Key West is Back to Normal for Us

     Sitting in the helm, looking to the west out of the marina and you have another of the beautiful sunsets that Key West is so famous for.   I so enjoy them, and especially from the high view from the helm of our home.

Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries Introduce Bly Silver Rum

     American spirits producer Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries has expanded its range with the launch of Bly Silver Rum.   Bly Silver Rum is distilled in small batches using molasses sourced in Pennsylvania.   The distillery’s new white rum is produced in small batches using molasses sourced from the Pennsylvania countryside.

      Barry Young, master distiller, said: “For Bly it was my goal to push the flavor profile so it had a good amount of flavor, picked up the characteristics of the molasses and was not over distilled, which can create a neutral spirit that has no flavor at all.     Rum is produced using the distillery’s ‘unique’ mash method, which gently warms the molasses rather than cooking it, to prevent a burnt tasting spirit.   Each batch produced yields 600 bottles of Bly Silver Rum, which has “notes of butterscotch and vanilla” with a clean finish.

     Bly Silver Rum is now available through Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board stores, as well as in other US states, including  California, Delaware, Florida and Illinois.   The spirit will roll out to further states, including Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, in May.

The Bly Silver Rum joins Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries’ core range, which also includes Boyd and Blair Potato Vodka.

WOW What a week this has been!

Marta and I in 2008

     Monday we got the boat back after the repairs were completed from Irma's rage and we spent




Tuesday getting moved back on the boat,   Wednesday was a work day and Yesterday was Marta's and my 43 Wedding Anniversary.


     Did I mention that yesterday was a work day as well?  What I'm saying is this week was really special and we have really enjoyed it.  The smiles are running from ear to ear.

     This is all I have, promise I'll be back to normal by tomorrow.

Injectable Bio Chip Created to Monitor Alcohol Use

The Chip When Compared to a Penny

     There has been a tiny biochip in the US developed to be injected into the body to monitor alcohol levels over a prolonged period, with the aim of supporting patients in substance abuse programs.  The chip has been developed by engineers at the San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, and can be implanted just under the surface of the skin and is powered wirelessly by a wearable device, such as a smartwatch or patch.

     “The ultimate goal of this work is to develop a routine, unobtrusive alcohol and drug monitoring device for patients in substance abuse treatment programs,” said Drew Hall, an electrical engineering professor at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering who led the project.   “A tiny injectable sensor—that can be administered The Chipin a clinic without surgery—could make it easier for patients to follow a prescribed course of monitoring for extended periods of time.”    The chip itself contains a sensor that is coated with alcohol oxidase, an enzyme that selectively interacts with alcohol to generate a byproduct that can be electrochemically detected. The electrical signals are transmitted wirelessly to a nearby wearable device such as a smartwatch, which also wirelessly powers the chip. 

     Breathalyzers are one of the most common ways to monitor blood alcohol levels, but are clunky, require patient cooperation and can be inaccurate, Hall noted, while a blood test is accurate but requires the expertise of a trained professional. 

 “We don’t want the chip to have a significant impact on the battery life of the wearable device. And since we’re implanting this, we don’t want a lot of heat being locally generated inside the body or a battery that is potentially toxic,” Hall said.  A provisional patent on the technology has already been filed, and researchers have tested the chip on pig skin, with plans to extend trials to live animals in the future.

Read More at https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2018/04/injectable-bio-chip-created-to-monitor-alcohol-use/

Emperor Rum Reveals Two New Expressions

Emperor Lily White Rhum

       Emperor Rum has added two new expressions to its portfolio, including an aged white rum and a super-premium limited-edition bottling.    The new variants, called Emperor Lily White and Emperor Private Collection, were unveiled at Rhum Fest in Paris last weekend (7, 8 and 9 April).

