Holiday Drinking

Happy Thanksgiving!  Today will surely be filled with hours of football watching, turkey eating and quality time with loved ones.  So, what are you drinking?

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imageThis time of year I always find myself trying to locate an appropriate holiday cocktail to serve at parties and family get-togethers.  It can be tough.  Does anyone really want a pumpkin pie martini after a giant Thanksgiving meal or a muddled turkey mojito with cranberry rum?  I don’t think so.  How about a peppermint candy infused rum swizzle for Christmas?  Mmmm, probably not.

This year I’ve decided to keep it simple.  During today’s game I’ll be drinking a few beers and with my meal, maybe a glass of wine.  But for dessert I’ll be enjoying a glass or two (maybe three) of one of my favorite American Rums, Siesta Key Distiller’s Reserve!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Have a great day and have fun, whatever your holiday drink of choice may be.

TGIF #103

After a busy week at Rum Connection Headquarters it’s time to find a beach chair and a strong rum & Ting. This spot in front of Coyaba Resort on beautiful Grand Anse Beach in Grenada would work just fine.  Enjoy your Friday everyone. Cheers!

National Daiquiri Day

Get ready! Sunday is a national holiday celebrating one of the most refreshing and simple to make rum cocktails out there, the Daiquiri.

If you’re reading this article and digging through this website, you probably already know that a Daiquiri is not red, does not involve a slushy machine and should never be served in a bar logo-printed plastic cup.  A “real” Daiquiri only consists of three simple ingredients: lime, sugar and rum.

Here’s our non-scientific approach to this classic:

In the company of friends, preferably in a warm climate near water and boats, squeeze the juice of half a lime into a cocktail shaker.  Add an oz. of simple syrup and 2 oz. of white rum.  Fill shaker with ice, shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass.  Garnish with a lime wheel, crank up the tunes and enjoy.  If a martini glass is a little too high-brow for you, no problem, feel free to use any clean rocks glass.  The lime wheel and music, however, are a must.

Have a Happy Daiquiri Day!!

 

Painkiller LOVE

Dim the lights and cue the 1970’s era porno music because there’s a big love-fest going on over here for the one and only Painkiller cocktail.

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You’ve read about our visit to the Soggy Dollar Bar and what fun we had relaxing and sipping great rum cocktails on the beautiful shores of White Bay.  Hour after hour slipped by as crowds of happy tourists lined up for Painkiller refills and watched in fascination as Mick whipped up rounds of this iconic drink.  By the end of the day, everyone was in a rum-fueled state of euphoria and there was definitely some Painkiller L-O-V-E in the air.  Here’s what the super-sexy construction of one of these concoctions looks like.  

Warning: This video is bound to make you thirsty…..and maybe even a little drunk.  Enjoy!

 

National Piña Colada Day

Break out the rum, coconut cream, pineapple juice and fire up the blender.  Today is National Piña Colada Day!!!

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If you like Pina Coladas……

imageJuly is filled up with strange holidays and we plan to acknowledge each and every one of them……especially those that celebrate booze.  So, get ready, today just happens to be National Pina Colada Day.  

The Pina Colada may be the most recognized tropical rum drink of all time and goes down perfectly whether you’re sitting in your backyard in the suburbs or on a sun-soaked stretch of beach in the lower latitudes.  We’re not quite sure who gave this tropical concoction its very own holiday, but we’d like to be their friend.

Like most iconic drinks, the origin of the Pina Colada is in dispute.  Several bar owners claim to be the first to serve this tropical concoction and the stories seem to get better with time.  Ramon “Monchito” Marrero, a ’50’s era bartender at the Caribe Hilton’s Beachcomber Bar in San Juan, has been credited as the creator of the Pina Colada in many cocktail books, but some think that its origins go back much further, even as far as the 1800’s.  The true story may never be uncovered, but the lore behind the drink is part of the fun.    

There have been many variations to the Pina Colada over the years, but we stick with the simple original.  In case you’ve forgotten the recipe, here’s the one that we use.

Pina Colada
2 ounces of gold rum
3 ounces of pineapple juice
1 ounce of coconut cream

Instructions: Blend all ingredients with a cup of ice. Serve in a tall glass and garnish with a cherry and pineapple wedge.  If you happen to have a little umbrella handy, put that in too, but it’s not necessary. 

Enjoy your weekend everybody and don’t forget to get those blenders humming.  Cheers!

Bottling Cruzan

For your Wednesday entertainment we present a look at the bottling line at Florida Caribbean Distillers. Warning: This could make you thirsty.  Enjoy!

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On a recent trip to Florida Caribbean Distillers in Auburndale, Florida we were treated to an insider’s tour of their gigantic facility.  It was wonderful, high tech and inspiring.  The sheer volume of liquor being produced at this place is nothing short of amazing. 

Florida Caribbean produces several of their own brands including the entire line of Ron Carlos rums and Black Roberts Spiced, but much of their work is through contracts with a number of big names in the rum world.  On the day we were there, they just happened to be doing some bottling work for one of those big names – Cruzan.  Here’s what it looks like when the bottling line is dialed in and cranking out thousands of liters of great rum.

Bottling the Rooster

The sights, sounds and smells of a distillery can be a wonderful jolt to the senses of a rum geek.  In Barbados, we even found the bottling process to be interesting.

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Every aspect of rum production can be entertaining, but on a recent visit to the West Indies Rum Distillery where Cockspur is made in Barbados, we were drawn to the pace and rhythm of their bottling line.  For your Wednesday afternoon entertainment, we present a low-def, hi-fi look at all the bottling action.  Enjoy!

True Originals 2.0

True Originals, Bacardi’s “short film” YouTube channel, has transitioned into a mixology website. Check it out.

