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Cruzan Cucumber Crush

One of the things I like best about the Cruzan Rum Facebook page is that not only do they post some great rum recipes, their Facebook friends do too. So, I was delighted to see several new recipes by Cruzan Facebook friend John P. a few days ago. So far we’ve only tried “Cruzan Cucumber Crush”, but will certainly give “The Hip Replacement” a try when we gather all of the ingredients! With a name like that – how could we not!

Johns recipe for the Cruzan Cucumber Crush was as follows:

To make: Slice fresh cucumbers into 4 thin slices (3 for the drink and 1 for the garnish). Put the 3 slices of cucumber into blender, add 6 count of Cruzan Mango Rum, add coco lopez to consistency of a pina colada. Then blend till cucumbers are blended in equally. Pour into hurricane glass and garnish with the fourth cucumber slice on the rim of glass. To mix it up muddle to rum, cucumber, and coco lopez in rocks glass, shake, and serve on rocks with cucumber garnish.

Well, we had the ingredients, but being the incredibly remedial bartenders that we are, and not knowing what 6 count of Cruzan Mango Rum would equate to and exactly how much cream of coconut would be needed to make it the consistency of a Pina Colada, we set out to experiment.We had to make several batches before we ended up with a very refreshing and not too sweet concoction. Here is the version we ended up with:

Cruzan Cucumber Crush (makes 1)

1.5 oz. Cruzan Mango Rum
1.5 oz. Cruzan Aged Rum
1 oz. cream of coconut
4 cucumber slices

In a blender, add 3 cucumber slices (we left the peel on which gave it a nice light green color. Remove the peel for less green color!) the rum and the cream of coconut. Blend until cucumber is pulverized. Add ice and blend again. We continued to add ice until it was fairly thick in consistency. Pour into a glass and garnish with the remaining cucumber slice.

photo: Pamela Ott

The Cruzan Cucumber Crush has a very unique but refreshing taste. Both of us were unsure of it at first, but by the end of the glass we were making plans to mix up another! Thanks John P. for posting the recipe!

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I’m Gonna Live My Life Like a Jimmy Buffet Song

A while back, I found a page on Facebook called the I’m Gonna Live My Life Like a Jimmy Buffet Song – Book Page. With a name like that I had to check it out.  From what I could detect, the page owner had witten a book about a guy named Jack Danielson who decided to chuck his successful, albeit mundane and unhappy life in Minnesota and make a huge change. The story chronicled his adventures as he discovered what his life was truly about. I was intrigued and ordered the book through Amazon.

The day I got the book in the mail I only had time to read the prologue but knew just from those few pages it was going to be an enjoyable read. When I finally got to sit down on the deck, grab a glass of rum  and do some serious reading, I had a hard time putting it down.

The author of the book, Anthony Bjorklund, has an easy, relatable and quite humorous style. At times it felt as if he were telling this story to a bunch of folks while hanging out in some bar in the Caribbean enjoying a few rum drinks. It reads a bit as if he were just sitting there chatting it up with you!

From the description of Ronald Strickland, the boss who made me miserable just reading about him, to Anthony’s colorful description of why tropical shirts are so popular in party places, Anthony’s characters and analogies drew me in. Never preachy and with many laugh out loud moments, it is thought provoking and makes you reflect on truly slowing down and savoring the many good things in life.

An added bonus at the end, Anthony has, as he titled it, “A Very Short and Unnofficial Guide to Key West”. This section includes some interesting information about Key West as well as a description of some of his favorite bars, eateries and things to do and see. This guide would have been quite useful during our first visit to Key West last year as unfortunately we missed several of  the attractions listed. Guess that’s a good enough reason to go back!

Whether you’re a Jimmy Buffet fan, love the tropical lifestyle, or would just like to read a light and funny book that makes you feel good, you’ll enjoy “I’m Gonna Live My Life Like a Jimmy Buffet Song”. Might even make you think about what song you want to live your life like!

The book is available from Amazon and is also available for Kindle. Click the link below for more information.

