The Perfect Beach Guitar

Photo from http://www.brunetteonabudget.com

What makes the perfect beach guitar?  Well first lets discuss why a beach guitar is such a necessity.  Nothing is worse then a party that just can't get off the ground, well a guitar is the perfect cure for that.  Get some tunes rolling and people start to loosen up and the party gets movin.  Or if some new is around and needs an ice breaker, the guitar is the perfect ice breaker.  They can just bust out the music box and start strummin some great beach tunes.  So, here is my guide to what makes a great beach guitar.
First and most importantly it must have a cool vibe.  You don't want something with pictures of skulls, or that is bright red, or is something that doesn't give the beach vibe.  You need something traditional and classy looking.  Second, you don't want something that is overly expensive.  You are at a beach, it is going to get some sand, and some water on it.  So, keep your $2000 Martin's at home and settle for something with no electronics, maybe something made over seas, but something with a solid wood top (you still need it to sound big and be heard!).  Also, you don't want a huge dreadnaught, they are great sounding guitars, but you want something you can pass around and the women and kids have an easier time strumming.  Get a small OOO or parlor body guitar.   Also, they don't take up as much room in the back of the jeep due to their small size.  And keep your straps for your local bar gigs.  The only thing a guitar strap is going to do at a beach party is catch fire.  And last but not least, play it!  Find a guitar you love to play, let it get beat up, let it enjoy its life like you do!

Here are some recommendations for a good beach guitar:

Epiphone Masterbuild EF-500R - small body, great tone

Guild GAD-30 -small body, great looker, plays fantastic

Fender Kingman - has that old school Cali vibe.

Coastlines & Cuba Libres

The picture above is from Conch Republic Bikinis and their Hottest Collection taken at Blue Heaven (the best sign in the world!)

So on this Good Friday I sit at my desk and it appears that Columbus, OH has floated to Seattle.  We are going to set a record for rain in the month of April, and close to a record for most rain in a month ever.  That comes off of this past winter as the coldest winter on record, and the winter before with the most snow on record.  Global warming my ass, bring some icebergs to Ohio, they won't melt here.  But, summer is right around the corner and that means tan lines and coastlines.  Or laymen's terms, sun and the water!
My friend Carl, or cyber friend till i get to Key West in Oct, owns Conch Republic Bikinis (http://www.conchrepublicbikinis.com)  and just started a new blog called Coastlines and Tan Lines found at http://blog.conchrepublicbikinis.com.  I highly recommend his Cuba Libre blog post.  I almost wrote a blog post last week about Cuba Libres, but he did a hell of a job.  It is twice as good as I could have written, very informative about the Cuba Libre and its history.  The only thing I would add is that I would give Myers Rum a try with your Cuba Libre, right now that is my favorite Cuba Libre rum.  I would like to give some Atlantico a try next, but the dark tantalizing flavors of Myers just sits great with the Coke.
I have kept this post short so you have time to read Carl's blog and please visit his store.  If you buy a bikini from his store(if your female) or for your girl as a gift (to you or her???), make sure you pass a picture on to me!

Now i just have to convince my wife to get a bikini off Carl!

"I Love Cajun Martinis and Playing Afternoon Golf"

On this sleepy, wet, cool, Monday morning in mid April I was listing to some 80's music.  Not just any 80's music, I was listen to Jimmy Buffett play Miami in 1985.  "We are the People Our Parents Warned Us About" came on, and one of my favorite lines in the JB catalog was sang, "I love cajun martinis and playing afternoon golf".  Now, I have never had a cajun martini, but it have read about it and it sounds great.  Sipping on something spicy in the shade while the afternoon sun beats down on the land (or water) around you is always a good time.  Spicy food is a part of almost all Caribbean cultures, because the spiciness makes you sweat which cools you off.  Sounds a little backwards, but it works.
The second part of this JB line is one that really strikes a chord with me.  Afternoon golf!  There is something just perfect about playing a mid-week game of afternoon golf.  The course isn't as crowded, so things are more peaceful and the pace is slowed to an "island time".  There are usually a few cold beverages to be consumed while sitting in the shade of your golfing chariot, then followed by a few more post-round adult beverages.  You really don't care how you score, you are actually enjoying the day, the game, the drinks, and the people.  It is almost a zen like state, pure bliss.  If you have never played a mid-week round of afternoon golf.  Do yourself a favor and put one on your summer bucket list and enjoy the perfection that afternoon golf is.

