Florida Keys Tidal Pools

     Kayaking around the keys has brought us up close and personal with a lot of these tidal pools.   The marine life that calls these beautiful pools is amazing and always introduces me to something new and interesting.   Spend a little time around them no matter what ocean is near you will be amazed what you can see at low tide.

Bahama Bob's Summer Cooler

     Here is an idea for a great summer evening cooler that is really creamy and flavorful.  Give this one a try, you're going to love it.

Bahama Bob’s Summer Cooler

• 1 ½ Oz. Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum
• 1 ½ Oz. CoffeeMate Cinnamon
• 1 ½ Oz. Vita Coco Lime Coconut Water
• 1 ¼ Oz. Cinnamon Syrup
• Juice of ½ Lime
• ½ Oz. Pineapple Juice

 Combine Place all ingredients except the rum into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until chilled and Strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice. Float the rum on top Garnish with fresh ground nutmeg and an orange zest.

 Bob Bahama's Cinnamon Syrup

• 1 Cup of Water
• 1 Cup of Demerara Raw Sugar
• 3 Cinnamon Sticks
• 1 Teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract 

Place a saucepan over high heat, combine water, sugar, and cinnamon sticks.  Stir continuously until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil.  Reduce heat to a slow boil and stir for another 5 minutes until syrup thickens.

Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla. After cooling, strain the syrup to a clean dispenser.  Store in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Bacardi and Jillionaire Announce Major Lazer Limited Edition Rum

Major Lazer

     The latest part of the “Sound of Rum Campaign”, Bacardi has created this limited edition rum in collaboration with Trinidadian DJ and music producer Jillionaire, who has been appointed as Bacardi’s ‘minister of rum’.  Bacardi has forged a relationship with the American electronic music trio Major Lazer that launched an experiential campaign featuring multimedia events, music offerings and rum releases.

     Major Lazer took a trip to the Bacardi distillery in Puerto Rico, where they worked alongside Maestro de Ron Manny Oliver to develop three different blends – one of which later became Bacardi’s latest Major Lazer Limited Edition.

Unveiled in Berlin at the Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition, the liquid is a blend of light and dark rums aged between three and four years, offering notes of tropical fruit, cedar, almonds and vanilla. 

Major Lazer Rum

Speaking of Major Lazer’s visit to the Bacardi distillery, the brand’s global advocacy director Jacob Briars said: “There are lots of people who are fascinated by the process of making spirits, but Jillionaire was passionate about it”.   At the same time as debuting the new expression, Briars announced Jillionaire as Bacardi’s ‘minister of rum’ – someone who “shares the brand’s unique passion and spirit to help revolutionize the rum category”. “I’m truly passionate about rum, its craft and its Caribbean heritage. I grew up in Trinidad, where rum is a big part of the culture, and I worked in bars for many years learning how to master the perfect rum cocktail,” said Jillionaire.   “As minister of rum at Bacardi, I hope to further deepen Bacardi’s connection to music and embed the Sound of Rum into broader culture.”

      ‘The Sound of Rum’ concept is a way to “connect Bacardi’s island roots to modern music”, and has since become a “cultural and creative movement”.   “It’s been exciting working with Jillionaire over the last few months – we’ve seen his talent first hand and he’s a true rum aficionado,” said Zara Mirza, global head of creative excellence at Bacardi.

     Bacardi Major Lazer Limited Edition Rum will be available across the US in summer, and is slated to hit retail shelves in June at a suggested price of $19.99. Bacardi expects to be rolling it out to select international markets in September.

Now We’re Dealing with Hurricane Season

     The 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season begins today, Thursday, June 1 and ends on Thursday, November 30.   This season will hopefully be as calm for us here in the Keys as the last few have been.  If prognosticators are right, 2017’s hurricane season will produce fewer storms than normal.  Plus the storms will be of less intense and less of a chance that they will make landfall.