     Emperor Lily White is bottled at 42% abv and is a blend of rums aged up to 12 years. It is charcoal-filtered and described as “elegant, rich and surprisingly intense” for a white rum.   The Private Collection is also bottled at 42% abv and was first matured for two to five years in French and American oak barrels.   The liquid was then finished in Château Pape Clément oak casks to deliver a “rich rum” with “warm, spicy notes”. Only 15,000 bottles have been created.

     Christophe Aulner, the Lookout Group executive chairman, said: “We have put a lot of time and effort into each step of the production and maturation of Emperor, using selected casks and techniques that push the boundaries of the category.”     Emperor will be supporting the growth of its rum range with a social media outreach programme this year, which will aim to educate consumers about the brand and encourage online interaction through new visual assets.

The Journey is Complete, Sanity Too is Back in Her Slip

Lil Sanity Headed Back to Her Slip.

     Five Am, we were up and packing up all of the stuff that has kept us going for the past 4 months
.  Move Lil Sanity into a temporary slip and headed for the boat yard.   At 8;30 am, the hoist slipped around her and the crew begant to hook up the sling and she was lifted off of the stands and headed for the water.

Sanity Too Splash Time

     Somewhere in the area of 9:00 am, the boat slipped into the water.  The journey back to Sunset  Marina was underway.  It took us just a little over an hour to complete the journey and back her into her slip and secure the lines.  With a little bit of work to fix a couple of things she is now in full operation tonight.  The AC has just about got the boat cooled down, so sleeping will be comfortable tonight.

Sanity Too Enters Key West Harbor

     Now as the sun is setting on Sunset Marina, I can take a picture
from the front deck and enjoy the beauty of the day turning into evening.  Thank goodness we are back home again.

Sanity Too Sunset in Her Slip

Former President Bill Clinton Working on Efforts Toward Hurricane Recovery in the Caribbean

Former President Bill Clinton

     Former President Bill Clinton is lending his convening powers and the Clinton Foundation’s resources to help the hurricane struck Caribbean as it struggles to rebuild months after hurricanes Irma and Maria.  At the request of leaders in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands,Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda, the Clinton Foundation said Thursday that it will launch a new organization — the Action Network on Post-Disaster Recovery — on behalf of the two U.S. territories and two eastern Caribbean nations to secure long-term investments to help. The first meeting will be held April 3 at the University of Miami with 300 to 400 representatives expected from businesses, government and non-governmental organizations.

      “Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Caribbean community are in need, and we must answer that call,” Clinton said in a statement. “Together with leaders from government, business, and civil society, we can demonstrate what is possible when we come together and bring our collective will and resources to bear on this crisis. We have a responsibility to act, for the people who are still suffering, and for all the future generations in the region.”

     On Wednesday, Clinton presided over a meeting in New York where representatives of some of the governments and others involved in the recovery detailed the needs of the islands. Following the meeting, Clinton announced commitments to rebuild schools and homes in Dominica; the installation of solar equipment at primary care clinics in Puerto Rico; and the distribution of remote Zika testing for pregnant women across the region. He and others hope to build on those commitments as they solicit additional investments in the areas of energy, infrastructure, health, education and economic development. Clinton plans to visit Dominica and the U.S. Virgin Islands next week to see recovery efforts firsthand.

     This story has a lot more to it and you can read it inits entirety at

  http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article197761039.html 

Sanity Too Returns To the Sea.

     Tomorrow is a very special day for Marta and I, Sanity Too, our floating home is being splashed tomorrow at 8:30 am.  After nearly four months in dry dock for repairs from Irma we are moving back aboard her.

     We are making the voyage from Robbie's Boatyard to Sunset Marina with a number of our friends, this is going to be a fun event over and above getting our home back.

Who Makes the Real Cuban Rum?

     I guess that this battle is going to be one of those never ending battles that will rival the 100 year war before it is over.   It is an interesting “rum war” with so many different tactics that continue to keep both sides in the press almost weekly.

