Another Day and More Thing Getting Back to "Normal"

     Here we are just over a week after being slammed by Irma and things are starting to get back to some what normal.  The lines to get into the grocery stores are gone, people have been allowed to return to their homes and the debris is being cleared from the streets.

     Many of the businesses have reopened, making it possible for many of us to start repairing the damage to our residents.  I know that for me the opening of West Marine was a blessing for all of us that live on boats to be able to get the pieces and parts we need.  It has been  a week, but if has felt like a lifetime getting some of the basics back into operation.  What is really interesting is how much of the things we rely on on a regular basis that we take for granted mean so much when you get them back.

   I feel like a lot of the stress of getting things back into operation is behind many of us who stayed and getting underway for those that had to wait a week before being allowed to return.   To paraphrase W. C. Fields, "all in all I'd still rather be in Key West"  This is my home and it is paradise bruised even though it has been messed up a bit.  I know the people that live here and I know that they will bring it back to its former beauty very soon just like they did 12 years ago after Wilma.

     For Me, I was able to stop by the Rum Bar and enjoy a nice special rum with some old friends that had just returned and got to share the experiences of their travels to get away and back home.   It is always good to get together and talk about just plain stuff to get you on the road to recovery.

Today Residents Were Allowed Back Into Key West

     Today began the return of the residents.  For the first time, those that evacuated were allowed to return to their homes.  There were a number of businesses that call for their employees to come to work and begin the clean-up and get them ready for opening soon.

     Winn Dixie and one of the Publix grocery stores were open and had fairly well stocked shelves today.   For the first time there wasn't a two hour line in front of the stores to get inside.  Entry and exit was more like the normal.

     Power and water is getting  back on in more and more of the areas.  This is critical as the residents return.  However there have bee periodic power failures from time to time.  All things considered these haven't be much more that a nuisance.

     It was good to see so many of my friends returning and know that they had gotten out and back safely.   These post Irma get together's in the afternoon have really made the experience more enjoyable.  Keeping up the morale is so important in the face of the overwhelming tasks that have to be completed.  A mental break make it so much easier.

     Day to day things seem to improve and improvement is the most important ting to see in order to keep going under these conditions.

Time for Friends and Decompression , It has Been a Long Week

     A week later and here we are again with the friends that we started the experience with ant eh Schooner Wharf drinling some good rum and this time sharing stories of what has happened to us in the past seven days.  It is not something I want to go through on a regular basis, but it was good for the sole to see how tought mother nature can be.  Happy to be in such good shape at this time and still working on getting things back to normal, what ever that really is.

Day by Day Something Else has Come Back to Life here in Key West.

The Flag is Still Flying over Key West

     With the restoration of cell phone and internet service, several of my friends have called and asked if I’d go by their houses and take pictures so they could at least have an idea of what they were facing.  The restoration of communication is probably from a mental point of view the biggest thing that has come back to us.  It was nice to not have the Facebook, twitter etc. distraction while trying to get everything back up and operational, but knowing that my family and friends were worried about all of us and no way of knowing what had occurred.

 

Utility Workers putting the Infrastructure Back Together

    Several of people I know evacuated to Orlando during the hurricane and then drove back south to try to get back to their homes, only to be stopped at Homestead or at Mile Marker 70 and told to turn around.  The frustration caused because they are not allowed back in can be heard in their voices.  Many say their house s are OK and the road leading to it is passable, but the real problem is that there are a minimal number of grocery stores open and the ones that are open have lines for blocks to get into the store.   There is barely enough gas for the police who are on a constant patrol throughout the cities and the minimal medical capabilities would make it nearly impossible to take care of the “normal” problems without adding to the heat related injuries of everyone here without power and no AC to cool down in.  Dehydration and heat issues seem to be the biggest source of physical issues for the people as they try to do the “heavy lifting to clean up in these 90 to 95 degree humid temperatures we are experiencing.  "I'll never leave again", I’ve heard over and over again from frustrated friends.  I knew from Wilma that this was how it would be , so that was a big reason I stayed.

