January 2016 | Rum Therapy

January 20, 2016June 24, 2021

Pineapple Rum Punch

This recipe makes a tropical concoction that will have you daydreaming of swinging in a hammock on a beautiful beach. Light, tasty and easy with just a bit of effervescence – tropically delicious!

Don’t like coconut so much? No problem – it tastes great with a nice gold rum instead of the coconut rum. Don’t know why it took us so long to give this one a try but it’ll surely be one we’ll put together again and again. Cheers!

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Print Recipe

Pineapple Rum Punch

This recipe makes a tropical concoction that will have you daydreaming of swinging in a hammock on a beautiful beach. Light, tasty and easy with just a bit of effervescence – tropically delicious!

Servings:

Ingredients

1 cup ginger ale
1 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup coconut rum (we used Blue Chair Bay)
cracked ice
pineapple chunks for garnish (fresh, if at all possible)

Instructions

Mix the ginger ale, pineapple juice and rum together and pour in glasses over cracked ice.
Garnish with chunks of fresh pineapple and if you really want to go wild, add a little freshly grated nutmeg!

Check out more rum recipes here!

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

January 20, 2016January 15, 2020

The Beautiful Beaches of Tortola

When you think of Tortola, the largest island of the British Virgin Island chain, do you think of the place you meet to embark on your BVI sailing adventure? Do you think of bustling Road Town or the picturesque Soper’s Hole? Do you think of a stop on the ferry on the way to another island? Perhaps Full Moon Parties?

For whatever reason, Tortola is known for many things, but not always it’s beaches – which really is surprising. Tortola has some stunning beaches. The best beaches are found on Tortola’s North and West sides and range from wide swaths of soft, light colored sand to beaches with some of the best surfing in the area. Because many face north, some can really rock ‘n roll when there’s a north swell, but on calm days they can be downright tranquil.

Although Brewer’s Bay and Josiah’s Bay are both beautiful Northside beaches that should probably be on a “best of Tortola” list, we’ve seen them only by boat (We won’t talk about that time we rented a Jeep while staying on island and the adventure we had trying to get there. Have we mentioned that parts of Tortola are hilly and VERY steep?). Anyway, for the purposes of this post, we’ll cover just the Tortola beaches we’ve actually gotten to stick our toes in – so far.

Long Bay – West

Long Bay is a “long” stretch of powdery, light colored sand on the west end of Tortola. Long Bay Beach Club occupies a portion of the lovely beach, but the several times we visited, we were one of the few walking along and enjoying the scenery. Good photo ops include the overlook of Long Bay from the road at Lower Bay Point and the western end of the beach with Belmont Point in the background. If Winston is bartending at his Nature Boy Beach Bar, located on the beaches western end, be sure to stop in for a cold beer and some conversation.
Read more about Long Bay here.

Long Bay – East

Not technically on Tortola, Long Bay East is on Beef Island, a small island separated from Tortola by the short Queen Elizabeth Bridge – close enough we thought, to be included on this list. Apparently it’s a favorite with locals on the weekends and why wouldn’t it be? With its white sand and calm water, it’d be a great place to enjoy that Tortola sunshine.

Apple Bay

Not far from Long Bay heading north, you’ll find Apple Bay, sometimes called Capoons Bay.

Apple Bay has a great view of Jost Van Dyke, is one of the premier surfing spots in the BVI and is home of the one and only Bomba Shack, where you can sit and sip a Rum Punch while checking out the scenery.

Smuggler’s Cove

Smuggler’s Cove is on the westernmost tip of Tortola.

With beautiful palms, a view of Jost Van Dyke and an arc of soft light sand, Smuggler’s Cove is one not to miss. It’s a little tricky to get to, but that seems to keep the crowd’s at bay. Read more about Smuggler’s Cove here.

Cane Garden Bay

A boater’s favorite, one could easily while away a few days in Cane Garden Bay just leisurely walking the beach, splashing in the calm water and enjoying food, drink and live music at several excellent beach bars. If that weren’t enough, there is also a rum distillery to tour within walking distance and a recycled glass studio to enjoy. Read more about Cane Garden Bay here.

And to top it off, Cane Garden Bay has some of the best sunsets in the BVI.

If you haven’t had the chance to enjoy some of Tortola’s beautiful beaches, make sure to check a few out next time you’re in the area!

