Pomegranate Vodka? Okay. Bacon or Salmon Vodka = No way!

It is no secret that I am a vodka kind of gal; more specifically I am Stoli Girl (even got the t-shirt to prove it).


I recently learned that Stolichnaya introduced White Pomegranik, the World’s first white pomegranate flavored vodka. I haven’t tried it yet, but I am excited to. From what I hear, the white pomegranate is a very rare fruit with delicate flavors. I will be trying it on the rocks soon and will let you know what I think. If you’ve tried it already, let me know what you think of it.

Now, I am NOT excited to hear about smoked salmon and bacon flavored vodka. Gross. I tried to mentally envision and taste it in a Bloody Mary, but no. I am going to stick to plain or pepper vodka for my Bloody Marys – thank you.

The Alaska Distillery came up with the smoked salmon flavor (apparently drunkenly trying to come up with Alaskan themes) – can’t get more Alaskan than that. I checked out their website (http://alaskadistillery.com) and also found a “Birch Syrup” flavored vodka; oh and there is a Rhubarb flavor too! Not sure what to say. Not even sure what birch syrup is? I am sure that is doesn't sound that appealing to me.

Not letting salmon be the only “meaty” flavored vodka out there, there is bacon-flavored vodka, called Bakon; created by Black Rock Spirits (http://www.blackrockspirits.com) in Seattle.(Yep, Seattle. I would’ve guessed Iowa, not Washington.) The tag line is: “Pure. Refreshing. Bacon.” I don’t know about you, but when I think of bacon, the word refreshing doesn’t come to mind; neither does pure for that matter. Apparently after trying this vodka, “You'll never want to use another vodka for your Bloody Mary.” Now I’m pretty open minded, but I prefer my bacon on a bacon and egg breakfast sandwich, not in my glass.

Nevertheless, props for thinking out of the fruit box when it comes to infusing vodka. I'm all for experimenting and trying new things, let's just not get too carried away.

This begs the question, what is your favorite vodka flavor? Talk to me!

For more information on the new Stoli Vodka visit:
http://www.nightclub.com/vodka/stolichnaya-introduces-white-pomegranik-worlds-first-white-pomegranate-flavored-vodka-1391

http://www.stoli.com/us-ca/#/products/whitepomegranik

For more information on the fish and bacon flavors visit:
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2010/06/30/2010-06-30_vodka_for_carnivores_flavored_with_bacon_or_salmon_it_jazzes_up_bloody_marys_and.html

Wine from a vending machine? Really?

It’s true. But, for now, only in Pennsylvania - where the mission of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is to “provide greater customer service and convenience to consumers.” What a great mission I think to myself as I sit in Minnesota, a state where I can’t buy wine at the grocery store with my dinner fixins or on Sundays.

This is new, and they are testing it out with hopes to expand statewide. The pilot test is taking place in two grocery stores.

The vending machines stock 53 best-selling wines at optimal temperatures and provide detailed information (such as suggested food pairings) for interested consumers.

The machine acts as a bouncer by “carding” the buyer. The buyer’s driver’s license is inserted and the age information on the bar code is processed. The photo is matched with a video image of the buyer at the kiosk and a Liquor Control Board employee monitors each transaction from a remote location to confirm that the video of the purchaser matches the purchaser’s ID. (Sounds like a fun job.)

Oh, and it also acts as a cop. No buying wine if you are already under the influence my friends. There are built-in breathalyzers that provide an instantaneous reading. If a breath alcohol level of .02 or higher is detected, the consumer’s purchase is denied.

I’m torn on this idea. While I like the idea of it, (Wine from a vending machine? How cool!) I kind of prefer the wine shop way of shopping. I’m a touchy, feely kind of gal. I like to pick up the bottle and look at it and walk around with it in my cart while I debate additional bottles or find something else more intriguing. What are your thoughts on this? Would you buy wine from a vending machine?

Either way, I think, at the very least, the state of Minnesota needs to allow the sale of wine in grocery stores. I know I’ve signed numerous petitions but I’m not sure where things are at. Once that passes then we can work on the whole Sunday thing.

No matter where you purchase your wine, enjoy it! Cheers!

PS – Follow this link to see some photos. http://www.thedenverchannel.com/slideshow/news/24020756/detail.html

Just in Case you were Confused......

A Real Man....
He will inspire her to do things she never thought she could do; to live without fear and forget regret. He will enable her to express her deepest emotions and give in to her most intimate desires. He will make sure she always feels as though she's the most beautiful woman in the room and will enable her to be the most confident, sexy, seductive, and invincible. No wait... sorry... I'm thinking of wine. Never mind.

I just got this in my inbox today and it cracked me up. Thought I would share it with you here. As if I needed another reason to drink wine. I think it is the best thing for confidence boosting and mental health wellness. Have a great day! Cheers!

Fresh Fruit & Yogurt – So Good!

I’ve recently started mixing yogurt with fresh fruit for breakfast and it is awesome. There are some great yogurt flavors out there. This morning I was thinking this would make great dessert substitute. Lots of flavor and way less guilt (low calories, no fat, and real fruit = healthy). I actually only use half of the container per serving and it fills me up.

Two of my favorites (by Yoplait® light) are fresh strawberries with White Chocolate Strawberry and fresh raspberries with Raspberry Cheesecake. (It seriously tastes like cheesecake.)

Give a try and let me know what you think!

Awesome pairing - Beef & Zin

I’ve always been a big advocate (and follower) of steak and Cabernet Sauvignon or a Bordeaux blend. My husband, on the other hand, has always liked Zinfandel with his steak. Well, this weekend I made steak and decided to open a bottle of Zin I had been saving (Seghesio, Zinfandel, 2007, Sonoma County). Well, the Zin was amazing and I really enjoyed it with the steak. I have officially been converted. The roundness and fruit flavor of this wine really complimented the whole dinner (filet mignon, parmesan risotto with spinach, and sautéed mushrooms with truffle oil). It was very lush (the wine that is). Not to go on too much about it but I just want to say that if you are also stuck on Cab and steak then give Zin a try. I’d also say to try the Seghesio Zinfandel, I think it is about $25 a bottle and worth every penny.

On another related note….. I’ve always had a preference for New York Strip as my steak of choice. Well, lately I’ve been making filet mignon/beef tenderloin instead. I’m loving it - it is much more tender. My last couple New York Strips had been hit or miss (chewy and hard to cut and not as flavorful).

Cheers to mixing it up and trying new things!

Here is the photo of the label (always an easier way to remember a wine).

Trial-and-Error

Well, I’ve decided to take a different approach with this blog. I find myself over-thinking it and failing to post if I don’t think what I wrote was “perfect” or long enough. So now I’m just going to wing it and have fun with it. Bear with me…. I am living and learning with this thing and I keep getting distracted by drinking wine.