Tag: drinks

Yeehaw! Nashville Girls Trip!

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At the beginning of April, I got to fly down to Nashville for a long weekend with some girlfriends from high school. We took an early morning flight and got in around noon on Saturday. Upon our arrival, we headed promptly to Hampton Social for a giant shell of frosé bigger than our heads, and some delicious parmesan truffle fries. We also of course took advantage of all the photo ops.

Then we headed over to L&L Market for some shopping and enjoying the conveyor belts of cheese and charcuterie at Culture & Co.

After fueling up and enjoying a short siesta to recover from our early flight, we changed clothes and went back out for dinner and exploring. Even though we didn’t eat there, we had to make a stop at Restoration Hardware to appreciate the rooftop views and luxury furniture. For dinner we actually went to the nearby Emmy Squared for pizza.

Day 2 was for sleeping in and boozy brunch! But not before a delicious strawberry peach smoothie from The Well Coffeehouse. Post-smoothie brunch was at Liberty Common and the frozen cocktails and chicken and waffles did not disappoint.

As if Liberty Common didn’t meet our food and drink quota for the day (it did), we headed off on a one-hour road trip to Arrington Vineyards in, well, Arrington, where we popped some bubbly and built a stunning board of cheese, fruit, and sweets.

We sipped, snacked, and listened to the live music on the grass as the sun set. Does it get any better?

On the way home, we picked up some Nashville Hot Chicken and I got to try it for the first time. I typically like a little bit of spice, but this was HOT for me!

The next day, Monday, we picked up some coffee and loaded doughnuts for breakfast from Parlor Doughnuts.

Once caffeinated and riding our sugar high, we went out on a self-guided Nashville mural tour. Here are a few of the highlights:

After snapping pics in front of all the murals, we changed and went to the Fairlane Hotel to visit the rooftop pop-up: The Bouquet Bar.

The space was covered in florals from floor to ceiling, and of course offered some great city views from the rooftop patio. The floral cocktails were pricey, but there was no fee to enter the decked out bar, so it was worth it.

You can’t go to Nashville and not see live music, so after our pink, floral drinks, we went and saw The Song Suffragettes, which is a weekly show at The Listening Room Cafe featuring female artists who are trying to make it in country music. One of the ladies performing the night we were there was Olivia Faye who was on the most recent season of American Idol! Country isn’t my favorite genre, but all of these ladies were super talented and I really enjoyed the show! Afterwards, we went to Rosemary & Beauty Queen which was an old house converted into a bar!

Tuesday was our last full day in Nashville and of course we started it with brunch and strawberry mimosas at Another Broken Egg. We also realized that we’ve known each other for over 10 years and harassed our waiter asking which of us he thought had changed the most over the last decade. We got mixed reviews.

After brunch we went shopping for a while and the went to both the new and the old the Grand Ole Opry.

After grabbing photos outside both Oprys, we went to Assembly Food Hall for dinner (where I ordered hot chicken round 2 from Prince’s) and found this adorable truck full of flowers in one of the outdoor walkways.

It was a whirlwind weekend full of wine, cocktails, brunch, music, photos and catching up with old friends – the perfect girls trip getaway! Yeehaw!

Why We’re Proud to Pour These Eco-Friendly & Sustainable Wines

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It’s probably clear that we really like a good wine. Who doesn’t like a good wine? But what if there was a way to drink a wine that’s not only good quality and tastes good, but also is doing good and making positive change in our world?

Well, we found a wine company that is doing just that: Proud Pour. Their wines are made from organic grapes that are sustainably grown, and each wine is dedicated to a specific cause to help make our world a better place for everyone.

Their sustainable wine lineup features a Pinot Noir for bees, a Rosé for reefs, a Syrah for soil, a cider for sea turtles, and a Sauvignon Blanc that supports the restoration of wild oysters.

We love all of Proud Pour’s wines, and are thrilled to support all of these causes, but if you’re not sure where to start, we wanted to share a couple of our faves.

Lauren really loves the Rosé for Reefs, not just because it looks pretty and tastes delicious, but because every three cases sold grows and plants a new baby coral to restore damaged reefs! Coral reefs help support 25% of all marine life, and provide a livelihood for millions of people through fishing and tourism.

Julia’s favorite is the Pinot Noir dedicated to helping save bees. Every bottle of this lovely red wine plants 35 sq ft of bee habitat on farms across North America, with over 90 acres of wildflowers planted to date! Bees are obviously important pollinators for our flowers and crops, and they actually pollinate one-third of the food we eat, from blueberries, to pumpkins, to watermelons, to tomatoes.