I’m Gonna Live My Life Like a Jimmy Buffett Song: A story Tribute to Jimmy Buffett and the Parrothead Lifestyle

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Railean Distillers – San Leon, Texas

We are always interested in finding out more about individuals who, like us, have hung up their suits and ties and are “making their obsession their profession” – especially a company that makes rum! That’s why we were very interested in finding out more about Railean Distillers in San Leon, Texas, when we were informed of them by Rum Therapy FB friend Paradise Cocktails.

Now, we haven’t been lucky enough to sample Railean Rum as it’s not available in our state yet, but are confident we will in the near future (maybe a road trip to tour the facility in San Leon for research purposes only, of course!) and I’m pretty sure we’re gonna love it!

photos courtesy of Railean Distillers

I contacted Kelly Railean, the founder of Railean Distillers and asked if I could interview her about the Railean Distillery and this is what we learned.

1. How did you come to start your own rum company?  I spent over 10 years in the wine business; I sold wine for a large distributing company here in Texas.  I have a Level 1 Certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers.  My husband & I learned to sail in the late 1990’s and we purchased a Hunter 29.5 in 2000.  When we caught the sailing bug we started collecting and drinking rum & learning all about pirates and the island lifestyle.  One day while hanging out at The Buccaneer Bar in San Leon, Texas; we had this great idea to make our own rum.  It made perfect sense, my husband (Matt) is a Chemical Engineer, and I had the industry experience and a great palate for wine & spirits.

2. Tell us about Railean Rum and how it differs from other rums? My products are handcrafted; we ferment a high grade sugarcane molasses & blue agave nectar, distill, age and bottle everything at our distillery – by hand.  I am one of the few woman Master Distillers in the world – and yes, I really do distill and make all the rum & blue agave!  We are family owned & operated, we use the best possible ingredients in our products, and we do not add any colors, flavors or other additives to any of our products.  Our El Perico Blue Agave Spirit is the first and only Blue Agave Spirit to be made in Texas, our aged rums (Reserve XO and Small Cask Reserve) were the first aged spirits made in Texas, and our Railean Texas White rum is double distilled for the smoothest possible flavor.

3. What is your vision for the future of Railean Rum? An expansion of the distillery and increased distribution within the United States.  Our products are fantastic, and I believe Railean could someday be the number one premium & domestic made rum and blue agave in the United States.

4. Where is Railean Rum rum available? We are available in Texas, California and Arkansas.  We are distributed through Republic National Beverage in Texas, Western States Beverages in California, and Central Distributors in Arkansas.  Depending on individual state laws, folks may be able to purchase our products online from www.specsonline.com.

5. Do you have rum factory tours? Tours & tastings are by appointment.  Tours are typically Monday – Saturday and usually between the hours of 9AM and 2PM.  During the hot summer months, tours are only offered in the AM since this is a working distillery and it is too hot in the afternoon to tour.

6. What else would you like us to know about Railean Rum? I make three different rums:  Railean Texas White (retail $17.99), Railean Reserve XO Dark (retail $18.99), Railean Small Cask Reserve Aged (retail $29.99).  I also just released the first & only 100% Blue Agave Spirit made in Texas for those of you who love your Tequila.  The El Perico Blue Agave Spirit retails for $29.99.  El Perico is Spanish for “the parakeet” which is the logo on all of the Railean labels.  The parakeet or Monk Parrot is our mascot; there are hundreds (possibly more) of the little green guys all around the distillery, along the gulf & our marinas, and even at our home!

7. We have in common a love for sailing and tropical islands. Do you have a favorite island or place to sail? I love to sail the British Virgin Islands and we have sailed there many times.  Most of my sailing though has been in Galveston Bay and around Galveston Island, TX.  I have also sailed the Bahamas, St. Martin, St. Barts, Jamaica, and Cozumel.  One of the most beautiful islands I have ever been to was Manihi, Tahiti; and that was the best scuba diving I have ever done in my life!