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

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

January 15, 2016June 6, 2019

The Longboard, a Coastal Cantina in Cruz Bay, St. John

How does a Conch and Shrimp Lettuce Wrap, an Ahi Tuna Tower or a Caribbean Spice Bowl (spicy jerk braised pork, sliced avocado, charred corn black bean salsa, shredded red cabbage, lime sour crème) washed down with a Rum Sangaree, a Heart and Sol or a Frozen Painkiller while sitting in a restaurant/bar with a cool coastal vibe in the heart of Cruz Bay, St. John sound?

These are just a few of the delicious food and drink offerings available at a new establishment recently opened on St. John called The Longboard.

The Longboard is the culmination of a long-time dream of owners Clint Gaskins and Tyler Beckstead who each bring years of restaurant and bar experience to their new venue. The Longboard opened in May of 2015 and has already garnered some very favorable reviews, an article in Coastal Living, and an upcoming spread in Islands Magazine!

The kitchen is headed up by Chef Anthony Fossani, whose resume includes Michelin Star New York restaurant Oceana as well as Country Clubs and the Mega Yacht Industry. Fossani brings serious talent and an expertise in creating a balanced fusion of cuisines to tantalize your taste buds. The teams combined expertise brings a unique and innovative new restaurant/bar option to Cruz Bay.

The Longboard serves fresh, healthy foods inspired by Southern California and the Caribbean. On their menu you will find a variety of delectable offerings, from small plates, tacos, quinoa/rice bowls and light, fresh fish based Caribbean dishes.

Ahi Tuna Tower
To keep the ingredients ultra-fresh, they source as much as they can locally. Customer favorites so far? Ahi Tuna Tower, Island Guacamole, Poke, and the variety of fresh gourmet tacos and quinoa/rice bowls. Gluten free options are also available.

Menu
The Longboard also offers an extensive drink menu with specialty cocktails.

Dark & Stormy

Their specialty cocktails, many of which use housemade sodas and syrups, highlight delicious Caribbean flavors. Even their traditional drinks like the Dark & Stormy, are created with their own spin and fresh take.

Heart and Sol

Current drink favorites include the Sunshower (said to taste like sunshine in your mouth by one reviewer), Heart and Sol, Passion Pitted, and of course, their famous Frozen Painkiller.

Drinks
Although the road to opening the restaurant of their dreams on St. John was not an easy one, Clint and Tyler were determined to find just the right location on the beautiful island that they love. Tyler lived on the island for a year in the 2000’s and Clint had traveled frequently to STJ over the last 10 years. They felt there was a unique opportunity in this unique location, so they went to work finding a space for The Longboard. They ended up with a building that needed some serious updating and TLC, but it had good bones and with the help of their great team, they were able to create their vision.

The Longboard is a “coastal cantina” celebrating the adventurous yet laid back ocean lifestyle of the islands. After an extensive remodel from the previous Joe’s Diner, The Longboard offers a bright, beachy and fun location with a focus on modern design and surf culture of which both Tyler and Clint were accustomed to, being surfers at one point in their lives (Tyler is still an avid surfer on his days off). The space has been expertly laid out to comfortably accommodate 60 guests with seating at the bar, bar tables and porch.

Bar 3 p.m. – Until…
Happy Hour is 3-6 p.m. daily
Bar Snacks 3 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Kitchen (full menu) 3 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Stop by and check them out on your next trip to St. John!

The Longboard
1 Prince Street
Cruz Bay, St. John

Find The Longboard on our St. John Map

Visit their website for more information: The Longboard
Follow them on Facebook for updates and specials.
Catch them on Instagram too!

Photos courtesy of The Longboard and www.photo.vi

This is a sponsored post. Although we were compensated by the company who sponsored it, the views are solely our own and we only recommend products or services we believe our readers will enjoy.

January 12, 2016June 24, 2021

Jack Frost Cocktail

Touted as the winter version of the Piña Colada on Homemade Hooplah, we thought we needed to give this one a try. Yes, we’d rather be sipping a Piña Colada in the middle of the summer or on a beautiful tropical beach somewhere, but the weather outside is decidedly non-tropical at the moment. So, either we whine about it until the warmth returns (actually, I probably will anyway), or try and make the best of it. After one (or two) of these, we might not notice the cold as much…

This is a sweet drink. If you like less sweetness, try cutting the coconut crème in half and replacing with coconut milk.