Thanks to All the Police that are Patrolling throughout the Keys

Despite a lack of services and a sundown-to-sunup curfew in Key West, there were several locals have been seen driving, bicycling and walking around the island.  It does you a lot of good to just get out and be able to do some of your normal things like riding the bicycle to town and communicate with many of the friends that chose to stay and share some of the experiences.

FEMA People, Our Wonderful Military Personnel 

Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo, whose district includes the Florida Keys, said aboard the plane Monday, "It's clear that there's a lot of work to be done and this community's going to need a lot of support." He added that there are some "logistical challenges" in getting goods and services to the Keys, he called for a "robust" funding plan for FEMA and said Congress can't fund FEMA "month to month."   "To see the Florida Keys dark so to speak, as such a vibrant exciting part of our country that I'm blessed to represent," Curbelo said, "to just see everything at a standstill, and Key West as a ghost town, that was very striking for me."

Of Course, The Hurricane Hole is Still Standing

Key West is Coming Back Faster than Thought

     It has been a very quiet few days without telephone, or internet.  It came back on line last night so I figured that my forced vacation is over and it was time to start writing again.   Marta and I fared well all things considered, but we do have damage to our boat.  It is still livable and most of the systems are still functioning.

     I have to put a shout out to all of the rapid response, emergency workers, and those that have been on working endless hours to get the infrastructure back operating here.  We currently have water for six hours a day, electricity, and now cell phone and internet services functioning.  Plus I have to thank those and to US 1 Radio station, who were on the air getting out all the necessary information to us down here.  They were great, without them, we would not known who was open, where to get food and water, or any of the other information allowing us to get through for four days.

Out the Window Early Morning

Home Sweet Home, Still Floating

     I want to thank every one that sent us messages on Facebook and texts for caring so much.  We are working hard to get everything functioning again.  It has been a tough experience for all of the residents of the Florida Keys. Those who evacuated and can't get back to their houses and life, and those of us that stayed.  The worst of this experience was the aftermath of the storm.  We rode out the storm with some very good friends and were able to provide a mutual support system, but with it over it is what seems like endless hours fixing what we can and hoping that the store that carry the parts necessary to make repairs will be open soon.

The Sun is Rising Over the Keys and We are All Key West Tough Enough to Make it Through

   The best news was that I did not lose a single bottle of rum on the boat, however we have shared a few bottles with our friends here on the docks in the evenings.

Calm Before the Storm

     This is the calm before the storm here in Key West.  I'm hoping that this will still be the scene when Irma has left us.  Best wishes to all that are and have been affected by this "Mean Bitch".  We will see you on the other side.

Final Preparation for Hurricane Irma in Key West

     Now that most of the preparation is complete and all of the windows and doors have been boarded up, it is time for those of us staying in Key West to put the final touch on before the "bitch" arrives.  It is a tradition on the island to gather at one of the open establishments and party in a big way to get mentally ready.

     Thursday was at the Conch Republic Seafood Company, better know as the "Conch Farm".   Open today from 4 til 7 for one of the locals that are staying on the island to have a couple of more "Happy Hours" before its arrival.  Literally hundreds of the locals gathered to let off a little steam and hang out with each other and relieve some of the stress being brought on by the impending storm.

     It is a lot of work to get storm ready, but when it is complete getting mentally ready before hunkering down is also very important.  This is a bunch of rightfully nervous people, sitting and waiting to see what Irma has in store for us.  Rather than just sitting around and letting the stress of anticipation make you nuts, the hurricane party is a really important part of the preparation before it is time to go inside and watch the storm rattle the island.

     Now we are really ready and it is time to go inside and "Try to Reason With Hurricane Season".  As much as we make light of it to get us through, all of us are taking this storm very serious and have already got the preparation complete.  It is time to go inside and wait.  Looking forward to this being behind us and get back to "Key West Normal".

     It was conscientious among the crowd attending the yesterdays final hurricane party at the Conch Farm as to how we felt about this bitch Irma.

