Beer Is Not The New Wine...It's Beer.

People wake up. Beer is not wine. It's friendly, approachable, and while the craft ale market is jacking up the prices, generally cheap. You can chug it if you like. It's sporty. It's the anti-elitist drink of choice, the commoner's drink, both in ancient times and today. So why invent a whole new vocabulary set for it? Why force it into something elitist?

Don't get me wrong, I love the entrepreneurial spirit fueling the craft ale movement, the experimentation with new flavors, food pairings and even cooking with beer. (stout CHEESE anyone? omg yum) In fact, the new flavors is precisely what has motivated me to try beer on occasion, luring me away from my usual spirit drinks. What I'm not enjoying is all the attitude that goes along with it. And let me be clear, I'm not really talking about the consumers, more the interviews and menu blurbs and whatnot that I'm seeing the producers put out.

It's the grating comments like "beer has a wider range of flavor than wine." Yes. Except half of what qualifies for beer is not really beer. Peach lambics, framboise, etc. are not what most consider beer; just as most don't consider pear wine on par with a pinot gris. Yes, they may technically go through similar fermentation processes, but so does cheese and bread. In the end that shouldn't be in the argument. You'll note that barring the odd few, the prime demographic getting into the artsy suds craze are under 40. Why is that? It's kind of like the difference between Miami and Palm Beach. Everyone knows where the old money parties. Don't try to make Miami into Palm Beach. Embrace the vibrant differences and stick to what works.

Are there wine snobs out there? Oh yeah. But that didn't emerge in the last 15 years...that's been around for centuries.

Cinco de Mayo Thoughts

   Today I am sitting on a patio, feet up and sipping a margarita, enjoying the beautiful day and thinking. What is it about this adopted American holiday, Cinco de Mayo, that makes it so popular? DUH. Festivals. Dancing. Bright colors. Mariachi music. Margaritas. But why? To some our celebration of the holiday is inauthentic and disingenuous, but I disagree. Sure, there's a significant chunk of the population that doesn't know about the Mexican Battle of Puebla that the day commemorates...and for some it is about honoring their heritage. I like to think that the celebration appeals to our sense of cultural unity, and the love affair we have with the little-guy-beats-behemoth "against all odds" archetype. There may even be a subconscious expression of solidarity with Mexico, as the Battle of Puebla was the last time any European country attempted to invade the Americas. The Battle was also decisive for keeping the French from intervening in the American Civil War happening simultaneously to the north. Too bad all the history is lost...don't you think a big "thank-you, Mexico" party could be fun too? I digress.

     Apart from our own Independence Day, we don't really have a tradition of widely-known military holidays. Thankfully that doesn't seem to preclude us from trying with flavorful fiestas of food and drink. It's over-commericalized, to be sure, but there are certainly worse ways to pay tribute to our neighbors. How can you not love that iconic drink (of uncertain origins), the margarita. It's so friendly! Not stylish or abrasive. It makes me think of sunshine and salty smiles, and countless happy memories of chatting with friends outside with chips, fresh salsa and a colorful margarita in hand. Not unlike today. :)

Derby Day Drinks

Image courtesy of esquire.com

     Today is Derby Day and of course the staple drink is the mint julep. I had never had one until my trip to Kentucky last year, and frankly I was a little surprised at the taste. All that sugar yields a taste resembling a boozy version of Southern sweet tea. Not really a big fan as it's just too syrupy for me, but the tradition is quite romantic and it can be refreshing in the muggy summer. Oh and the design fanatic in me just loves the cups...there may or may not be some serving as small vases around my home...

Super easy to make...the hard part is just getting the shaved ice.

Mint Julep 
Makes 1 Cocktail

2 - 2.5 oz. Bourbon
1 oz. Simple syrup (1:1 water & sugar, dissolved over medium heat)
5-6 Mint leaves
Shaved ice
Mint garnish

Muddle the mint leaves with the simple syrup at the bottom of a chilled julep cup (or old fashioned glass), add shaved  ice, pour the bourbon on top. Garnish with spare mint leaves.

Notes:  Some people prefer to make the simple syrup with mint in it, but that's not a prerequisite. No need to use the top-shelf bourbon; the flavor gets quite obscured, so use whatever you have without reservation.

Mother's Day Brunch Cocktail

    Momma Metrosips' birthday is always two weeks before Mother's Day. I rarely seem to ever hit the mark for both...getting a card for her birthday, a gift for the holiday or vice versa. This year she's coming cross-country to visit me on her birthday, (!!!) and I think I have the perfect brunch cocktail to celebrate with.