Print Recipe

Jack Frost Cocktail

We’d rather be sipping a Piña Colada in the middle of the summer or on a beautiful tropical beach somewhere, but the weather outside is decidedly non-tropical at the moment. So we made the best of it!

This is a sweet drink. If you like less sweetness, try cutting the coconut crème in half and replacing with coconut milk.

Course: Drinks

Servings:

Ingredients

1/2 c. Pineapple Juice
1/4 c. Light Rum
1/4 c. Cream of Coconut (plus a little extra to rim the glasses)
1/4 c. Blue Curacao
1 c. Ice
Shredded Coconut

Instructions

Put a little coconut crème on a plate, then dip the very edges of the glasses in the crème.
Spread a couple teaspoons of shredded coconut on another plate and dip the edges in the coconut.
In a blender, mix the pineapple juice, rum, blue curacao and ice until smooth. Pour into the glasses and serve. Cheers!

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January 11, 2016June 6, 2019

The Rum Bar, Phoenix

A big thanks to rum expert Dwayne Allen and his wife, chef extraordinaire, Danielle Leoni, who own the award winning Breadfruit and Rum Bar in downtown Phoenix. We enjoyed another great evening at their establishment this last weekend. We had reservations for 6:30p.m. at The Breadfruit, a fine eatery with a Jamaican influence, and got to The Rum Bar – which encompasses the other half of the space early to enjoy a few beverages and hopefully a little rum talk with Dwayne. Nothing about the evening disappointed.

Upon our arrival, we chatted with the knowledgeable bartender, Brian about what we should try.

We settled on a tasting flight and although there were four different flights to choose from, we chose the Masters Blend, which consisted of tastings of Brugal 1888, Angostura 1824 Limited Reserve 12 Year and Mt. Gay 1703 Cask Select.

Rum flights are an excellent way to sample a few different rums to learn about different regions, brands or types. All the rums in our flight were excellent, although there was a distinct winner on our palate. See the different flights and rums available here: Rums, flights and cigars. There are over 150 rums available at The Rum Bar, so there is certainly something to please everyone and the bartenders are very astute at assisting in finding the right cocktail or sipping rum to suit your taste.

Next we decided to sample a couple of the craft cocktails, all designed by Dwayne himself using the freshest of ingredients, hand squeezed juices and homemade spices.

We sampled a Punchbowl Special – a daily rotation of inspired rum punches. This day it included mango…delicious!

We then ordered a Rum Old Fashioned. This one was created with Appleton Extra 12 Year Rum, orange bitters and orange zest. It was an especially pleasing combination of flavors.

We got to chat with Dwayne for a bit about our upcoming trip to Antigua to get his take on Antiguan rums. Hailing from Jamaica, Dwayne knows and loves his rum and genuinely appears to love talking about it and educating folks on this spirit with deep roots in the Caribbean.

By then, it was time to be seated for dinner. After ordering Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass and Red Strip Curried Prawns we were nearly tortured by the aromas emanating from the kitchen and could hardly wait until our selections arrived. After polishing off every last bite, John said it was the best Sea Bass he’d ever tasted and I felt the prawns were equally as delectable. I would have picked up my plate and licked it clean if I could have.

After dinner we each enjoyed one more Rum Old Fashioned before catching a taxi home. Great night and we can’t wait to return and sample some more.

An evening at the Rum Bar/Breadfruit is highly recommended.
It’s like having a little Jamaican vacation right in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona.

Check out The Breadfruit/Rum Bar website for more information.

January 8, 2016June 6, 2019

The Return of Mad Gringo

Ahhh, Mad Gringo. We’ve been fans of the company with a curious name for quite some time. Why wouldn’t we be? Their slogan is “Go Slow”, and with their tropical vibe and quirky sense of humor, their philosophy of life fits us to a “tee”. Pun of course, intended. They sell some great tropical tees and other tropical apparel.

