Daily Loaf

(Part 2 of our Smorgasbord: IKEA series.)

Lingonberry and elderberry syrups take up a lot of space on the IKEA grocery shelves, for good reason. The tart, cranberry-like flavor of lingonberries is perfect when dropped into a glass of sparkling water, while the elderberry will produce a more fragrant, softer spritzer that’s sweeter and more delicate. Both are also incredible ingredients for cocktails. IKEA’s lingonberry syrup is powerful stuff, so works best with bland liquor like vodka, while elderberry’s subtle herbacious, floral perfume works best with gin (and some gins use elderberry as one of the botanicals that give that British quaff its flavor).

Experiment, but here are a few recipes to get you started at your next Swedish-themed happy hour or crayfish party:

The Allen Wrench
1 part lingonberry syrup
1 part vodka
Squeeze of lime
Soda water
This is a simple, refreshing quaff suitable for quenching the mighty thirst and incipient frustration that results from furniture assembly.

Bergman Royale
3 parts inexpensive Champagne or sparkling wine
1 part elderberry syrup
Like the actress, this cocktail is subtle, multi-faceted and will melt the hearts of even the most grizzled North African nightclub owner.

Seasonal Affective Disorder Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve expressed my disdain — if not actual dislike — for flavored drinks, and for vodka in general, so perhaps I’m not the ideal person to review this newish flavor from Finnish liquor company Finlandia. Or maybe my love for the hearty Fins and the frozen tundra they call home will counteract those ill feelings towards anything as silly and inappropriate as cramming aromatic nonsense into bland ethyl alcohol.

Oh, um, perhaps I betrayed my feelings there. It’s just difficult to have sympathy for any nation that can concoct a flavor as profoundly odd as the one that wafts from a glass of Finlandia Tangerine Fusion. The first whiff comes across as an orange scratch-and-sniff circa 1985, the kind of concentrated faux-citrus flavor that seems more appropriate, these days, for infomercial cleaning solutions or truck stop air fresheners.

But wait, Finlandia uses only natural flavors in its Tangerine Fusion. Of course, when they say natural flavors they’re likely talking about atoms stripped from plants and recombined by chemists in a lab, not a few pounds of tangerine run through a food processor.

With the first sip of the vodka, I immediately peg the flavor thanks to a long childhood of aches and pains: Read the rest of this entry »

The Bloody Mary is one of the few acceptable — or even desirable — morning cocktails, perfect as a hair-of-the-dog hangover tonic, or as a way to get the day started off right. Better yet, done right this pungent example of savory mixology is almost a meal in a glass, loaded with the vital nutrients, roughage and vodka that are essential parts of a balanced breakfast.

Problem is, very few people have spent the time to perfect nature’s perfect breakfast cocktail. It’s a complicated endeavor that is usually beyond the amateur mixologist, with a list of ingredients longer than most morning recipes. And don’t even think of reaching for store-bought mixers — you might as well throw some vodka in a can of Campbell’s condensed tomato soup and call it a day.

With a little preparation, some experimentation, and a fair amount of gratifying taste testing, however, even Bloody Mary newbies can learn to make a mean mix. Here are a few tips: Read the rest of this entry »

That was one question I asked myself after an incident a few years ago. I met a man in his mid 30s at a bar in South Tampa. He was a well-dressed Italian man with a nice athletic build. We exchanged numbers and that was that. I left the bar and forgot about even giving my number away.

The following week I get a text asking to hang out. I figured what the hell, I’m the adventurous type — why not see what happens. I was a little bit horny anyway, but figured I could probably control myself.

I get over to his place, played with his cute little dog, watched some baseball, and sipped a cran and vodka. We both got a few drinks in us.

Read below the jump for the rest [probably NSFW]:

Read the rest of this entry »

What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this past week:

Why does Florida Fish and Wildlife refuse to protect eagles and tortoises?: contributor and green activist Chris Hrabovsky asks why Florida wildlife is allowed to be sacrificed in order for big businesses to take over that land.

The roots of sprawl: Grant Rimbey explores the origins of sprawl in the United States, describes the difference between sprawl and sustainability, and hints at a future strategy for moving beyond sprawl.

Tampa City Council reclaimed water workshop: a post by John Dingfelder on Tampa City Council wanting to “turn the page” towards a new era of common sense water conservation.

An overview of Green Cities Florida in Orlando and hopes for a greener future: Joshua Michael Poll attended last week’s Green Cities Florida event in Orlando and discusses highlights from it, as well as his hopes for Tampa Bay’s green initiatives.

No acupuncture needles needed when it comes to Meridian Therapy: health and wellness contributor Kevin O’ Dunn looks at the use of toothpicks in place of needles in acupuncture and Meridian Therapy.

Help support the Tampa Theatre by shopping at Barnes and Noble this week: Michelle Schenck gives information on helping the Tampa Theatre by purchasing from Barnes and Noble book stores this week.

Steps to becoming greener: Starting a compost or worm bin: Tips and information from Joshua Michael Poll on creating healthier soil by making a compost or worm bin.

360 Vodka: drink in the name of Mother Earth: Jessica McCormick reviews the “eco-responsible” (and very tasty) 360 Vodka.

