Drink Pink! Have a wild strawberry mojito at The Rum Barrel!

Drink Pink for the cause continues this month at The Rum Barrel! 

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we're serving up Sweet Revenge drink specials all October long. A portion of all proceeds from every Sweet Revenge pour goes to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. 

Try the Wild Strawberry Mojito, $8, pictured left. It's your favorite cocktail with Sweet Revenge, a 77 proof wild strawberry sour mash!

Rum Club at The Rum Barrel samples the Rums of Barbados

KEY WEST, Fla. (October 9, 2012) -- Join The Rum Daddy Paul Airtrip and rum connoisseurs from across Key West for FREE rum tastings and FREE cocktail samples of the Best Rums of Barbados with the Rum Barrel's Rum Club on Oct. 9.

From 5:30 p.m. through 8:30 p.m., Rum Club tastings on the Rum Barrel scenic open-air Quarterdeck will feature the lovely Mount Gay Rum Girls, Mount Gay 1703, Cockspur 12 Year, Malibu Black, Mount Gay Extra Old along with classic rums and colas, and cocktail specials.

For the ultimate rum tastings, the best in cane spirits cocktails, and just some plain fun, check out the Rum Barrel Rum Club. Food and drink specials are available during Rum Club meetings. 

Also at The Rum Barrel next week:

• Tuesday, October 9: Bradd Shadduck, acoustic musician, at 7 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 10: Tony Roberts, Key West singer/songwriter, who plays a mix of folk, reggae and rock, at 7 p.m. 
• Thursday, October 11: Open Mic Jam with guitar blues legend Larry Baeder and Dora at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, October 12: Jonathan Williams at 7 p.m. 
• Saturday, October 13: Lo Fi's, a three-piece rock band, at 7 p.m.

Rum Barrel owner Pat Croce hides treasures aboard soon-to-be-sunk USCG Cutter Mohawk

Divers tasked with finding stash on Mohawk Veterans Memorial Reef

KEY WEST, Fla. (June 20, 2012) -- Rum Barrel owner Pat Croce pillaged his own Pirate Museum for 17th century booty, raided Rum Barrel's Pyrate Rum stash and snuck aboard the soon-to-be-sunk U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk to hide the treasures for some lucky diver's discovery.

The 165-foot World War II cutter will be deployed one last time on July 2 in full fighting trim with replica guns, depth charges and a lifeboat on deck, roughly 28 nautical miles west of Redfish Pass off Sanibel Island on Florida's southwest coast--an unusually decked-out burial at sea. "Mighty Mo's" final duty is as the Mohawk Veterans Memorial Reef, honoring veterans and creating a world-class fishing and diving experience in Lee County, home to over 40,000 veterans.

Antique bottle with 17th century Port Royal
shot and hand-drawn map hidden aboard
USCG Cutter Mohawk

"It's not every day you see a ship of this caliber sunk with so much effort and attention to detail, and we wanted to ramp up the excitement by making it a true adventure for divers," Croce said.

Croce pirated authentic 17th century shot recovered from the former pirate stronghold of Port Royal, Jamaica, as well as an antique rum bottle from his St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum, which he moved from Key West to St. Augustine, Fla., in 2010. With a case of Pyrate Rum stolen from the Rum Barrel stash also up for grabs, the first intrepid diver to find the treasures can also claim dinner and drinks for two at The Rum Barrel and passes to The Pirate Museum via reef organizers.

The effort to sink the Mohawk and create the artificial reef is led by Reefmakers shipwrecker Joe Weatherby, who also sank the U.S.S. Vandenberg off of Key West in 2009, and Mike Campbell, executive director of Lee Reefs, a nonprofit foundation that works to enhance the marine environment and protect natural reef ecosystems. It came after time and salt water took their toll on the old ship and the cost of keeping her afloat proved too much for the Miami-Dade Maritime Museum, led by Captain Bill Verge.

