September 2013 | Rum Therapy

September 30, 2013June 24, 2021

Apple Mojito

Yet another good way to use those delicious fresh apples this fall – make Apple Mojitos! Brown sugar tastes so good with apples and we preferred lemon juice over lime (which is normally used for mojitos).
Mmmm…enjoy the taste of fall!

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Print Recipe

Apple Mojito

Another delicious way to use all those Fall apples!

Course: Drinks

Servings:

Ingredients

2 oz. Gold Rum
2 tsp. Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Lemon Juice
6-8 Mint Leaves
4 oz. Apple Juice
3 slices Apple
Club Soda

Instructions

Put brown sugar, mint, lemon juice and one slice of apple in a tall glass and muddle.
Add the rum and stir.
Fill a the glass with crushed ice and add the apple juice, stir.
Top it off with a few splashes of club soda to fill and garnish with the remaining apple slices.

Notes

This recipe calls for a tall glass, but we sure love our mason jars!!

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

September 27, 2013September 27, 2013

Survey Says….

We had such a great response to our recent Rum Therapy Survey and you gave us some fantastic feedback and suggestions – which will be very helpful as Rum Therapy continues to evolve! We thought we’d just highlight a few comments and answer a few of the questions asked.

1. Would like to see more on the Western Caribbean and Cuba, Puerto Rico, Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Belize, Florida. etc.
We agree! Though we’ve visited many of these places already, our visits took place before digital pictures (and Rum Therapy) and we’d like to re-visit, re-photograph and make sure the information is fairly current before posting. So…it may be a while before we have them all covered – that is, of course, unless we get contacted by a travel company to partner with them….(hint!hint!)

2. “More out of the way places.” “Just keep including the out of the way and hidden gems”
These are our favorite kind of places, so we will definitely continue to try and discover and feature them, along with some of the areas that are more popular that people may want to check out.

3. Just keep the recipes coming and I’m all in!
No problem!

4. Not yet just waiting for more, you can’t do it all at once or it would be over, And I don’t want that to happen!
Kinda like those vacations that we all plan so hard for and look forward to!

5. I believe you cover a bit of everything a true rum bum needs to know regarding adult beverages and tropical locations that serve great adult beverages. :-)
Oh good! Thank you!

6. I think it will be cool if there was a place people could share their experiences at the places you guys suggest on your website!
Hmmm. That would be a good idea…

7. Be sure to add historical and legend information and context where you can. It adds color to already colorful destinations.
O.k. We’ll try to add more of that info when possible.

8. Restaurants and Shopping
We usually cover the bar/restaurant type of establishments, but will certainly cover other restaurants and shopping areas as we visit them.

9. “The Shop area…love to see more clothing & accessories.” “A bigger variety of merchandise in the store. You can never have too much Rum Therapy!” “Larger sizes for women”
We’ll be launching some brand new products soon – just in time for the holiday season!!

10. Maybe expand a little on Charter opportunities/companies so that folks can get around to all these beach bars and sample all the Rum!
We’ll definitely have more info for you on this after the Rum Therapy flotilla!

11. More local businesses…help promote the people who make the islands unique and support the culture.
Definitely.

12. Maybe add a resort that would take a percent off their price if we mention your site.
Resorts, hotels, condos, villas – contact us if you’d like to participate in a program like this. I think it’s a great idea!!

13 Excellent resource for our travel needs, daily therapy…
Yeah!! That’s what we like to hear!

14. Maybe showcasing bartenders at some of the awesome beach bars. They always seem to have interesting stories.
Fabulous. I think that would be a great addition to our “Making Your Tropical Obsession Your Profession” series. Know of a bartender with a great story about how they ended up at a tropical beach bar? Let us know!

15. Cant think of anything that you have overlooked, maybe some stories or info on the history of Rum and its production.
Yes, that would be good info to cover from time to time!

Even though the survey is over, we are always open to your ideas and suggestions. Contact us anytime to let us know what’s on your mind!

Cheers!