No matter what varietals you enjoy or what environmental causes are close to your heart, Proud Pour has something for everyone. No matter your choice(s), you can pour these wines knowing that you’re making a difference!

Lauren & The Foreign Reunited in Chicago

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After a year and a half of being separated by 2000 miles and a global pandemic, Lauren & The Foreign were finally reunited last month in Chicago! The week was full of sightseeing, cocktail tasting, and relaxing by our hotel’s gorgeous rooftop pool.

For anyone else who is thinking of Chicago for their next little getaway, we wanted to share some of the highlights from our trip so you can experience them too.

We stayed at the Viceroy, which was absolutely lovely and a perfect location for walking to most of our destinations. Next door was a cute little taco shop, Velvet Taco, which was our go-to for multiple meals, margaritas, and late-night snacks throughout the trip. Our top three tacos were the Rotisserie Chicken, Fried Paneer, and Mexi-Cali Shrimp.

After dinner at Velvet Taco, we spent the rest of our first evening exploring the neighborhood and eventually ended up down by Lake Michigan where we watched the sunset over the skyline.

The next morning, we treated ourselves to a delicious brunch of Phatty burritos and tater tots at Wake ‘n Bacon. The food and coffee were delicious, but the floral decor was maybe even more impressive. Good vibes all around.

After brunch we headed back to our hotel to spend some time at the rooftop pool, soaking up the sun and drinking wine and frosé from Devereaux. The weather was perfect and you really can’t beat those views.

After a day of relaxing, we were ready to go out on the town! We walked to Aster Hall for dinner, and then headed to Neon Summer for an evening of fun drinks, photo ops, and extreme neon mini golf! We opted out of the go-kart racing and the axe-throwing that were also available, and spent the rest of the evening at an incredible cocktail bar near our hotel called Sparrow.

Sparrow is a hidden gem serving 1930s-era cocktails and vibes. The moment you walk in, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to a speakeasy. The art deco building and complex cocktails create a very sophisticated experience, and we can’t say enough about how much we enjoyed it!

The next day, we slept in and then went to The Hampton Social for lunch. This place has been on our list for quite a while so it was very exciting to finally get to experience it, frosé, neon sign walls, and all!

The food was delicious and filling, so after lunch we took a walk over to Navy Pier, where we immediately forgot how full we were and tried some delicious Malbec con Frutos Rojos gelato from FRÍO Gelato!

Then we walked over to The Art Institute of Chicago (admittedly a rather long walk), where we spent the rest of the afternoon.

Before we headed back to the Viceroy after our afternoon of art, we had to make a quick pit stop at the Bean in Millennium Park.

Then it was time to get dressed up and head to dinner at Carmine’s! We had made reservations for most of the other meals throughout the trip, but didn’t have reservations for Carmine’s. Thankfully, even on a Saturday night, they were able to get us a table (indoors) right away. After filling up on some delicious pasta, we spent the rest of the night relaxing and resting up in the hotel.

The next morning was Sunday and we had a full day of relaxation planned. When we woke up, we went downstairs to start our day at Somerset with a breakfast of French toast and omelets.

Then we went back upstairs to lay by the pool, read a book, and just enjoy the beautiful weather for a couple of hours. Mid-afternoon, we drove over to Bottle & Bottega for a wine and paint session!

For dinner we went to Lou Malnati’s for some classic Chicago deep dish pizza. We ordered The Lou, their signature pizza topped with spinach mix (enhanced with garlic, basil, and onion), mushrooms, and sliced Roma tomatoes covered with three cheeses, on a garlic butter crust!

Since it was our last night, we decided to walk down to the lake one more time to enjoy the view after dinner. And once we realized how close we were to a Jeni’s scoop shop, we had to take a little detour for some delicious Wildberry Lavender ice cream.

The next morning, it was sadly time to pack up and head home, but not before a quick stop at IKEA in Schaumburg!

It was absolutely a whirlwind week, but so much fun finally reuniting and getting to explore Chicago together for the first time in 12 years! We can’t wait for our next adventure!

Best Door County Wineries for a Girls Trip

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Wine-loving ladies, this one’s for you! Get your girl gang together and get ready for a road trip to remember, filled with wine tastings, cheese samples, and Door County cherry donuts that are absolutely to die for!

Lauren recently road-tripped to Door County with some friends for a bachelorette party and we winery-hopped all weekend long, working our way up the peninsula. Our first stop was Door 44 Winery, in Sturgeon Bay.

