PHILLIPS PUMPKIN PIE LIQUEUR

Today I'm going to review something that isn't a book. I know, insanity, right? Don't worry, there is another book review coming on Thursday. Order will be restored, rest assured.

Anyway.

Booze!

So I recently bought some Phillips Pumpkin Pie Liqueur. Strangely, the product doesn't seem to exist on Phillips' website, so here is a link to the product page on the NSLC.

I'd walked by it several times. I'd considered buying it, but passed. Eventually, I could resist no longer - I had to try it.

Now, I like pumpkin pie as much as the next girl, but it's not my favorite pie ever. That would be pecan. And blueberry. But pumpkin pie is pretty awesome. And I like pumpkin flavoured things - pumpkin beer, pumpkin spice lattes....etc. So yeah, I needed to try it.

This is the product description from the bottle: Fresh from the oven pumpkin pie taste with layers of pumpkin spice, cinnamon and a hint of light pastry crust. Just the way Grandma used to make it. Add to your favorite coffee drink or enjoy over ice. 

...that's a pretty tall order. You're telling me I'm going to taste a hint of pie crust? I was pretty doubtful. My assumptions were as follows - it will be sweet and tasty, and reminiscent of pumpkin pie, but there is no way it will taste like pie.

My husband tasted it first. "Does it taste like pumpkin pie?" I asked.
"It tastes like cinnamon hearts..." he replied, but moments later says, "No, wait, I guess it taste like pumpkin pie."

I took a sip of mine, and he was right - at first it tastes like very mild cinnamon hearts, but as it sits with you, it absolutely tastes very much like pumpkin pie. It even has that hint of crust that was promised. I am not joking. Also, have you ever heard someone talk about a drink's mouthfeel? It's usually from someone who takes wine tasting a little too seriously. If that's your experience, please don't roll your eyes. Mouthfeel of drinks is a real thing. Also, wine tasting should never be too serious. Anyway, the mouthfeel of this liqueur is...custard-y. Like pumpkin pie.

...in short, it was weird.

A good weird though. Not a bad weird like Jelly Belly Buttered Popcorn Jelly Beans. The jelly beans taste exactly like popcorn. Exactly. But, obviously, the texture is so wrong it makes them bad weird. This liqueur has a definite pumpkin pie like taste, but is different enough that it's not wrong that it's a liquid rather than, you know, a pie.

So yeah. Good, but pretty weird.

Would I buy it again? Probably not, unless I had a specific cocktail that required it . But I was not disappointed and would recommend you give it a try if you like pumpkin pie and weird food products. And booze.

Boozy Popsicles

I am calling food trend of the summer - Booze Popsicles.

No, I will not call them Poptails. Booze Popsicles, Boozy Popsicles, Booze-sicles, even. I hate the term POPTAIL. Sadly that seems to be the term that has exploded all over the internet.*

I know Boozy Popsicles have been around for ages. Like, before the internet even existed. But this year they seem to be popping up everywhere.

The greatest thing about them is that they can be super fancy or super simple. Oh, well, I guess the greatest thing about them is actually they they are popsicles combined with delicious alcohol. But the second greatest thing is how versatile they are. That's me holding the ever so simple (but oh so tasty) raspberry vodka and lemonade booze-cicle. Click here and you'll find just a sampling of some of the more fancy versions.

...and yes, I did buy those popsicle molds just so I could make boozy popsicles. I got two packs (each makes 4 popsicles) at Canadian Tire for...I forget how much. They weren't expensive. Then I dumped half of the first batch into the bottom of my deep freeze. Because I'm slick like that.

Happy Friday, everyone! Here's to the weekend!




*I will probably give in and start calling them poptails. But I wont be happy about it.

Goodbye, Dearest Penny

Today is a historic day. The Royal Canadian Mint will make Canada's last penny today in a ceremony at 11am at the Winnipeg plant.

The mint will continue to distribute the coin to financial institutes untill the fall, but this will be the last Canadian penny made. Ever. Isn't that a little sad?

To toast the end of the humble penny, I can think of no better drink the the Penny. Head over to Sloshed! for the story of this drink and the full recipe.

Goodbye, Penny. 

Rum and Cola

It's Friday! Time to kick back, and enjoy a tasty and refreshing drink.

Happy Middle Name Pride Day! How About a Drink?

Today is Middle Name Pride Day. Do you love your middle name? I'm betting you don't - most of us are ashamed of our middle names. How silly is that? It's just a name, right? It's something to make us a little more unique. Because there may be a billion John Smiths in the world, but there are far less John Alexander Smiths. And if you have a truly bizarre middle name - you know, the kind that really make your cringe - well then you're even more unique. I used to hate my middle name, but as I've grown older...well, I don't love it, but I'm more indifferent to it.

So, without further adieu, my middle name:

Louise

Since it's Friday, I searched out the perfect cocktail to compliment my middle name pride post: Louise Cocktail

• 1 oz vodka
• 1/2 oz peach schnapps
• 3 oz cranberry juice
• lemonade
• Ice

Fill a Collins glass with ice. Add vodka, peach schnapps and cranberry juice. Top with lemonade. Serve with a bendy straw (not optional)

Do you love/hate your middle name? Did you luck out and get a totally bad-ass one? Either way, share your middle name in the comments.

Happy Friday (number 2)! Tired of Winter Edition

It's Friday! Are you as tired of winter as I am? We haven't even had a bad winter - yesterday it was like, 7°C here - but I'm still tired of it. I want to sit on my deck in the sunshine and drink refreshing drinks, surrounded by lilacs.

That lovely looking thing is a Raspberry Beer Cocktail. Click on the photo for the full recipe. Doesn't it look glorious? Let's all drink these and pretend it's spring time.

