The official website for Margaritaville Rum is now up and running at www.margaritavillerum.com.

On the site you can find special recipes for drinks and also locations where it’s available.

Inspired by the lifestyle of Jimmy Buffett, Margaritaville embodies a relaxed state-of-mind lifestyle synonymous with island escapism. Now with the introduction of Rum, Margaritaville takes consumers to the Island of Jamaica, where for centuries some of the world’s most exquisite rums has been handcrafted.

Every bottle of Margaritaville Premium Jamaican Rum contains a unique blend of aged rums hand selected by Jamaica’s most famed Master Blender, Joy Spence. Each rum is carefully selected and hand blended to create a sophisticated flavor and aroma. After blending, the rums are married. This fusion of the various components is the final touch to the unique blend.

Silver

80 proof. Clear. Light vanilla, cane stalk, warm custard, and nougat aromas. A soft, silky entry leads to a dry light-to-medium body of attractive cane, vanilla bean, and pepper flavors. Finishes with a zesty, peppery powdered sugar flavor.

Spiced

70 proof. Pale golden amber color. Creamy vanilla, cloves, nutmeg, and white chocolate aromas. A rich supple off-dry medium body with notes of white pepper and toasted nut. Finishes with a long, warm cinnamon and spicy vanilla fade.

Dark

80 proof. Deep golden amber color. Vibrant aromas of brown sugar, buttery caramel, roasted nuts, and creame brulee. A buoyant entry leads to a dry-yet-fruity medium body accented with vanilla beans, nut, and peppery brown spice flavors. Finishes with a nice dark caramel toffee and peppery spice fade.

Coconut

42 proof. Clear. Rich fresh-cut coconut and soft vanilla bean aromas follow through to a mildly sweet medium body of toasted coconut flavor. Finishes with nice length and creaminess.

Suggested retail is $16.99 per bottle.

(H/T Jon B.)

Have you tried Margaritaville Rum yet?

Jimmy Buffett is going up against Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone… in business. On Thursday, Hollywood, Florida (near Miami) will hear competing proposals from Margaritaville and Planet Hollywood for a plot of land on the boardwalk. Both pitches include a hotel, which would be a first for Buffett and Margaritaville Enterprises.

The Miami Herald has more:

John Cohlan, CEO of Margaritaville Enterprises in Palm Beach, said the beachfront location and Hollywood’s no-fuss vibe makes it a good fit for the brand’s first hotel.

“This is a very authentic beach town,” he said. “That’s what Margaritaville is about.”

Plans show a tiki bar wrapped around a seaplane and a sailboat by the pool, as well as an amphitheater with free concerts arranged by the Margaritaville staff.

Margaritaville Hollywood Beach also predicts it will command rates about 15 percent higher than what the top hotels in Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood charge.

“There are certain revenue streams Margaritaville brings to the project,” said Tabatchnick, refering to Buffet-themed shops, restaurants and bars expected to bring in day visitors. “A regularly flagged hotel would not be successful there.”

But the Planet Hollywood team rejects the Buffett boost as a tall tropical tale.

“At the end of the day, Margaritaville is a bar,” said Koslow. “What’s so special about a bar?”

A city panel will hear presentations from both developers Thursday in City Hall starting at 9 a.m. While no stars are expected for the selection panel, Koslow suggested Planet Hollywood would deploy some celebrity muscle for the final vote before city commissioners next month.

“It will be a classic Planet Hollywood presentation,” he said. “If you know the name . . . and the people involved in starting it, you’ll get an idea.”

Read the full article here.

There has been a slew of new products coming out lately from Margaritaville Enterprises, including flavored iced teas, frozen chicken wings, a new line of rum, and a line of outdoor furniture. “Margaritaville” was even trademarked for video game use last November.

Today another product was announced. Margaritaville, teaming up with Orange 21, will develop a line of eyewear that will hit retailers this summer:

The collaboration with Orange21 was a natural choice for Margaritaville, “America’s leading lifestyle brand.” Jimmy Buffett has personified the aviator/adventurer for three decades and his evocative lyrics and lifestyle have inspired a cross-generational following. The Margaritaville concept translates vividly into attire, foods, spirits, and party/tailgate essentials, attracting a diverse customer base that enjoys bringing Margaritaville with them wherever they go.

Orange21 is a premium producer of eyewear. Based in Carlsbad, California, the Orange21 brands — SPY Optic and O’NEILL Eyewear – have become market leaders in both style and quality. The addition of the Margaritaville Eyewear line to its growing stable of brands is another great story from the people who invite everyone to “Live Through Our Lens.”

“Orange21 is honored to be producing this line of eyewear for Jimmy and for Margaritaville. Jimmy’s life work continues to touch so many people and has basically defined the notion of FUN for all the right reasons. That’s the kind of friends we like to hang with!” says Stone Douglass, CEO of Orange21. “Adding Margaritaville Eyewear to our lineup is a continuation of our multi-branded strategy at Orange21 and we look forward to continued success as an expanding and authentic leader in the lifestyle eyewear market.”

Learn more about Jimmy’s business empire here.

The Tennessean has posted their full interview with Jimmy Buffett from a few days ago that was featured in this article about his new Margaritaville Cafe in Nashville.

In the full interview, Jimmy discusses how important Nashville is, and how deep his roots run there. He also talks about why he hasn’t played Nashville in several years (because they closed the outdoor venue).