Preparation for Irma is Mostly Complete Around the Island

     Today the town is beginning to look like a ghost town, most of the people that are leaving have already left.  Marta and I are staying and making all of the final preparations for the storm.  Still not sure if we are staying on the land or the boat as of yet, but do have several options to stay on land.   Yesterday afternoon we gathered with a few others that were left on the island for a little bit of relaxing before things start to get more serious.

     That being said, we are riding around the island seeing how people have secured their places for the storm.  One of first businesses to board up was the Hemingway Rum Distillery.  They were boarded up on Tuesday and had everything secured by then.

     Yesterday I visited with several friends that are leaving the island as they put the final touches on their houses and yards.  One friend had a landscape person in to pull all of the coconuts off of the trees and to prune them back, giving them a better chance of survival in the winds.  The preparation varies from one place to another, the variety of the residential environment.   The marina, condo’s, houses, trailers and so many other structures all have to be prepared in different ways.

 

     In the marina, sailboats are all pulling down their sails and everyone is taking the Bimini tops

down and securing all of the loose items around the docks.  Houses are boarding up, condoes are closing the shutters and business are mostly closed, but like so many times before there are people here in Key West that will stay and hunker down and make the best of it.  These are the people that will get the island up and running again once the danger has passed.

Duval Street Boarded up and Ready

New Rum Distillery on Uninhabited Lamb Holm Island

Lamb Holm Island, Northern Scotland

     A tiny uninhabited Orkney Island, located in Northern Scotland, has started producing rum.  The island of Lamb Holm is best known as the location for the Italian Chapel but it is now also home to one of Scotland’s few rum distilleries.   J Gow Rum aims to produce between 12,000 and 15,000 bottles a year.  Named after notorious Orkney pirate John Gow, the distillery laid down its first barrels, thought to be the first ever laid on Orkney – in mid-August.  Orkney island of Lamb Holm, now one of the smallest rum-producing islands in the world.

     As it prepares to launch its inaugural product, a spiced rum, to date J. Gow has produced 38,000 litres of wash from six tons of molasses and distilled 20 runs on the still.  The resulting liquid has been decanted into Italian chestnut barrels, chosen for their compatibility with the cold Orkney climate.   Former former whisky casks are currently being reconditioned and will be filled in the coming weeks and months.  J. Gow Spiced Rum is “made with a blend of spices from around the world including two secret ingredients grown in Orkney”, and will offer citrus and cinnamon notes with a hint of vanilla and a “warming spice finish”.

Colin van Schayk, whose family own a wine business – Orkney Wine – also based on Lamb Holm, is behind the scheme.  He said: “It’s a light golden rum with hints of orange, cinnamon and vanilla. Ultimately we want it to be super smooth so you can drink it without mixer, because you should be able to drink it straight or with your favorite mixer.”

   

     A release date has not yet been announced. The distillery also plans to release a second variety of barrel-aged rum will be released in the near future, with “an entire range of products” to follow.

El Floridita is Celebrating its 200th Year

The Cuban home of the Daiquiri turns 200 in 2017, a milestone that I wish I could be there to celebrate.

    Daiquiri Season is upon us and it is natural that our thoughts to go the cradle of the daiquiri, El Floridita in Havana.  This month marks the 200^th anniversary of the El Floridita's.  The iconic bar and restaurant first opened it  doors in 1817 as La Piña de Plata (the silver pineapple) in the same location where the bar is still located today on the corner of Obispo and Monserrate Streets just a few blocks from the Square in Old Havana.

Constante Ribalaigue Vert, Owner

     The bar drew international fame thanks to the hard work of Constantino Ribalaigua Vert, a Catalan immigrant that got his start as a cantinero (bartender). It was Vert who turned the bar into a daiquiri destination and invented the Frozen Daiquiri in the 1930s.  

Ernest Hemingway and Constante

     El Floridita has become a magnet for noted authors and famous dignitaries from around the world.  Ernest Hemingway, virtually made El Floridita his home in the Forties, he famously requested his daiquiri with no sugar and double the rum, that would become known as "Papa Doble" or Hemingway Special.

