THE BEST KEY LIME PIE is the one you are about to eat, said David Sloan, author of The Ultimate Key Lime Pie Cookbook, as he set down one of his creations in front of me. I was in Key West, Fla., on a mission, foregoing the Duval Crawl in my attempts to find the taste of Key West: the definitive Key lime pie. In the past six days I had tried eight pies, each one different from the last. I was overwhelmed ... and confused. David had accompanied me on part of my odyssey. "What about traditional versions?" I asked him, as I dug into my ninth slice -- a hint of cinnamon in the crust signaling it as yet again unique. Next to us, a woman with Medusa-inspired blonde curls cocked her head to reveal a red, green and blue tattoo of a phoenix rising from ashes crawling up her neck and across her throat. It had been hidden in her tangle of hair. The 'traditional' version wasn't a pie at all, David said. Years ago, spongers would sail out to the islands, taking with them cans of Borden's condensed milk and Key limes. They would gather bird eggs to mix with the other ingredients and serve the thickened mixture as a pudding. "No graham cracker crust?" I asked.
"There are many different versions," David answered, as he washed down his last bite with a swig of black coffee to cut the sweetness. Everyone in town claims to have the best or the original. But each one is different. And so I had found out.
Over my first slice of Key lime pie during this journey, at Sarabeth's (305-293-8181, sarabethskeywest.com), the owner told me that at first he wasn't even going to put Key lime pie on the menu. I figured everyone else had it, he said, as I sunk a fork into the light and fluffy mousse-like pie. But when the 15th person walked up and asked for it, then turned away and went elsewhere when we told him there wasn't any on our menu, I called Sarabeth and asked her to come up with a recipe, quick! From there I strolled down the street. People on bicycles rolled past, pedaling through the sunshine. Free- roaming chickens preened and strutted, soaking the day's rays into their eggs and clucking and squawking when I got too close. A man walked by with a dog dressed in a leather vest and black Blues Brothers glasses. I ended up at Cafe Sole (305-294-0230, cafesole.com), where I tasted a zesty cheesecake-based pie topped with meringue and completely different from the last slice I had. Later at Pepe's (305-294-7192, pepescafe.net), the oldest bar in town, David and I devoured slices of a light frothy version made with whole eggs instead of just yolks. Around us, Hemingway look-alikes swigged beer and told stories of the sea. Next, it was off to watch the sunset at Salute (305-292-1117, saluteonthebeach.com), where a mile-high pie towered above the plate. While I worked my way through the slice's airy meringue, a man in a white tank top and electric purple spandex pants biked past with a green 4-foot-long iguana nestled in the nook of his arm. Even with all these different variations on the iconic dessert, it wasn't until my last day in Key West that I truly understood just how different a Key lime pie could be. David had been recipe-testing for his book all morning. I brought you a sample, he said, holding out a glass dish bearing a slice. It has a secret ingredient.
It looked like a traditional pie: firm, light-yellow custard topped with meringue. I brought a forkful to my nose, inhaling the intermingling scents of citrus and sugar. I took a bite and discovered an extra silky texture and a surprising saltiness that played against the sweetness. I screwed up my face. I couldn't quite place what it was that was making the pie so distinct. "Butter?" I asked. David's smile was mischievous. "Bacon," he said. And just like that, I realized: Key West's Key lime pies are as eccentric as its residents.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the graham cracker crumbs in a food processor. Add the melted butter and sugar, and pulse until combined. Line the spaces in a 12-muffin tin with muffin papers, then press 2 tablespoons of the graham cracker mixture into the bottoms of the papers, forming an even layer in each. Bake the crusts for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. In a standing mixer with the wire whisk attachment, whip the egg yolks and lime zest at high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add the condensed milk and continue to whip until thick, about 4 more minutes. Lower the mixer speed and slowly add the lime juice until it is incorporated. Pour the mixture onto the crusts in the muffin tin and bake for 15 minutes or until the filling has just set. Cool for 10 minutes and then refrigerate for 20 minutes. Whip together the cream and confectioners' sugar until stiff. Whip in the vanilla. Evenly spread the mixture on top of the tarts and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Makes 12 tarts. Serve and enjoy.