On performing at the new cafe when it opens, Jimmy says “There’s always that chance. Let’s just say the track record, if you look back, I think I’ve played every one of them. The only one I haven’t played in is Panama City, and I’m going to do that pretty soon. I’ve got to do it when I come in and out. And it’s fun, it’s fun to have people you see there and to go back and do them. I was a bar player from the beginning, and I still kind of think of myself as a bar player.”

Read the full interview here.

We reported back in December on the possibility of a Margaritaville Cafe opening in Nashville and now it’s being confirmed by The Tennessean:

The legendary entertainer’s chain of beach-themed restaurants will open its first Tennessee location by the end of the year on Lower Broadway in the building formerly occupied by Planet Hollywood, Buffett and the owners of the building said Thursday.

Buffett said he’d been thinking about a Nashville location for a long time, considering his own roots here, where his career began. There is enough diversity in the Nashville music scene to support a venue that isn’t based on country music, he said.

“I know about all the people that have lived there who aren’t run through the aperture of country hit radio,” Buffett said. “It’s a very diverse place, and it’s a natural thing to put a stage in, because we have them everywhere else, and you never know who’s going to show up. But we don’t pursue name acts or anything like that. You let your customer dictate what they want, not what you want.”

The 18,000-square-foot building at 322 Broadway has two floors, both of which will be used by the restaurant. It will be operated by Buffett’s Key West, Fla.-based Margaritaville Holdings.

“We have signed a lease and we’re ready to roll,” said Mark Bloom, a principle in the Corner Partnership, which is involved in several other downtown properties including the Hilton and Union Station hotels. Other partners are Ronnie Scott and Larry Papel.

“Buffett wants to make music a big part of the venue here, and the café is going to appeal to the young crowd, locals and visitors to our city,” he said. “Besides the food and special drinks synonymous with Margaritaville, the music will be a special attraction.”

At street level there will be a restaurant, bar and three live-music stages. The second floor will house another bar, additional restaurant seating, and a “small concert hall with state-of-the-art lighting and sound system,” Bloom said.

Total seating capacity is 350, with about 200 in the concert hall upstairs.

Live music will be featured daily. The café will be open from 11 a.m.-3 a.m. seven days a week, Bloom said, and the entertainment will include “a nightly showcase of newcomers.”

The building has been vacant for nearly a year since the most-recent tenant, the Global Café, closed. It’s a prime downtown venue, Bloom said, with the Ryman Auditorium nearby.

“We’ve had several offers from people wanting to lease the building, but we wanted to find something that would create vibrancy downtown and be a big landmark draw,” Bloom said. “It will create a lot of excitement downtown.”

Construction will begin in late April, and will involve a “multimillion-dollar renovation” of the building “from top to bottom,” Bloom said.

It will be the 10th U.S. Margaritaville Café, but will be different from the others in that it will be “more Nashville-centric,” Bloom said.

Buffett said most of the members of his band, the Coral Reefers, live in Nashville. The restaurant will have a circular staircase with a family tree paying tribute to past and present members of the band.

Read the full article here.

Buffett is treating Nashville well this year. In addition to building the restaurant, he’ll perform at the Sommet Center on May 1st. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 am CST through TicketMaster.

In 2007 Jimmy Buffett and several partners formed Last Mango Racing Stables, a horse racing owners group.

Last Mango is hoping to field their horse Daddy Forty Nine in this year’s Kentucky Derby:

A total of 366 three-year-olds are nominated to the Derby and the other Triple Crown races, from two-year-old champion Lookin At Lucky, to a long shot gelding co-owned by Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees, to a full brother of ill-fated 2006 Derby winner Barbaro.

The Derby field is limited to 20 starters, and it’ll be the prep races from Arkansas to Arcadia, Calif., New Orleans to New York, and Gulfstream to Keeneland that determine who ends up at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.

The usual Derby-driven trainers dominate the list of nominees. Four-time Derby winner D. Wayne Lukas has 19 nominees, two-time Derby winner Nick Zito has 15 and three-time Derby winner Bob Baffert has 13. Todd Pletcher tops them all with 20 as he seeks his first Derby winner (he’s 0-for-24).

Brees’ Derby hopeful is Daddy Forty Nine. The gelding is owned by Last Mango Racing Stable, formed by New Orleans Saints vice president of communications Greg Bensel. Other partners include Saints coach Sean Payton, singer Jimmy Buffett and the Monday Night Football announcing crew of Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden.

The owners group enjoyed limited success in 2008 with a horse named Pulaski County.

In January it was announced that Jimmy Buffett would open his first Canadian Margaritaville Cafe in Niagara Falls this summer:

Margaritaville Canada Ltd. has signed a lease with the owners of the Skylon Tower to open the 14,000-square-foot, two-story restaurant on Fallsview Avenue, across from the Niagara Fallsview Casino and Resort.

The restaurant is moving into the site of the former Wolfgang Puck’s Cafe, which closed last summer.

Margaritaville Canada is investing “several million” into the Niagara Falls project, Davidson said. The restaurant is the first of several the Calgary-based company has planned for Canada. The company has the exclusive Margaritaville rights for Canada.

This week there was an official press event to announce the construction of the restaurant. Watch a video report of the event below: