A Humbling Couple of Weeks....

[wolfie]

Jester, any updates?

[Jester]

Crap. Forgot about this. But I will get to it....soon. (No, really.)

[wolfie]

Will answer the Spanish/French thing later....my hangover is the size of Haiti right now.

Recovered from your hangover yet? I'm still interested in knowing the differences (method and result) between French-style rum, and British/Jamaican/Cuban style (the latter may be more than one style, but those are the non-French rums I've heard of). Thanks.

[Jester]

Jester, this sounds pretty cool. I think I have to go out and buy some rum, and have a glass in your honor. Maybe that vanilla one you mentioned once before.

Brinley Gold Vanilla, from St. Kitts. Liquid candy. Greatest flavored rum ever. Accept no imitations. All other vanilla rums are clear...this one is the color of vanilla (dark brown) because it is MADE with real vanilla beans.

Will answer the Spanish/French thing later....my hangover is the size of Haiti right now.

[Akasa]

Banana Hammock cracks me up. I'm glad your year is off to a good start.

[MoonCat]

Jester, this sounds pretty cool. I think I have to go out and buy some rum, and have a glass in your honor. Maybe that vanilla one you mentioned once before.

[dalesys]

Just curious, but what are the differences (both process and results) between rum made in the French style and rum made in the British/Jamaican/Cuban style?

Build fire under rotted cane juice. Curse in local language for flavour. Lick condensation off tin roof until it tastes good. Sell to gringos.

[Jester]

Oh, wow. That is one large question. And one I don't have time to fully answer at the moment, but I will come back to it tonight or tomorrow.

In other news, found out that one of the other ten Key West bartenders attending the aforementioned mixology class is my buddy Popcorn, which is rather cool. We may just roadtrip up to Miami together, which works for him, since he doesn't have a car.

[wolfie]

And I'm thinking to myself, how in the flying fuck am I going to pull this off? I'm not even that big a fan of Barbancourt, as it is Haitian, and I tend to not be a fan of any rums that are made in the French style, as Haitian rum (or more accurately, "rhum") is.

Just curious, but what are the differences (both process and results) between rum made in the French style and rum made in the British/Jamaican/Cuban style?

[Jester]

People are often surprised to see Yuengling down here, and in Florida in general, as it is very prevalent throughout the state. What a lot of them don't realize is that, about 20 years ago, Yuengling took over an old Stroh's brewery in the Tampa area and made it into their second brewery, which explains the Yuengling availability down here, and technically makes Yuengling a local beer for us.

[Victory Sabre]

Well, it's just like Yuengling beer for me. They have to torture me with their awesomeness, but I can't get it often because I live in Minnesota. Though, I did get some from people who went to Florida for vaca.

You can imagine what I'm doing when I get home from work tonight.

[Jester]

The pulse is NOT optional. I do have standards, you know.

Amusingly, Barbancourt is NOT the first rum company to use one of my drinks on their promotional material (table tents, etc.). Pyrat was. If you ever see a Pyrat Rum table tent or promotional material listing a drink called the Keys Breeze, it's mine, and it's the drink I created to win my first ever bartending contest about 6 years ago.

Appleton Estate did use some of my creations on table tents a while back, but only within my bar, so I don't really count that.

That being said, Barbancourt is the first rum company to say they'll use THREE of my drinks on promotional material outside of my bar, and the first ever to say they'll attach my name to it as well.

Rum, thy name is Jester.
EDITED TO ADD: Damn it! Despite many promises from Pyrat that they would have my Keys Breeze on their website, it is not their....still....all these years later. Worse, a different recipe by me, which is FAR INFERIOR, is there. The drink listed is more of a pain in the ass to make, with less accessible ingredients, and would be ordered by far fewer people. Damn it, Pyrat.....why do you torture me so?

[Victory Sabre]

That is, all, wonderful news.

Now for the girl, well, the pulse is optional.

[Jester]

Back on topic, just remembered something I had forgotten to put in my original post. I did mention that the people from Barbancourt loved the drinks and the drink names, but what I forgot to say was that they also asked if it would be alright if they used those drinks, with those names, credited to me, in other printed promotional material they'd be using, not just in Key West, but elsewhere.

Duh. What do you think I said? Of course! And make sure you spell my name right....

[Jester]

Swim schools MAKE the kids wear banana hammocks? Oh, that is just SO wrong....I would have drowned first!