Door 44 was an absolutely beautiful location, with a lovely outdoor patio, an expansive green grassy area to picnic or hang out with your pet (there were several dogs there!), and rows of grapevines to wander through or stop for a picture.

Lauren among the grapevines at Door 44 Winery with a bottle of wine

Lauren’s favorite wine here was the Frozen Tundra White, which is a Frontenac Gris blend with notes of peach, tropical fruits, and honey. It’s actually also one of the top 40 wines in the world, ranking among wines from France, South Africa, Tuscany, and Napa Valley! Despite this prestigious ranking, we managed to score a bottle for just $14.99. Cheers to that!

Winery number two was Door Peninsula Winery, also in Sturgeon Bay. We had so much fun tasting wines here we forgot to take any pictures, but they have an immense selection of wines (guessing somewhere close to 80!) and lots of fun fruity varietals to try! The highlight was definitely getting to taste two of their ice wines, Frostline and Cherry Frost. Most wineries in the area charges between $5-10 for a tasting, but Door Peninsula offered theirs for free and included ice wines that often are extra, even in a paid tasting. Both the Frostline and the Cherry Frost were a real treat, and we couldn’t help walking away with a bottle of the Frostline.

Our third stop was Harbor Ridge Winery in Egg Harbor. This winery had the most expensive tasting, coming in at $10, but it was probably our favorite. Their wines all have very clever names like “Gimme One Good Riesling” and “Call Me a Cab.” “Carmen’s Last Dance” was a favorite among our group, but it’s a “dangerous” one, tasting like grape juice, while somehow still having a 12% alcohol content! Be careful, or it might be your last dance too!

Lauren’s personal favorite was the Chocovine Chocolate Wine, particularly the Whipped Cream variety! It was so rich and creamy and decadent, it really takes dessert wine to the next level, and you know we had to take home a bottle of that as well.

In addition to some really fantastic wines, Harbor Ridge had an incredibly adorable patio area with private domes to sit and enjoy some wine and snacks with your gal pals.

Lauren sipping on her wine flight at Harbor Ridge Winery

Our last (but not least) stop, was Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery in Fish Creek. After all the wine at the last three wineries, Lauren decided to switch it up and go for a cherry wine slushie, along with some delicious Door County cherry donuts.

We had an absolutely amazing weekend, and if Door County isn’t on your list of places to visit this summer yet, it’s time to plan a trip!

Columbus Travel Guide

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Lauren recently spent a long weekend in Columbus, Ohio with some friends, seeing sights, eating at local restaurants, and of course sampling lots of fun drinks!

Day one began with gel manicures at Lacquer Gallery, where they graced our nails with fun designs and even gold leaf! Once our nails were looking like something that belongs on a magazine cover, we walked the two short blocks to Katalina’s for brunch!

pink, blue, and gold manicure

We indulged in some delicious & award-winning chorizo breakfast tacos, fresh-squeezed blood orange juice, and of course had to try the Nutella pancake balls! All were incredible!

breakfast tacos and pancake balls with bacon and blood orange juice

After fueling up, we explored the nearby Victorian Village neighborhood on foot, looking at all the old houses.

Then we drove over to Easton Town Center, explored some shops, and got our first taste of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, which almost warrants a trip to Columbus all on it’s own! Pictured below is the Frosé sorbet, an incredibly perfect choice for the hot day that it was. The shopping center also offered lots of fun photo ops like a large fountain and a flowery photo booth!

We also found a fun little mural that encouraged us to take some jumping pics. We couldn’t resist!

After spending the entire first day walking around in the sun, we slept in late on day two, and then proceeded to spend another day walking! We walked around Victorian Village some more, spent a short time at the pool at our friend’s apartment complex, and then walked to High Street to explore the Columbus nightlife.

We quickly discovered that High Street is the place to be on a Saturday night as we couldn’t get a table anywhere! We put our name on a waitlist for an incredible rooftop bar called Lincoln Social and then decided to get some food from Shake Shack while we waited.

About two hours later, we got the text that we were in! It was well worth the wait. They make the cocktails you order right in front of you, and serve them in really unique ways. For example, the Hibiscus Mule is served in a teacup!

After our first round of drinks, we noticed a nearby table with a glowing purple beverage and asked the bartender what it was. We found out it was a shareable cocktail called Starry Night! Made with purple Watershed vodka, citrus infused chablis, Grand Marnier, champagne, and garnished with floating lights, we knew we needed to have it!

After blowing our step goals out of the water two days in a row, it was time for a relaxing pool day. The weather on Sunday was absolutely gorgeous and called for some frozen cocktails while soaking up the sun. As if that doesn’t already sound like the perfect day, the pool at this apartment complex is incredibly unique and a truly beautiful space to enjoy!

