Talk Like A Pirate Day, Revisited- ARRG!

This post is dedicated to the one day each year when ye can strut around talking like a pirate and not sound too stupid. September 19th.

OK… ye might sound stupid anyway, but what the heck.

I did a very extensive post on the subject last year. I’ll be honoring Ol’ Chumbucket an’ Cap’n Slappy with a post every year about this time. They have a site dedicated to all things Pirate and are the original creators of- ‘Talk Like A Pirate Day’. They rate a big ARRRGG!!!!

Be warned… this here content is for adult eyes only. So if ye be less than drink’n age, cover your face before moving on. Lest ye be keelhauled for your misdeeds.

There are a few things I want to address this time around in more detail- Pitorro in particular. But before I do, here are a few more obscure, but important pirate things to check out.

My most favorite Pirate movie is- ‘Cutthroat Island’ from 1995/PG13. It stars Geena Davis and Matthew Modine along with a great supporting cast. Many critics think ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ was a direct rip-off of ‘Cutthroat Island’ because of the many parallels. It was not a huge box-office success, but Geena Davis is in great form. The two leading actors do almost all their own stunts.

The chase scene through Port Royal is absolutely stunning as is the special F/X.

Yes, it has a somewhat weak plot, but at least it has one. It’s a little long as well. I think it would have been better edited to an “R” rating, but the studio execs wanted something with broader appeal. It’s still a lot of fun though.

My favorite movie from that time period is ‘Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World’. I know it’s not a true pirate movie, but it has its moments. It features Russell Crowe, from 2003/PG-13. It has a great cast as well. A lot of time and effort went into making it feel like the real thing. The CGI, model ships and live acting are so well integrated, you cannot tell when it’s real or not. I hope Miramax studios and Russell Crowe follow up with a sequel.

Do you know what the ‘lesser of two weevils’ is?

Fun and Games…

More fun and less seriousness: ‘Crimson: Steam Pirates’ is a brand new game for the iPad and it’s FREE. I don’t own an iPad, but I had to include this game in the post. Pirates and Steampunk are a perfect fit. The graphics are absolutely stunning. 4.5 stars out of 5 from 5360 folks (as of Sept. 18th) via the Apple iTunes App Store sez it all. If you are into games with a pirate theme (and I am), then you might want to check this out.

If Haemimont Games ever ports over ‘Tropico 4’ to Mac OSX, I’ll get it. I have an original copy of the first version that I can no longer play since they never updated any of it for OSX. For a themed simulation game, I loved playing the part of a ‘benevolent dictator’. Maybe Steam can put a little pressure on ’em to get with the program. Yo!!!

A New Beer and a New Rum…

In the last month or so, Puerto Rico picked up a new locally brewed premium beer (cerveza)- Magna. It carries a premium price as well. I’m no beer connoisseur so my take is from a lowly Scurvy Dog. At $8 a six-pack, it’s a little out of my budget.

Taste-wise, Magna was crisp, clean, clear and had very little after-taste.

Not too ‘hoppy’ either. Definitely worth checking out if you are on vacation and want to sample the best cerveza on the island.

Premium beer choices are kind of limited here… I was disappointed to discover there were no micro-breweries in Puerto Rico.

We also have a new cheap spiced rum- ‘Black Roberts’. “The Real Pirate of the Caribbean” so they claim. I bought it for the label. I’m not a ‘spiced rum’ person, per se. It has a mild nutmeg, vanilla and cinnamon flavor so for the price, it’s not bad. I used it in me Rum ‘n Coke’ when I run out of me usual. BTW- it’s from Auburndale, Florida, not PR.

Pitorro- The Real Caribbean Pirates Drink?

I’ve mentioned Pitorro in pervious posts and for good reason. It is very much a part of Puerto Rican culture and history. Many folks, especially the hard working farm hands could not afford that ‘commercial liquor’ so they resorted to making their own. It truly is Puerto Rican Moonshine. Unfortunately, since growing sugar cane ended a long time ago, they’ve had to adapt. I don’t think much of what is being passed off today as Pitorro is the real deal. Don’t get me wrong, It’s great!

Never pass up an opportunity to try Pitorro.

The tradition lives on: Christmas is when you are most likely to see Pitorro served as it is almost always shared with family and friends during the holidays. It is usually flavored with local fruit and/or spices. I’ve had the privilege to sample- orange, guava, parcha (passion fruit), mango, pina (pineapple), coffee/mocha and vanilla bean flavored varieties. They were all quite potent and delicious. My favorites were the fragrant parcha and creamy coffee/mocha flavors. The mixing of ingredients with Pitorro is quite an art-form in its own right. Recipes are handed down and kept secret… skills not taken for granted.

Pitorro is strictly for sipping straight.

I did finally get my hands on some of the new commercially bottled Pitorro. This 100 proof, crystal clear version of ‘cane squeez’ns’ is distilled and bottled in Mayagüez, PR. I had to try it… it is NOT rum. I could NOT drink the Rum ‘n Coke I made with it… yuk! In retrospect, it was a dumb move.

Pitorro Blanco is basically what you have before Rum is allowed to age. I’ll have that bottle for a long time to come…

Yes, all PR rums are aged at least a year before sale (it’s the law).

The rum they produced before Puerto Rican distillers perfected the clarifying process would have been pretty rugged stuff. Similar to the dark Jamaican Rums of today.

Now go out and party like a Pirate… ARRRRGG!!!!!!!

Next up: The Land Crab Festival of Maunabo.