“What do we do with a drunken leprechaun? Early in the morning!”
The same way mysteries of mischievous leprechauns in Irish folklore have transcended through time, the original recipe for this drink is also a mystery. A few variations of this St. Patty’s-themed cocktail are served in local pubs, but most of them include its most important ingredient — good ol’ Irish whiskey. Like a fun twist on the Irish Screwdriver, check out our favorite version of this green concoction.
Ingredients:
2 oz Irish Whiskey
1 oz Blue Curaçao
3-4 oz orange juice
Orange wedge(s)
Instructions:
Fill a cocktail glass with ice and add whiskey, Blue Curaçao and orange juice. Stir well and garnish with a fresh orange wedge.
This drink is not Irish, but its green color makes for a perfect St. Patty’s Day drink to enjoy at sea. Using the same ingredients but replacing whiskey with tequila, try another easy twist on the classic recipe for a Tequila Sunrise. Sail off toward the horizon while enjoying this beachy beverage.
Ingredients:
2 oz Blanco Tequila
1 oz Blue Curaçao
3-4 oz orange juice
1 lime and 1 orange wedge
Instructions:
Fill a cocktail glass with ice and add tequila, Blue Curaçao and orange juice. Stir well and garnish with a fresh lime and orange wedge.
For the salty sailor who could use a sweet kick on V-day, this sweet yet tart drink is perfect for your anti-Valentine’s Day party. This ocean-inspired twist on the classic margarita also makes for a perfect waterside cocktail.
1 ½ oz blanco tequila
1 oz Blue Curaçao
¾ oz freshly squeezed lime juice
Splash of orange juice
Kosher salt
1 lime and 1 orange wedge
For a salted rim, fill a small plate with lime juice and swirl your glass rim in it, then dip it into a plate of margarita salt and fill your glass with ice. In a separate cocktail shaker with a light amount of ice, pour in tequila, Blue Curaçao, lime juice and a splash of orange juice. Shake thoroughly and strain into your glass and garnish with a lime or orange.
Also known as “The Isaac,” this romantic red drink was created by original Love Boat cast member Ted Lange, who played Isaac the bartender. Inspired by his signature bright red jacket mixed with the show’s sweet theme, the delicious libation is a perfect Valentine’s Day cocktail for boat lovers.
2 oz white rum
2 oz pomegranate syrup
½ oz fresh lime juice
Splash of club soda
Lime slice(s)
2 pineapple leaf spears
Fill highball glass with ice. In separate cocktail shaker, fill with ice, white rum, pomegranate syrup and lime juice. Shake and strain into highball glass and top it with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a fresh lime slice and two pineapple spears.
*Check out a special segment from Princess Cruises where actor Ted Lange gives a demo of the Love Boat cocktail that debuted on the cruise line in 2015.
In my quest for the best Caribbean Rum, I’ve sampled a few. From Appleton to Ron Zacapa rum, my tastebuds have celebrated the luscious flavors borne from fermenting sugarcane into smooth amber elixirs.
In the pursuit of rum perfection, I’ve noticed that a well-designed label can give clues about what awaits inside the bottle. Many simply present the distiller’s name and location where a rum derives its unique flavors. But it’s hard to resist the image of a crusty old captain, pirate ship or sassy sea wench when pouring a hefty splash into a tumbler.
Curious rum aficionados like myself are always eager to hear the back story behind the libation in our hand. Like a slice of pineapple or lime wedged upon the rim of a glass, the history of a rum’s journey from the Caribbean to our lips can make a cocktail taste even sweeter.
I recently stumbled upon the extraordinary tale that intertwines Jamaican rum, world- class musicians and James Bond. To fully appreciate this unique saga, follow my lead and shake up a GoldenEye Cocktail (see recipe below) to sip while the story unfolds.
Our story begins in 1939, when a London journalist named Ian Fleming joined the British Navy Intelligence Service. His unit specialized in military espionage and covert plans to thwart German aggression in Europe and the Caribbean.
During World War II, Fleming was engaged in Operation GoldenEye, and in 1942 he was sent to investigate suspicions about Nazi submarines in the Caribbean. During this deployment, he became enamored with Jamaica and vowed to live there some day.