     El Niño is the determining factor for 2017, Pacific weather phenomenon could once again determine how rough the Atlantic hurricane season gets.   We could see a repeat of an active 2016 season, or the return of the sedate years that preceded last year.

     El Niño is a weather phenomenon is when warmer than average water temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific creates high-altitude winds that move across the tropical Atlantic Ocean making it harder for storms to form and strengthen.  If El Niño performs as expected in the Pacific, it should tamp down on storm formations in the Atlantic.  Remember, the Atlantic has already seen its first storm of 2017, back in April, when Tropical Storm Arlene formed east of Bermuda, lasted only three days and did not impact land.

     Let’s hope that it is a calm season, we don’t need another year like last year where hurricanes did so much damage to the Eastern Florida coast and the Bahamas.

Cruzan Rum Launches “Bucket List Campaign”

     Cruzan Rum has unveiled a new marketing campaign in support of the latest addition to its flavored expression, Cruzan Tropical Rum.  Inspired it’s signature Rum Punch Bucket cocktails, the Cruzan Bucket List campaign offers a fun twist on the traditional concept of the bucket list, emphasizing the “simple pleasures that make a summer memorable”.

     “Our bucket list isn’t just about taking a trip around the world or breaking a world record,”  “It’s about exploring all of life’s flavors – whether that’s watching a sunset on the beach or simply catching up with an old friend while enjoying a refreshing Cruzan cocktail.  “There’s no time like now to start doing all the things you want to do, and the ‘Cruzan Bucket List’ offers the inspiration our fans need to start checking things off their lists.”

Cruzan Bucket List will launch through on and off premise activation's as well as social media and digital, including a dedicated website, www.CruzanBucketList.com, where rum fans can create their own personalized bucket lists and track their progress.  The campaign will also include a consumer sweepstakes, which features an all-expenses-paid ‘Ultimate Bucket List Experience’ trip to St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands, the home of Cruzan Rum.

The Bucket List launch is coinciding with the launch of Tropical Fruit Rum is described as “juicy pineapple, tart passion fruit, and sweet guava accented with bright notes of fresh citrus”.  Cruzan Tropical Fruit Rum is now rolling out nationwide across the US with a suggested retail price of $10.99 per 750ml bottle.

The Science of Day Drinking Experts Reveal Why Alcohol Can Affect Us Differently During Daytime

Day Drinking

     This is an interesting concept, I know that when I’m drinking around 11 to 4 in the daytime, I tend to be much more relaxed and will sip my cocktail at a much slower rate that I would doing into the bar right after work.  I know that the first drink after work tends to go down rather quickly, compared to the first one in the daytime.  I feel like my stress level of morning and afternoon vs evening and night time are a real big part of it.

Sunny Summertime

     Studies have found that alcohol sensitivity heightens at night.  Another expert said while drinking during the day you tend to sit and eat longer.  Summer is just around the corner for some parts of the world and many are looking forward to spending their days sipping a cocktail in the sun.  But those who have participated in day drinking may have noticed that consuming alcohol during the day does not have the same effects as it does during a night out. 

Night Drinking

     The time you drink will influence what you do while consuming alcohol, if you are enjoying brunch with friends, you are more inclined to sit longer and eat more food.   Experts have shared their thoughts and work with New York Magazine's Katie Heaney in understanding why four mimosa at brunch feels different from four vodka sodas at night.   However, another professor of nutrition sciences said that the answer is simply hazy. 

     Other opinions indicate that the time you drink will influence what you do while consuming alcohol.  Enjoying brunch with friends, you are more inclined to sit longer and eat more food.  There is always some people who do enjoy late night snacks after a fun night out, but how and what you eat are at the different times also varies.    Because day drinking usually occurs at a time with food, it usually takes longer to feel the effects - whereas night owls may not eat until a few hours before heading to bed. 