Kelly, thanks for the interview! Maybe we’ll run into you while sailing in the tropics sometime and share a little “Rum Therapy!” You bring the rum!

To find out more about Railean Distillers:
Website
Facebook 

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Banana Mango Tango

Memorial Day is traditionally the kick-off for summer so with that we thought we should spend some time this weekend concocting some new summertime rum drinks.  We assessed the array of bottles in the liquor cabinet, went to the store and purchased a few more, then set out to create a new summertime favorite.

Jump to Recipe

After a few less than stellar entries, we came up with what we felt was a winner that we’ll enjoy and  serve to some of our guests this summertime! We felt the banana and mango “tangoed” nicely together in this light and refreshing drink. So now, we introduce to you the Rum Therapy Banana Mango Tango!

*We love bringing you amazing rum recipes! Our recipes may contain affiliate links to products that we use. If you click the link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support in helping us to continue providing rumlicious, tropical recipes!

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Banana Mango Tango

The banana and mango “tango” nicely together in this light and refreshing drink. A new summertime favorite!
Course: Drinks
Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 3 oz. Cruzan Mango Rum
  • 1/2 c. Pineapple Juice
  • 1/4 Peeled Mango
  • 1/2 Large Banana
  • 1/2 oz. Cruzan Black Strap Rum

Instructions

  • Blend the mango, banana, pineapple juice and Cruzan Mango Rum in a blender.
  • Add approximately 1 cup of ice and blend until smooth.
  • Pour into glasses.
  • Float 1/4 oz. Cruzan Black Strap Rum on top of each drink and garnish with banana slices.

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More Cruzan Strawberry Rum

Strawberry Daiquiri

6 cups ice
1/2 cup white sugar
4 ounces frozen strawberries
1/8 cup lime juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup Cruzan Strawberry Rum
1/4 cup lemon lime flavored carbonated beverage

Blend in blender.

The recipe made approximately 4 tall glasses of daiquiris and although pretty darn sweet and filling – they were yummy. John later thought that we should have added a floater of Cruzan Black Strap for a little extra punch.

Last, but not least, we put aside a Strawberry Rum Lemonade recipe that included simple syrup to try another “skinny” recipe. Hey – you gotta save calories somewhere!! This is what we came up with.

Skinny Strawberry Rum Lemonade

2 oz. Cruzan Strawberry Rum
4 oz. Crystal Light Lemonade
Sliced strawberries
4 to 6 blueberries

Mix Cruzan Strawberry Rum with the Crystal Light Lemonade. Stir in sliced strawberries and blueberries. Pour over ice.
The result was refreshing and light with a nice blend of strawberry and lemon. And who knows, with all that fruit, it might even be good for you!

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Cruzan Strawberry Rum

Cruzan Rum recently announced the launch of their newest spirit, Cruzan Strawberry. It’s the 11th spirit in their family of flavored rums, and the recipe is crafted with a touch of ginger to give a unique spin to the strawberry taste. Here are some other details:

Tasting Notes and Aroma:
•       Taste – Ripe, wild strawberry coupled with subtle ginger root
•       Aroma – Fresh and juicy strawberry
•       Finish – Smooth with a light spiced ginger finish

After reading this press release from the folks at Cruzan Rum, we’d been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new Strawberry Rum. We’re recent fans of Cruzan Rums since our Cruzan Rum Factory Tour in St. Croix in February, and have enjoyed using the Cruzan flavored rums in many boat and beach drinks such as the Cruzan Confusion! Last week, we were lucky enough to find a bottle of the newly released Cruzan Strawberry Rum after visiting nearly every liquor store in our area. 

After scoring the desired bottle, we asked our Facebook friends for recipe suggestions. In addition to some excellent suggestions from our readers, Cruzan Rum Representative, Justine, also kindly volunteered a few recipe ideas. We asked a couple of friends if they would assist us in some Strawberry Rum recipe testing this weekend, and with minimal (no) arm twisting, they obliged!

