"Give Love, Get Love"

This afternoon Yogi tea's message is delightfully full of zen:

Hot Toddy Time vs Mulled Wine....

Come winter's cold, it's hard to beat a warm drink in hand.

Whether it's Hot Toddy, Cider and Rum, Mulled Wine, or a Fire Punch, they all help to warm you up in many ways!

Mulled Wine, a popular seasonal favorite has been around for ages, much as wine itself. Used for drinking, and cooking, and a mix in between, Mulled Wine most likely made its first appearance under the Roman empire. And while it may be called many different names in many different countries, with many different recipes, the one commonality is that it is served in the winter and served to combat the cold.

Mulled Wine Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

Your favorite bottle of Red Wine

Sugar or Honey

Cinnamon, and any other spices that you enjoy

Orange slices and/or Lemons slices and/or Apple slices

DIRECTIONS:

1) Pour your bottle of wine into stove top friendly pot and turn on the heat.

2) Add some honey or some sugar, not too much, just a touch for some sweet flavor.

3) Add your spices of choice - Cinnamon is always a favorite!

4) Add some fruit if you'd like, for flavor, or save it for a garnish upon serving.

5) Heat on the stove top over low-medium heat and remove right before a boil (you don't want to lose the alcohol!). Serve immediately.

A Fall Mimosa

For a fun twist on a classic, try making your mimosa with apple cider! It's the perfect cocktail for the Fall season and Thanksgiving holiday. 

Cheers!

Recipe:

Fill a glass 3/4 full with Prosecco.

Add a splash of apple cider.

Zen from Yogi Tea

Oktoberfest in Helen, GA

Nestled amidst the mountains just north of Atlanta is the German-inspired town of Helen, GA. A perfect place to celebrate Oktoberfest!

Drinks at Josephine House

Oktoberfest 2016

Today marks the start of Oktoberfest and Real Ale has the perfect beer to celebrate.

Old-fashioned Cream Soda

A cold drink that can be so warming. 

Sometimes a good old-fashioned cream soda just hits the spot.

Shiner Birthday Beer

To celebrate its 106th birthday, Shiner has come out with a remarkable treat. They call it a chocolate stout, but really they should call it liquid birthday cake, because that's how it tastes. And smells. It's truly unbelievable. 

** Available only for a limited time **

Shiner Holiday Cheer

It only comes once a year, but I surely love that Shiner Cheer!

Hot Drink Season

Cold comes quickly in my beloved Washington, and just shy of a month ago Martin's came out with their Fall Cocktail menu, featuring the Autumn Delight. According to the menu, it's a warming blend of apple cider, galliano, and cinnamon vodka. Sounds delicious, Washingtonians rejoice.

Well, my new hometown of Austin is just now catching up to the 30/40 degree temperatures of the season and I am reaching for anything in arm's way to keep warm, inside and out. And what's better than warming up with a hot cup of tea? Well, if it's after 4 o'clock...

Hot Buttered Rum. Hot Cider and Rum. Hot Water, spices, and Rum. They're all a win, win. Serve it right up in a lovely latte mug. Now how's that for Grandma's cough medicine?

Pedernales Winery

The Pedernales Winery (pronounced Perd-a-nales) is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Rose Hill in the beautiful Texas hill country. Literally, they are less than 500 feet apart with a boardwalk connecting to two sites. So, the wine tasting makes for a perfect B&B detour, no DD required.

Whether it be morning (no judgement), noon, or night, great views are promised to be had, and a few extra sips (or bottles) will make it all the merrier.

Pumpkin Soda

I'm not sure whether it is the enticing labels or the flavors that float my boat (it's both!), but Maine Root sodas get me every time. And with it being October, the first full month of Fall with Halloween just around the corner, I'm a sucker for their Pumpkin Pie.

The soda has a warming sensation with a finishing zing to its flavor. Definitely gets you in the mood...

But better yet, you can try making your own Pumpkin Soda! If you're into that kind of thing, which I am... The easy way? Buy some pumpkin syrup and club soda. Add 3-5 pumps of syrup to the soda, and taste to your liking. Voila!

Alternatively, you can go really homemade with it. If you take a little extra time and put in a little extra effort, you'll have more control over the flavor and contents. Remember, as warm and inviting as pumpkin sounds, the squash itself is actually quite bland, so you'll need a spice or two, but then it's just three simple steps.