     It's a fight over ownership, heritage, revolution and rum.  It's a dispute that has lasted for decades over who is a "real" Cuban, and pits US rum powerhouse Bacardi against French spirits giant Pernod Ricard and its association with the Castro regime to produce Havana Club, the best known Cuban brand.   It involves court battles over trademarks, legislation in the US Congress, and deep feelings of nostalgia and loss.

     Bacardi has launched an all-out marketing offensive to stake its claim to the US market for its version of Havana Club, made with the original recipe purchased in 1994 from the brand's founders, the Arechebala family.

     But Pernod Ricard insists its Havana Club is the authentic version since it is distilled in Cuba with 100 percent Cuban ingredients.  "Pernod Ricard joined forces with the government in order to get profits from that stolen property," Bacardi brand executive Roberto Ramirez told AFP.   The Castro government's Cuba Ron SA swooped in and registered the name with US authorities, but because of the US trade embargo against the island nation could not sell Havana Club to the key American market. 

Bacardi began selling its Havana Club in 1995, produced in Puerto Rico and sold in the US market with the slogan: "Forced from home. Aged in Exile. Forever Cuban."   The Arechebala and Bacardi families were forced from home in the aftermath of Castro's revolution and had all their assets seized, including their rum-making factories.   While Bacardi had already established distilleries offshore, including in Puerto Rico, the Arechebalas, who had been making Havana Club since 1934, and distilling rum for decades before that, did not have the resources to start over, so their US trademark lapsed in 1974.

Since 1993, the Cuban company has been co-owned with Pernod Ricard, the world's number two spirits maker, which sued Bacardi for using the trademark.  The firm dismisses the Puerto Rican version as an upstart and says Bacardi is misleading consumers with "false claims" they are the original Havana Club.

“Don't tell us we're not Cuban”.   Bacardi has hit back hard, defending its Cuban roots and its authentic recipe. It also has the support of legislators from Florida who proposed a new law to ban the US from recognizing trademarks stolen by the Castro government.   In January, the rum maker released a campaign featuring a Cuban-American walking through Miami's little Havana -- or real Havana? -- reciting a poem about home.  "Forced to leave home, but home never leaves us. Wherever exile takes us... We walk carrying the musica of our island and the amber rum born from it," the poem says.

There is a lot more to this story, you can read it at https://www.afp.com/en/products/web-mobile

For the Spirits Business, Going Green Is a Matter Of Survival

Roberto Serralles

    Roberto Serrallés is a sixth-generation rum maker, which means he's a sixth generation waste recycler. 

When Serrallés's family members first started distilling Don Q Rum on the island of Puerto Rico, they weren't specifically motivated by a love of spirits. Rather, they were looking to make use of the enormous waste created by their primary business-sugar.  "When you make sugar, your main byproduct is molasses," Serrallés says. From the 16th to the 20th century, sugar cane farms engulfed Puerto Rico. Before economic factors shifted sugar production to Brazil, India, and other nations, farmers on the island would harvest the sugarcane and strip its leaves. Instead of treating that excess foliage like trash, some extracted juice from the leaves and heated it to create a rich syrup. "And that became our raw material for making rum," Serrallés says.

     In recent years, alcohol producers have begun to take a hard look at the sustainability of their practice. Technological innovation isn't easy or cheap. But in an industry that's dependent on healthy ecosystems for good ingredients, turning a blind eye to wasteful practices, unsustainable agriculture, and the effects of climate change on crops isn't an option.   "For every bottle [of rum], there are probably 10 other bottles of waste," Serrallés says. That may sound like an odd take on an old song ("99 Bottles of Beer," anyone?) but it's a fact that clearly keeps the rum maker up at night. "Our distillery produces around 400,000 gallons of wastewater every day," he continues. "It's just one distillery!"