     Inspired by a lovely creme de cassis (black currant) and prosecco drink I had at Table, a new DC restaurant in the Shaw/Cardozo area, I experimented a little with some things I had on the shelf and came up with the following:

Makes 1 cocktail

1 T. creme de violette
2 dashes orange bitters
4 oz. prosecco

     Turns out to have a lovely steel grey color! Very refreshing take on a bubbly drink, and good taste of spring. Enjoy!

A 12oz. Rant

     Running some errands this week I stopped in The Bean Hollow over in Ellicott City for a pound of one of my favorite coffee blends, Gretchen's Grind. Threw an el-cheapo chocolate bar on the counter to go with it and hot damn the bill came to $23.65. <choke> What the hell? Tax is only about $1.60 and the choc bar had to be under $3.00. So doing the math that is...

     ...line up the decimals...

     $18.94 for a POUND of coffee? (Not a math major. And no, they did not display the price of it anywhere.)

   It's certainly not the rumored-to-be-orgasmic $40/Lb. Geisha Blend coffee, so why so pricey? Wait. Observation:  I'm used to paying $12.99 at most for a "pound' ...maybe $13.50 with tax or whatever. This bag 'o' beans is a refreshingly full 16 oz. Still pricey even at that weight but it reminds me - in other stores, the average "pound" has magically lost 4 ounces. I wish my weight had pounds that were 4 oz short..I'd be 52 Lbs lighter!

    Doing some more math: Say you buy a real 16 oz. pound at $10 each per month. That's $120/yr for 192 oz. total with a price per ounce (PPO) equaling $0.63. Taking out the 4 oz. but keeping the $10 price tag, you get a PPO of $0.83, up $0.20 per ounce...and you only get 144 oz. Which, assuming you didn't change your consumption levels any, means you would have to purchase 3 extra (16 oz.) bags ...for a total of $30 more of coffee just to get through the year! Irritating! It's taken me some time to notice, but everywhere I go (except Starbucks, which is really only a last resort for me) it seems the pre-packaged bags of coffee beans - ground or whole - are latching on to the 12 oz. trend.

     Can we live without coffee? No of course not. The sellers (distributors?) have us hostage of sorts. This whole scenario is reminiscent of that marketing case-study where Tampax started selling 32 ct. tampons in a box for the same price as they originally offered 40 ct back in 1991. The backlash and boycotting was so vicious/effective, the 40 ct. boxes were back on the shelves in months. Okay, perhaps not the best analogy, but it feels about the same, where the customer winds up getting the short end of the...deal.

    Where is the rebellion though? Clearly I'm not the only one noticing this trend, but why are more people not complaining about this?

     Probably for the same reason the craft ale/cocktail industry can charge so much, and why wineries with grape-juice crap wine can charge ridiculous fees for tastings. Why everything is free-range and house-made:  hipsters and soccer moms. Maybe not. Maybe it's more complex than that but it's downright irksome and it's a little surprising we don't have a little more Boston Tea Coffee Party action going on.

     This is perhaps yet another reason for me to make the switch to tea.

</rant>

Honey Laundering

     It's been about 3 months now that I've been drinking tea instead of my usual stiff black coffee in the morning and while it's not an every day occurrence, I think I've had more honey in these three months than in my entire life. Not too bad with a twist of lemon. Seems natural, and a part of the whole-foods way of living. Imagine my surprise when I found this article about HONEY LAUNDERING on the Mother Nature Network (MNN). WHO FAKES HONEY? Corn syrup mixture? "Jaggery?" WTF is that? The food safety inspectors are even saying it contains (cue horror movie music) illegal antibiotics and metal contaminants. Where did this idea come from? I seriously want to know. Who had that notion that "hey, we could make big bucks duping those silly Americans by messing with their bee pollen byproduct. Their Starbucks will never taste the same! Muahahah!"

     Sorry. Carried away there. Really though, this seems like a ridiculous plot from a bad movie, where the drug bust went bad and now the complacent corporations are getting sued for negligence. Not surprisingly, the NPR take on the US-side of the scandal says certain American honey vendors are now being prosecuted under criminal charges. Read more in the Wired article on the whiz-bang-wow astrolomy equipment being used to detect the fake honey.