September 26, 2013June 24, 2021

Dominican Coco Loco

Since we will be visiting the Dominican Republic very soon, we started looking for rum drinks and cocktails from the area to try while we’re there. One that we’ve run across a few times is the Coco Loco. Although there are several versions floating around the internet, this one was identified as a Dominican Coco Loco. We’ll do a little research while down there and let you know if this is close. Even if we nailed the recipe though, I have a sneaky suspicion it may just taste even better served in a coconut on a beautiful beach in the Dominican Republic sunshine…

Print Recipe

Dominican Coco Loco

Servings:

Ingredients

2 oz White Rum
.5 oz Amaretto
1 oz Cream of Coconut
1 tsp Grenadine
4 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Milk
1/2 c Ice
1 Maraschino Cherry or Pineapple slice for Garnish

Instructions

Pour the rum, Amaretto, cream of coconut, grenadine, milk and ice into a blender and blend until smooth.
Add the pineapple juice and continue to blend until smooth.
Pour into a glass, then garnish with a cherry or a slice of pineapple.

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Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

September 24, 2013April 21, 2021

Sandy Island, Carriacou

Spending time on a deserted tropical island has always held a certain allure to me. Not long enough to name a volleyball (or coconut) Wilson, but long enough to forget the noise of the everyday hustle and bustle and to hear yourself think again. No cell phone service, just the sound of the water lapping the shore…

With the ease of travel nowadays and the popularity of the Caribbean and other tropical locations, it isn’t always easy to find a deserted spot anymore. During two different sails to the Grenadines, we ran across a few islands that we were lucky enough to have to ourselves for a day, or at least a few hours and loved every quiet minute of it.

To see more posts on The Grenadines and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Petit Tabac and Mopion were two deserted and uninhabited islands that we visited during a week long catamaran sail in the Grenadines, and we spent time on Sandy Island, off the shores of Carriacou, during our sail with Island Windjammers.

Sandy Island is not easy to get to (perhaps this is why you can still spend time alone on the island) and is little more than a spit of sand on a cay off of – what I believe is the largest of the Grenadine islands, Carriacou.

Those who sail in the Grenadines have found this little gem, and during high season you might actually share Sandy Island with a few other island loving friends.

Even though our sail was during high season, we enjoyed an afternoon on Sandy Island with just a few of our boatmates, swimming, snorkeling in the clear and abundant water, exploring the tiny island and soaking in the sun (o.k – and a little rum!).

Makeshift hammock on Sandy Island

Floatin’ in the clear water taking pictures of the shore

Leaving a couple of footprints in the gorgeous soft, white sand.

Checking out the coral, shell and driftwood sculptures left by other visitors.

And adding a small piece of driftwood on top of a cairn as a remembrance to the time we got to spend on beautiful Sandy Island, Carriacou.

We spent a few minutes making a video to remember the sights and sounds of Sandy Island, then reluctantly left the little slice of deserted island paradise….

To see more posts on The Grenadines and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC. All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

September 23, 2013June 24, 2021

Mojito Jello Shots

I’ve been wanting to try this recipe from A Beautiful Mess for a while now, but well, it looked like work and I thought it might make a not so beautiful mess in our kitchen. I had some free time last week so I thought I’d give it a shot (yes, intended).

I’m glad I did, ’cause it looked kinda cool and would be great to make for parties, but to be truthful, unless you need to amaze someone with a really cool looking shot for an adult get-together, you can also just put ’em in the little plastic shot glasses for the same taste with a lot less work!

Print Recipe

Mojito Jello Shots in Lime Wedges

Amazing jello shot presentation!

Course: Drinks

Ingredients

1 c. Water
1 c. Sugar
3 envelopes Unflavored Gelatin
3/4 c. Lime Juice
3-4 stems Mint Leaves
1 c. White Rum
15 Limes

Instructions

Combine water and sugar over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in the gelatin. (Hint: we added all 3 packs at one time and it clumped terribly. Next time I will try adding one pack at a time and stirring each until it dissolves completely.)
Add the lime juice and two stems of mint with the leaves. Let sit for 15 minutes. Remove the mint and stir in the rum.
Cut the limes in half and remove the pulp, being careful not to poke a hole in the rind ( I did on a couple of them and the jello leaked right through). I removed the pulp by taking a sharp knife and cutting around the edges, then using a melon baller to scoop the pulp out. It’s not easy, but the lime shells don’t need to look perfect. Believe me…
Pour jello into the lime shells. If wanted, take the remaining mint leaves and break them into small pieces. Sprinkle them sparsely on top of the jello and lime halves. Refrigerate the lime halves for at least 3 hours, then cut each half into half again, marvel at the way they look and serve.
As I mentioned before, you can also forgo the lime shells and pour the Mojito Jello into 2 oz. plastic shot glasses (like these: 2 oz Plastic Jello Shot Cups with Lids- 125ct) for an equally good taste. The presentation is not quite as cool, but it’s much easier :)

As I mentioned before, you can also forgo the lime shells and pour the Mojito Jello into 2 oz. plastic shot glasses (like these: 2 oz Plastic Jello Shot Cups with Lids- 125ct) for an equally good taste. The presentation is not quite as cool, but it’s much easier.

copyright©Rum Therapy Beaches, Bars & More, Tropical Travel Guide, 2013
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

September 17, 2013September 17, 2013

Rum Therapy Reader’s Choice – Rum Picks

RUM.