Sounds like a plan to me.

Happy Friday! How about a Drink?

I'm not sure if today's drink sounds incredible or horrifying. It has Vodka, Kahlua, Tequila, Milk and Coke. Yes, coke and milk, together at last. Sounds terrible. I kind of want one. Watch the video and judge for yourself.

Happy Friday! How about a Drink?

I love amaretto sours. I never drink them, but every time I do - wow! They are incredible. Sweet and sour - together!

Happy Friday! How about a Drink?

Have you ever had a Grasshopper? They are incredible. Minty and creamy and chocolatey - how could that be bad? FACT - It can't. Plus, I didn't know how easy they were to make. Let's all have Grasshoppers!

Happy Friday! How about a (Hot) Drink?

I don't know about where you are, but here in Nova Scotia it can't decide if it's winter or not. One day it's negative ten with a windchill of what feels like negative a million, the next day it rains and is like, plus fifteen. Strange. It might be signaling the end of days, or at least that climate change is about to be a lot bigger deal then it already is. Anyway, this post is called Happy Friday not depressing friday, so lets change the topic. If it's deciding to feel like winter today in your neck of the woods, why not warm up with a Hot Toddy? Seems like as good an idea as any, right?




Last weekend, I was battling a cold, and made this, only with spiced rum. It was pretty excellent, and you should try it. It made my throat feel better and didn't taste as terrible as hot buttered rum.

Happy Friday! Help me remake this drink

Happy Friday! Hope everyone had an awesome week. I have a request. I need some help remaking a drink.

Several years ago, several of us - some friends, my now husband and myself - decided to do an impromptu pub crawl. We started at Paddy's Pub in Kentville, NS. 

I should mention, it was about this time of year - almost but not quite Christmas.

They had a drink special called the White Christmas, so we all had that. And OH MY GOD. It was incredible. It tasted like Gingerbread. Not gingerbread cookies, like actual gingerbread. So awesome.

We asked what was in it. I'm pretty sure it had four ingredients - Milk, Goldschläger, Vanilla vodka and....


I forget the other ingredient. I should mention that the drinking started before the pub crawl. And this was 5 or 6 years ago. But this drink has been tormenting me. I want it again, but I can't find anything like it online, and I've never seen it again at Paddy's. 


So, awesome people of the internet: What do you think the fourth ingredient should be?

Happy Friday!

Hey all, it's Friday! I've been having a bit of a down week...nothing major, it's just been kind of...meh. Ya know?

This morning though, I'm pushing the blahs away! It's Friday, and that rocks. Also, youtube recommended I watch this video:



Yes, that is a BOAT FULL OF BEAGLES!

Thanks YouTube, you made my morning sparkle a little!

Now, how about a drink? It's December and it's getting colder. We don't have much snow left, even though we had a storm that dumped 40 cm over night! The weather has been so weird. Anyway, snow or no snow, it's pretty chilly out. What a perfect time to try something I've always wanted to try even though I had no idea what's in it exactly - Hot Buttered Rum!



...Also, I love her dress, and the pirate thing made me laugh.

Have you ever had hot buttered rum? It looks easy enough, I don't know though...rum, water, spices sugar and butter...sounds strange.

Whtad'ya think?

Happy Friday! What'cha Drinking?

Happy Friday! Is it time for a drink yet? Maybe you want to make something with a cool and creepy name on this Friday before Halloween. Well, how about The Laughing Zombie? We all know the dead don't laugh, but that doesn't stop this drink from being absolutely awe inspiring!

How to Make the Drink:

Ingredients:

2 oz Gold Rum
0.5 oz Dark Rum
1 oz Lime Juice
0.5 oz Passion Fruit Juice
1 oz Grenadine
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake. Strain into a pre-chilled cocktail glass.

Top with pineapple foam and garnish with a sprig of mint.

How to Make Pineapple Foam

Ingredients:

2 Egg Whites
1 oz White Rum
2 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup
0.5 tsp Absinthe 

Shake all ingredients - no ice! - and then add to a pre-chilled iSi creamer. Charge the creamer, shake and chill in the fridge until ready to use. Makes enough for several drinks.

IMPORTANT INFO!!! Photograph and recipe both came from 12 Bottle Bar. You should go check out the site, because it rocks.
 

Happy Friday! How about a Shot?

I just re-watched Resident Evil on Netflix the other night. How awesome was that movie? (The correct answer is "Totally Awesome!"by the way)

The shots by The Drunken Moogle are so perfect. There is no mistaking what they are supposed to look like.

T-Virus (Resident Evil Shot)                       T-Virus Antidote (Resident Evil Shot)

           Ingredients:                                                  Ingredients:

   3/4 shot Silver Rum                                        3/4 shot Silver Rum
              1/4 shot Everclear                                         1/4 shot Watermelon Vodka
1 Blue Twizzler                                              1 Green Twizzler 

The directions: 

Wind a Twizzler around a tall double shot glass.  It should stick to the sides of the glass.  Pour in the silver rum and top with either the watermelon vodka or Everclear, depending on the color Twizzler.  Drink, then fish the twizzler out of the glass with your finger. Eat the twillzer. Revel in your own awesomeness for serving such a cool drink to friends and loved ones.

IMPORTANT LINKS! Drink recipe and photography are both courtesy of The Drunken Moogle. Click here for the T-Virus and Click Here for the Antidote.

How to Make a Zombie

...cocktail. Obviously. Happy Friday, everyone!

It's Friday!

 Happy Friday, everyone! Who's ready for a drink? Ok, maybe it's too early for that, but it's not too early to start making plans for tonight. I'm pretty sure I'm having Mojitos. Want to make some too? They are pretty easy and oh so tasty:

 What are you drinking tonight?