     How this plays into why you feel different drinking during the day is because you may be more relaxed sitting around a table with a few friends in the warm sun than you do dancing in a crowd at a nightclub.   These findings have led researchers to believe that alcohol is absorbed much faster when the person feels under duress.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4539316/Researches-explain-science-day-drinking.html#ixzz4i3KFKTEN

Memorial Day is Not a Holiday

    Today is a day of remembrance, not just some holiday that we get off of work.   Today is the day
that we honor those who have given their lives for their country so that we can enjoy all of the freedom that we do.








     Freedom is not free, it comes with a price and this is the day that we get to thank those who have give their all that the rest of us can live free.

Remembering My Visits To Cuba

Pilar 2013 at Finca La Vagia

     All of the talk about Pilar, Hemingway's beloved fishing yacht, and all of the places that it took him have sparked my interest in looking back through some of these pictures.  Pilar sitting at Finca la Vagia and La Terraza in Cojmar.

     These are very warm memories that I always enjoy revisiting.  Seeing the Hemingway wall at the Hemingway Rum Company reminded me of the wonderful times I had there.

La Terraza de Cojimar  Hemingways after Fishing Watering Hole

Florida Governor Rick Scott Vetoes Liquor Wall Bill

Gov. Rick Scott

     Florida's so-called "liquor wall" won't be coming down after all.  Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a bill late Wednesday that would have removed a Prohibition-era law requiring liquor to be sold in separate stores from groceries and other retail items.

     Twenty-nine other states have similar laws that allow spirits in the grocery aisles, but the bill gained stiff opposition from social conservatives concerned it would lead to increased alcohol consumption, alcoholism and underage drinking.   Yet it wasn't those concerns that swayed Scott. It was the pleas of independent liquor store owners and workers that led to his veto.   "I have heard concerns as to how this bill could affect many small businesses across Florida," Scott wrote in his veto letter. "I was a small business owner, and many locally owned businesses have told me how this bill will impact their families and their ability to create jobs."

     Scott gave few clues in the lead-in to his decision, but acknowledged on Tuesday that his family's history with alcoholism - his biological father and brother both suffered from it - gave him pause.   "I've had family members that have had the challenge of alcoholism and it concerns me," Scott told reporters Tuesday. "So as I review the bill, I take all those things into consideration." 

     Big-box retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Target, pushed for the bill the past four years and don't appear to be giving up on the idea.    "There is a clear momentum in Florida for this common-sense approach to liquor sales," said Michael Williams, spokesman for Floridians for Fair Business Practices, an advocacy group backed by Wal-Mart and Target. "We look forward to working with state leaders in the future to finally put an end to this outdated, Prohibition-era law."

     The bill was one of the most heavily lobbied pieces of legislation this year. As big retailers pushed for the measure, independent liquor stores and Orlando-based ABC Fine Wine & Spirits fought against it. Publix, which has gone to the expense of setting up liquor stores next -to its grocery stores, also opposed the legislation.

Here is What Those Who Responded to Yesterday's Blog are Asking For

     I kind of got the results that I thought from my question in yesterday's blog.  There are thousands of rums on the market and it a very difficult to know myself what they are with out a guide book.  For the customer at the bar it is even more difficult.  Here recently, there has been a real push for better classification of rum, something more substantial that just gold, dark, spiced or flavored. A prominent group of rum producers and vendors have gotten together and come up with a new classification system that makes it a lot easier to know what type of rum that you are buying.

     The Gargano Classification system gives buyers a much better understanding of what they are buying and makes it much easier to know the basis of the rums that they are buying.

The Gargano Rum Classification System

• Pure Single Rum – this would apply to all pure pot-still rums
• Single Blended Rum – blends of pot-still and column-still rums 
• Traditional Rum – traditional column-still rum 
• Agricole Rhums  - Appellation d’ Origine Controlle"  for rums produced on the island of Martinique that meet certain local standards. 
• Rum – all other rums

This is a a great basis for getting into the ballpark as to what you are buying, but with rum and it's minimal number of rules, there are many different tasting rums is each classification.  As a barman, it is critical for me to have a feel for the rums in the area of taste as well as classification.