We picked two recipes to start with and began to assemble the necessary ingredients.

First on the agenda was a Strawberry Mojito using the recipe from Cruzan Rum. The recipe called for Cruzan Strawberry Rum, sugar, mint leaves, juice of half a lime, and club soda. We muddled the sugar, mint, lime juice and a splash of club soda.

 We then added the rum (note the exceptional choice of shot glass!),


Then poured it over ice in a tall glass and garnished with lime and strawberry.

After a little sampling and tweaking, this is the version of the recipe that we liked best.

Strawberry Mojito
(makes two)

3 to 3.5 oz. Cruzan Strawberry Rum
2 tsp. sugar
4 mint leaves
Juice of half a lime
6 oz. plus a splash of club soda

Muddle the mint leaves, sugar, lime juice and a splash of club soda. Add the remaining club soda and stir. Pour into a tall glass over ice. Garnish with a slice of lime and a strawberry.

It seems easy to overpower the taste of the strawberry with too much mint, so we initially tried 8 leaves then reduced the amount to 4 leaves per serving. The overwhelming consensus of all 4 taste testers was that the Cruzan Strawberry Mojito was crisp, light and very refreshing – an excellent summer beverage!

To make a Skinny Strawberry Mojito: Substitute 1/2 – 1 packet (.5 – 1 gram) Stevia for the sugar and/or Sprite Zero for the club soda. Tweak the amounts until the taste is just as you like it!

Stay tuned – more Cruzan Strawberry Rum Recipes (Part 2) in tommorow’s post!

photos: Pamela Ott

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Frozen Rum Runners

Yum. As summer approaches my mind drifts to frozen concoctions and enjoying the warm sunshine with a frosty glass in hand. One of my favorite frozen concoctions happens to be a Rum Runner. Kind of like an icee with a really good kick!

Jump to Recipe

Everyone seems to have a little different recipe for Rum Runners and I’ve only sampled one that I didn’t care for (I think it may have been a really cheap rum). We’ve sampled them frozen and on the rocks. Some have a reddish hue and some (like the picture below) are more orange in color. Regardless, sipping one of these may make your mind take a short vacation to a place with a hammock swaying in a tropical breeze on the coast of somewhere beautiful….

*We love bringing you amazing rum recipes! Our recipes may contain affiliate links to products that we use. If you click the link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support in helping us to continue providing rumlicious, tropical recipes!

Print Recipe

Frozen Rum Runner

Kind of like an icee with a really good kick!
Course: Drinks
Servings: 1

Ingredients

  • 1 oz. Gold Rum
  • 1/4 oz. Blackberry Liqueur
  • 1/4 oz. Creme De Banana Liqueur
  • 2 oz. Orange Juice
  • 1/2 oz. Grenadine
  • 8 oz. Crushed Ice
  • 1/2 oz. Dark or 151-Proof Rum (the floater)

Instructions

  • Add gold rum, blackberry liqueur, creme de banana liqueur, orange juice, grenadine and crushed ice in a blender.
  •  Blend until slushy and pour into glass.
  • Float with 1/2 oz. dark or 151 proof rum.

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

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Sandy Point, St. Croix

We are always on the hunt for the best beaches on each island. Therefore, it came as no surprise that we ended up on Sandy Point Beach, part of the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge in St. Croix.

Sandy Point Beach is a three mile long beautiful powdery soft sand beach at the southwest end of St. Croix, just south of Fredriksted. It’s the largest beach in the USVI, but probably one of the least crowded. Sandy Point was the beach featured in the movie “Shawshank Redemption” when Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins reunited on the beach, supposedly in “Zihuatanejo”. Well, that’s one of our favorite flicks, so that little tidbit made us even more interested in checking it out. And, of course, we rented the movie again when we got home to see how Sandy Point looked in the film. Beautiful, of course.

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From the main road, it is a bit of a drive into the beach, but it appeared they were improving the road when we visited and it wasn’t as bumpy as we had read. There are a few small parking areas and then a short hike to the beach. Immediately you are stunned by the beauty of this area.

