcal? Don’t go there either.

     A Drink Lit on Fire.   It’s just risky.   Who knows what might go up in smoke? Besides, it’s ostentatious.   Keep things between the two of you for now, not the entire room.   Exception: If the evening is going well and you both feel the need to share a flaming tiki punch, then may the island gods bless you.

     A vodka tonic.   Seriously. Don’t do it.   Just don’t.   It shows lack of imagination on your part and lack of respect for your bartender.

     Anything Layered.   Basically, we’re talking about the Pousse Café and its children. Yes, layered drinks are incredibly cool to look at and some of them even taste pretty good, but it takes time and patience to make them and to make them well. Ordering one ticks off your bartender – if he or she is even willing to make you one — – and quickly labels you as being difficult, which isn’t the best first impression.

A cheap, domestic beer.   Order an IPA.   Order a Saison.   Order something on draft.   Make a choice that isn’t just generic.   Unless you want to seem generic too.

Read more at http://chilledmagazine.com/8-of-the-worst-first-date-drinks/

This is a good and fun look at the no no's of first date cocktails.  I like it and it seems to make sense for a variety of reasons, primarily to keep the attention between you and your date and not the bartender being a third wheel for your first date.  Look at the basics like a daiquiri, or even a martini.  Something classy not just a bunch of glitz, it shows what you are made of.  Don't be afraid to ask your bartender for some help if you are at a loss for what might be appropriate.   ;o)

The Noble Pelican

     Pelicans are a most interesting bird.  The are quite common around the coastal areas of Florida and most of the Caribbean.  They spend the sinter and spring months here in the keys and migrate elsewhere for the summer and fall.  These are very large birds with huge wing spans, their flying and diving skills are very impressive.  It is a shame that many of them have just become scavengers hanging out at the fish cutting tables of the marinas instead of hunting their food as nature intended. 

Who Do the Rum Smugglers Really Hurt?

     In a smaller country like the Dominican Republic, it is a very significant problem.   The smuggling of Rum and Tobacco products is costing the country millions of dollars in tax revenues.   This is just the tip of the iceberg though,  The loss of sales to the retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers of legitimate products are also feeling the bite of these activities.   This is a chain of events that is seriously having a negative effect on the entire economy of the Dominican Republic.
    

Commerce Minister Jose del Castillo

     "Santo Domingo.-  fake rum and cigarette smuggling cost Dominican Republic’s coffers around RD$2.0 billion (US$45.5 million) in 2014, revealed Monday Industry and commerce minister José del Castillo during the launch of the Campaign Against Tax Evasion, Smuggling, Counterfeit Alcohol and Tobacco ."

     He said manufacturing and illegal commerce in rum and cigarettes which evades taxes, are adulterated, smuggled or of dubious origin, reveal a trend that he affirms requires attention. “It’s time to revert it before it becomes uncontrollable.”

     He said the illegal activity has harmful consequences for the government, retailers, formal productive sector and citizens.

You can read more at http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2015/3/23/54598/Rum-and-cigarette-smuggling-cost-Dominican-Gov-US455M

 

     A lot of people look upon this as a way for people to get cheap tobacco or rum, but is reaching deep into the pockets of those that need the most help when large amounts of revenues are lost like this.  This doesn't even consider the cost of tracking down the culprits and bringing them to justice.

Liquor Ads:, What do They Influenced?

      In an article in AdWeek, I ran across this interesting article about a study done at the University of Texas, Austin.  It has found that the effect of advertising does not make people want to drink or drink any more, but rather seems to effect what they are drinking.   This is for me a good thing, it means hat the government does not need to get into the media business again and limit what Americans can see in the media.

 

   A new study of alcohol consumption and advertising from 1971 to present found per capita drinking remained flat. 

     Alcohol marketers have two reasons to feel good about the findings of a new academic study on advertising impact.   For one, their money seems to be well spent on generating new or loyal customers. But at the same time, their ads don't seem to be turning America into a nation of drunks.   A new study from the University of Texas at Austin, led by advertising professor Gary Wilcox, suggests ads have little impact on how much wine, beer or liquor people consume.   The study looked at alcohol sales between 1971 and 2011 and found that during the 40-year time frame, per capita consumption remained relatively unchanged. In that time period, the study reports, alcohol advertising in the U.S. increased more than 400 percent. 

     "Relating these findings to previous research reveals a consistency in that there is either no relationship or a weak one between advertising and aggregate sales," the report states. "Over this time period, beer sales have exhibited a downward trend since the early 1990s, while wine and liquor have increased their share of total alcohol sales. This is despite large increases in advertising expenditures across all three categories of alcohol."   While advertising might have little impact on how much we drink, the study says it's still safe to assume that ads are effective at guiding brand preference.

     

    "Although criticisms of alcohol advertising and promotional methods abound, remedies that would restrict or overly regulate such communication activities usually do not have the desired effect of reducing consumption," wrote Wilcox, the study's lead professor. "Instead, a more logical alternative would be to communicate as much information as possible to the public about the subject and encourage all viewpoints so our society makes an autonomous, rational choice regarding alcohol consumption."

 Read More at http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/alcohol-ads-increased-400-over-40-years-americans-arent-drinking-more-163668

 

     I found this article very enlightening and on that is worth reading.  I'm glad to see that there are people in this country that believe that we are a nation of sheep that will follow one after another right into the sea and our demise.   Advertising is a means of communication of wares and not a hypnotic trance that makes us stupid.   ;o)

 

 

Springtime in Key West

     For the past couple of weeks, we are getting the first signs of spring down here in Key West.  The return of some of the migratory birds flowers blooming, and a general warming trend with the winds decreasing.   This is a really wonderful thing for us, and a time to get out on the water and enjoy all that makes the tropics so wonderful.