     From the comments, you seem to want some one to guide you to a new rum similar to the one you like or in the range of the one you like. " I've tried matching rums to similar whiskeys, both in terms of quality and sweetness. I've never been successful that way, even with long-time friends. However, I think a flight of 3 or 4 rums of similar quality would be a great start. Have the potential "convert" pick her favorite of the flight, then present another flight built on that preference."   I too find this to be an excellent method to finalize a customer's selection.  To this end at the "Speakeasy Inn's Rum Bar", I created a "Rum Run" served in a prohibition era model boat.  Over the years, this has worked very well to finalize the decisions.

     It takes all of the parts of the game to put the correct rum into a customer's hands when you are serving the end customer.  I have found in the past a good list of your rums that is classified, in the past I've used the country of origin, but with a new and viable system of classification this would be the better way, especially if it is the standard industry wide.  But this is only the beginning to get your customer into the ball park.  You have to have the skills of a sommelier to finely get the rum the customer is looking for.

     Thank you for all of the input.  I see this is a great start, and I hope that the industry can agree to a new and accurate classification for the category.

As a Customer What Do You Need to Know to Switch to Rum

     Today I saw and participated in a really interesting debate about how rums should be presented on a menu of the restaurant or bar.  I know what I try to do as a barman, but it is really interesting to me so see what your feelings on the subject are.

     If you are a whiskey category drinker and I was trying to convince you to try rum, what do you want to know to get you to try a rum?  There are people that feel that they can offer you types of rums based on flavor or color in a menu form.  Others believe that rums can be presented as a list and let you rely on the server or barman to guide you like the sommelier would in the world of wine.   Some bring up the idea of price point to separate the expressions.

     What I'm doing here is asking you to comment here on the blog and give me a feeling on what would be more likely to bring you over to trying a rum.  I spend a lot of time with customers that are whiskey and other spirit drinkers and need the help from the customers as what information they need to try a rum.

Water With Your Rum, What a Concept

     There is a push on to get people to have a glass of water between drinks containing alcoholic beverages.  This is a concept that has been around for years and is quite effective in slowing the on come of intoxication.   Water is not usually offered to customers for free at establishments that serve alcoholic beverages, but there is a campaign in Europe and Great Britain that calls on trade venues to act on this concept.

     Many bars and nightclubs have signed on to this scheme and now are indicating that they will serve complimentary water to customers.  In addition, five major retail chains placed more than 650,000 neck hangers on bottles to encourage consumers to follow the guidelines when consuming alcohol at home.  

     “The objective is to slow the pace of drinking, reduce dehydration that occurs when consuming alcohol, and favor moderation on a night out.”   With the pressure on in many country and states to lower the level of blood alcohol from 0.08% to 0.05% for operation of motor vehicles, it is a good way to be able to enjoy an evening out without the risk of a D.U.I. going home afterwards.

26th Annual Minimal Regatta at Schooner Wharf Sunday

Open Class Boats

     Memorial Day Weekend is at hand this week and one of the most fun events of the year happens at Schooner Wharf.  The 26^th Annual Minimal Regatta is here.  A very “serious “ group of very creative boat builders have spent many hours creating their “scientifically” designed vessels for this fabulous race.
     Supplies are limited, but the creativity is endless at Schooner Wharf Bar on Sunday, May 27 for the 21st Annual Schooner Wharf Minimal Regatta.  Each 6 member team must build a boat seaworthy enough to stay afloat for the entire race course in the Key West Bight in front of Schooner Wharf. The catch---the boats are made of plywood, fasteners, duct tape, and 2' x 4's.  Construction kits can be bought at co-sponsor Manley de Boer on Eaton Street at a “minimal” price.