We usually shy away from giving our recommendations on the “best” rums for mixing and the “best” rums for sipping, because, well, we’re simply not rum experts. We know what we like, but that doesn’t mean it’s “the best” for anything – we just like it! Although there are definitely better rums than others, rum tastes are still pretty subjective.

That being said, it is good to have some suggestions or options to begin with – especially when considering a purchase of an entire bottle that you’d like to be reasonably assured that you will want to finish! Recently we polled our wonderful Rum Therapy Facebook Friends on their favorite rums in 3 categories; light mixing, gold mixing and sipping. We figured it would be good to have a sampling of answers from a bunch of rum lovers and the following list is a compilation of those answers, which, as you can imagine, are all over the board! Are your favorites on the list?

For more advice, be sure to check out the websites of some of the wonderful rum experts out there, such as our friend Dave Russell of Rum Gallery or Robert Burr’s Rum Guide.

Cheers!

White Mixing Rums
Bacardi Superior
Cruzan Aged Light Rum
Mount Gay Silver
Blue Chair Bay White Rum
Don Q Cristal
Shellback Silver Rum
Siesta Key Silver
Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum
Havana Club 3 Años
Brugal Especial Extra Dry
Appleton White
Tommy Bahama White Sands
Margaritaville Silver Rum
Castillo Silver
Whaler’s Great White Rum
Coral Bay White Rum
Naked Turtle White Rum

Gold Mixing Rums
Mount Gay Eclipse
Bacardi Gold
Appleton V/X, Reserve or 12 Year
Cruzan Aged
Gosling’s Gold
Old Mill Gold Rum

Sipping Rums
Mount Gay Extra Old
Dos Maderas 5+3 and 5+5
Thomas Tew
Zaya
Brugal Anejo or Extra Viejo
Appleton 21 Year
Santa Teresa 1796
Prichard’s Fine Rum
Oronoco
Gosling’s Old Rum
Arundel 10 Year
Chairman’s Reserve – The Forgotten Cask
Shellback Spiced Rum
Rhum Barbancourt Five Star or Estate Reserve
Seven Fathoms
Pyrat XO Reserve
Sebastian’s
Ron Anejo Pampero Aniversario
Kirk and Sweeney 12 year
Ron Zacapa XO or 23
Flor de Caña Centenario 18 or 25
Ron del Barrilito 3 Star
El Dorado 15
Bacardi Oakheart
Sailor Jerry
Pusser’s
Captain Morgan Private Stock
Kraken
Bones
Seven Fathoms
RedRum

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September 16, 2013May 29, 2019

Pinel Island, St. Martin

In the northern part of Orient Bay on the French side of St. Martin and just off the town of Cul de Sac, lies a small island called Pinel. Depending on who you talk to or the travel guide you read, Pinel Island can also be called Isle Pinel, Ilet Pinel, or Ile de Pinel.

We visited Pinel Island last year during a sail around St. Maarten/ St. Martin, but if staying on or visiting St. Martin, Pinel Island is very easily accessed by ferry from the town of Cul de Sac.

The day we visited, Pinel Island was very busy and the beach was much more crowded than we normally like and we hear that is really pretty normal for the small island – and many people obviously don’t mind the crowds! Even though we’d probably rather spend the day at a quieter beach somewhere, we still had fun and recommend a visit for the following reasons:

Pinel Island main beach has lovely soft sand and the water is clear and very calm. It’s a great area to bring the family to play in the water. You can also kayak over from St. Martin.

A short hike from the beach you can find a snorkel trail with decent snorkeling and we were told that snorkel equipment can be rented there.

If you continue up the trail from the snorkel trail and you’ll be treated to fantastic views of St. Martin and Orient Beach.

At the top of the trail you get a good look at the island of Tintamarre and if you look south, you may even catch a glimpse of St. Barths.