Bacardi Rum, Papa H, and Two Great Cocktails

So, I am back to my favorite spirit again, rum.  After my little history lesson yesterday in Red Stripe (http://baldparrotbar.blogspot.com/2011/04/red-stripe.html) I decided to do a little research into Bacardi.  I have alluded to in an early blog that I met Tito Bacardi, and executive at Bacardi in the Coral Gables, FL office.  I was a pitcher at the University of Miami and we had a Sunday afternoon game.  Before the game this dapper looking man came into the dugout with two highly attractive women wearing really small baseball jerseys with the Bacardi bat logo on the back, and even smaller shorts.  Tito, also dressed in a Bacardi baseball shirt, his not quite as tight fitting as his blonde and latin arm candy, threw out the first pitch that day.  But, before he toed the rubber I was introduced to him by our head coach and have a brief conversation with him and the lovely ladies.  From that day forward I have kind of favored Bacardi rum.  I have tried others, liked others, but my day in and day out mixing rum has always gone back to Bacardi.  I just grew to enjoy the flavor. 

Bacardi was first distilled in Satiago de Cuba in 1862 by a Spanish immigrant named Facund Bacardi I Masso.  And the signature Bacardi bat comes from the fruit bats that lived in the rafters of the original distillery.  After some issue with Castro and his people, the fact they were nationalize all private property, the Bacardi family moved production off the Cuban shores permanently.    It has grown to become the largest rum producer in the world producing 200 million bottles a year, with US sales of excess of $5 billion. 

It is also well known that Hemingway liked his mojitos and daiquiris with “Bacardi white label rum”.  And please don’t spoil your mind thinking a daiquiri is one of those fruity things that come out of machines that the office secretary drinks.  A daiquiri is a fantastic drink comprised of 2 oz rum, 1 oz fresh lime juice, .5-1 oz of simple syrup and crushed ice.  This is my favorite drink, the thing that blows is most bartenders have no idea what a daiquiri is, they all want to serve me the red or green stuff that is made in a machine or blender.  Note that Papa Hemingway preferred his a little different, partially due to the fact he was diabetic, he had cherry liquor and grapefruit juice instead of the simple syrup.  Another classic is the mojito.  Made by mixing 6 sprigs of fresh mint (5 muddled in the bottom of the glass, 1 for garnish), 1 oz lime juice, ¾ oz of simple syrup, 2 oz white rum and a splash of club soda.  I learned something today about the mojito while doing research for this post, the original recipe above says the club soda is optional.  I have changed my version slightly, I reduce the simple syrup slightly, otherwise I find it to sweet. 

These cocktails that usually contain Bacardi rum at my house are summertime favorites.  They transport you to a southern latitude where nothing matters but you and your drink.  I encourage you to round up a bottle of rum and mix yourself one or both of these beauties on a nice sunny day and waste away in the day. 

PS: One of these days we will hit up the tail of the Cuba Libre (Rum and Coke)

Photo above courtesy of Tommy Bass, is a vintage Bacardi bottle from the days it was distilled in Cuba.

Red Stripe

Red Stripe is an interesting beer.  First, i have never tasted any other beer that is so distinctive, yet so drinkable.  Even if you aren't holding that squat little brown bottle (more on that in a second), you can tell by the taste it is Red Stripe.  Most distinctive beers like that only allow for a few drinks until the lack of carbonation, or the hoppy-ness, or the bitterness, or something gets to you.  Not Red Stripe, you can nock those babies back all night.  As I did on my honeymoon in Negril, and those were draft Red Stripes, and very yummy at that.
The Red Stripe recipe we drink how was originally brewed in 1938 in Jamaica.  They had a recipe before that, but it was a slightly heavier beer and as I can imagine didn't go over well in the warm climate of Jamaica.  It was first imported into the United States in 1985, and it was imported in a normal long neck green bottle.  No shit!  American's didn't take to it, and those that had traveled to the home of the rastafari didn't think it was the same thing due not being the stubby brown bottle they drank on the island.  Soon Red Stripe changed to there original painted label short brown bottle and the rest is history.  It has gone on to become a great selling beer in the States.
I can remember my first Red Stripe on native soil like it was yesterday.  We flew into Montego Bay and had to take a two hour bus ride to the western side of Jamaica.  About 1/3 of the way there we stopped at a little house that served beer.  Which is very common down there, it seems every 5th house along the main road is a pseudo bar.  We had a beer there and took some road pops for the ride.  Man did that first Red Stripe in Jamaica taste great, ice cold with a view of the ocean.  I preceeded to drink my fair share of Red Stripe for dinner, snack, lunch, breakfast, and evening for the balance of that week.  Red Stripe is still one of my favorite beers to drink.  Come to think of it, I am not sure if there is another beer I like better then Red Stripe, I need to start drinking it more!   "Hooray Beer!"

