I was recently invited to an off-Broadway performance of “The Imbible: Rum Drinks… And Pirates!” The show, created by mixologist/spirits educator/author Anthony Caporale for Hornblower Cruises and Events, tells the history and science of rum from its origins up to today. I had seen Caporale’s initial Imbible show last year and loved it; this one was actually on a boat!
We boarded the ship at New York’s South Street Seaport and set sail down the East River and around the Statue of Liberty. The weather was perfect, and the views from the deck were incredible. I didn’t really want to go below deck for a show, but the performance promised rum drinks and I was getting thirsty.
The 30-minute “boozy musical spectacular” was great—who doesn’t love some pirate shanties delivered by professional singers and accompanied by rum cocktails? I had just been in the Caribbean a few weeks earlier touring rum distilleries and learning more about the spirit with The West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers’ Association (WIRSPA). This installment of The Imbible was a different kind of rum education, needless to say.
If you’re in the New York area this month, The Imbible: Rum Drinks….And Pirates! is running Thursdays & Sundays, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. until Sept. 6. The $50 ticket includes a 2-hour cruise, 3 cocktails, and the show. That might be the best deal in New York.