     It's bad enough the bees are endangered, but now this? The industry can't seem to catch a break. Nothing like a little market dumping and price manipulation to sour the sweetener. Which makes me wonder...if the money/price issue wasn't really of concern, would we have even caught this counterfeit activity at all? Awesome. One more thing to worry about when you see the "Made in China" label. Or will it be "Made in China Thailand?"

</rant>

Springy Clementine Thingy

Doing a little spring cleaning today (ok, major overhaul) and decided to put my feet up and take a quick happy hour break with a springy refresco. The daffodils are in bloom and it's time the taste palate started changing too. Not having anything ready-made in the fridge I just fiddled with a few ingredients I had and came up with a decent sipper! Who knew? Not sure what to call it, but it sure hit the spot...

Springy Clementine Thingy

1 1/2 oz. Gin
2-3 dashes Blood Orange Bitters (regular would probably work too)
Trader Joe's Clementine Sparkler Soda

Put the gin & bitters in an old fashioned glass with 4-6 ice cubes. Fill with sparkling clementine soda; stir.

Bailey's Ice Cream Recipe

For the last few years there seems to be a trend on St. Patrick's Day of Guinness cakes or brownies, with Bailey's frosting or what have you. All good tastes, to be sure, but for the non beer drinker I could take it or leave it. The best part of the whole holiday (for me) is the part where we add the Irish Cream. IN ANYTHING. Now that I think about it, even taking a bath in it might be like a milk bath? Wait. No. That's gross. Anyway...

So rather than go the beer route as so many are wont to do this time of year, I experimented again with the ice cream machine. Yes there's plenty of recipes around the web like this, but I wanted the pure, unadulterated flavor...not muddled with vanilla or coffee. If the ice cream making seems like a potential addiction at this point yes that would be a good observation. Regardless, here's the results of some St. Patty's Day fooling around in the freezer:

Bailey's Ice Cream


5 egg yolks
1/2 C. sugar
2 C. heavy whipping cream
1 C. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 C. Bailey's Irish Cream (or other brand)

Start out by whisking 1/4 C. of the sugar with the 5 egg yolks in a medium bowl. Set aside. Next make the base in a heavy non-reactive saucepan with the cream, milk, salt, and 1/4 C. of the sugar. Heat over medium-high heat until just about to come to a rolling simmer. Take 1/2 C. of the hot cream mixture and sloooowly add it to the egg yolks, stirring constantly. Repeat with another 1/2 C. of hot cream mixture. Once blended, gently add the egg mixture back into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Continue to cook over medium heat until the back of a spatula stays clear when you run your finger through the coating. Remove from heat. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into clean bowl. Put bowl in ice bath until cool to the touch; chill in refrigerator (covered) for 2 hrs or overnight. Right before putting mixture into ice cream maker, add the Irish cream. Churn according to machine directions, about 20-30 min. Freeze & enjoy!



Blending it with milk makes a fabulous alternative to a spiked milkshake by the way...just sayin'. 

Still here, I promise!

So this interruption in posting is brought to you by...the Blogging Your Way class from decor8 blogger Holly Becker. It seems every time I get online now three hours get sucked into the ether and then there's no time to post! Gah! How can you focus when there are so many fun things to explore from all the fellow students!? Ugh. Stay tuned...I have been meanwhile collecting many tasty sips to talk about soon. Promise.

INVITE: Rye's Up Against Cystic Fibrosis

As many know, fundraising is incredibly difficult to do unless you tap into a cause that resonates with people personally...or you have an event with great mass appeal. Several causes move me to participate in drives, donate, and even promote their charities, but cystic fibrosis has never been on the list (to date). However, the Baltimore Bartenders' Guild (BBG) is hosting a special charity event with personal mass appeal! In the final week of the BBG Rye Month, they are teaming up for a gala affair with live jazz, local food & rye-based cocktails plus a seminar on rye (sponsored by Bulleit Rye) to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Maryland.

Next Sunday up the cups for a good cause! Tickets are still available for $50 here.

Rye's Up Against Cystic Fibrosis 

Date: 

Sunday, February 24, 2012 - 6pm to 9pm

Location: 

B&O American Brasserie (a fab restaurant)

2 North Charles Street

Baltimore  Maryland  21201

New Deal Distillers Coffee Liqueur

Many people tend to see alcoholic coffee drinks as some variation on an Irish Coffee, served hot with the tell-tale whiskey smell and topped with frothy cream, or perhaps a Kahlua-based drink like a White Russian or some such liquid-dessert confection. While I do heart me the occasional Espresso Martini, I find I gravitate towards less cloying liqueurs. So to avoid the syrupy ones you can make your own, or go with one of the international varieties, but I would suggest going with the growing craft distillery industry in Portland, OR as they appear to be pushing a trend of coffee liqueurs. Naturally being quite keen on both coffee and spirits, this is a welcome development for yours truly. (The fact that it's in my hometown is just perk-a-licious.) 