     That's why Serrallés decided he had to get educated and change the game. In 2004, he returned from the University of Oregon with a Ph.D. in environmental science. In the decade since, he says Don Q Rum has invested $17 million in improving its sustainability practices.   Currently, Serrallés is working toward his goal of an entirely closed-loop distilling process, as he illustrates in an interactive sustainability chart on the Don Q website. Wastewater woes start the moment technicians feed the fermented molasses into the distillery drum. They push steam through the system, which moves the precious alcohol onto the next stage of the process, but leaves behind a puddle of nutrient-rich wastewater. Those organic sediments are liable to suck the oxygen out of any stream, lake, or ocean patch they settle in, depriving fish of essential gases, so dumping the water is banned by environmental laws. Fortunately, Don Q has got a good clean-up guy.

     For now, the select producers who invest in sustainability do it out of a sense of duty-to the land, their community, and their brand's history. "My father said, 'what's good for the world is good for the wine world,'" Mariani-May explains. "He stood by that. It's timeless." But they do it out of a sense of foreboding, too. Many of their decisions are preparation for the environmental and regulatory changes that are yet to come. "Eventually, [other rum makers] will have to do the investments I have done," Serallés says. "We just got ahead of the game."

There is a lot more information in this story and it goes into how important that the spirits industry pay a lot more attention to what Roberto Serralles and the Manufactures of Don Q  Rum have done to keep the area that surrounds them in Ponce, Puerto Rico green and enjoyable for their neighbors and the rest of us on this planet.

Read More on this interesting story at https://www.popsci.com/booze-goes-green

Bacardi Looks Toward Premium Positioning with These New Rums

     Bacardi is aiming to unlock the potential for further premiumization in rum with the launch of two new products.  Bacardi is looking to increase its premium credentials, by adding a group of higher end rums to its portfolio. 

     Bacardi Añejo Cuatro is said to “introduce consumers to a more sophisticated, complex side of rum while still being a smooth and drinkable product”. It has been aged for four years.   “The future of rum is bright, and we are excited to introduce an accessible entry point to premium rums with Bacardi Cuatro,” said Sarah Doyle, vice president – Europe, for Bacardi rum.   “As people become more adventurous and aware of what they drink, we think now is the perfect time to spark conversation about the versatility and enjoyability of the Bacardi rum portfolio among a new generation of LDA [legal drinking age] drinkers.”

     Bacardi has also launched Bacardi Gran Reserva Diez, a 10-year-old expression. Both new rums will sit alongside the premium-plus Bacardi Reserva Ocho (US$29.99) and Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada (US$100) bottlings.   Figures released by Bacardi show that rum has not premiumized at the same rate as other categories. Premium rum makes up just 15% of the category, compared to 53% market share for premium Tequila and 43% for premium whiskey.   As such, the producer has identified the potential for more than US$500 million in additional sales if it secures a 25% uplift in premium rum.        Bacardi Añejo Cuatro has an RRP of US$19.99, while Bacardi Gran Reserva Diez is priced at US$39.99.

     Last year, Bacardi unveiled a rum in collaboration with Trinidadian DJ and music producer Jillionaire, the brand’s newly appointed ‘minister of rum’.

Hotaling & Co. Takes Equity Stake in Denizen Rum

     Hotaling & Co., premium craft spirits importer and distiller, formerly Anchor Distilling Company,  announces its investment in Denizen Rum, the award-winning line of blended Caribbean rums first introduced back in 2010.  Denizen’s line includes an aged white rum ($20 a 750-ml.) at 40% abv and a Merchant’s Reserve offering ($30) at 43% abv, both sourced from multiple Caribbean distillers. Hotaling & Co. will play an active role alongside Nicholas Pelis, Denizen's founder, in day-to-day brand management, distribution, and future line extensions. 

     This is a very interesting rum that I was lucky enough to work with back inn 2011 and 12 developing an interesting group of cocktails for. Denizen is a unique rum and it is good to see Hotaling and Company involved with them.