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The True Originals video series launched a while back with well-produced commercials for Bacardi.  The clips never made it to TV, but went viral online among the mixology crowd.  Since then, TrueOriginals.com has taken on a life of its own as a web community for bartenders with nearly 20,000 members.  The videos are still being produced and there are some real gems in the bunch.

Here’s a 5 minute clip of our friend Richard Hunt demonstrating how to build a large round of cocktails ensuring a perfectly fresh, simultaneous delivery.  This guy is all over the London cocktail scene and we’ve had the pleasure to sip more than a few of his well-made drinks.  He’s a master of his craft.  Enjoy the video…….it might make you thirsty.

Get more at the True Originals site.

TGIF #17

I’ve just returned to Grenada from a short and productive trip to Carriacou.  From pristine beaches and friendly people to great food and lively bars, this little island has a lot to offer.  Be sure to put it on your bucket list!

This photo was taken from the barstool of a no-name rum shop at the boat dock in the tiny village of Windward.  If you’re in the area, stop by and relax for a while.  Ester, the friendliest bartender on the island, makes a mean Jack Iron & Coke.

Have a great weekend!

Jokes with Foxy Callwood

Of all the interesting characters in the BVI, Foxy Callwood may be the most memorable.  He serves drinks, plays island songs and even tells jokes.  Enjoy.

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Foxy Callwood opened his bar on Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands more than 40 years ago.  This hot spot is packed day and night with fun loving vacationers and island locals in search of rum drinks and a laid back atmosphere.  The food is great and so are the cocktails, but the real treat is meeting Foxy himself and getting the chance to hear him play a song on his guitar and tell a few of his many tales of the “old BVI.”  

Foxy was in rare form the day of our visit and after a few stories and songs, he broke out several poems and a few jokes.  Here’s a video of one of our favorites.

Have a great Friday, everyone!  Cheers!

 

Bunn’s Musical Taxi

A designated driver is always in order during a good bar hopping session, even in the BVIs.  If you’re lucky you’ll get a ride from Bunn, the musical cab driver.

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So, I was spending a lazy afternoon with some drinking buddies at Foxy’s Bar on Jost Van Dyke when I had the urge to indulge in a few Painkillers from the the world famous Soggy Dollar Bar.  It’s only a mile and a half away, a journey that I would normally walk or bike back home in Key West, but Jost Van Dyke is a steep volcanic island.  The road leaves the little town of Great Harbour, goes straight up a hill to one of the highest points on the island and then quickly descends the other side through a series of switchbacks and narrow hairpin turns before you arrive at White Bay.  Not a journey you should make without assistance during the heat of the day with a belly full of rum.

Well, our Rum & Coke session at Foxy’s had us all in a very happy mood and a designated driver was in order.  Fortunately, there was a taxi waiting right out front.  As we approached this colorfully painted safari cab, the sounds of breezy island music played from the amped-up on board stereo system and was being backed up on percussion by the cab driver.  As it turns out we were about to get a ride from one of the most popular drivers in all of the BVIs, a musical cabbie named Bunn.  He doesn’t play a drum, cowbell or even spoons.  Bunn’s claim to fame is his ability to compliment just about any song on a metal triangle.  Check this out.

Caution: Rum & Diet

“Calorie counters, beware: Drinking diet “mixers” with alcohol intensifies the effects of booze.”

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Get the full story at Health Day.

 

Own a Piece of Ron

Think Big! Own a part of a spirits company and be Ron Jeremy’s business partner!

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Ron Jeremy is the most famous adult entertainment star ever, an icon of popular culture, a Living Legend and owner of his very own rum brand.

Ron de Jeremy Reserva and Ron de Jeremy Spiced are his award winning rums. They are hand crafted by another legend, 74-year old Cuban-born Master Blender Francisco “Don Pancho” Fernandez.

Launched in 2011, Ron de Jeremy Rum has received an enthusiastic response all over the world. It is now sold in 19 countries and in discussion with ten new markets.

To finance the further expansion of Ron de Jeremy, Ron is inviting all his friends to join the rum business with him.  Small investors in EU countries can now become owners of one of the most exciting spirits brands in the world and a real business partner with the Legend that is Ron Jeremy.

Imagine shareholder meetings with Ron Jeremy, lifetime bragging rights at your local bar and very cool owners’ only privileges. How about a 30-year-old rum handcrafted especially for you? Those interested in investment can join the ride here.

Happy Repeal Day

Today is Repeal Day. Raise your glass and celebrate the anniversary of the end of Prohibition!

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For nearly 14 years, from 1920 until 1933, the transport, manufacture and sale of liquor  was outlawed in the US.  Of courses, booze never really stopped flowing during the Prohibition years.  Speakeasy saloons popped up in cities and towns across the country and were supplied by a growing underground criminal element.

By the early 1930s, well-organized groups of citizens and business owners began to lobby for the repeal of Prohibition.  Politicians got in on the act and at the end of 1933, with the passage of the 21st Amendment to the US Constitution, Prohibition came to an end.

The anniversary of that fine day, December 5th, has become known as Repeal Day and is great cause for celebration.  Grab a bottle of rum and a good group of drinking buddies and make a toast to the end of a very dark period in American history.  Here’s to the legal consumption of fine spirits!! CHEERS to Repeal Day!!

 

 

Mental Transport

As the thermometer drops down to a frigid 72 degrees this morning in the Florida Keys, I find myself needing a mental transport back to warmer waters.  This photo was taken at a secret beach on Grenada’s north shore just steps from River Antoine Rum Distillery. Enjoy.

No Work, Just Rum

Happy Labor Day!  We hope you can enjoy your Monday relaxing with good friends and tasty rum drinks.  You deserve it.  Cheers!