Lauren in pool with frozen cocktail

When we felt refreshed and well-rested, we drove to German Village, explored the cobblestone streets of this neighborhood, strolled through a quaint little park, and then walked to Antiques on High for a round of drinks.

two red mocktails and a strawberry pina colada cocktail

We tried the Imperial Orb mocktail, which is perfect if you need a refreshing afternoon pick-me-up! It’s made with beet, pomegranate, orange, lemon, and ginger, and we felt completely rejuvenated after drinking it! The Miami Vice pictured in the back (half piña colada, half strawberry daiquiri), is an excellent boozy option as well!

As we were walking to Antiques on High, we smelled some delicious food across the street at Local Cantina, and decided to head there next for dinner. After filling up on a variety of tasty tacos, we walked to the nearby Book Loft of German Village, a fun little shop with 32 rooms of books!

With our bellies full and stacks of new books in our hands, we drove back to our friend’s apartment for a relaxing evening in.

We started our fourth and final day with a breakfast of bagel sandwiches and blueberry lemonade at The Lox Bagel Shop on High Street.

two bagel sandwiches

After chowing down this deliciousness, we walked across the street to The Candle Lab to make our own signature scented candles! We combined scents like Goji Berry, Yuzu, and Chardonnay and mixed the fragrances into hot wax. Two hours later we were able to go back and pick up our one-of-a-kind scented candles!

In honor of our last day in Columbus, we had to stop at Jeni’s one more time. The purple Wildberry Lavender definitely ranked high as one of our favorite flavors.

On our way out of town, we stopped at Fox in the Snow Cafe for coffee, cinnamon rolls, scones, and delicious blueberry galettes. It was a lovely way to end a wonderful weekend in Columbus and we look forward to visiting this lively city again soon!

Honey Rosemary Gin-Gin

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Wisconsin was recently hit with several weeks of subzero temperatures, so we were in desperate need of something to remind us of spring. We called on Waterloo Gin (made with juniper, coriander and anise, with flavors and aromas of pecans, lavender and grapefruit zest) to make a wonderful cocktail to lift our spirits, so to speak.

We combined the gin with a flavorful honey rosemary syrup, lemon juice, and ez ginger soda, an organic soda made with just five simple ingredients: water, Stevia, ginger, agave, and citrus.

While Lauren’s husband says this cocktail “tastes like plants,” we find it to be much more complex, with an elegant balance of citrus flavor, botanicals, and just the right amount of sweetness. We appreciate his honesty though, and we’ll let him stick to his beer. 😉

If you’re a cocktail lover and especially a gin drinker, we think you’ll love this one as much as we do. Cheers!

Honey Rosemary Syrup Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3 Tbsp honey
  • 1 sprig of rosemary

Cocktail Ingredients:

To start, you’ll want to make your Honey Rosemary syrup. Heat water over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then add honey and rosemary, stirring until honey is dissolved and mixture is fragrant. Remove the sprig of rosemary and set syrup aside to cool.

Once the syrup has cooled, it’s time to make the cocktail! First, fill a highball glass with ice. Then add the gin, syrup, and lemon juice. Top with ginger soda and stir. Garnish with a lemon wheel and sprig of rosemary. Enjoy!

Strawberry Rhubarb Gin Fizz with Rhubarb-Infused Gin

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Strawberry and rhubarb is probably one of the best early-summer duos we can imagine. In honor of World Gin Day (June 13), we created this delicious Strawberry Rhubarb Gin Fizz that will have you tasting summer no matter what time of year it is.

Unless you already have some rhubarb gin in your bar collection, this will take some time (potentially several weeks for the infusion), but if you stock up on rhubarb while it’s in season and infuse a big batch, you’ll be able to enjoy this tasty and refreshing beverage all year round.

You will need:

  • 3 1/2 cups of washed & chopped rhubarb stalks
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 500 mL gin (about 2 cups) (we used Spring44 Distilling Gin)
  1. Cut rhubarb stalks into small (about 1 cm) pieces.
  2. Place into large jar and add sugar.
  3. Seal the jar and shake to combine. Leave overnight to allow time for the sugar to pull the juice out of the rhubarb.
  4. After 24 hours, add the gin and shake again.

We infused our gin for about 3 weeks, but depending on your preference you may want to let it infuse for a longer or shorter duration. Give the jar an occasional shake throughout the process and taste often! When it has reached your desired level of flavor, it’s done! We’ve heard of infusing as long as 4 weeks, and as short as 12 hours.