Takamaka Rum Launches Trade Tour in UK

Seychelles-based brand Takamaka Rum is set to embark on a tour of UK cocktail bars and launch its own cocktail competition.  Throughout April, the rum brand will host a bar takeover at five venues across the UK, launching an exclusive Takamaka-based cocktail menu at each location.  The brand’s tour of the UK will kick off at London’s Mint Gun Club on 3 April, before travelling to El Gato Negro, Manchester; Oporto, Leeds; 9Lives, London; and then finishing at Aloha, Liverpool, on 19 April.  Each venue will offer an exclusive cocktail menu, which will feature a number of Takamaka-based creations and a signature serve designed by bartenders from each venue on the tour.

The bar team behind the signature serve that sells the most over the course of the two-week tour will be eligible to win a trip the the brand’s distillery in the Seychelles. 

Launched by brothers Richard and Bernard d’Offay, Takamaka rum is made in the Seychelles and was inspired by the pair’s grandad’s old rum recipe.   Distributed in the UK by Highball Brands, the distillery currently produces white, spiced, Extra Noir, and coconut-flavored expressions.

Seven Years Later I'm Still Having Fun Bringing You the Rum and Tropical Lifestyle Every Morning

Abuelo Distillery in Panama

     On January 3, 2011, I started a journey that has taken me far and wide around the world of rum

and the tropical lifestyle.  Today after 2829 posts and more that a million page views, I have found this daily posting of the blog to be very rewarding. 

White Sand Beaches and Blue Water of the Caribbean

     When it all started, I was a man that just really enjoyed his rums, and the journey has lead me all around the Caribbean and other really fun and interesting places to learn more about the traditions and history of rum.  It has opened many new doors for me and lead me to learn so many interesting new friends.

Hemingway's Boat Pilar at his Home in Havana

     Today I'm making rum at the Hemingway Rum Company Distillery here in Key West.  It is an
opportunity to learn even more about the intricacies of rum making.  The ability to try different things and learn what is a positive and what doesn't work is very enlightening.  Over the years I've listened to some of the most famous rum makers in the world and got to listen and learn what makes rum so special.  I'm feeling so lucky to have this opportunity to apply my knowledge to the craft spirits industry and learn even more about this wonderful Spirit.  I have see so much and look forward to the times ahead and all of the new adventures ahead.

Bacardi Rum Factory in Sasntiago de Cuba

     During this time I've rode out some rough times and some really great times that the tropics can hand out, but it has made me love the island even more.  Irma was a real Bitch, but I've survived the tough times and ca't tell you how great the rest of the times are.

200 Year Old Wood Fire Heated Pot Still in Grenada

Seeing the Everyday in a Different Light

     Beauty is all around you if you open your eyes and take a look.  I was out photographing the sun set the other day and I noticed the interesting reflection of my neighbor's boat.  Most of the time you find things like this when you are looking for something else.   Just taking some time to "smell the roses" if you will, you will be surprised what is all around you.

Jamaican Rum There Really is a Difference

     All rum starts with a derivative of the sugar cane, water and yeast. But that’s only the basics and the end of the similarities between Jamaican rum and other styles end. The one-of-a-kind terroir to its vibrant culture, something about Jamaica seeps into the rum, making it delicious in a unique way.  What exactly is the source of this one-of-a-kind flavor? We sent eight rum luminaries to the island to find out.

     Joy Spence, Appleton Estate’s master blender, led a guided immersion into the production process and sensory tasting to discover what makes Jamaican rum so unique. Spence is the mastermind behind some of the finest Jamaican rums available, so it’s hard to imagine a better authority on the subject.   Spence explained how the high ester content in the liquid delivers a more robust flavor, which helps give Jamaican rum its unrivaled versatility.   A bottle from Appleton Estate can be light and fruity, rich and flavorful or aged and oaky, all while remaining undeniably Jamaican.

     But high esters alone aren’t what give Jamaican rum its one-of-a-kind funk. To find out what else is at play, this group explored it all—from the limestone filtered water and sugar cane to the pot stills and strictly enforced aging minimums.  Some intangible aspect of the island, results in a rum that couldn’t come from anywhere else in the Caribbean.