Minimal Regatta Construction Rules

• One sheet of 4' x 8' x 1/4" plywood
• Two 2"x 4" 8'
• One pound of fasteners
• One roll of 2" x 60 yard duct tape
• No caulking or adhesives - Epoxy paint is permitted
• Painting of boats is optional

Kayak Class

     There are two categories of “Minimal Vessels” -- Kayak/Canoe Design & Open Design. Competitors will win prizes in each design group for Fastest - 1st & 2nd Place. Other prizes are awarded for the Most Creative Design - 1st & 2nd Place, Best Paint Job, Best Costumed Entry, Sportsmanship Award, and Sinker Award.
     The $20 entry fee this year will benefit the Wounded Warriors Caribbean Cruise (46 Special Forces Group Association). Veterans on therapeutic leave from the Bethesda Navy and Walter Reed Army hospitals in Maryland enjoy a Caribbean cruise while escorted by members of the local VFW Post 3911.   “We make sure all their needs are taken care of, along with the veterans’ airfare and hotel stays,” said Ed Moran, commander of VFW Post 3911. “We’re excited to be a part of the Minimal Regatta and appreciative of its support for this Wounded Warrior project.”

 

Sinker Class oops

    Regatta registration opens at 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 27 with vessel inspection at 12:30 p.m. Spectators have a chance to get an up close look of the ingenious vessels and fun team costumes. There will be a course demonstration between 1:15 and 1:30 p.m., followed by a conch shell start by Captain Morgan.

 

The Aftermath of the Tough Racing LOL

Seeing The Public Enjoying Hemingway Rum Company

Pilar Today

     After a couple of weeks of soft openings at the Hemingway Rum Company it was a lot of fun to have a couple of days with the public.  I had a chance to see many friends that I hadn't seen since my retirement from the bar business a little over a year and a half ago.   The only drawback was that with nearly 500 or so people a day coming through the tasting bar, I wasn't able to spend much time with any of them. 

Ernest Hemingway

      I have watched Carlton Grooms and his crew working on this project for nearly four years now and I'm really happy to see the stress leave his face today when the VIP stuff finished up and the store opened up to the public.  Part of the reward for all their work came when the store was filled with people from the start on Saturday at 9 am. 


     Seeing the tribute to Ernest Hemingway's adventurous nature

Hemingway Wall

being the central theme of the store and the good quality rum being made in his honor is a wonderful thing to be around.  There are so many photographs of his exciting life, especially here in Key West that are built into the bar along with the ones on the Hemingway wall in the distillery area.  These help you to feel a part of this mans love of life and all the adventures that he lived.

Hemingway Rum Company Solera

     If you weren't able to attend this past weekends festivities, be sure to stop by one your next visit to Key West and see the Hemingway Rum Company at the corner of Greene and Simonton Streets.  It is a tour of adventure and rum, unlike any other anywhere.

Walked Out to Meet My New Neighbor

     Yesterday morning, I heard some squawking outside and looked up to be greeted by a new visitor on the sailboat next door.  It looks like a young Osprey, but he was anxious to say hi to his new neighbor and let everyone in the marina know that he was here.

     The Osprey is one of my favorite birds here in the Florida Keys, they are so majestic and beautiful to see.  They soar like an eagle, which makes sense, because they are a part of the eagle family.  Very efficient at snatching fish from the ocean with a high speed swoop over the surface of the water.  hey make their nests at the top of poles and other very tall places.






































    Say Hey to my new neighbor.

Hemingway Rum Company Now Open to the Public

Hemingway Rum Company

     After four years of work, the Hemingway Rum Company is finally open to the public today.  The public may visit the distillery between the hours of 9 am and 6 pm seven days a week.  You can stop by, take a tour, enjoy the Hemingway experience, sample our rum, enjoy the trading post and even buy a bottle of the rum to take home with you.   Under the guidance of Carlton Grooms, this magnificent distillery, museum and trading post is now open for all to experience.

