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Rum

When you think of the Caribbean you think of Rum. When you think of tropical drinks, you think of Rum. Rum is made by boiling down sugar cane to remove the sugar. The sugar goes one way and what is left, called the first molasses, is re-boiled. The result of this process is called the second molasses. Yeast and water are added to this second molasses and the mixture is put into oak casks to ferment and age. For dark rum, caramel is added before aging. Light rum is aged for 1 to 4 years, while dark rum is aged from 3 to 12 years.

Cachaça

According to the Organization of America States (OAS) Cachaça (pronounced ka-SHA-sa) is the largest selling liquor in the Western Hemisphere with more than 180 million gallons being consumed each year. Like Rum, Cachaça is made from sugarcane, but whereas rum is made from molasses, Cachaça is made directly from unrefined sugarcane juice. This is mostly a Brazilian liquor and there are over 3000 different brands. In the US the prices of some of these brands can be quite expenses, $25-$30 a liter, but in Brazil the prices are more reasonable.

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Drinks

"It must be done with love. You learn the measurements, but you need not measure--use your feel, your personality! The touch is born in your heart."

--- Ricardo Gracia, the inventor of the Piña Colada

Mai Tai

It seems each and every bartender in the world has a different way of making a Mai Tai. I've had them made with apricot juice, cranberry juice, and god knows what else, with the only ingredient in common being rum. The original Mai Tai was made by Vic Bergeron in 1944. This is the same Vic who started all those "Trader Vic's" restaurants in the US and around the world. If you are looking to find the proper way to make a Mai Tai, you can visit the "Trader Vic's" Mai Tai page that gives the history of the Mai Tai, the original recipe, the current recipe, and other information.

For me, the easiest way to make a Mai Tai is to go to the store and buy some light rum, some dark rum, and a bottle of Mai Tai mix. I should add that, for me, a Mai Tai should be colored red, so if the mix is not red I will add grenadine. If you aren't a mix kind of person, my favorite recipe is:

Ingredients:

	2 oz. light rum
	2 oz. dark rum
	¾ oz. triple sec
	½ oz. amaretto
	1 oz. orange juice
	1 oz. pineapple juice
	¼ oz lime juice
	¾ oz grenadine
	cracked ice

Put all the ingredients except for the dark rum in a drink shaker and shake (don't stir). Pour in a glass and float the dark rum. And of course, put a cherry and a lime slice on top.

Piña Colada

Piña Coladas are simply light rum, coconut milk, pineapple fruit, and crushed ice blended together. I have seen some places down in the Florida Keys that also add orange juice, but they were reported to the local authorities and are now shut down. The Piña Colada was invented by a Spaniard named Ricardo Gracia in 1954. His story, the history of the Piña Colada, its original recipe, and the proper way to make it is at the Piña Colada page at cruisemates.com.

I have no experience making Piña Coladas other than buying the mix, adding the light rum and ice, and then blending them all together. If your the type that needs instructions:

Ingredients:

	3 oz. light rum
	3 oz. coconut milk
	3 oz. pineapple juice
	cracked ice

Blend these all together, pour in a glass, and add a slice of pineapple.

Margarita

I don't like Margaritas and I don't drink Margaritas, even if you're buying. I used to like them, but one time I got really drunk and now, just the thought of salt on a glass makes me sick. I'll match you shot-for-shot with tequila, but I won't drink Margaritas. Interestingly, nobody knows who actually made the first Margarita. You can read the clouded history of the Margarita at the Cocktail Times website which has a lot of information on a lot of other drinks.

Since I don't do Margaritas, I'll refer you to the Tequila web site for recipes. This is a pretty good web site that is loaded with information about tequila.

Caipirinha

You may not have heard of Caipirinhas, but it has long been my favorite drink. It's made from cachaça (see the side bar on the left), lime, sugar, and ice. The Caipirinha (pronounced "ki-pea-ree-nya") is a staple of the Brazilian diet and is the de facto national drink of that country. If you Google Caipirinha you'll read where it is becoming a very popular drink in Europe and the US, so if you learn how to make it you'll be part of that IN-CROWD.

The way to make a Caipirinha is to first cut a lime into eight pieces and put those pieces, along with a teaspoon or so of sugar into a glass. Then mash the lime and the sugar together using a pestle or a spoon or anything else that can do the mashing. You have to mash good enough to get the juice out of the lime, but not so much that you get the bitterness from the lime rind. Then add 2 ounces of cachaça, some crushed ice, shake well, add a lime slice for garnish, and sit back and enjoy your new favorite drink.