There are also a couple of more deserted beaches on Pinel that you can reach and explore via a short hike.

Umbrellas and chairs on the beach in front of Up on the Key Beach Bar/Restaurant

After your hike, you might want to head back down to sit under a beach umbrella and enjoy a frosty beverage. At the time of our visit, there were three beach bars/restaurants on Pinel: Karabuni, Up on the Key and Yellow Beach.

Karabuni Beach Bar/Restaurant. Known for it’s fresh Lobster

Yellow Beach Bar/Restaurant (located under the thatched roofs)

While writing this article, I found a FB link for Up on the Key that said the beach bar/restaurant was razed this past July amid some controversy (see article in The Daily Herald), so as of this writing, it looks as if Up on the Key is no longer located on Pinel Island. For those of you that have been there, it was the two story structure in between Karabundi and Yellow Beach. Too bad – they served up some good rum drinks and friendly conversation and I’m sure the beach looks quite different now.

Just a few more colorful images from our day of sun, fun and rum at Pinel Island, St. Martin…

Find Pinel Island on our St. Maarten/St. Martin Map

To find more posts on St. Martin and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy Beaches
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

September 14, 2013May 29, 2019

Colombier Beach, St. Barths

We haven’t gotten to visit all of the beaches on St. Barts…yet, but we were certainly impressed with a beautiful, hard to get to beach on the islands northwest tip called Colombier Beach. Accessible only by boat or by one of two challenging trails, this gorgeous beach is well worth the effort to get there.

Known by boaters for its calm anchorage and beautiful blue water, you may encounter a few boats (and yachts) at anchor, but probably very few people on the beach.

Colombier Beach is still called Rockefeller Beach by some because the land around it was for many years owned by David Rockefeller.

Besides the challenge of getting to Colombier Beach, one of the things that makes it different from the other beautiful St. Barts beaches is the unusual rock formations found on either end of the beach. Although rocky on either end, the middle of the beach is excellent for swimming with a nice bottom.

The way the water weaves in and around the rocks makes for some beautiful pictures. Snorkeling in the water around these rocks can be very good when the surf is calm.

We arrived by boat, so we thought we’d take the path partway to Flamands Beach to see what it was like.

The path was rugged and hugged the coast overlooking the north side of St. Barths. You can see Flamands in the picture below in the distance.

We turned around when the path got too steep and rocky to be crossed with our flip flops and headed back to Colombier Beach for more of this….

Colombier Beach has no amenities and very little shade (unless you find a pocket of shade among the rocks), so be sure to bring some food, drink (plenty of water) and sunscreen.

As the sun wore one, the color of the sand seemed to turn a beautiful gold color which was breathtaking against the vibrant blue water.

We left just a few more footprints in the sand, then dinghied back to the boat having enjoyed our day of seclusion and beauty on Colombier Beach.

Find Colombier Beach on our St. Barths Map

To see more posts on St. Barths and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

Copyright©Rum Therapy Beaches, Bars & More, Tropical Travel Guide, 2013
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

September 13, 2013June 24, 2021

Apple Rum Punch

Well, whether we like it or not, fall is just around the corner, which means – apple season! Since the days of autumn can still be sunny and warm, this recipe for a cold rum appley punch sounds perfect for sipping during your favorite football game or sitting outside enjoying the last of the nice warm rays. There are not a lot of ingredients so it’d be easy to make a large batch for a party! Enjoy!

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Print Recipe

Apple Rum Punch

Apple season calls for a refreshing apple drink.

Course: Drinks

Servings:

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz. Spiced Rum
1 1/2 oz. Apple Juice
1 oz. Pomegranate Juice
1/4 oz. Lime Juice
2 oz. Ginger Ale

Instructions

Pour the rum, apple juice, pomegranate juice and lime juice in an ice filled shaker.
Shake well, then pour into an ice filled rocks glass. (We used our beloved mason jars.)
Garnish with a slice of lime or wedge of apple.

September 12, 2013June 5, 2019

A Tropical Music Escape with Joe Moorhead

I received an email recently from a lady named Karla with a link to a video she thought we might be interested in. The fresh island sound caught my attention and I quickly started singing along with the catchy lyrics “It’s a bad day in the islands”, bad day in the islands today, bad day in islands….today.” What the heck? A bad day in the islands? I began to wonder where this musician was going with the lyrics as the video played on and and as I watched, I began to spot some familiar places – Ivan’s, Foxy’s, White Bay and Saba Rock…

I emailed Karla to find out more about the band, the music and the video locations and found out a lot more. Joe Moorhead, who hails from the decidedly un-tropical city of Cleveland, has been around for a while and has amassed some serious fun loving music fans through his very busy tour schedule, his unique – but a bit Jack Johnson-ish sound and his original tropically flavored songs. Sounded like a great story for our “Making Your Tropical Obsession Your Profession” Series, so we sent him some more interview questions.