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon all-spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Puree (homemade or canned)

Directions:
1) In a small pot, combine the water, spice, and sugar.
2) Bring it to a simmer on top of the stove until the sugar is dissolved into a simple syrup consistency.
3) Remove the pot from the heat and add the pumpkin puree.

After the mixture cools, add as much, or as little as you'd like to a cup of club soda for a homemade Halloween treat! The mixture will hold best when refrigerated. Or better yet, freeze some cubes of the mixture and add to soda for that extra flare.

Cheers!

Shiner's Ruby Redbird Summer Beer

They aren't kidding when they call it the perfect Summer brew. Just as it sounds...

a Ruby Red Grapefruit bubbly with a hint of ginger to perfectly offset the tartness.

Stay thirsty.

Spiced Orange Crabbie's

A Ginger Beer with a zesty zing?! Yes, please.

The perfect season to season sipper.

Paraduxx, or Pair of Ducks

I mean, how cute is this bottle of wine?!

Added bonus: it's a really good tasting Red.

Amaretto, a Digestif

Amaretto has always been one of my favorite after dinner drinks, or as the French may say, a good digestif.

Recently, the good folks at Twin Liquors introduced me to a new brand - Lazzaroni Amaretto. Sound familiar? Lazzaroni is famous for their almond macaron biscuits.  

The drink has just the right amount of sweet with a hint of cinnamon and of course that delicious almond flavor. 

Go ahead, give it a try... you can thank me later.

Scrumpy's Cider

It's that time of year for all things Fall. 

And with that comes one of my favorite whistle wetters - CIDER!

J.K.'s Scrumpy has been made for over a century by the Koan family of Almar Orchards in my home state of Michigan.

The cider dates back to the 1850s, and this long running history is what makes the farm what it is. This was a time before pesticides, so to keep away the bugs and pests, they used guinea foul and pigs. It has worked this way for three generations, so why change a good thing.

And by doing things the old-fashioned way, it makes the product organic. The ingredients are simple - just apples and yeast, that's it. 

Scrumpy can be found at your local Whole Foods.

Ginger Beer

Ginger Beer is not synonymous with Ginger Ale.  While both products use very similar ingredients, there is a flavor distinction.  Ginger Beer is a lot more potent on the ginger side.  It is a strong, robust flavor, unlike the softer ginger taste in the Ginger Ale soft drink.


Because of this bite, traditionally, Ginger Beer has been used as a mixer in certain cocktails.  Most popular being the Dark 'n Stormy - ginger beer, dark rum, and a lime.   Also popular is the Moscow Mule - ginger beer and vodka. These days you see Ginger Beer being more vastly used in mixology and popping up on drink menus nationwide.  I can only hope this new fad continues for a long time.

There are a few different kinds of Ginger Beers branded in the market.  My favorite, and the most traditional Bermudian brand, is Barritt's.  Whenever we can find Barritt's Ginger Beer, we buy up a 12-pack to stock in the fridge for the summer's Dark 'n Stormys.

Alternatively, there is Gosling's Ginger Beer, which is found more commonly, as it is manufactured by the folks that bring us the ever so delicious Goslings Dark Rum.  A third brand that has gained popularity is Fever Tree.  With the clear glass bottle packaging, I consider Fever Tree more of a high end or hipster kind of Ginger Beer, but delicious all the same.

Typically the Ginger Beer you find these days is non-alcoholic, but on a recent trip abroad, we stumbled across an alcoholic version: Crabbie's Ginger Beer.  Back when Ginger Beer was first brewed, it was much like beer, alcoholic in its natural state.  Thus, if I had better known my history, or ginger beer brewing techniques, I shouldn't have been surprised to stumble across this wonder, but I was, excitedly.

Whether you find yourself imbibing in already spiked Ginger Beer, or mixing up your own cocktail with the non-alcoholic version, I raise my glass to you, and a tastefully refreshing summer.

Yogi Tea

As the temperature starts dropping to seasonably frigid, it's that time of year to reach for a hot drink to warm you up.  One of my favorite hot drinks is Yogi Tea.  It's just what the season ordered.

While I greatly enjoy the flavor of the tea, I think the bit I like the most is the message that comes along with it.  Literally.  Each tea bag comes with its own proverb, something that puts a smile on your face and your mind at ease, even if just for a moment:

Yogi Tea can be found at most local grocery stores, or order it online.