Group at Constante's Grave for a Daiquiri Toast

     My friend Julio Cabrera, first brought me to the El Floridita in 2013. Julio Cabrera is a Cuban “cantinero” who resides in Miami and considers himself the unofficial ambassador to El Floridita.  He brings international bartenders to Havana for cultural exchanges.  Cabrera says, "Every time I take American bartenders there, the El Floridita's cantineros put them behind the bar and teach them how to make the daiquiri in a blender. Having done this myself, it was very exciting and fun, but learning to make the “Papa Doble and the El Floridita Daiquiri was priceless. "The bar is 100 percent hospitality. It's not just about the daiquiris. It's about the profession and the cantineros. It's one of the best bars in the world."

     Hopefully the El Floridita whose fame came to light when Ernest Hemingway and his love of daiquiris,  remains one of the strongholds of Havana cocktail scene.  I have to say that I never miss a chance to visit El Floridita when I'm in Havana.  You will never be treated any better or get any finer daiquiri.

Ron Caney a Historic Rum That Originated from the Cuban Bacarti Rum Factory

     A friend of mine called me the other day and asked if I knew anything about Ron Caney Rum from Cuba.  I had to admit that I had heard about it from my visit to Santiago de Cube, but I had never tasted it.  My only exposure prior to now was at the Museo de Ron in Santiago de Cuba.   It turns out to be an interesting rum with a very interesting history.

     Produced from molasses extracted from sugarcane grown in the south of Cuba.  Ron Caney is bottled and aged in the city of Santiago de Cuba.   Ron Caney takes its name from the peculiar cone-shaped house, “El Caney”, built by the indigenous Cubans. 

     Ron Caney contains all the tradition of Ron Ligero, (light rum) a rum with years of ageing in white oak barrels, that is  said to be “the color of bottled sunshine.”   It is considered the best of the Ron Ligero created by Facundo Bacardi in his distillery in Santiago de Cuba in 1862 and was the first rum to undergo an ageing process. 

     With the coming of the Cuban revolution in 1959 and the nationalization of all the factories, including the distillery in Bacardi decided to emigrate to the United States believing that the tradition “ronera” in Cuba would cease without them.

But the story doesn’t go like this. The distillery with all its barrels and, above all, the “maestros Roneros” remained in Cuba, and three years later, in 1962, the brand Ron Caney was officially born and has become “el ron de la Revolución.” (The Rum of the Revolution) Ron Caney has been produced for 150 years , bottled and aged in the same barrels and in the same distillery in Santiago de Cuba, thus continuing a centuries-old tradition in always different social and political contexts.

     The sugarcane grown in the land surrounding Santiago de Cuba, holds the secrets to the production of rum, the history and culture of the city of Santiago de Cuba, the “priceless knowledge of the Roneros Maestros”, all add to the continued quality of the Ron Caney.  The care and the unchanged old recipe and the authentic tradition of the “Maestros Roneros” handed down over the years, have brought Ron Caney to remain unchanged and unaware of the passing of time, it is truly a one of a kind rum.

Happy Labor Day All

     Labor Day is a day for picnics, Bar-B-Que on the patio or the aft deck of your favorite boat.  When you have time on the decks it is without a doubt time for a nice cocktail.  Here is an idea I think that you might enjoy.

Bahama Bob's Labor Day Daiquiri 

• 2 oz.  Papa’s Pilar Blonde Rum
• 1 oz.  St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• ½ oz.  Grapefruit Juice
• ¼ oz. Honey Syrup
• Top Off with Tonic Water

Combine all ingredients in a shaker fill with ice cubes and shake well. Strain into a chilled Daiquiri glass and top up with tonic water, to taste.  Garnish, you can be creative with.  To make the Honey Syrup, just heat a half cup of water and add a 1/2 cup of honey and warm until they blend together.  allow to cool and it is ready to use.

Thinking about a Pink Flowering Ginger and Granada

     Granada is one of those islands that just exude beauty.  Everywhere you turn, you are surrounded bu the beauty of the land, sea and the sky.  One of the tings that caught my attention was the wide variety of tropical flowering plants.  This is a Pink Flowering Ginger  that got my attention because of it's unique shape and color.