Mad Gringo “Fish Bones” Tropical Shirt

Anyway, we followed them on Facebook and purchased Mad Gringo products until one day, we saw a post that said “The Long Adios”. Mad Gringo, it appeared, would be no more. However, after a bit of restructuring, Mad Gringo has returned – and to our delight, as off-the-wall and humorous as ever. Find out more about this company, the history, their great tropical apparel, the new owners and their plans for the future of Mad Gringo in our recent interview with Mad Tom, aka Tom Spears.

Who is Mad Gringo?

“Okay, let’s get this straight right from the get-go – I’m Mad Gringo. Not the original Mad Gringo, mind you, but right now I’m the one and only.” To find out how Tom became Mad Gringo, you can read his very humorous account in a series of short blog posts here: Part 1, Pa rt 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.

How did the idea for Mad Gringo come about?

“Well”, Tom replied, “Mad Gringo was the brainchild of the original owner, Greg Chambers. We still communicate with Greg on a regular basis and he even occassionally offers advice – some of it is even good. Greg has moved onto other things, like running his own consultancy called Chambers Pivot Industries.

The legend of how the company came into being involves Greg spending a vacation in Mexico and meeting a t-shirt salesman at a beach bar late one night. The two of them shared life stories with him over a bottle of tequila (maybe two.) In the morning, he knew he couldn’t go back to the Corporate grind. Announcing to his new-found friend – that he wasn’t going back, and instead, might just take up selling shirts just like him – the guy replied, “You’re mad, Gringo.” Hence the name of the company.”

The history of Mad Gringo

Mad Gringo started back in 2006 in Mad Greg’s basement, and it took off pretty quickly. Greg has a good head for marketing and promotion and did a lot of clever, appealing things to give the business a fun look and feel – funny tags, custom bags, stickers.

Washing instructions on the Fish Bones Tropical Shirt

The business grew steadily for several years, branching beyond online sales to include retail accounts. Unfortunately, retail required substantial cash investment for which Greg and his team simply didn’t have easy access. Eventually, Mad Gringo was merged into a local children’s clothing retailer in Omahoahu.

This was the start of a period of decline for the business. Mad Gringo languished for a couple of years. Eventually, the remaining inventory was auctioned off, and the brand was sold to a t-shirt printer in Iowa.

The new owner was great at making t-shirts, but not so good at understanding the brand and developing its image. After another year or two, it was closed.

That’s when Greg decided to run a “last hurrah” Kickstarter campaign to produce a final tropical shirt and a commemorative tee. When Tom realized the business might be available, he started checking it out, and eventually purchased Mad Gringo.

Since Mad Tom, Mad Bill and Mad Evan have taken over things (which started early in 2015) they’ve been resurrecting suppliers, locating new suppliers, acquiring t-shirt printing equipment, building a website, etc. They feel they are just now getting their legs under them and hope to quickly grow the number and variety of products that they are offering.

The company is now located in Fremoahu (Fremont) Nebraska. It used to be located on the Big Island of Omahoahu, (Omaha) but when the business changed hands, they relocated.

A little about the new owners

Mad Tom
Mad Tom, is a 50 something guy, and an experienced business manager with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from Harvard. At one point in his career, he had 4,000 people reporting to him. Now life is simpler and he concentrates on having fun. In his spare time, he write novels (seven published to date). He’s got 7 kids and he and his wife live on a rural lake in Eastern Nebraska.

Tom said his job at Mad Gringo is…”Well, I don’t actually do much of anything at the company. Bill is the president and runs the place.” Tom says he shows up at the offices one day a week and spends most of my time brewing beer in a small hobby space reserved for me in the back. Sometimes he gets involved in projects or other issues going on in the main company, but mostly he just has fun. Actually, he manages the marketing and web presence too.

Mad Bill
Mad Bill is roughly the same age with a degree in Economics. He was the President of a manufacturing company in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and moved to Nebraska to run the company. He is recently remarried (he was widowed years ago) and has two children. Mad Tom and Mad Bill have been best friends for fifteen years.

Mad Evan
Mad Evan is mid 20’s and has a business degree. He is quite entrepreneurial and this is his first job post college. Mad Evan helps run the business along with another business of theirs called Mouse Assassin and is Bill’s son.

Their company, the entity in which Mad Gringo resides, is actually a manufacturing firm called TEK Services.

