"Caribbean Flavours from Barbados"

Malibu Rum has its beginnings at the beautifull island of Barbados. Located in the southeast corner of the west Indies,the distillery overlooks the beach and white sands of black rock.

Barbados is tradicionally regarded as the birth place of rum, where for more than 350 years rum has been produced. Barbados rums are lighter and more delicate with subtle sugar cane and soft butter rum notes. This proved to be the perfect background to blend exotic flavors.

My visit to barbados and the Malibu distillery took place in 2003 when i was bartending onboard cruise ship "Serenade of the Seas" from Royal Caribbean Cruise line. its an amazing island with friendly islanders, the trip starts with ride on malibu's personnal van, decorated with the Malibu colours and logos, once you get to the distillery, thats when fun starts, after seeing how the rum is produced, you end up right at the beach, with rum barbeques, rum exotic cocktails and clear caribbean water,besides all the water sports and fun you can enjoy a fresh coconut water brought and cut from one of the locals. Indeed an amazing island experience not to be missed when travelling to the caribbean. I also recommend a visit to one of the oldest rum distilleries, the "Mount Gay Rum", set just a few miles from Malibu distillery, right on the corner of one of the main roads. Oh and dont forget to bring some samples and island souvenirs like the Malibu lip stick, or tradicionall island music.

Waloe

1 1/4 oz Malibu

3/4 oz Cointreau

2 oz Fresh orange

1/2 oz Simple syrup

4 Fresh mint leaves

1/4 oz Fresh lime

Muddle gently the mint leaves together with the simple syrup, then add the rest of the ingredients, shake well and serve in a frozen pineapple with crushed ice.

For more Malibu recipes visit www.malibu-rum.com

Cachaça Boom Times!!

Brazil's First National Invention

Cachaça was the first Brasillian invention decades before Bartolomeu de Gusmão's revolutionary hot-air balloon or Santos Dumont's airplane. Though records of its creation are sketchy, it is certain that its invention coincides with the cultivation of sugar cane, the country's first mass crop.


The first seedlings of sugar cane came from Asia in ships commanded by Portuguese coloniser Martin Afonso de sousa arround 1532.Records indicate that the drink was first created in a plantation arround São Vicente, on the southeastern coast of São Paulo,Brasil.


Rum (made from the distillation of molasses) was being made well before the first sugar cane seddlings reached land in the Americas. This drink was eventually produced in Brasil untill someone, by curiosity or clumsiness, filled the still not with molasses, but with fermented sugar cane juice. The result was a less sweet drink with an intense, pleasant aroma. There, one of the world's main spirits was Born: Cachaça.

Sagatiba Wallpaper

1 1/4 oz Sagatiba pura Cachaça

3 bsp of vanilla sugar

3/4 oz of passion fruit

1 small slice of chilli pepper

Mix and stirr all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and double strain into a chilled martini glass.

Garnish with chilli pepper and a vanilla stick.

Courtesy of "Cachaça Sagatiba, pure spirit of Brasil" http://www.sagatiba.com/

Pomegranate Martini

DiDi's Pomegranate Martini

2 oz Pama Pomegranate liqueur
1 oz Absolut Ruby Red
1/4 oz Monin pomegranate
Splash of Sweet & Sour

Pour the pomegranate syrup in a mixing glass, then add the vodka and the pomegranate liqueur, finally add the splash of sour mix and ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass. To decorate, flame an orange peel and twist it into the glass and serve.
Instead of the syrup you can also use the pomegranate seeds and muddle them with a hint of simple syrup to give a more real flavour to the cocktail.

Passion for pomegranates

Punica granatum L.

Punicaceae

Common Names: Pomegranate, Granada (Spanish), Grenade (French).

Related Species: Punica proto-punica.

Origin: The pomegranate is native from Iran to the Himalayas in northern India and was cultivated and naturalized over the whole Mediterranean region since ancient times. It is widely cultivated throughout India and the drier parts of southeast Asia, Malaya, the East Indies and tropical Africa. The tree was introduced into California by Spanish settlers in 1769. In this country it is grown for its fruits mainly in the drier parts of California and Arizona.

Mr. Próspero Cocktail selection for 2008 summer season at Dunas Douradas beach Club/Portugal.