     There are other distilleries on the island that also add to the funk of Jamaican Rums through their unique methods of fermentation.  The famous dunder pots and the use of so many different methods of getting the esters out of the fermentation as well as what the pot stills add to the one of a kind flavors found in Jamaican Rums.

     Discover the Jamaican difference and the island’s secrets for yourself by looking out for all of the fine Jamaican Rums on the shelves of your favorite liquor store.

What Cocktails Have Calories? New Rules Will Show How Many

     Public-health researchers hope the new requirement will not only raise awareness but also spur drinkers to cut back on their drinking as a part of being calorie conscious.   A new rule requiring restaurant chains to list calories for their alcoholic drinks poses a conundrum for makers of beer, wine and booze:   Will drinkers change their habits? 

     For the first time restaurants across the country will have to list the caloric content of alcoholic beverages, though some outlets in states like New York and California already do so. In an industry where calories have been a relative mystery, the federal rule-which applies to chains with 20 or more outlets-will provide a new level of transparency about the often-overlooked calories in alcohol.   Starting in May, the Food and Drug Administration will require chains like Applebee's and TGI Fridays to list calories next to all their menu items. That includes alcohol.   Menus at Chili's, for instance, will soon tell patrons a margarita packs a whopping 300 calories and a 12-ounce bottle of Budweiser contains 150. 

      "If you don't want to get the 400 calories from an alcoholic beverage, you can easily swap for free water," said Margo G. Wootan, vice president for nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based consumer-advocacy group that lobbied the FDA to include alcoholic drinks in the new rules. 

Studies have found calorie counts can influence food choices. Cochrane, a health-focused research network, last month published findings showing that when food calories are disclosed on menus, diners' orders have 7.8% fewer calories.   Research on how calorie counts affect drinking are scant, but there is some evidence that such information might curb consumption.   A study published last year in the academic journal Preventive Medicine estimated that imbibers in jurisdictions with menu-labeling requirements consumed on average 2% less alcohol than those in locales without mandates.

     What motivates people to order a celebratory cocktail or a glass of wine can overpower concern about their waistlines. "People who want to drink a margarita are going to drink a margarita because they like the drink and it tastes good," said Frank Coleman, head of public affairs at the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S., the industry's main trade body. "People concerned about calories will choose to have something like tequila, club soda and lime."   Until now, most drinkers haven't had a lot to go on in terms of calorie information. Some brewers print the calories in their beer on bottles and cans, but the practice isn't widespread. Wineries and spirits makers rarely list calories on their products, though some make them available online.

     Laura Burke, a 22-year-old emergency medical technician in Hoboken, N.J., was shocked to discover the two margaritas she recently drank at a dinner out contained close to 1,000 calories in total.   "My jaw just dropped," Ms. Burke said after googling the calorie count. "I do think it would impact my decision making," she said, if menus carried calorie counts. 

     The method suggested by distillers and small brewers assigns a calorie count of 96 to a 1.5-ounce shot of 80-proof gin, rum, vodka, or whiskey; it gives a 5-ounce glass of wine, red or white, 122 calories. A 12-ounce bottle of regular beer gets 153 calories, and light beer 103 calories.   By that measure spirits look like the healthiest choice, but then add mixers and that beer starts looking a lot better calorie-wise. The Beer Institute, the trade body for big brewers, lobbied for calorie counts to be disclosed for individual brands and full drinks, including mixers. The FDA ultimately decided along these lines.

Read More at https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-cocktails-have-calories-new-rules-will-show-how-many-1521813600

The Bourbon Barrel Aftermarket is a Booming Business These Days

Rum Pouring From a Once Used Bourbon Cask

     There's no shortage of bourbon barrel-aged wines and beers, but recent years have shown a trend of sharing between bourbons, wines and beers.  Today, tequila is also jumping on the band wagon aging many of their expressions in the once used bourbon casks. 

