Yaaaay, I’m #1!

My buddy Deshman sent me an email this morning pointing out that I was #1 on Google searches for Ron y Piña. I’ll drink to that.

It should come as no surprise to my readers that I love rum. Burbons I hate; tequila makes me loco; vodka reminds me too much of college hangovers; gin can be refreshing; but rum— ah, rum!— the primero choice of scuba divers and pirates alike.

As I’ve mentioned before, The Kraken is my new favorite rum (at least since I can’t get my hands on the nectar that is Flor de Caña in Hawaii). I love a nice glass of this delicious dark spiced rum on the rocks, but  my liver does object to consuming such a stout drink on a routine basis. As such, I’ve tried blending The Kraken with a variety of diluents with mixed results.

Kraken and Coke

Definitely tasty, but the rum and Coca Cola thing has been so overdone for me that this was nothing special. I actually prefer the taste of Sailor Jerry’s and Coke, which gives the drink a taste similar to Dr. Pepper.

Kraken and Pineapple

Rum and pineapple is my absolute favorite mixed drink, and The Kraken doesn’t disappoint. Extremely drinkable even mixed at intensities as high a 2:1 rum-to-juice ratios. Admittedly, I prefer the taste of Flor de Caña and pineapple juice (the beloved ron y piña), but The Kraken is a close second.

Kraken and Mango

All I’ve been able to find on Hawaii is mango nectar, which needs to be diluted slightly with water to become drinkable. That said, once stirred in with some of The Kraken, this a very nice drink that works best at a 3:1 rum-to-juice ratio.

Kraken and Sprite

Not a fan. In my opinion, Sprite is better suited for gin drinks. I’d rather have The Kraken on the rocks.

Kraken and Lemonade

JACKPOT! This is the way to mix The Kraken. The alcohol is barely noticeable up to levels of 4:1 rum-to-juice. At higher concentrations (even up to 1:1) the drink tastes similar to a Long Island Ice Tea and is therefore extremely potent. I highly recommend making this drink with real lemonade and not some sugary imitation.

Kraken Mojitos

Yeah, I know mojitos are supposed to be made with a light rum, but the spiced base of The Kraken makes mojitos with this liquor a real treat. Use liberal amounts of mint to offset the darkness of The Kraken.

Still left to try…

• Kraken and Orange Juice
• Kraken Mai Tai
• Kraken Punch
• Kraken Daiquiri
• Kraken Piña Colada
• Others to be discovered…

One caveat: bear in mind that I genuinely enjoy the taste of rum and therefore mix my drinks fairly strong. If the aforementioned ratios are a bit much for you, consider diluting The Kraken a bit more (though doing so is such a shame…).

When I left Roatan in October 2009, one of my biggest worries was that I would never get to taste a rum as fine as Flor de Caña again. This sweet Nicaraguan nectar that had graced many a rum and pineapples during my five year Caribbean tenture was a thing to be treasured. The liter that I brought back to the States with me lasted a mere week, and, with the exception of one truly exceptional night in which Lia Barrett and I shared a spectaclar bottle of Flor de Caña Centenario 21, I was never to taste her again.

I tried to compensate for my loss with various other substitutions. Sailor Jerry’s remained my favorite of the commercially available spiced rums, and Captain Morgan’s Private Stock would substitute in a pinch.  I even suffered through Bacardi, but only out of desperation. Still, nothing could compare to the sweet, smooth sensation of sipping a glass of Flor.

When I walked into Aaron’s Dive Shop in Kailua, Oahu, they asked if I knew about the Kraken. Of course I did: mythological super-massive squid capable of destroying entire boats and villanous CGI monster in the second and third Pirate of the Caribbean films. Not that Kraken, they retorted, THE Kraken. I was confused. Do you like rum, they asked. Hell yes!

A few minutes later, an ornately decorated bottle filled with a pitch black liquid emerged and glasses were poured. The scent was the first thing that struck me: sweetly mellow with a hint of vanilla. Then there was the taste— oh, the taste! Light and sweet up front, the darkness settles in to the back of the throat with a slight burn followed by a truly unique spiced aftertaste that bears a hint of cloves. It was easily drinkable without a mixer; in fact, every mixed concoction I have since tried has diminished The Kraken’s glory. I prefer it on the rock with a small splash of water— truly a sipping rum.

At 94 proof, The Kraken Black Spiced Rum will hit you harder than anticipated. I’ve already had two mild hangovers as a result of crackin’ The Kraken, but due to the high quality of ingredients they aftermath was certainly bearable. As far as I can tell, The Kraken is in limited release at the moment (it only arrived on Hawaii in January) but is set for a big international debut later this year. At $21 for a fifth, it’s within the competitive price range of other commercially -available quality spiced rums, but this one easily outstrips the other for pure flavor and drinkability.

Keep an eye out for this awesome rum at a liquor store nearby. Release The Kraken!

INGREDIENTS:

2oz rum
4oz pineapple juice
1 lime slice

DIRECTIONS:

Pour rum over ice in highball glass. Stir in pineapple juice and add lime slice.

COMMENTS:

The drink of choice on Roatan, Ron y Piña (rum and pineapple) is an deliciously refreshing way to toast the sunset. The mildly sweet, fairly acidic flavor of pineapple juice smooths out the rum’s bite while not overpowering the drink with sweetness. The drink can be made more tart by apply small squeezes of juice from the lime slice.

Best with amber  or spiced rums, especially with Flor de Caña Gold 4 Year, an amazing “bottom-shelf” rum served in most Roatan bars.

House parties are a big part of living in Roatan. There’s nothing like having a house full of fellow divers and drunks enjoying a home-cooked meal. In traditional Cult of Coconut fashion, everyone pitches in a bit to make the end result of the cooperative cooking process orgasmic for the tongue.

Sometimes we hit on real winners, so I’ve decided to post some of the better recipes for the community to enjoy. All the ingredients for this recipe can be purchased for 600-700 lempiras and easily will feed the whole crowd.

Flor de Caña Fajitas

FAJITA INGREDIENTS:
2-3 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
4-5 small lemons or limes, juiced
Juice from 12oz can jarred jalepeño slices
1 cup Flor de Caña rum
1 head cilantro, minced
3 green or red peppers, sliced
2 red onions, sliced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
Pimiento y comino (black pepper and cumin)
Salt

Combine the shrimp, green/red peppers, red onions, garlic, lemon/lime juice, cilantro, Flor de Caña rum, and juice from the jarred jalepeño slices and let marinate for 20-30 minutes. Cook over medium-high heat on stovetop until shrimp is finished and vegetables are tender. Add salt, black pepper and cumin to taste.

BEAN FILLING INGREDIENTS:
1 large bag (or 2 medium bags) refried beans
1 bag crema
1/2 lb cheese, shredded (any type)

Heat beans on stovetop and stir in crema and cheese to taste.

CONDIMENTS INGREDIENTS:
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 lb cheese, shredded (any type)
3-4 avocados, chunked
1 12oz can jarred jalepeño slices, strained
20-30 tortillas

After cooking the fajitas and bean filling, spread some bean filling on a warmed tortilla, add the fajitas, and top off with your choice of condiments. Easily feeds 12-16 people.