Hamilton 350 Gallon Still

      Visitors can view the Hamilton Pot Still, that can produce up to 80 gallons of rum per day.  Guests will also be treated to an interactive displays, which allows them to learn many of the factors involved with the production of rum.  There are many unique attractions throughout the tour that pay tribute to “Papa” as Hemingway was known, including a swivel picture wall and several other displays of interest.  Following the tour, patrons will be provided a sampling experience of Papa’s Pilar dark and blonde rums in the facility’s Tasting Room, which includes a Hemingway inspired bar top, filled with newspaper clippings, photographs and other memorabilia.

     Visitors will be treated to interactive displays that will allow them to see, smell and follow the active of producing the rums.  Following the tour, patrons will be provided a sampling experience of ingredients and steps that are a part of making each of the rum expression.   Special exhibits throughout the tour pay tribute to “Papa” as Hemingway was known, including a swivel picture wall, the solera and all of the other parts Papa’s Pilar dark and blonde rums in the facility’s Tasting Room, which includes a Hemingway inspired bar top, filled with newspaper clippings, photographs and other memorabilia.

Trading Post and Tasting Bar

     Carlton “Carl” Grooms, Key West Director of Operations, will manage the production of the award-winning rums, with the help of four full-time managers and 40 part-time employees, whom are all local Key West residents.  “We’re excited to have created both a destination that will serve as the physical heart and soul of our brand, as well as an asset for the city of Key West,” said Grooms. “Our guests will be truly engaged and amazed with this unique experience. A trip to Key West will no longer be complete without a visit.”

For more information, please visit www.papaspilar.com,“like” us on  Facebook http://www.facebook.com/PapasPilarRum

Bahama Bob's Ginger Mint Daiquiri

     Summertime is Daiquiri time.  Down here in the keys on a hot and humid summer day, there is nothing nicer that a unique daiquiri.   I got fooling around with a new syrup that I made and found that it is very versatile for summer cocktails.  Everyone knows about the mojito and julep, all popular mint cocktails, but I was looking for something minty different.

     I came on the idea of mixing a nice dark rum with some ginger and my new mint syrup.  I went to work on the idea and came up with this one.

Bahama Bob's Ginger Mint Daiquiri

• 1 1/2 oz. Cartavio Black Barrel Rum
• 1/2 oz. King's Ginger Liqueur
• 1/2 oz. Bahama Bob's Mint Syrup

Place all ingredients in a shake with ice and shake until chilled.  Pour into a fluted rocks glass along with the ice.  Garnish with a mint sprig.

Bahama Bob's Mint Syrup

• 1 Cup of Sugar in the Raw
• 1 Cup of Water
• 4 Sprigs of Fresh Mint

Place sugar and water into a sauce pan.  Strip the mint from the stalk and crush with a rolling pin. Put on high heat and stir until sugar is dissolved lower heat to 170 degrees and add mint leaves.   Allow to slow boil for 2 to 3 minutes at 170 degrees and turn off the heat.  Allow to steep for 30 minutes and strain into a suitable container.  Keep in refrigerator, good for about two or three weeks.

Summer Parties and Over Boozing

     Summer is the season of endless indoor and outdoor boozy celebrations.  The season has arrived and the time to be out on the water, hiking in the mountains, or just parties in the yard.  Tis the season when alcohol is everywhere and can easily be overdone .   The big thing is that this is a normal event that happens every year, but what concerns me is that fun loving people don’t overdo it.

   

     Outdoor concerts and festivals are great places to party and enjoy an adult beverage of six, but make sure that you have a safe way home.  Have a designated driver, uber, lyft, taxi or public transportation, just don’t be driving after these outings.   Then there's the message that alcohol brings wild and crazy adventures into our lives, but it isn’t the alcohol, it is you.  The alcohol is just a facilitator that gives you the nerve to do what you would really like to do anyway.