"We want veterans who served on the Mohawk to feel honored," Weatherby said. "It's the right thing to do for American history, for the environment and the economy, and its means the Mohawk's legacy will live on in every diver's experience."

The quality of the reef itself, the diving experience, one-of-a-kind photo opportunities and marine wildlife interaction are central to its creation, Weatherby added.

The Mohawk will lie in 90 feet of water with a 35-foot clearance over top. Most divers will be able to explore the replica guns, a huge smokestack, crow's nest, bridge, deckhouse and massive propeller, while trained and equipped divers can descend the smoke stack into the Mohawk's enormous engine room where the giant engine's inner parts and reduction gear will be uncovered. Who will find Croce's treasures, that's anyone's guess.


ABOUT THE MOHAWK

USCG Cutter Mohawk.
Photo credit: U.S. Coast Guard

Built in Wilmington, Del., in 1934 as an ice breaker, she was called to serve during WWII as part of the Greenland Patrol, protecting vital allied shipping throughout the war. The Mohawk fought in 14 U-Boat engagements and rescued hundreds of allied sailors torpedoed from the frozen North Atlantic. She is credited as the last ship to radio the weather to General Dwight Eisenhower before he green-lighted the D-Day invasion. After the war, the Mohawk was converted from steam power to diesel and functioned as a lightship, University of Delaware research vessel and Delaware Bay Pilot Boat. She languished in a New York scrap yard before being rescued 15 years ago by the Miami-Dade Maritime Museum, towed to Miami and converted to a museum. Six years ago, the museum was moved to Key West, Fla. But keeping her afloat proved too costly for the group, led by Captain Bill Verge, and the decision was made to reef her. As an artificial reef honoring veterans and providing Southwest Florida's newest diving and fishing attraction, the Mohawk should last 70 to 100 years.

Taste of the Rum Bible: Castaway

If you're stranded on a desert isle, this would be the cocktail you'd want to have with you. Well, this and water and a tent, food and clothing supplies and a scheduled cruise ship pick-up.

Castaway

CASTAWAY

2 oz. Dark Rum
1 oz. Banana Liqueur
1 oz. Cream of Coconut

Combine ingredients with ice in cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass.

This drink is taken from the Rum Barrel's Rum Bible, a rum tome compiling a comprehensive listing of the finest rums in the world.


FUN RUM FACT: Although some rum is bottled directly from the still, most rum is aged and then blended before it is bottled for consumption.  Once the spirit is bottled, the aging process is arrested and little change occurs.

Mel Fisher Celebration Carnival w/Rum Daddy

Join The Rum Barrel on Saturday, July 14, at the Mel Fisher Celebration Carnival on Duval Street from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m! We're teaming up with Paul Artrip, The Rum Daddy, serving our famous Philly cheese steaks and cocktails featuring Atlantico, Cockspur and Diplomatico Rums!

We're excited to be part of the fun, and to support the Mel Fisher folks as we celebrate the life and accomplishments of Mel Fisher and his famous treasure discovery of the Spanish treasure ship Atocha, one of the richest shipwrecks ever found off Key West.

Taste of the Rum Bible: White Shark

White Shark drink

WHITE SHARK

2 oz. Light Rum
1 oz. Vodka
1 oz. Sambuca
2 oz. Cream of Coconut
1 Scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream

Blend ingredients with ice until smooth. Pour into a chilled hurricane glass. Dust with coconut shavings.


This drink is taken from the Rum Barrel's Rum Bible, a rum tome compiling a comprehensive listing of the finest rums in the world.

The Origin of Rum

There's so much more to rum than meets the eye. And sometimes it's good to know a little bit of history of what's in your glass. (Also good for making good impressions at the bar.)

rum n. (r m)
1 : an alcoholic beverage distilled from a fermented cane product (as molasses)
2 : alcoholic liquor <the demon rum>

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The origin of the word rum is unclear. A common claim is that the name was derived from the word rumbullion, meaning, "a great tumult or uproar." Another claim is that the name comes from the large drinking glasses used by Dutch seamen known as rummers, from the Dutch word roemer, a drinking glass. Other theories suggest that it is a contraction of the words saccharum (Latin for sugar) or arôme (French for aroma).

