Cheers to cultural sips!

While sipping some nice, hot, spiced rum, trying to warm up after the unexpected major Calgary snowfall on October 1, I thought now would be a good time to talk about beverages. When we travel, we always try to taste local drinks and brews, and we have enjoyed the tastings tremendously, even if a drink was deemed not repeatable. Let me share some of my personal “Thumbs Up” and “Thumbs Down” beverages. 

THUMBS UP:
1. Brennivin: Icelandic signature distilled beverage, unsweetened, made from potatoes, flavoured with caraway seeds. A great way to warm you up when days get shorter in Iceland.

2. Rakia: Bulgarian national drink, distilled primarily from grapes, but also from many different fruits. We tried the basic one, the pear variety (excellent), but I really enjoyed the one distilled from rose petals. Rakia is strong, but the hint of the base fruit (or petals) adds a different dimension.

3. Quince vodka: we tried it in Poland. Fabulous! It’s important to note that a true quince vodka is distilled from the fruit, not just has an added quince syrup. It is similar in a way to rakia, undergoing a similar process.

4. Rum from Venezuela: only the top quality one. Multidimensional and delicious.

5. Limoncello: homemade in Italy, tasted on the balcony in a small town in Tuscany, after a fabulous dinner.

6. Cider from Northern France: a great complement to a savoury crepe, not sweet but earthy, flavourful and refreshing.

7. Mead: the Presidential variety in Poland, and Fallen Timber near Calgary. Mead is a honey liquor, and it can vary in terms of levels of sweetness. I like the balanced one, medium sweet.

8. Tequila: of course, in Mexico. Must be of high quality and aged. Bad tequila is horrible, but good tequila is highly enjoyable and not used for margaritas but rather sipped with pleasure. 

THUMBS DOWN:

1.     Horseradish vodka (photo below): worth a try for the uniqueness of flavour, but I won’t rush to get it next time I am in Poland.

2.     Unfiltered sake: I like sake very much, and the one we tried recently had an amazing bouquet a great flavour, but I couldn’t get past the unfiltered flakes, which I ended up straining through my teeth. :)

I know, I have not included wine here. But wine deserves its own entry, so stay tuned. Cheers!