     Many of your friends are picturing their drinking and party exploits on their twitter and Facebook pages daily.  Facebook offers more people lovingly hugging a bottle than hugging their spouses, but that is just people releasing the stress of a week that has had 5 days to build up with only 2 days to release it is why you will see a lot of the partying .  Turning to booze in tense times has much to do in our fast-paced lives, we want everything to happen lightning fast, even our stress relief, just down a couple drinks and everything will be good, we think anyway.   But not really.  "The bothersome thing is that it can becomes a habit, almost a reflex, to combat stress.  Being legal lends alcohol has an unspoken approval, but it has consequences if overdone.

Don Q Rum Has Released Reserva de la Familia Serralles

Roberto Serralles

     Roberto Serralles has released one of the most expensive and exclusive rums in the world.  They have released Don Q Reserva de la Familia Serralles 20 year old drawn from their most special barrels.  Available in the United States for around $1899.99 for a 750 ml.  

     In 1994, the Serralles family tasked themselves with aging a special rum in charred American white oak barrels. From this original lot of 36 barrels, the best samples were chosen for the creation of a truly sublime blend. This singular blend was combined and returned to the charred barrels for a few months so a balance between aroma and taste could be achieved. This special lot was named Reserva de la Familia Serralles, producing a rum robust in color and aroma, with a very silky and refined taste in the palate. The contact with the wood gives it a natural dark amber color which is both intense and brilliant. Its aroma has notes of vanilla oak, sweet air, touch of burnt wood and even a slight taste of molasses, which help build the character of this exceptional rum. It is deliciously smooth in the mouth while the sweet notes of rum are distributed evenly throughout the palate. Its aroma awakens the senses and at first sip sends a wave of warmth to the heart, literally in the center of the chest, where the spirit of a great rum is meant to be felt. Flavors linger for a while forever tied to the memory of a unique experience. 

     A masterpiece of the finest aged rums drawn from hand selected 20 year old single barrels from a special place in the oldest rum warehouses. Honey and exquisite nose that lingers with the woody essence of the rackhouse in which it has slept for so long. Sweet, bright honey notes with the elegance and complexity of an ancient cognac that gives way to warm tannins and a lingering mahogany and fig finish with notes of apricot. 

Barefoot Man in Key West this Week

     George Barefoot Man Nowak with Sea 'n B, one of the most fun entertainers around will be back in Key West this week. Barefoot Man kept the full to capacity crowd fully engaged for you  last year and is returning for some more fun on Friday and Saturday.  First he will be at Two Friends on Front Street will have George Barefoot Nowak with Sea 'n B in concert at 5:30 pm this Friday the 19th.  Plus a second concert Saturday the 20th at Truman Annex Multi - Complex Field at 7ish.

   George Barefoot Nowak, is a resident of Grand Cayman who can be found entertaining all over the Caribbean entertaining his hordes of fans.   Probably best known for his shows at Nipper's on Great Guana Cay in the Abacos Islands of the Bahamas.   His annual concerts there are always SRO and last from 1:00 in the afternoon until deep into the night.  His way of looking at life with the thoughts of "there might be a song there" eye for situations that when looked at with fun and great humor.  Playing weekly in Grand Cayman at the Wyndam Reef and Margaritaville Resort on Seven Mile beach, we are pleased that he is spending a weekend here in Key West to entertain us.

My Friend George in Grand Cayman

     He has been in movies like "the Firm" with Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman, along with playing nearly every week in Grand Cayman at the Wharf on Seven Mile Beach and The Reef on the east end of the island.

     I know, you probably haven't heard of him, but I promise you, if he is near, sit in on one of his
sessions, you'll be a fan for life.   I had several friends with me yesterday that became instant fans.  We all had a great time listening to life through the creative eye of The Barefoot Man.  Thank You George for another wonderful afternoon of listening to your stories and music.

Appleton Estate’s Joy Spence on the Brand’s Most Premium Blend Yet

     Rum seems to be having its moment. The spirit, a former component of seafarer's grog, has found a new audience in recent years. “Millennials!” shrieks Joy Spence, Appleton Estate’s celebrated master blender - the first woman in the world to hold the title and the brains behind Appleton’s new "Joy Anniversary Blend".