Our gin after about 2 weeks.

When you decide your gin is ready, it’s time mix up a delicious Strawberry Rhubarb Gin Fizz!

Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

  • 2-3 fresh (or frozen) strawberries
  • 1 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 1.5 oz rhubarb-infused gin
  • Klarbrunn Strawberry Guava sparkling water
  • Strawberries and/or lemon for garnish
  1. Muddle 2-3 strawberries with lemon juice in the bottom of a mason jar. If using frozen strawberries you may need to wait a few minutes for thawing. The lemon juice should help speed up the process.
  2. Add in rhubarb gin and stir.
  3. Fill the rest of the jar with ice and top with Strawberry Guava sparkling water.
  4. Garnish with fruit and enjoy!

We’d love to know if you try our infusion or cocktail recipe! Let us know how it goes in the comments! Cheers!

Orange Is The New Blackberry

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Somewhere in between an Old Fashioned and a Whiskey Smash, our Orange is the New Blackberry cocktail is the perfect drink to enjoy on International Whisk(e)y Day!

You’ll need everything pictured above, plus some honey! Our favorite is Gentle Breeze!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1.5 oz 45th Parallel Distillery New Richmond Rye Whiskey
  • 1.5 oz 45th Parallel Distillery Madison Avenue Orangecello
  • Klarbrunn Berry Blend sparkling water
  • 1 orange
  • 7-10 blackberries
  • drizzle of honey

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Muddle 5-7 blackberries and 1-2 orange slices with a generous drizzle of honey in a whiskey glass.
  2. Fill glass with ice and add New Richmond Rye and Orangecello.
  3. Stir well.
  4. Top with sparkling water.
  5. Garnish with an orange slice and remaining blackberries!
  6. Enjoy!

We hope everyone has a safe and healthy International Whiskey Day! Cheers!

Wine Tasting with Karl (PRP Wines)

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Last weekend I got to try 9 different wines and a delicious Loud coffee liqueur from PRP Wine thanks to my colleague, Karl Barton. PRP Wine produces high quality, exclusive wines from 65 wineries in 13 countries around the world. Karl delivers a fantastic, professional, educational, and entertaining wine tasting experience.

We started off with a nice white wine that they call the “Porch Pounder” because it’s a great summer wine and easy drinking. It was absolutely delicious. Next was a Hungarian wine nicknamed “Naked in the Pool.” Clearly also another great one for summer! The other two white wines we tried were a German Riesling and an unoaked Chardonnay.

Then we had the reds. Before this tasting, I did not consider myself a red wine drinker, so it was perfect when Karl brought out the Chevalier de Bayard (or Red Chevy) which he described as the red wine for white wine drinkers. It was actually really nice and not quite as intense and tannic as some of the reds I’d tried in the past. We also tried a Pinot Noir from Chile, a red Zinfandel from Lodi, and Tres Magi which is a Spanish red blend made from Merlot and Grenache.

So here’s the crazy part. After the Red Chevy, the other red wines were much more bold and tannic and full-bodied. And I liked them ALL. Clearly I just wasn’t drinking the right kinds of red wine before, but I am definitely a red drinker now. I even poured myself a glass of red and enjoyed it with dinner last night.

One of the other amazing things about these wines is that there are no added sulfites. When you get a headache from drinking too much wine, it’s often caused by sulfites. There will always be some present in wine because they occur naturally during the fermentation process, but bigger wine producers add them in to maintain consistent flavor year to year. All of PRP’s wines are single vintage and the producers do not add sulfites in as a part of their wine-making process. Clearly, I had a decent amount of wine at this tasting and I got no headache whatsoever. Not that night, and not the next morning.

We finished with an Italian dessert wine and the Loud coffee liqueur, both of which were absolutely delicious and truly the icing on the cake to a wonderful evening.

Huge thanks to Karl and PRP Wines for helping create such a wonderful evening of good food and drinks with family and friends. If you’d like to have a wine tasting at your home with Karl, leave a comment below and I will put you in touch!

-Lauren

Ruby Red Royale

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We just created a new cocktail that is delicious and refreshing, no matter the season. With fresh fruit to remind you of summer, and champagne and liqueurs that add a touch of class, you’ll be serving this drink all year round, from holiday gatherings to pool parties!

Ingredients:

Start by filling a glass about 1/3 to 1/2 full with blueberries and pomegranate seeds.

Add vodka, liqueur, and simple syrup to glass and stir.

Top with champagne or prosecco.

Garnish with piece of pomegranate and enjoy!