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Endangered green sea and leatherback turtles that lay their eggs on the Sandy Point Beach are protected by the National Wildlife Refuge. The park is only open on weekends from 10:00am – 4:00pm and is closed completely to the general public during laying and hatching season from April to August. I read that a visit might be arranged during hatching season by contacting the Wildlife Refuge ahead of time.

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The beach doesn’t offer any shade or concessions and is not the best in St. Croix for snorkeling because the bottom is too sandy (what a problem!), but is a must see if you appreciate turquoise blue Caribbean water, soft powdery sand, fantastic photo opportunities and very few people. There were quite a few brown pelicans dive bombing for fish and we spent several hours watching them, walking the beach and floating in the crystal blue water.


The water is shallow at the shore, but seemed to drop off fairly quickly, at least in the area we swam, but the surf was not rough and we enjoyed spending time in the water. The sand was very soft in the areas close to the water and just a little more coarse the farther you got from shore.

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If you’re lucky enough to be in St. Croix when Sandy Beach is open, I’d highly recommend a visit. Bring a cooler, a beach towel, plenty of sunscreen and an extra memory card for your camera. You’ll need it.

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Have you been to Sandy Point? Tell us about it!

To see more posts on St. Croix 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.

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The Rum Conundrum

rum conundrum [ruhm kəˈnəndrəm] – noun

1. A confusing and difficult problem or question regarding rum such as “It’s only Saturday – why is the rum gone?” 

photo: Pamela Ott

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Seaplane Adventure

Years ago, sitting in the sun at Paradise Point at the top of the St. Thomas tram drinking my very first Bushwhacker (certainly not my last!) I saw a seaplane curve around Charlotte Amalie and gently splash down in the water. Quite cool, I thought – must put that one on the list.

Fast forward 10-15 years (wow, where does the time go?) and we find ourselves in St. Croix needing to get to St. Thomas. The two choices: 1. Ferry, cost $50.00, time 90 minutes 2. Seaplane, cost $80.00 (plus $1.00 per pound of luggage over 30 pds), time 20 minutes. A little more costly, but much shorter travel time and hey – it was on THE LIST.

We called and booked our flight on Seaborne Airlines for early the next morning and packed our suitcases. Unfortunately, both suitcases were over the 30 pd. limit (just the snorkeling equipment, I’m sure…), so there was an additional charge of about $10.00 each.

The next morning we headed down to the Seaplane Terminal in Christiansted. There were just a few clouds in the sky, but it looked like a beautiful morning. We were quite early, so we checked in and then headed over to Angry Nates for a warm cup o’ joe. The clouds began building and we had a quick 5 minute resulting in a beautiful rainbow over the harbor!

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Sipping our coffee, we watched as our plane landed in the harbor and taxied over to the terminal. We headed over to the waiting area to board. It appeared that there were only 4 other people on our flight.

The pilots opened the doors and let the previous passengers out, then welcomed us on. All luggage was packed under the plane and we were allowed only to bring on our cameras (and a small handbag).

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One of the pilots gave our safety briefing and then slid up in the cockpit and we were off!

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Besides being a bit loud, I was amazed at how smoothly the plane zipped along the water during takeoff.

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Once in the air, it was a beautiful sight looking back on St. Croix and the different hues in the  water around it.

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After about 10 minutes, we saw Water Island and St. Thomas in the distance.

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As we approached St. Thomas it seemed we were going to fly right into the hillside around Charlotte Amalie – a little concerning, but then suddenly we took a sharp turn and a pretty steep dive right down into the harbor. We could see the cruise ships and mega yachts in port and the tram in the distance.

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It was an odd feeling to set down in the water, but smooth once again. Nice ride, nice experience!

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As I looked over towards the tram, I couldn’t help but wonder if someone was sitting up on Paradise Point drinking their first Bushwhacker and adding a seaplane ride to their list!

To see more posts on St. Croix 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.