     “From London to Kingston, attitudes are changing,” explains Joy Spence.  “Young professionals between 25-40 years-old are actually drinking their rum neat and enjoying it for its sophistication and complexities.” Appleton’s new blend, an exclusive mix limited to only 1200 bottles, is sure to sate this newfound appetite.  As the name suggests, Appleton’s Joy Anniversary Blend is a celebration of their master blender, a woman whose superhuman sensory perception, chemical nous, she retains the highest BSc chemistry results in Loughborough University’s history, and larger-than-life character have propelled her to fame amongst the international rum community.

     “It’s called Joy, because that’s what people feel when they taste this blend for the first time - it also happens to be my name,” she jokes. A more appropriate name for the copper-colored rum might be "epiphany" - so revelatory is the flavor profile of the drink - but few names other than Joy best suit the vivacious mastermind behind the beverage.  “People are looking for a pure drink where all the flavors are derived from the process,” she says, stroking the curves of her namesake bottle, “there’s no additives in there”.

Joy Spence

     Much has been made lately of the so-called "rum revolution" and it’s artisanal drinks like this that are sinking the drink’s barnacled reputation as a pirate’s preserve. Tiki no more: premium rum is big business. Unlike wine, rum isn’t going to develop with age but - if you choose your bottle carefully - you could see a hefty return on your investment.  “The standard rum category is pretty flat” says Joy, “but premium rum is going to be hot. It’s predicted to be the next whisky.” Blessed with an indefinite shelf-life, to uncork a bottle of rum is to be transported to a moment in history. The Joy Anniversary blend for instance, is comprised of a 35-year-old and a 25-year-old matured rum - Jamaicans have gone mad for the stuff.

Read More at appletonestate.com

     Appleton Estate Joy rum can be sampled today at the Rum Bar at the Speakeasy Inn here in Key West.  This is a wonderful fum worth every penny of its price and can only be tasted in the finest rum bars around the world.

Grand Opening for Hemingway Rum Company

 
     After nearly four years of hard work, the Hemingway Rum Company Distillery and Trading Post will be opening its doors to the public on Saturday May 20th.  This is an exciting day for all of those that have worked on this project since the beginning.  Congratulations to all involved, and on your next visit to Key West, stop by the corner on Greene and Simonton streets and visit the Hemingway Rum Company.

Bahama Bob's Papa's Pilar Blonde Cosmo

     Sex and the City was promoting the sweet pink drink to the masses, Sasha Petraske was opening Milk & Honey on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. A speakeasy in which the bartenders made cocktails focused on true craftsmanship, they were drinks that sought to challenge the consumer, not simply provide them with an easy delivery method for booze. As music too was reacting to the bubblegum pop of this time period, drinks were as well and Sex and the City created The Cosmo.

     The exact origin of the Cosmopolitan is fuzzy at best, mostly because until the late ‘80s it was a similar drink that went by a different name.  In the late nineteenth century a cocktail was known as the Daisy, it emerged as a delicious drink that was loved for its ability to modify harsher flavors of booze. The classic recipe called for spirit, sweetener and citrus, which is similar to the structure of the Cosmo – this recipe is now known as the classic “sour family” recipe, because cranberry isn’t a citrus, it’s possible that this proven drink structure is the foundation for which the Cosmo is based.

     I prefer the use of a nice rum which unlike vodka has some flavor of its own and marries well with the other ingredients of the cocktail.  Give this one a try I feel like you will be really surprised.

Bahama Bob's Papa Pilar Blonde Cosmo

• 3 oz. Papa’s Pilar Blonde Rum
• 1 oz. Pierre Ferrand Dry Orange Curacao
• Juice of ½ Lime
• 1 oz. Cranberry Juice

Place all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a lemon zest.