Last fall at a local farmer's market I bought a bottle of coffee liqueur from Portland's Distillery Row members, House Spirits, completely impressed by the (sale price and) lack of usual oily residue and mitigated sugar content. Of course you can make cocktails with it, but it was a surprise to enjoy it neat as a digestif. Similarly, as I learned this week, the New Deal Distillery has produced an excellent coffee liqueur, along with four others from the Row, all comparable in quality. Branch out away from mimosas! These make a nice addition to brunch too, FYI. Highly recommend trying one of these spirits for coffee lovers of all kinds.

Cold Remedy

Stress in the past week has left me a bit weak in the immunities it seems. Starting to get that scratchy throat and that sinus congestion that can only signify the future joy of kleenex consumption and cold meds. Usually when I get the tell-tale signs, I start flushing out my system with tons of water and airborne...and completely abstain from coffee (!!!) and alcohol (ish) until it all passes. Oh, and I grab the makings for my favorite cold remedy, which is similar to a honey-lemon "tea."

1 Wedge of Lemon
1 Tbsp. Honey
3 Cloves
1.5 oz. Whiskey (optional)
Boiling Water

Jab the 3 cloves into the skin of the lemon and put in a mug. Add the honey and whiskey (if using) and boiling water in that order. Drink up!

Best kind of medicine.

Orange Julius Recipe

Breakfast time! We're having one of my favorites... Orange Julius smoothies. There's lots of recipes available that I've seen, some with water, powdered sugar instead of granulated and some with a full teaspoon of vanilla but this one is my fave so far. Very filling and super fast to make. One may or may not want to add a shot (2 oz.) of white rum to it...

Orange Julius

2 C. Milk
6 oz. Frozen Orange Juice
1/3 C. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
12 Ice Cubes

Blend ingredients until smooth. The more ice, the thicker the drink. Can be put in freezer and refreshed in the blender again.

Bourbon Sunrise

Nice way to start (or end?) your day...courtesy of the Evan Williams Cooking with Bourbon cookbook.

Bourbon Sunrise

(makes 1 cocktail)

2 oz. Bourbon
4 oz. Orange Juice
1/2 oz. Grenadine

Mix bourbon and oj in shaker and strain into old fashioned glass over ice. Float Grenadine over bar spoon on top of drink. Enjoy!

Bourbon Vanilla Ice Cream

Ok so all my peeps know I got an ice cream maker for my birthday and I've been pretty much churn-crazy  for four months now.* Kahlua, mint choc chip, peppermint candy...salted caramel (oh. em. gee.) the list goes on! My latest experiment was bourbon vanilla: 

5 egg yolks
1/2 C. sugar
1 3/4 C. heavy whipping cream
1 C. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 vanilla bean
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. bourbon

Start out by whisking 1/4 C. of the sugar with the 5 egg yolks in a medium bowl. Set aside. Next make the base in a heavy non-reactive saucepan with the cream, milk, salt, 1/4 C. of the sugar, and the vanilla bean (split open with seeds scraped into the mixture). Heat over medium-high heat until just about to come to a rolling simmer. Take 1/2 C. of the hot cream mixture and sloooowly add it to the egg yolks, stirring constantly. Repeat with another 1/2 C. of hot cream mixture. Once blended, gently add the egg mixture back into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Continue to cook over medium heat until the back of a spatula stays clear when you run your finger through the coating. Remove from heat. Strain through fine-mesh strainer into clean bowl. Put bowl in ice bath until cool to the touch; chill in refrigerator (covered) for 2 hrs or overnight. Right before putting mixture into ice cream maker, remove vanilla bean, and fold in vanilla extract. Churn according to machine directions, about 20-30 min. Just before the end of churning, add bourbon. Freeze & enjoy!

</om nom nom nom>

You of course don't have to use the bean if you're trying to save some dinero, but it really does make a difference in flavor. It should come as no surprise that I actually have some homemade bourbon caramel sauce to go on top. Too much? Eh. "it cooks out." So. Much. Yum.  Overwhelming!

*never bought this much heavy cream in my life. A little gross, now that i think about it....