Regardless of the original source, the name had come into common use by May 1657 when the General Court of Massachusetts made illegal the sale of strong liquor, "whether knowne by the name of rumme, strong water, wine, brandy, etc., etc."

In current usage, the word for rum is often based on the its place of origin. For rums from Spanish-speaking locales, the word ron is used. A ron añejo indicates that a rum has been significantly aged. Rhum is the term used for rums from French-speaking locales, while rhum vieux is an aged French rum.

Some of the many other names for rum are rumbullion, rumbustion, Barbados water, rumscullion, devil's death (or "Kill-Devil"), Nelson's blood, and rumbo. A version of rum from Newfoundland is referred to by the name screech, while some lowgrade West Indies rums are called tafia.

For more cool facts on rum and more, check out our Rum Bible!

Why Bacardi Reserva Limitada is sort of a big deal

Back in the early days of the Bacardi rum distillery, Maestro de Ron (rum master) Luis Planas created a special blend for the Bacardi family to honor the founder, Don Facundo Bacardi Massó. It was exclusive to the family for generations before it was released in 2003 to celebrate the inauguration of the Bacardi Visitors Centre in Cataño, Puerto Rico, and then to select locations in Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

When Bacardi released it in the U.S. in 2010 as the company's top-of-the-line "founder's blend", there were only 6,000 bottles on the market! It's still a coup to procure a bottle.

Aged and mellowed in lightly-charred American white oak casks for 10-16 years, the deep reddish-gold dark rum has woody aroma and a nose of vanilla, oak and dried fruits with a rich, mellow taste. Rum experts say that it should never be mixed since it is the ultimate expression of Bacardi craftsmanship.

In fact, Bacardi was just awarded the International High Quality Trophy for its Reserva Limitada, among other rums. The prestigious Monde Selection International Institute for Quality Selections presents this honor to a product that has achieved a high quality level for three consecutive years after Grand Gold and Gold Awards.

The bottle may look similar like the Bacardi 8, but it's very different in caliber and cost. It retails for roughly $15 a shot at The Rum Barrel.

Taste of the Rum Bible: Rum Jungle

With four kinds of rum, how can you resist?

RUM JUNGLE

• 1/2 oz. Light Rum
• 1/2 oz. Dark Rum
• 1/2 oz. Coconut Rum
• 1/2 oz. Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum
• 2 oz. Pineapple Juice
• 2 oz. Orange Juice

Blend ingredients with ice until smooth. Pour into a chilled goblet. Garnish with a whole banana.

Taste of the Rum Bible: Hurricane Wind

Not to call the real thing on us or anything...

Hurricane Wind

2 oz. Malibu Rum
1 oz. Southern Comfort
1 oz. Mango Nectar
1 tbsp Lime Juice
1 tsp Grenadine

Combine ingredients in cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain into ice-filled old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

A Taste of the Rum Bible: The Dark & Stormy

We're keeping it simple and classic but no less yummy with our Rum Bible recipe this week: the Dark & Stormy.

DARK & STORMY

• 2 oz. dark rum
• 4 oz. Ginger Beer

Instrux:

Pour rum over ice in a Collins glass. Fill glass with ginger beer. Garnish with a lemon wedge.


Got any yummy rum recipes you'd like to share?

Our rum cake maker debuts at Food Network's SoBe Food & Wine Festival

Kansas City Chef Craig Adcock creates the most delicious rum cakes, which happen to be available at The Rum Barrel. And we just got a note from him saying that he'll be at the South Beach Food & Wine Festie. Check it out!

 Kansas City Chef Craig Adcock Grillin' and Chillin' at Food Network's South Beach Food & Wine Festival:
Thursday, February 23, 2012

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (February 14, 2012) -- Chef Craig Adcock is the first Kansas City to appear at the SoBeWFF. And he'll be bringing the heat and some sweet in a big way.