Pink Flowering Ginger

Bacardi Promises $100,000 to Hurricane Harvey Victims

     Bacardi has pledged to donate up to $100,000 to support its business partners and members of the public who have been affected by Hurricane Harvey.   The drinks group will immediately donate US$50,000 to the Southern Glazer's Employee Relief Fund, which was established earlier this week to help employees in the Texas region.  Southern Glazer’s distributes Bacardi’s spirits portfolio in more than 40 US markets.

     Bacardi intents to match up to an additional US$50,000 of Bacardi employees’ contributions to the fund, as well as the American Red Cross, the Houston Food Bank/Feeding Texas, the Houston Humane Society or the Salvation army.

     Pete Carr, regional president for Bacardi in North America, said: “While we do not have offices directly impacted by the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, we do have 300 people in our extended family within Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits who are directly affected.”

Bahama Bob's Creme de Mure Daiquiri

     School in back in session, and it time for some more refined cocktails as we sit on the aft deck or the patio.  This is a great time of the year to enjoy a unique and flavorful daiquiri.  Here is an idea for a wonderful daiquiri that fits the season just perfectly.  This is a slightly tart daiquiri that is perfect to that early evening chill time.

Bahama Bob’s Crème de Mure Daiquiri

2 ½ oz. Doorly’s White Rum

1 oz. Dolin Dry Vermouth

2 oz. Bahama Bob’s Crème de Mure (Blackberry Liqueur 

1 oz. Lemon Juice
3 drops Angostura Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until Chilled. Strain into a chilled Martini glass and float 3 drops of Angostura bitters on top. Garnish with a lemon twist.

 Bahama Bob’s Creme de Mure

• 12 Oz.  Blackberries freshor frozen
• 14 Oz. Good Cabernet Sauvignon Wine
• 12 Oz.  Sugar in the Raw
• 10 Oz. Doorly’s White Rum

Pick over the blackberries and remove any stalks or leaves. Tip into a large ceramic or glass bowl and pour over the wine. Use a potato masher to crush the fruit into the wine. Cover with a tea towel and leave to macerate in a cool place for 2 days, mashing occasionally.

Pour the mixture through a plastic sieve, then pass again through the sieve or a colander lined with a square of muslin to remove any bits.  Tip the juice into a pan and add the sugar. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then simmer for 5 mins. Leave to cool, then stir in the rum. Using a small jug, pour into bottles, then seal and label. It’s ready to use straight away. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight for up to 1 year.

Anheuser-Busch Pauses Beer Production to Send Water To Harvey Victims

     I don't usually talk about things other that rum, but once in a while I run across things like this.  Anheuser - Busch stepping up to the plate and producing 155,000 plus cans of water to be taken to the people of Texas that are in need of all of the help they can get.  Nice job Anheuser - Busch.

      Beer production was halted at the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Cartersville, Georgia on Monday and trucks were sent out with emergency deliveries - truckloads of clean drinking water for Hurricane Harvey victims.  The first shipment arrived at the American Red Cross in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on Monday, and two more shipments were sent to Arlington, Texas.  The cans of water - more than 155,000 of them in total - were sent courtesy of the Anheuser-Busch emergency drinking water program. "Putting our production and logistics strengths to work by providing safe, clean drinking water is the best way we can help in these situations," Bill Bradley, Anheuser-Busch's Vice President for Community Affairs, said in a statement.

     According to the statement, the brewery in Cartersville halts production as needed to prepare drinking water to help with community relief efforts.   Anheuser-Busch says it has provided over 76 million cans of clean emergency drinking water during disasters since 1988. In 2016 alone, the company sent water to Flint, Michigan, California communities plagued by wildfires, and victims of Hurricane Matthew.

     Harvey has caused widespread flooding affecting hundreds of thousands of people in Houston, Texas and surrounding areas. The storm has dumped unprecedented rainfall on the city for four consecutive days, and the worst may be yet to come.