Fire Block Grenache 2006

Tonight's bottle is Fire Block Grenache 2006 vintage from Clare Valley, Australia. It runs about $16.99 at Total Wine stores and boasts a well-earned 90 pts. from a 2010 International Wine Cellar review. Deliciously fruity, bright, and very polished, I found it highly enjoyable. Not terribly rich in tannins, it's not acerbic or overly intense, making it medium-bodied and quite versatile. Pastas, steak, hearty salads, it seems like a decent compliment for several different food pairings I would think. The berry flavors are remarkable and leave a refreshing finish. Would make a nice addition to a lively dinner party...or your solo box office adventure with your feet up, Cleopatra on Netflix, some goat cheese and Rykrisp. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

Soda for Grown-ups

Image Source: DRY Soda

Dammit so on my list of things to blog about was DRY Soda...but uh...Saveur magazine kind of beat me to the punch. I tried the vanilla bean variety and really enjoyed just the hint of flavor, and somehow (yay!) it manages to not taste like club soda that someone put a couple of drops of extract in. There seems to be a delicate balance of flavor to soda ratio, as it doesn't taste overdone or too artificial either, which is impressive. Didn't know there was a juniper berry flavor! SOOO going to seek that out (and naturally put some of the other kind of juniper juice in it). $4.99 for a 4pk. in some of the local grocery stores. Pretty sure I've seen them at Whole Foods and Wegman's...

Happy Cup Coffee

     On the most recent expedition to Portland, OR, I was standing in line to get coffee at Stumptown and overheard the following: "Well, I guess it's over...they're in New York now you know. Was cool though." No I did not know this. Did I? Well yes I guess so. I did see that NYT article. And they are proudly served at some of the funky restaurants around town. (Gawd forbid you serve some generic house blend for breakfast! Egads.) My mind came to the very rude awakening of what all creativity junkies (because I'm pretty sure I'm not a full-fledged hipster yet) fear most: THEY ARE MAINSTREAM NOW. *Gasp* 

     Naturally this means we are to expect the inevitable mass marketing, price fluctuation (that experimental phase where the gouging stops to allow for mass retail but will still be high enough to make you feel like you're not buying Eight O'Clock Coffee or some shit), and the eventual fading in the distance of the indie roaster that never wanted to be the Omnipotent Evil Corporate Giant but still reveled in the celebrity status of it's founder Duane Sorenson. Yup. Over. Dammit. It was so good, too! But I digress...

...My point is that there seem to be several up-and-comer types on the PDX coffee scene...as evidenced on the shelves of the New Seasons grocery store, waiting to be the next Stumptown. One would appear to be Happy Cup Coffee, promoting a cause as well as a fine-roasted cup. Providing living wages for disabled persons, the company claims to empower "people with potential" in the local community, one mug at a time. This is in addition to their partnership with Kabum Inc., a fair-trade coffee wholesaler, that rather bluntly admits to being 

"born entirely of altruistic, humanitarian interests with one goal in mind: to make as much money as possible for the people of Uganda by allowing them to bypass typical middlemen and sell their coffee direct to buyers on the world market."

Ok ok. Got it. So for $8.95 I get altruism for two causes, one local, one international, when buying a non-pound (don't get me started) of whole bean coffee. Do I need this? Not sure. Of course it's good to get self actualization through ethical consumer choices, but that's not why I would buy it again. Not to be insensitive here, but frankly Happy Cup tastes good. The Sip-A-Ragua blend was light, refreshing, and leaves a slightly sweet floral aftertaste. I wanted more right away. In the end, isn't that what matters? Would people buy that (let me just pick on them) Eight O'Clock Coffee crap in vast quantities if they knew that it was making inroads against the spread of AIDS in Africa? Doubtful. It's still crap. 

At the risk of having veered too far into the commentary realm, let me be clear, Portland is a coffee roaster's Mecca. The options for a fine brew are plentiful, both the DIY kind and the indie coffeehouse kind. You can't really make a bad choice. It's great! It's market capitalism at its finest, and nobody loves supporting the little guys (local and non) like PDX does. It's one of the few solid tactics that makes me - and hipsters all over -  happy cup people every time. :)

Grandma Jo's Athol Brose

Today's entry comes from a dear guest-blogger friend...as pasted from her email (thanks Lisa!!!):

Have to share a recipe we tried that Mom found in a stack of Grandma's recipes...OMG so delicious we wanted to lick our cups!!!

