IndependenceDay

Rare Copy Of The Declaration Of Independence Found

A rare copy of the Declaration of Independence has been found in England. The AP reports that British researchers discovered the "Dunlap print," named after a printer, in the National Archives several months ago but was only announced after it was cataloged (and just in time for July 4th).

There are only around 200 original copies and finding a new one in good condition is extremely rare, only around 26 Dunlap prints are believed to still exist. Officials aren't sure how the document ended up in the archives but it may have been on a ship that was intercepted by the British navy. It was discovered by an American bookseller doing research at the archives in Richmond, Surrey. The last Dunlap print found was sold at an auction for $8.14 million in 2000. The National Archives have no plan to sell this document.

Tags: declaration of independence, DeclarationOfIndependence, documents, independence day, IndependenceDay

Four Reasons to Toast July 4th with Rum

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits

Photo of rum barrels stored at St. Nicholas Abbey, Barbados

Beer might be the iconic way to celebrate American Independence Day, but maybe this year, times call for something a bit stronger.

Like, how about rum? The rum category is second only to vodka in the United States, according to Tommy Bahama, makers of ultra-premium rum. So while it's not exactly fair to make a bad pun about rum being the spirit of America, you'd be far from unpatriotic if you incorporated it into your July 4th plans.

Four reasons to toast with rum this Independence Day:

As a spirit, rum was first distilled in the Caribbean -- most likely Barbados -- but it quickly became popular of the northern colonies in the New World. It turns out that the country's founding fathers -- among them Paul Revere, George Washington, Ben Franklin, were no different than most manly men of their time -- they knocked back a few pints of the beverage distilled from sugar cane .
Rum wasn't just for Revolutionary War types. From John F. Kennedy who reportedly sipped it over dinner while watching the 1960 election returns, to Ernest Hemingway, who was a big fan of the daiquiri. (Although not for Papa would be the gussied up drinkable-dessert-Slurpees of today -- in Havana, he favored the daiquiri at El Floridita, which he liked to be made with two shots of rum, lime juice, ice, no sugar, and sometimes a touch of grapefruit juice and a few drops of maraschino liqueur, writes Wayne Curtis.)
Like most facets of American history, rum's history is complicated. The sugar cane that was used to create the molasses which became rum was produced by Caribbean slaves who existed under brutal conditions, writes Jan Rogozinksi in a Brief History of the Caribbean. Raise a glass in tribute, and in remembrance of a time when independence was not as widespread as it is today.
Rum innovation continues strong today. The finalists for the annual drink of this year's upcoming Tale of the Cocktail festival in New Orleans were all variations on the julep - the original American cocktail. But while a julep is typically made with bourbon, the winning cocktail was the Creole Julep -- made with rum. It was created by Maksym Pazuniak, bartender at Rambla and Cure. Here's the recipe:

2 1/4 oz. Cruzan Single Barrel Estate Rum

1/2 oz. Clement Creole Shrubb

1/4 oz. Captain Morgan 100 Rum

2 dashes Fee Bros. Peach bitters

2 dashes Angostura bitters

8-10 mint leaves

1 Demerara Sugar Cube

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Tags: america, history, independenceday, rum

The Red, White and Sapphire Cocktail

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Bombay Sapphire, the distinctive London dry gin infused with 10 botanicals hand-selected from around the globe, has come up with a festive twist on the classic Collins cocktail in honor of Independence Day, called the Red White and Sapphire (right).

Bombay Sapphire, distilled from 100% grain neutral spirit using a recipe that actually predates the Declaration of Independence by 15 years, includes lemon peel from Spain, orris root from Italy, coriander seeds from Mexico and cassia bark from Indo-China, among others.

To make a Red White and Sapphire:

1 1⁄2 oz. Bombay Sapphire
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
3⁄4 oz. simple syrup
3-4 fresh raspberries
3 oz. club soda

Muddle raspberries with simple syrup and lemon juice in a Collins glass. Add ice, Bombay Sapphire and stir. Top with club soda. Garnish with lemon twist and a fresh raspberry. Repeat as necessary.

Tags: 4th of July, 4thOfJuly, Bombay Sapphire, BombaySapphire, cocktails, gin, Independence Day, IndependenceDay, summer cocktails, SummerCocktails

Red, White, and Blue, Handbag of the Day

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags

Happy Fourth of July! What better way to accent your outfit and show off your patriotic spirit this Independence Day than with a stylish new handbag. Designed by Julie Feldman and described as an "Americana tootsie roll handbag" (now I'm craving candy) this classic and simple bag is made of distressed leather with two rolled leather handles and zip closure at the top. I love the earthy and worn looking stars and stripes because they're so much less obnoxious than the brightly colored versions, and make the bag that much easier keep using all summer. $490

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Tags: 4th of july, 4thOfJuly, american, american flag, american flags, AmericanFlag, AmericanFlags, bag, bags, fourth of july, FourthOfJuly, handbag, handbag of the day, HandbagOfTheDay, handbags, holiday, holidays, independence day, IndependenceDay, patriotic, patriotism