As International Talk Like a Pirate Day nears (September 19), I cannot help but wonder about the perceived demise of National Rum Day, once celebrated annually on August 16. Nearly a month apart, one holiday recognizes a pirate's choice of beverage while the other accentuates buccaneer speech patterns and word choices. From my viewpoint, this is a natural progression of notable dates.

In 2011, Cruzan Rum hired me to create an e-book and micro-website to celebrate National Rum Day. The downloadable document provides a brief history of Cruzan and the liquor-inspired holiday. The primary content includes seasonal rum cocktail recipes. You may want to try a "Cruzan Pina Colada Martini" for summer celebrations. As autumn leaves drop, you may want to add a "St. Croix Zen Tea" to your drink menu. Nothing will brighten a chilly winter evening like a "Spiced Holly Highball." With the advent of spring, you may be in line for an "Irish Cherry Soda" or a champagne-infused "Cruzan Kiss."

A GOOGLE search confirms that National Rum Day is still on the books and celebratory plans are in the works for August 16, 2023. If you wish to jump on the celebration, drop me an email, and I will send you a collector's PDF of the original e-book.

For the immediate future, let's all set our sites on International Talk Like a Pirate Day, which is right around the corner! Argh! – Doug