Here's how you can join in to help the victims.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/houston-flooding-hurricane-harvey-recovery-how-to-help-donate/

http://kdvr.com/2017/08/28/millercoors-sending-cans-of-water-to-hard-hit-victims-of-harvey/?utm_source=Daily+Brew&utm_campaign=37e3aa073d-The+Daily+Brew%3A+August+29%2C+2017&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_935b7e0b70-37e3aa073d-28015285

http://www.timescall.com/business/ci_31258728/oskar-blues-halts-beer-production-longmont-can-water

What is it that Yeast Really Does in Rum Making?

Filling the Fermenter with Molasses

     Water, a derivative of the sugar cane and yeast, one of the three raw materials needed to make

Rum, but can it have an impact on the flavor of the rum?   Function or flavor?  Yeast’s primary role in rum-making is to ferment sugar and produce alcohol. 

     It’s not as simple as who is right. You need yeast to make rum. It is one of the three elements permitted in rules to make rum. The question is does the yeast used have a direct effect on specific flavors in the new rum?  There are different opinions on this subject depending on where in the world and what type of spirit you are making.  American Bourbon producers and the Japanese will use strains unique to their distillery.

Fermentation Underway

     Yeast is a single-celled fungus which comes in a multitude of different species.  Distillers have been known to go to extremes when it comes to their yeasts, even to the point of guarding them and their strain as a proprietary part of their spirit.   Distillers have learned to utilize yeast’s ability to mutate and be bred in such a manner that will produce specific aromas.   In all cases, the yeast eats the sugar and produces alcohol, carbon dioxide and heat, but in this process flavors are created.

     “The species isolated and used by the industry are called Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but there are many strains of this, all of which give different flavor profiles – a Champagne yeast will be different to a red wine yeast, while the multitude of yeasts used by brewers are key to the huge range of different flavors produced in beer and wine.  Yeast is also continually breaking down sugars and proteins into amino acids, these are the building blocks of flavors.  This chemical reaction is the basis of individual flavor, and yeasts can be bred to enhance specific elements that create these flavors.”

There is a very complete article on this subject that was very well written by the “Whiskey Professor at https://scotchwhisky.com/magazine/ask-the-professor/15315/does-yeast-affect-the-flavour-of-whisky/ .   You might want to give this article a good look if you are interested in the subject.

Heavy Duty Fermentation as Yeast is in Action

     Richard Seale, a well known Rum producer, made the following comments about the subject.  “People are often surprised that we do not boast our very own ‘proprietary yeast strain’ like every other rum distiller does to stale effect.  Sorry to disappoint, our approach is more akin to our Scottish brethren.”   “I was visiting a Bourbon distillery in Kentucky recently and was told how important yeast was in the making of their flavor. But, when I asked the same question in Scotland, I was told that yeast didn’t make a difference at all. Who is right?”

     This is a subject that has been up for debate since the beginning of time when It comes to spirit production.  I personally feel like there might be something there, but there are things that make a bigger impact on how the finished product tastes and smells.

Vote Today for Your Favorite Craft Rum Distillery

     USA Today’s 10 Best travel and lifestyle events are very well known and always a good indication of what is going on around the United States.  We are right in the middle of the 10 Best Craft Rum Distillery Contest right now.  Look over the list of candidates and vote today at http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-craft-rum-distillery-2017/ . 

     Sugarcane plantations in the Caribbean began distilling rum during the 17th century from molasses, an inexpensive byproduct of the sugar refining process. The spirit came to the U.S. in 1664 with the opening of the first rum distillery on Staten Island and continued to grow in popularity through the Revolutionary War. Rum has come a long way since those early days, and distilleries across the nation are experimenting with how to craft the finest variations. We asked a panel of American spirits experts to nominate 20 of the best craft rum distilleries in the USA. Many of these distilleries work in small batches using locally-sourced ingredients. Many are family-owned. Many painstakingly distill their spirits using a blend of traditional and modern techniques. All take pride in crafting unique rums worthy of sipping as well as mixing.  Which is your favorite? Vote once per day until polls close on Monday, September 11 at noon ET. The 10 winning distilleries determined by your vote will be announced on Friday, September 15. 

