When one is at the beach, one need not be bothered by chores, errands, baggage or other pain-in-the-rear nonsense. One only need to get oneself to their vacation spot and begin with one's imbibing schedule post-haste.
Seriously though, when you're on vacation, at the beach or otherwise, those instant gratification impulses tend to be a little heightened. You just want to relax with your fruity beverage and stay clear of any hassle.
Enter the hot-selling R.T.D.s (Ready-To-Drink spirits), which require no mixers, additives, garnishes or other baggage. All you do is just grab a glass, fill it with ice and pour. It's that simple.
Looking to take the easy way out, we stopped by the newly-opened Outlet Liquors in Rehoboth Beach for a taste of four new flavors of R.T.D.'s. What we found were four fruity and buzz-worthy drinks that leave work out of the equation.
Message in a bottle: Sending out an R.T.D.
It was at a Rehoboth Beach trade show where we first encountered these R.T.D.'s a few months back, and we've been quite impressed by the products to come down the pike ever since.
Our first sip at Outlet Liquors was of the Captain Morgan Long Island Iced Tea, a 34-proof R.T.D. that's exactly what it sounds like: a mix of rum, vodka, tequila, gin and triple sec.
Normally when making a L.I.T., you'd aadd shot or two of cola for that tea-like color and some extra sweetness to balance the triple sec. But since Captain Morgan rum has plenty of sweetness and color to begin with, no additive is necessary. And yes, it tastes exactly like a Long Island.
Next up was the Smirnoff Tuscan Lemonade, a slightly lower octane R.T.D. (at 30-proof) that combines the deliciousness of Smirnoff's premium vodka with the increasingly popular Italian liqueur limoncello.
Now, we mentioned how these drinks are require no assembly, no batteries, and that all parts are included. However, if you want to change things up a bit, feel free to add a mint or lemon garnish, or soda water for some fizzle.
Polly wants a cocktail
Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay rum, a Puerto Rican varietal that comes in flavors like coconut, pineapple, citrus and mango, is a very summery, beachy line of rum that is primed for the R.T.D. market. And since mojito, a rum-based drink, can take a bit of work to make, here we have it.
The CMPB Tropical Mojito brand comes in two flavors at the moment, those being citrus and mango, and both weigh in at about 25-proof. We first sampled the citrus-flavored.
This is a pretty solid flavor, easy on the triple sec, but solid with the lemon and lime flavors, and a nice burst of mint that should be present in every mojito. Definitely a worthwhile purchase that's fine out of the bottle.
The mango-flavored one, however, is definitely for those who are fans of mango. Big fans. The mango flavor is present from start to finish, while the curacao, lime and mint get a bit masked.
In all, we'd be hard pressed to find any major flaws in any of the four bottled R.T.D.'s. All are easy-as-pie for the non-bartender, and each possess that sweet, summery flavor great for beach a vacation.
Outlet shopping is finally fun
Allow me to go out on a sexist limb here and say that shopping is something enjoyed primarily by women, not men. At least that's the way things seem to go in our family. Wives and moms shop; guys get dragged along.
However, guys, next time the mom, wife or significant other says she's heading to the beach for some shopping at the outlets, go along for the ride and ask them to drop you off at Outlet Liquors, the newest highway booze shop.
Just opened in the old Salvation Army store on Coastal Highway, inside you'll find a liquor store the size of a small warehouse, with clear sight-lines and marked sections for beer, cold beer, wine, liquor and cigars.
And ladies, don't feel left out. Every Wednesday Outlet Liquors features a Ladies' Night, when local restaurants pass hors d'oeuvres and wine tastings are free to all the ladies in the house.
The 20,000-square feet pretty much has a full calendar of daily events, most of which are hosted in the couchy 20-seat atrium tasting area. Check out on the blackboard calendar at the front of the store after selecting one of their 2,000 bottles of wine in stock or a six-pack from their 65-foot cooler.