The philosophy behind Mad Gringo

The company’s slogan is “Go Slow.” The idea is that we all face plenty of frustrations in our daily lives, the kind of thing that makes us want to “chuck it all” and go live on a beach someplace. That’s our “Inner Mad Gringo” talking. If we take some time to satisfy that “IMG” we can keep him at bay. Otherwise, he might pop out at the most inopportune moment. Part of that pacification is “Going Slow,” Taking time, and maybe wearing the occasional tropical shirt.

Good advice. And Mad John, aka John of Rum Therapy, is completely mad about his new Mad Gringo Fish Bones Tropical Shirt. Here you can see him modeling (while enjoying a glass of Zacapa 23). It will definitely come in handy during our upcoming tropical trip and will certainly remind him to just “Go Slow”.

After all, it’s made of 13% “SLOW-OSE”

Are you ready to GO SLOW? Check out all the great Mad Gringo products on their website:
Mad Gringo

And follow them on Facebook for a dose of off-beat humor – oh, and updates on new products and stuff!

They’re on Twitter too.

This is a sponsored post. Although we were compensated by the company who sponsored it, the views are solely our own and we only recommend products or services we believe our readers will enjoy.

January 6, 2016September 25, 2019

Soggy Dollar Radio

Today we heard from Jamie Gladman, one of the organizers of the Love City Country Music Festival, who also happens to be the General Manager of Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke. He told us that Soggy Dollar has just launched it’s own radio station called Soggy Dollar Radio.

According to Jamie, the eclectic mix is intended to remind listeners of their time spent at the Soggy long after they’ve returned home. Jamie says, “Give it 5 songs and you’ll be hooked”.

So, in between trips to paradise, you can tune in to Soggy Dollar Radio, turn on the Soggy Dollar Webcam and imagine yourself right here, sipping a Painkiller of course…

To see more posts on Jost Van Dyke and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

January 6, 2016September 25, 2019

Foxy’s School of Music

Update: Foxy’s School f Music was irreparably damaged during the hurricanes of 2017, but has re-built and recently re-opened since our last visit.

As we previously mentioned in our post about a new business called Foxy’s Charters started by Foxy Callwood of Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands, Foxy is a busy man. He not only owns two bars on the island, Foxy’s and Foxy’s Taboo, and the new business Foxy’s Charters, he is active in preserving the culture and heritage of the beautiful island he calls his home. He was instrumental in founding the Jost Van Dyke Preservation Society to further the education, monitoring and protection of the areas environment and wildlife and has recently started a new venture intended to serve the children of the Jost Van Dyke community and encourage enrichment in a topic near and dear to Foxy’s heart – music.

Anyone lucky enough to visit Foxy’s while Foxy was present has probably been treated to a little of his music. Seen frequently with his guitar, Foxy has been known to sing improvised calypso-esque ballads, many times creating off-the-cuff lyrics about his guests, where they’re from and humorous tidbits about their state or country. So – it makes complete sense that Foxy has begun a new venture designed to entice children on Jost Van Dyke to explore music and encourage budding musicians through a program called Foxy’s School of Music.

On a recent visit to Foxy’s, David Dietrich treated us to a tour of this new facility, opened in March of 2015. Located behind Foxy’s, the dome structure houses a variety of instruments, from drums to violins.

Foxy’s School of Music is open several days a week to the local children (of which there are approximately 43) and is a place they can gather to experiment with music, play music together and take lessons from volunteers.

Several other music lovers and musicians have lent a hand in the creation of this venue, including Tony Martin form “Just Right Music”, Kebbi Williams, a Grammy Award Winning Saxophone Player, William Barnes – composer, producer and musician and Michael Beans – a local musician who performed his famous “Happy Arrr Pirate Show” at the opening ceremonies.

This year, the child who works the hardest at learning how to play their instrument of choice will be awarded with a trip to the annual Music In the Park Event in Atlanta, Georgia held by Kebbie Williams.

photo courtesy of Foxy’s School of Music

Anyway you look at it, Foxy’s School of Music is a win-win situation. It’s a program that will certainly benefit the local children of Jost Van Dyke and a program that could be creating another wonderful musician like Foxy himself.

If you’d like to donate to this great program, contact them via email at [email protected], or if you will be visiting Foxy’s in the near future, there is a donation box between the bar and the Foxhole.

To see more posts on Jost Van Dyke 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.