     You won't find bourbon notes in a bottle of Tabasco, but one of the pioneers for using bourbon barrels in the food industry, Tabasco's regular pepper sauce is aged for three years in oak, the Reserve sauce spends eight years in the barrel. Since bourbon is essentially the only industry still using oak that's deemed Kosher, Tabasco purchases all of its barrels from whiskey companies.   When the used barrels arrive in the hot Louisiana warehouse, the workers will fill them with water and sweat them.   Tabasco workers grind out the char, place their own metal hoops around the barrel, and create a valve on the barrelhead to allow the mash to ferment. They add salt to the barrelhead, too, to form a hard crust when fermentation is complete. After Tabasco adds vinegar in the manufacturing process, one barrel of pepper mash yields 10,000 2-ounce bottles. And much like the bourbon-making process, there's no speeding up the aging process.   "We've tried bulk aging, aging in fiber glass and different containers, but that wood barrel is what works best for us.   "The mash breathes in the wood."  Also like bourbon, the Tabasco barrels absorb much of the product's essence. Over the Tabasco barrel lifetime of 55 to 80 years, that's a lot of pepper mash.

       It never ceases to amaze me the places that the once used bourbon barrels end up.  The rum industry has used them for many years, but they are finding their way into so many other places.  The trading back and forth of the barrels between beer and rum companies or beer and wine companies also happens to these barrels. 

Diplomatico Batch Kettle No.1 and Barbet No.2 Rum Expressions

     A variety of distillates, with their distinctive aromas and taste profiles, characterizes Diplomático rums and allows Tito Cordero, the Maestros Roneros to create one-of-a-kind blends. The Distillery Collection, on the other hand, offers rum aficionados the opportunity to discover these single distillates in their purest form, featuring each rum’s individual personality.

    “While the Diplomático brand name has become familiar to lovers of fine dark spirits, few are aware of the history of the company behind the brand, Destilerías Unidas S.A. (DUSA). DUSA’s distillery was originally created in 1959 by local rum producers and Seagram’s International Ltd., at that time the largest distiller of alcoholic beverages in the world. We recognize that the rich distillation heritage left by Seagram’s is at the heart of Diplomático’s elaboration process today,” said José Rafael Ballesteros, Diplomático’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are excited that the Distillery Collection gives rum lovers the chance to explore the history and distillation know-how of Diplomático, and what goes in to making our rums so special.”at.

Batch Kettle Still at DUSA

    The Diplomatico Batch Kettle No. 1 is made in a Batch Kettle still that was brought to Diplomático’s distillery in 1959. This semi-artisanal batch distillation method was originally employed in Canada to produce American whisky. The distillate is made from sugar cane honeys, and is aged in American white oak barrels, resulting in a delicious medium-body and complex rum.

     Diplomatico, No. 1 and No. 2 are premium rums from Destilerías Unidas S.A. (DUSA) in Venezuela that are complex, sweet and well balanced.  It is one of those rums that makes it easy for a whiskey or bourbon drinker to switch to rum, often remarking afterwards “I had no Idea that rum could taste like this.”  

     The latest being the Distillery collection, a range of rums made with specific stills that produce decidedly different expressions.   The Diplomatico Barbet No. 2 expression is made in Barbet Column distillation system, originally created in France was also brought to the distillery in Venezuela also in 1959. The Barbet column is made of 100% copper, a type of metal that enables the elimination of undesirable sulphur compounds which form in the fermentation process. Aged in American white oak barrels and using high quality sugar cane molasses, the Barbet Column system produces a distillate with a strong fruity profile.

These new rums are much less sweet that the Exclusiva and other Diplomatico expressions, but very drinkable like all of the other Diplomatico rums.

The Bulleit Frontier Bartender Lab in New York City

     Here is an idea that makes a lot of sense, a place that is fully stocked to learn to and create new cocktails.   This is a great idea that will be a mecca for bartenders to meet and share ideas as well a come and listen to master classes from icons of the industry.  WeWork lab is located in New York City at 33 Irving Place, with a wbsite that can fill you in on all that is happening there.