Check out the video for Bad Day yourself and see what locations you can spot – then read more about Joe Moorhead and his band in our interview below.

1. Can you give us a little background about yourself such as where are you from and when started getting interested in music?
I grew up outside of Cleveland, Ohio. Music has been a part of my life since I can remember. Listening to music started as a hobby with my Dad sharing the music of his days. That hobby has followed me all my life.

2. What is your musical background and are there other musicians that have been an inspiration to you?

Growing up, I took guitar lessons as a teen. I never looked at the guitar as something I would pursue professionally until I was in my early twenties. I had written some songs and friends started to push me to record a demo. After playing a few gigs and recording a demo, I fell in love with the business of music. I have never looked back since.

3. Coming from Ohio, where does your island vibe come from? Where do you get the inspiration for your music?

Most people laugh when I tell them I grew up around Cleveland, Ohio as my music portrays “island living”. I have spent a lot of time in the Caribbean islands and have traveled to island destinations across the world. There is no place I have found as beautiful as the USVI and BVI. That is were I truly get inspired and where I write most of the my music.

4. I love the video for both Bad Day and Ukalayme and see that some of the footage was shot on Jost Van Dyke and possibly Saba Rock?? Can you tell us more about the shoot locations and why you picked them?

Ukalayme was made from footage and pictures I had from years of traveling around the islands. The “Bad Day” video was a more produced video. After meeting the film director, Marcus Morelli, we talked about where we would travel to capture the story of the song “Bad Day”. There was no question that we had to get down to the islands where the story had taken place. We spent a week traveling the islands on my friend Brian’s boat. We filmed on St. Thomas, St. John, Jost Van Dyke, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, etc. Everytime we thought it was a “wrap” we found another location that we had to capture. We really had no plan on exactly where we wanted to film, it all just came together as we bounced around the islands.

5. Is this a full time gig or do you do something else as well?
I feel very fortunate to say music is my only job. The old saying, “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” is very true for me. As music pays the bills, it also makes me happier then doing anything else.

6. Can you tell us about the rest of the band?

The band is more then just a group of musicians. They are all family. Jonny Morrow, lead guitar, has been my best friend since we were 10 years old. Tyler Lovell, bass player, has been in the band since it’s start. Justin Banks, drummer, is the newest member to the band but it feels like he has always been with us. There is no hierarchy in this band. Everyone has a voice and we make decisions as a whole on what are next steps are. On top of that, there isn’t a group of people I would rather live in a bus with.

7. It looks like you’ve got a pretty extensive tour schedule. How many night a year are you on the road?
Our goal is to tour and spread the music. We prefer to stay on the road as much as possible. I couldn’t tell you how many dates we play a year because our tour schedule is always growing. If we can get a gig we stay on the road.

8. Hopes for the future?
The only thing I can hope for the future is that we have the opportunity to still be playing music together as a band. My dreams come true everyday I get to wake up and play music. There isn’t much more I want than that.

9. What’s your favorite tropical destination and rum drink, or rum?
If I could be anywhere on this planet, it is Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke, BVI, drinking a “pain killer” made with Pusser’s Rum.

10. What islands are on your must see list?
There is a group of British islands called Tristan Da Cunha. They are considered the most remote islands in the world. I would love to sail to them someday. I guess the thought of that type of adventure is what intrigues me so much.

11. Is there anything else you’d like to let us know about you or your music?
We (the band) would just like to thank all our fans, friends, family, and Rum Therapy for the support. We all feel very lucky to have the opportunity to play music for a living. We hope everyone enjoys our new album, Tides Are Rising, and the videos that we will be releasing this year. Make sure to check out www.JoeMoorhead.com to see when we will be in a town near you.

Pictures courtesy of joemoorhead.com

Free download link for “Sunshine Driving”

Follow Joe on Facebook

Check out the tour schedule here

The video for Ukalayme by Joe Moorhead- recognize any of these spots?

Check out other posts in our “Making Your Tropical Obsession Your Profession” series