Here are the current leaders, but you can add your opinion by voting for your favorite.

• 1. Wicked Dolphin - Cape Coral, Fla.
• 2. Tailwinds Distilling - Plainfield, Ill.
• 3. Roulaison Distilling Co - New Orleans
• 4. Lyon Distilling Company - St. Michaels, Md.
• 5. New Holland Artisan Spirits - Holland, Mich.
• 6. Lost Spirits Distillery - Los Angeles
• 7. Malahat Spirits - San Diego
• 8. Allegheny Distilling - Pittsburgh
• 9. Cutwater Spirits - San Diego
• 10. Calwise Spirits Co - San Diego
• 11. Still 630 - St. Louis
• 12. Richland Distilling Company - Richland, Ga.
• 13. Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery - Swisher, Iowa
• 14. Cannon Beach Distillery - Cannon Beach, Ore.
• 15. 3 Howls Distillery - Seattle
• 16. Privateer Rum - Ipswich, Mass.
• 17. The Noble Experiment NYC - Brooklyn, N.Y.
• 18. Artisan Grain Distillery - Davenport, Iowa
• 19. Do Good Distillery - Modesto, Calif.
• 20.Sutherland Distilling Company - Livermore, Calif

     These are the distilleries chosen by the expert panel put together to nominate the twenty distilleries to compete in this year’s voting to be named as part of the “10 Best.  The panel charged with the job of nominating the candidates consists of Emily Arden Wells, Martin Cate, Brian Christensen, Laura Johnson and Arthur Shapiro. 

     Remember you only have until Noon, September 11, 2017 to place your votes.

How is Rum Dealing with the Sales Decline in the United States?

Rum's Future is Premium and Ultra-Premium Aged Rums

     2016 found the rum category in decline, 1.2% or 22.1 million nine-liter cases.  This is believed to be because of consumer interest shifting in the US to whiskey and tequila.  A decade ago the rum category added 2 million cases between 2006 and 2011.  This was its highest annual volume growth of all time.   Unfortunately, the last five years have brought on a reversing of that trend and the rum category has lost 0.9 million cases between 2011 and 2016.  This translates to a -0.8% compound annual growth rate.   The biggest losers are the front running brands like Bacardi and Captain Morgan with a 57% share of category volume are the biggest cause of this negative overall growth with a compound annual growth rate of -3.4% and -0.7% respectively.  If Bacardi and Captain Morgan were taken out of the rum category figures, rum would have grown at 1.2% compound annual growth rate between 2011 and 2016, which would translate last year to an increase of 2.5% last year.

     Smaller rum brands are thriving, this is thought to be driven by the strong interest in Tiki cocktails as well as the many classic rum cocktails that remain so popular in the bars and home cocktailers.  The mojito, daiquiri, Cuba-libre and other popular tropical cocktails aren’t showing any signs of slowing down, which further helps drive this cocktail demand.  This growth as appeared mostly among artisanal imports and domestic craft brands.    

  

     The biggest issue for the rum category is seasonality.  People on vacation find themselves enjoying tropical drinks that seem to be forgotten once they head home and the fall and winter set in.   Florida followed by California lead the United States for rum consumption.  This is believed to be thanks to their year-round summery climates and reputation as a year-round vacation destination.  

Both Bacardi and Captain Morgan have had difficulty remaining the sales giants they once were and caused category drag in the standard and value price quality segments.  The good news is that there is a big rum category, consumer interest in premium and ultra-premium expressions.   Rum premiumization is growing rapidly and is seen to be the segment to be the area where rum will see its biggest gains in the future.   Premium and ultra-premium rum segments are small, but drinkers are finding that high end rums are just as appealing and flavorful like the other dark spirits and a lot of growth is coming in this area.   The premium and ultra-premium expressions have gained a 3.3% sales gain since 2011, reaching 9% of total category sales volume.  This is ahead of the global pace, which could show well for the higher quality rum expressions in the United States in the coming years.