Key West Trip

What a highlight yesterday was.  I had a shed built at the house to clear out some space in my garage, and I booked a mini vacation down island.  Key West vacations are the greatest release for me.  I have blogged about it before, and will blog about it again.  The island is just fantastic.  And eclectic mix of Cuban culture, Bahamian culture, artists, pirates, booze, and perfect weather.  A combination of those bits equals a great place to be.  My wife keeps telling me she isn't sure, but I keep telling her I will call Key West home one day.  I read some of the other blogs(http://conchscooter.blogspot.com/ and my favorite http://thisweekontheisland.blogspot.com/) and the lifestyles they live are envious.  So, instead of spending all my days in Key West (I am sure the topic of another blog) I will be consumed (as will Tanya, my wife) in thinking about my 4 days I will get in Key West in October.  Whether is be sipping on some cuban coffee from 5 Brothers or a boat drink from an Old Towne haunt my thoughts will be merry.  Now, if I could only hit the lottery so I could get a "winter" house down there life would be perfect!

Cushe Drift Review

Well, I have had my Drifts for a while now.  I had been in the tireless search for a "business casual" shoe to wear to work that was comfortable and had a cool vibe.  After some a blog post at rumshopryan.com i decided to look at the Cushe website and found the Drift.  A costal shoe if I have ever seen one.  If you check out my first blog post http://baldparrotbar.blogspot.com/2011/03/boat-shoes.html  you will see my original thoughts behind getting this shoe.  The weather has finally broken here in Ohio, so I busted these bad boys out and all I can say is wow!  I am a tennis shoe (or flip flop) and blue jean wearing (or board short) kinda guy, and these feel just as comfy as most tennis shoes I have owned.  They have great arch support, very flexible, and the outside material seems to be very durable.  I have a wide foot, and these don't crush my feet.  I also have a high instep, they are a little snug there, but any shoe without laces is always tight on me there.  I really dig these shoes, they have such a great feel when wearing, and give off a great vibe.  I highly recommend them.  My next Cushe shoe is probably going to be a flip flop, cause flip flop season is almost upon us here in Ohio.

Rum

It is approaching the time of year that my consumption of rum goes up.  Rum and cokes, daiquiris(the real ones, not those fruity things that come out of a machine), mojitos, and the occasional pina colada.  Over the years I have really grown to like rum.  Like most gen Y-ers, my first experience with rum was the Captain.  Capt and cokes were a way of not drinking beer when I was younger.  Later in life I met some members of the Bacardi family and decided to give their rum a try.  So, I started to drink Bacardi, a lot of people think it is bad rum, i would have to disagree.  When I drink Bacardi I feel like I am drinking rum.  It isn't rum for the Mrs., or the occasional drinker, it is the the rum drinker that likes a good punch in the mouth of rum.  Makes me feel like Hemingway would have drank it, a man's rum.  My tastes have graduated though, but I still like Bacardi.  When I was in Jamaica on our honeymoon I won a bottle of Appleton and bought another bottle, and that is a very unique tasting rum.  I really like Myers Rum in my rum and cokes and as a floater on girly drinks.  10 Cane is good for mojitos and daiquiris.  Speaking of daiquiris, lets discuss those for a second.  A daiquiris is not a red colored thing that comes out of a machine, that is a frozen daiquiri, and they aren't even close to the same.  A real daiquiris has a few simple ingredients and it is somewhat related to what Papa Hemingway drank.   1.5 oz of rum, 1 oz simple syrup, 1 oz lime juice, and club soda and ice to the top of a high ball, that is it.  I prefer mine a little different.  I prefer 3 oz rum, 2/3 oz simple syrup, 1 oz lime juice, and the club soda and ice.  My version of the Papa Doble(the drink of Hemingway).  I am going to graduate to try some different rums this summer to make sure I am not missing anything.  I am so glad drinking rum is back in season for me!

Below is Hemingway at El Floridita in Cuba.