When the war was over, Fleming returned to Jamaica and bought 15 acres of plush land that was once used as a donkey racetrack. In 1945, he built a house not far from the banana port town of Oracabessa Bay, and the seaside property became Fleming’s tropical sanctuary where he could focus on writing and the discrete task of taking previously tight-held secrets into a public, fictional genre.
He named the estate GoldenEye as a tribute to his Navy service and began working on a book that evolved around the dashing spy and Special Agent 007, James Bond. This protagonist would emerge as the amalgamation of agents he’d met during his maritime service. As an avid birdwatcher, Fleming took the name for his lead character from American ornithologist James Bond, an expert on Caribbean birds, who wrote the definitive field guide, Birds of the West Indies.
Fleming’s first spy novel, Casino Royale, was published in 1952. This book and all 13 in the James Bond series were written in his bedroom at GoldenEye. Three of them — Dr. No, Live and Let Die, and The Man with the Golden Gun — take place in Jamaica.
Not only did the breezy island life at GoldenEye inspire Fleming’s novels, but so did his fetching neighbor, Blanche Blackwell. She was the muse who helped spark his creative drive. The Blackwell family had lived in Jamaica since 1625, exporting bananas and coconuts and crafting a distinctive brand of rum.
Blanche’s son Chris Blackwell grew up between England and Jamaica, and in his childhood spent a good amount of time with Fleming. In 1954, after Blackwell got booted from an elite British school for rebellious behavior, he came back to the island to get involved in the family rum business. Contrary to plan, he followed his instincts and made a career choice that would dramatically alter the global music scene.
For a while, he kicked around working as the aide-de-camp to the governor and as a waterskiing instructor. But after hearing the blind pianist Lance Heywood play at the Half Moon Resort, Blackwell recorded the musician, and in 1959 he launched a music studio called Island Records. In sync with his unconventional style, it became known for discovering and nurturing innovative performers who had been shrugged off or overlooked by bigger record labels.
Island Records introduced the world outside of the Caribbean to Bob Marley and the Wailers and Jamaican reggae music, showcasing island culture and universal struggles of indigenous people. It launched British bands such as Traffic, Bad Company, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Roxy Music, King Crimson and Fairport Convention. It also cultivated artists such as Cat Stevens, Brian Eno, Grace Jones, Marianne Faithfull, Tom Waits and the Irish band, U2.
Throughout his success in the music industry, Blackwell remained in contact with Fleming and his projects. When the first Bond movie, Dr. No, was filmed in Jamaica in 1962, Blackwell was hired as a location scout and consulted on the soundtrack. Sir Sean Connery, whom Blackwell had met during the filming of Dr. No, remained a friend until his passing in 2020. Using a family recipe, Blackwell launched his boutique rum in 2008 that is distributed around the globe.
Live and Let Die was filmed in 1973 on the Blackwell Estate, which now includes The Fleming Villa. Scenes from the movie were shot near GoldenEye, Blackwell’s luxury hotel in Jamaica. The latest Bond flick, No Time to Die, returns to the exquisite Jamaican backdrop of GoldenEye, and the production team was treated to a supply of Blackwell Rum for inspiration while filming.
TO CELEBRATE 60 YEARS OF JAMES BOND, a special bottle of Blackwell Rum has been released, along with a new memoir by Chris Blackwell, The Islander: My Life in Music and Beyond. If you’re cruising around Jamaica this winter, cue up some Bob Marley tunes, open a bottle of Blackwell’s 007 Rum, and shake it (don’t stir) with pineapple juice and ice to create the GoldenEye Cocktail. And if you’re nestled in at home in a colder climate and dreaming about the Caribbean, we suggest watching a Bond flick and warming up with the Toasted Toddy.
INGREDIENTS:
-1 part Blackwell Rum
-1 part pineapple juice
-Lime or pineapple wedge
INSTRUCTIONS:
Shake together and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lime or pineapple wedge
INGREDIENTS:
-3 parts Blackwell Rum
-2 teaspoons brown sugar
-1 1⁄2 parts fresh lemon juice
-6 parts boiling water
INSTRUCTIONS:
Add all ingredients to a mug, except for the water. Pour in the boiling water, Stir well to blend
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