     The WeWork Bulleit Frontier Bartender Lab exists on the modern frontier to provide an opportunity for co-creation with our friends in the trade. Bartenders can use the space to innovate and experiment. Our Bartender Lab will provide materials and ingredients, simply sign up for time in our workshop and create.   Along the way, join us for creative cocktail workshops with leaders in the industry on upcoming topics such as: Sustainability Behind The Bar, Smoke and Flavor, Dangerous Ingredients, Eat Your Cocktails and More!

     Bulleit has partnered with WeWork to collaborate on the Bulleit Frontier Bartender Lab, celebrating their shared appreciation for innovation and community. The launch celebrated the reigning World Class Winner, Kaitlyn Stewart and included cocktails concocted by Kaitlyn, Harrison Ginsberg of The Dead Rabbit and BlackTail NYC, Anwar Warner of The Tea Factor and Damon Boelte of Grand Army Bar.   The Bulleit Frontier Bartender Lab will host reoccurring innovation focused workshops for bartenders and consumers. In addition to workshops, the new space will offer bartender’s “office hours” (Monday’s 10am-6pm) where they’ll reserve time to experiment, flex their creative muscles and develop new cutting-edge cocktails.

Read More at  http://bulleitfrontierbartenderlab.com often for more workshops to be posted and to sign up

March for Our Lives – Key West

Rally at Mallory Square

    The Key West March for Our Lives gathered at 12 p.m.  Saturday with a route that extends down Duval Street from South Beach to Mallory Square.  In Washington, D.C. the kids and families of March for Our Lives will take to the streets to demand that their lives and safety become a priority and that we end gun violence and mass shootings in our schools today.  The collective voices of the March for Our Lives movement will be heard in Key West and is also scheduled around the country on March 24th.

     “I got involved because I have had a personal experience with the issue at hand and I don’t think it’s too much to ask for the government to protect all students and teachers.  Our primary and rightful focus should be education instead of fearing for our safety.” says Vivian Mcgill.  Zoe Jackson states, “I believe that the time to make a change in this country is now because just one innocent life lost is too many.” both are Key West High School Seniors and Chairs of the local event.  “We will stand together in solidarity because we cannot allow one more family to wait for a call or a text that never comes. We must prevent our children and teachers from dying, it is our priority.” which is stated in the mission statement of the national organizers web site.  https://marchforourlives.com/mission-statement/

 

Marching Up Duval Street to Mallory Square Rally

   Just over 200 women, men, and kids from the Florida Keys responded to the Facebook event call to action to coordinate a local march for those who couldn’t make it to the national march. The grassroots group has raised money to offset costs related to the march and to reach out to Keys residents to encourage participation. The group’s Facebook event page.   The marchers gathered at 12 p.m., at South Beach in the 1400 block of Duval. The march began at 1 p.m., along Duval Street to Mallory Square for an official rally.  Speakers to included local leaders, those directly affected by gun violence, teachers, and most importantly the students. There was musical performances as well.  The group provided voter registrations for anyone who is not registered to vote. Must be 16 to pre-register.

     The March for Our Lives in Key West is about sending a message to our elected officials that they need to act now, passing a law to ban the sale of assault weapons like the ones used In Las Vegas, Orlando, Sutherland Springs, Aurora, Sandy Hook, and most recently to kill 17 innocent people and injured more at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

     Laws are needed that will eliminate the sale of high-capacity magazines like the ones used in and so many other recent mass shootings can ease the chance that so many can be injured or killed by just one.  Closing the loophole in our background check that allow people who shouldn’t be allowed to purchase firearms to slip through the cracks and obtain guns online or at gun shows.

March for Our Lives is committed to advocating for responsible gun ownership for the safety and security of our children because our children should not have to attend school fearing for their lives every day.