So here's Grandma Jo's Athol Brose (will knock you on your ass but it tastes like honey butter)
a.k.a. the Scottish X-mas Drink

1 C. of honey (Says heather honey, I used Trader Joe's. Whatever.)
Put on stove in pan and heat until runny but not boiling - hot to touch
Add 2 C. whipping cream slowly and stir
Heat to just before boiling. Take off stove and add 2 C. Scotch whiskey (but I cheated and used bourbon - I think the honey/milky taste is the queen so I'd use any bourbon, scotch, whiskey, but wouldn't spend extra for top shelf)
Stir. Serve immediately.

[end pasted text]

Admission: I waited to post this until after I had a chance to try it. OMG is right! Make it. Be warm. Be happy. Bless the Scottish People.

10 Crazy Things People Use To Make Booze

From @MacCocktail via Twitter...

Ok okay so some surprises on this list of 10 Crazy Things People Use To Make Booze...some notsomuch (potatoes? really? is anyone surprised by this??? Since vodka is the most common spirit/liquor out there...ummm...whatever.). Piqued my interest anyway so I had to read it.

For the lazy clickers here's the short version:

1. Carrots (what?)
2. Maple Sap (ok.)
3. Sour Apples (yum. cider.)
4. Moldy Fruit & Ketchup (GAK - w.t.f.)
5. Milk (really?)
6. Cactus (duh)
7. Potatoes (duhhhhhhh)
8. Rice (meh)
9. Beets (meh)
10. Honey (+ bourbon = yum)

Trademark Drink & Eat

Logo courtesy of Trademark Drink & Eat

New Year's Day was quite a happy encounter at Trademark Drink and Eat in Alexandria, VA. Parking wasn't too hard near the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, inspiration for the gastro pub's namesake, located in the lobby of the Westin Hotel. A glass of champagne was waiting for me (!!!) and I completely fell for the inviting decor and atmosphere of the place. Far from pub-feel, and yet not so swank as to feel exclusive or club-ish; very accessible. Likely packed on the weekends, we happened to be one of four parties in the entire establishment that night, so the staff was extra attentive. Not sure how that might change on busier nights if at all. Can't really speak to the entree menu as I didn't go beyond the (great) cheese plate and chopped salad, but it showed safe options with local fresh ingredients and staples like seafood and mac & cheese. Did I mention the bacon candy? Yeeeah...#awesome.

DC foodie nerds will love that the drinks are mixed by Chris Bassett, who worked for/with Todd Thrasher of PX and Restaurant Eve fame...pretty much ensuring that whatever you get off the cocktail menu is not going to be too syrupy or synthetic. I was feeling Bond-girl-esque and tried the vesper and must say it was as classy, simple, and stiff as I had hoped for. Looking forward to trying out the Trademark Old Fashioned...just what you expect except with a twist: Bittermen's grapefruit bitters, brown sugar, and grapefruit peel. Sadly though, this gem was not discovered on the menu in time before designated driving became a necessary evil. Next time! 

(Note to self:   do more thorough menu scrubbing BEFORE ordering.)

O.N.E. Coconut Water

Nostalgia:  my first international trip (not counting Canada) was Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There were emperor palm trees, lush green mountains protecting the city, and looooong stretches of seaside Portuguese stone walkways  peppered with people out and about, doing beach-y things. A couple of trained monkeys picked pockets on the street! It was so tropical, exotic, and lovely all-around. Among the many fine dining experiences during that trip, I most remember a little shack on the beach in Florianopolis with a shriveled old man taking a machete to fresh green coconuts and serving them raw with a straw poked in the top to drink the water fresh (not the milk!). It was sour, unexpectedly mineral-tasting and full of chunky fiber bits from the coconut seed, but strangely refreshing. My hosts insisted it was the best cure for a hangover, too, which I duly noted for later application.

As it turns out there are quite a few health benefits to coconut water, and on a whim I picked up some O.N.E. Coconut Water (reg. $1.29 / 8.5 fl.oz. carton, sometimes on sale for $1 each) recently. Instantly reminded of the coconut shack on the beach in Rio, I couldn't help but make the same sour face I did the first time I tried it. The second sip was better, and I resolved to research it a little more. Out of the many varieties on the market, I could only find about three of them in the local stores...but better than nothing. The drink seemed a bit stronger than caffeine in keeping me alert (although this may be due to a strong coffee addiction dulling the effects of caffeine for me), and it works great as a sports recovery drink.

So as you're working on that  New Year's resolution to get back into the gym, consider stopping to pick some up to feed the machine!