     I know, those of you that have been suffering all winter with 100 or more inches of snow don't believe that spring is something that we can actually notice.  There are significant difference in our seasons as well.  I went out on the waters last week for the first time in many weeks, the seas were calm and the ride was very smooth and wonderful.   I arrived at Bahia Honda dry and the 80 degree air temp put a smile on my face as I came under the old railroad bridge.   




     The birds are different, the air is warm and the flowers are beginning to bloom again, just like everywhere else when spring arrives,   I just hope that your spring has arrived bringing a wonderful change for you like it has for us down here.   ;o)

Underwater Aging Comes Under Fire from FDA

US federal authorities have taken a dim view of ageing wine underwater, warning it may be illegal to sell wine that have been aged that way.

     In 2013 Napa producer Mira placed 48 bottles of its 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon in the waters of Charleston Harbor to see what effect underwater ageing would have.   In November last year the bottles were salvaged, tasted and the process declared a success. The winery’s president, Jim Dyke, announced they would age twice as much for twice as long beginning next month alongside several other cases which are currently underwater in the harbor. 

     However, Dyke may have to shelve his plans as the practice has caught the attention of the Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau who warned that potential contact with ocean water would render the wines “adulterated” and thus illegal to sell.   The bureau, which oversees alcohol labelling, can prohibit wineries, breweries and distilleries from selling or shipping their products if they are judged to have been “adulterated” in some way.   The bureau referred to the US Food and Drug Administration which said that wine aged underwater “may” render than adulterated under federal law because they have been stored in “unsanitary” conditions.

     The bureau continued that degradation of the seal – wax and cork – while underwater could lead to the wine being exposed to: “Gasoline, oil, heavy metals, plastics, drug residues, pesticides, as well as various types of filth, including waste materials from biological sources, sludge, decaying organic matter, runoff from farms, effluents from sewage treatment plants, and bilge waters from vessels.”  

     Dyke said he was disappointed with the news but pointed out that all of the bottles he’d aged underwater and then tasted, none showed any hint of contamination with seawater.

You can read more at http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2015/03/us-authorities-torpedo-underwater-ageing/

     For years now the Cayman Spirits Company has been producing Seven Fathoms Rum, a really fine rum that is aged underwater in special barrels in the ocean just off of Grand Cayman.  This is a very fine rum, one that I find to be very flavorful and clean.   I r

eally have to question the FDA on this one, because if the aging barrels are properly sealed and protected from the encroachment of sea water the end product is greatly enhanced by the constant movement of the sea and the very consistent temperatures.    The process needs to be looked at on an individual bassis and not just a "blanket" rule.  

 

 

Feeling Stout? Diageo to List Calorie Counts

Nutritional labels to appear on drinks including Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff

 

     Diageo PLC is following the lead of the food industry by offering calorie counts and other content information on many of its biggest-selling products, from Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky to Smirnoff vodka. 

     The world's biggest drinks company said Thursday that it would begin displaying per-serving nutrition and alcohol-content information on its labels and online, in what it said was a first for the industry. 

     That will include Guinness, which for much of the 20th century was marketed as "good for you" for its high iron content. Doctors even prescribed the stout to pregnant women. 

     The U.S. is likely to be the first market to see the new labels, which could hit the shelves in the next few months. Diageo has received approval from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau for a "serving facts" panel to be added to its labels, with per-serving information on calories, fat content and alcohol by volume. Discussions with the bureau started nearly 10 years ago, according to a Diageo spokeswoman. 

     The first product to include the new label in the U.S. is likely to be Smirnoff, Diageo's biggest-selling brand in North America. 

     Nutritional labeling on food is a hot topic in the U.S. as consumers become more health-conscious. Late last year, the Food and Drug Administration issued rules requiring restaurants with at least 20 locations to display the calorie count of food items on their menus.

 

You can Read More at http://www.wsj.com/articles/diageo-plans-nutritional-labeling-for-alcohol-1426787647

 

     The TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) has issued some basic guidelines of the labeling.  The ruling allows "Serving Facts" statements that include the serving size, the number of servings per container, the number of calories, and the number of grams of carbohydrates, protein, and fat per serving. Additionally, Serving Facts statements may include information about the alcohol content of the product as a percentage of alcohol by volume and may also include a statement of the fluid ounces of pure ethyl alcohol per serving.

     This is something that will really help in the controversy over what has been added to the spirits.  Sugar content, and other additives will become apparent with these labels, as long as people read them.  Kudos to Diageo for leading the way.   ;o)

Kenny Chesney's Fishbowl Spirits, LLC. Appoints David Farmer as President

David Farmer

     Fishbowl Spirits, LLC, announced that David Farmer has been appointed as President, effective

 immediately.    Fishbowl Spirits is the entity through which Kenny Chesney created and produces

Blue Chair Bay Rum.   This newly-created position, David Farmer will be responsible for overseeing

all aspects of the operation of Fishbowl Spirits’ and will report directly to Kenny Chesney, Fishbowl

Spirits’ Chairman.

 

    David Farmer will be continuing to serve as Chesney’s Tour Manager, responsible for coordinating over 100 employees on tours.  He has been a big part of what has made Kenny Chesney the biggest ticket-seller of the 21st Century,   Farmer has spent 18 years helping establish the live franchise that supports  eight time Entertainer of the Year, Kenny Chesney's commitment to quality, fun and providing a concert experience his audience will never forget.    Farmer will manage and further integrate the Fishbowl Spirits team as Blue Chair Bay Rum hits the road this spring as one of the sponsors of Kenny Chesney’s Big Revival Tour.