Image via ongo.com

One of a few chefs in the nation that grills the 3.5" steak over an open flame, Adcock will present his signature dish of the "Tomahawk Chop," a massive 4.5-lb. bone in rib eye cut--inspired by collaboration with the beloved and late Kansas City chef John McClure--and two 35-inch pans of paella to be prepared over a  peach wood fire on the beach.

After the SOBE event, Adcock, owner of Belly Up Bar-B-Que, will have served well over 200 of the Tomahawk Chop from coast to coast over the past year.

His main SOBE entrees will be followed up with Adcock's famous dessert, Jude's Rum Cake. A mainstay of Adcock's catering business, thousands of the cakes are shipped annually nationwide. They're also sold at a dozen Kansas City restaurants, upscale grocery stores Dean & Deluca, and at Pat Croce's Rum Barrel restaurant in Key West. Adcock hopes to launch the Key West Rum Cake line later this year for cruise lines.

No stranger to celebrity catering, he recently cooked at the Playboy Golf tournament, backstage for Elton John concerts, and fired up the grills and 600 lbs. of meat at the SXSW Music Festival.

With his characteristic gleam in his eyes, Adcock jokingly refers to himself as the "only non-catering caterer" he knows.

When he's not "non-catering" for Playboy bunnies or baking rum cakes, Adcock takes an active role in community service, teaching at Culinary Cornerstones, a Kansas City based non-profit helping guide adults to stable employment.

"I need to stay true to that inner voice and be nice," Adcock says. "Hopefully, the success will follow."

Just four years ago, Adcock worked in a corporate cubicle, moonlighting on nights and weekends to feed his cooking passion. He made the life-changing decision to take his side business and passion, Belly Up Bar-B-Que, into a full time career.

"The leap was one of the best and hardest things I've ever done. Kansas City has an amazing food scene," Adcock said. "I get to share my fare locally and travel quite a bit. It's not just about the money, the journey and the experience matter. Being nice matters."

Adcock's spirit of doing things his own way is reflected by his catering style -- a blend of chef, charismatic host and sommelier.

"I get to cater my way, flying solo - sort of a modern day tapas experience of "small bites throughout the nite" from 6 p.m. until midnight," Adcock said. "A new dish comes out every 45 minutes or so."

Adcock's menus are eclectic, everything from grilled lobster tail paired with popcorn and a cool Central Coast Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier blend, to small plates of  bagna cauda, tuna tartare, seafood, or "old skool bbq" of ribs, brisket, pork, salmon.

Given his accomplishments in such a short time, Adcock seems to be taking the fast track to celebrity chef status.

Craig Adcock can be contacted online through Belly Up Bar-B-Que and Jude's Rum Cake, via phone at 913.526.6708 or email at craig @ bellyupbbq.com

The Rum Bible & other secrets

"Where we find rum, we find action, sometimes cruel, sometimes heroic, sometimes humorous, but always vigorous and interesting."- Charles William Taussig in Rum, Romance and Rebellion (1928)

Everyone remember JC Picco, our new GM? (If you don't, we'll take a moment for you to refresh.)

Since JC joined The Rum Barrel team, he's had some great ideas about making The Barrel even more awesome to visitors, diners, and imbibers. There's not much I can divulge right now, but one of our upcoming features has something to do with The Rum Bible.

(Remember The Rum Bible? If you don't, we'll take a moment for you to refresh.)

More details, you ask? When we say we have over 100 of the finest and most divine rums in the world, we mean it.

But it wasn't enough to have it on our shelves. We inked a testament of those rums dating back to The Rum Barrel's inception that includes Rum 101 and interesting facts about libation that helped kickstart the American Revolution.

Of course, all the rums you'll read about are all available for your sampling pleasure at The Barrel.

Anyway, that's all I can say for now. Stay tuned for more details on what JC has up his rolled-up sleeve. I know. Such a tease.