Avast ye Maties- It's Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day! 

If you have been following Gardenias and Glitter for any length of time you know that I am pretty sure that I was a Pirate Princess in a former life (or maybe a Mermaid....). I grew up in an area steeped in Pirate lore, with stories of treasure and all sorts of sea going adventure. Anytime that we can celebrate being a pirate, you know that I have to join in! 

Now, I do not know who decided that Talk Like a Pirate Day was to be on a Monday, and a rainy Monday to boot. This pretty much precluded us from having a deck party like last year (which you can see here), but there is no reason why we can't "swill a pint or two of grog". 

So I started thinking about what type of drink a Pirate Princess like myself would enjoy on a rainy Talk Like a Pirate Day.  Of course, it goes without saying that it would have to include rum and then I thought about the weather and of course, I came up with a... 

Dark and Stormy 

2 ounces black rum

4 ounces ginger beer

Dash of fresh lime juice (optional)

Lime Wedge 

Fill glass with ice.  Add ginger beer.  Pour rum slowly over the back of a spoon to get the dark and stormy layered look. Add the lime juice if desired and garnish with lime wedge. Once you admire the stormy layered look, stir.  It tastes better that way. 

This recipe is a combination of several I found online and the gracious assistance of the sales clerk in the local ABC store.  He recommended the Black Rum, when most of the recipes suggested dark rum.  The original drink is apparently from Bermuda, created by a company called Goslings which makes the black rum in the original cocktail.  Goslings actually trademarked the name "Dark 'n Stormy" in the U.S., which is why I labelled this concoction the "Dark and Stormy" instead. 

I chose the Bacardi because it was smaller than the Goslings (I am a practical Pirate Princess!).  Since I had never had black rum before, I didn't want to invest in the larger bottle when I wasn't sure I would like it. (Besides, I liked the look of the Bacardi bottle better!) 

The nice gentleman from the ABC store also recommended the Goya brand Ginger Beer because it is a little spicier than most brands.  While I appreciated the recommendation, I think it might have been too spicy for my particular tastes.  

Of course, any self respecting Pirate Princess must set the appropriate scene for her cocktail- this is the treasure chest I glittered for last year's tablescape filled with gold and pearls sufficient for any Pirate Princess to celebrate the day. 

My "chalice" for this particular cocktail is of course adorned with a skull and crossbones.  I used my Cricut and the "Life is a Beach" cartridge to cut the skull out of adhesive vinyl.  

Now if you are looking for a more family friendly way to celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day or if you don't want to wait until Happy Hour, then head over to Krispy Kreme.  If you go to your local Krispy Kreme Donuts and talk like a Pirate they will give you a free donut.  If you dress like a Pirate, then you get a dozen donuts!  They also have a Snapchat filter where you can digitally dress like a Pirate for the occasion.  For more information click on krispykreme.com. 

Thanks fer stoppin by! 'Ave a great day! 

~Cynthia, Pirate Princess