VP Biden boosts green jobs and training in Denver: Vice President Joe Biden creates 450,000 green jobs in Denver with $500 million from the economic stimulus bill, as reported by Michelle Schenck.

Lose your lawn and get Florida native plants instead; Free native plants tour Sat. (5/30): Joshua Michael Poll gives us more green tips- this time for our lawns and how to use native Florida plants in place of a time- and money-consuming traditional lawn.

Green office tip of the week: Reduce paper in your office: the latest green office tip from contributor Lisa Assetta.

McLibel and Wal-Suit trials: people who fought against these companies and made a difference: Chris Hrabovsky discusses the long McLibel suit in London and compares it to similar local issues and legal battles with Wal-Mart destroying wetlands and wildlife to build, showing what a few everyday people have done to stand up to these big companies.

Don’t forget to check out our Green Community Calendar for green events and workshops in the Bay Area!

I love vodka unapologetically. I’ll mix it into sodas as readily as college co-eds do so with rum. I would pretend it was water in my glass during a rough night bartending. If it’s a good enough vodka, I will happily swig it straight from the bottle and cut out that pesky middleman of a glass. If I could somehow justify it to myself, I’d probably pour vodka on my breakfast cereal instead of milk. To me, it’s its own food group.

After years of “refining my palate” (read: “drinking copiously”), I’ve gained an appreciation for a quality vodka. For a long time, my go-to vodka was Boru — Irish (like me!), quintuple distilled, delightfully inexpensive ($19.99 for a handle at ABC), and dang tasty. But now I think I have a new vodka, and to make it even more wondrous, it’s “green.” Read the rest of this entry »

Skittles are pretty tasty by themselves (excluding those chocolate abominations), and vodka is just wonderful, but maybe not on it’s own. So what if you combined the two? Skittles-infused vodka: two great tastes that taste great together. You get the sweet, synthetic flavors and a great buzz all in the same swallow. I stumbled across this entertaining article about how to infuse vodka with Skittles candy.

Read the rest of this entry »

While thumbing through an in flight magazine on the red-eye to San Antonio, I stumbled across this fabulous cocktail recipe — the Hooville Martini. Whoever thought of using Yoo-Hoo as a mixer is a genius!

The Hooville was created for the bar menu at the trendy Ketchup restaurant in L.A., which features classic comfort food dishes with a gourmet twist. Their drink list also features other memorable kid beverages, like Sunny D and Kool-Aid, updated into playful and creative cocktails. “The Hooville takes on the creamy and chocolatey Yoo-Hoo, but with added almond flavor, since what goes better with chocolate than almond? It’s a nutty, rich tasting cocktail that makes a really good after-dinner drink,” says Ketchup’s bar manager, Darius Karsas. I also think it would make a great breakfast or brunch drink, like an adult chocolate milk with a little ‘hair of the dog’.

Recipe after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

Cucumber Mint Sake Cocktail

Sake is one of those underrated alcoholic beverages, in my opinion, that most people only drink when going out for sushi.  Hot or cold, filtered or unfiltered, are pretty much your only options when it is offered on a drink menu.  Until now.

Mixologists are featuring this rice-based alcohol in many hip new cocktails.  There are numerous versions of the “Saketini”, most containing vodka and/or gin along with various liquers, juices, syrups, etc.  So for those of you who don’t like the flavor of filtered sake, you can now enjoy it in one of these new-fangled concoctions.

If you don’t want to drop ten bucks on a “Saketini” at a fancy schmancy bar then make it yourself at home.  I whipped up this fabulous and easy sake cocktail (see recipe below) for my New Year’s Eve bash as the featured drink of the evening (until, of course, we popped the champagne).  Unless you’re a sake connisseur the cheap stuff will suffice because, hey, you’re going to be mixing it with other flavors anyway, right?  Oh, and a warning: sake has about the same level of alcohol content or more than wine does and this drink goes down easily, so sip carefully (unless you want a hangover, much like the one I experienced New Year’s Day).  Kampai!
Recipe after the jump:
Read the rest of this entry »

When the promo video for Crystal Head Vodka was posted about a month or so ago, I sort of thought it might be a joke, or maybe a little early viral promo for Ghostbusters III. Dan Aykroyd hammed it up admirably, detailing a somewhat-based-in-fact legend of 13 crystal skulls (like the Mitchell-Hedges skull featured in the latest Indiana Jones flick) tied to all kinds of supernatural mumbo jumbo. That’s easy for him, since Aykroyd has long been a dabbler in supernatural beliefs. The extra details about the production of the spirit seemed a little too elaborate, though. Turns out, not so much.

Florida is on the short list of states getting early distribution of the vodka, which went on sale the week of Halloween, and Ackroyd swung through the area pimping the beverage a few weeks back.  You can find it at many bars and most bigger liquor stores for just under $50.

Crystal Head Vodka is quadruple-distilled, which means that it’ll have the same refreshing lack-of-taste that all the other premium vodkas enjoy. But it’s in a fucking skull, dude! Maybe they’re trying to market to the aging goth population?

That said, I suspect that most people — me included — will be eagerly slapping the bottle in the freezer and drinking straight from the trepanned hole in the top. It’s a gimmick, but a cool one.

Here’s the promo video: