Balkan Babba with YEBIGA RAKIJA for an Amazing Cocktail

Yebiga Rakija is a traditional Serbian plum brandy. They have recently come out with new signature cocktails in time to celebrate National Cocktail Day- or any day you’d like to have a fun and interesting new drink to show off with friends.

baba yaga drink

Yebiga Instant Sarma

If you haven’t heard of rakija before – it’s reminiscent of the rise of mezcal. This is a spirit that is generally unknown in the US and hails from the Balkans, but may just be the next big thing because it’s so very special and unique. It is also delicious, and true to its roots & tradition. Yebiga is always made from hyper-local ingredients from its native country, Serbia.

Yebiga partnered with acclaimed mixologist Naren Young to curate these signature cocktails that feature Yebiga’s two rakijas – PRVA and BELA. While Yebiga is traditionally served neat, the brand wanted to bring the drink to the US consumer, to really understand the spirit, and discover how special it really is. You know Americans- we like to get creative with things, haha. These signature Yebiga cocktails feature the rakija beautifully, showcasing what the product is all about and how it can be approachably mixed by any at-home imbiber. Not only that, but Rakija does have a different taste profile than many spirits out there, and mixing it in cocktails adds a unique signature to any drink.

According to one fan, “It’s bold, versatile and it’s a true discovery and adventure in a glass”.

When you take a look, you may also notice the unusual names of each Yebiga cocktail –and some gorgeous and fun filled cocktail photography incorporating chickens. Both are a nod to the infamous dark Balkan humor used throughout the brand’s entire identity. For example, the ‘We Need To Berry Baba’ alludes to the fact that in the Balkans, rakija can be found at any wedding…or funeral…and that no doubt, Yebiga would be an appropriate way to send off Baba.

Here’s a little more about Yebiga in general…

Yebiga Rakija is a premium, yet traditional Serbian fruit brandy crafted with centuries of Balkan distilling prowess at heart, honoring passed-down knowledge, the bounty of the land, the plum juice from the harvest and the culture of the Serbian people. It is the first quality rakija brought to the United States by founder and importer Bill Gould, who on his many tours in the Balkans, fell in love with the spirit and realized rakija was overwhelmingly unknown in the U.S. market. This special spirit arrived stateside in 2019 as one of the first, old-world, premium handcrafted rakija brands to ever be exported out of the Balkans.

Yebiga is one of those spirits that not many people know about but that has shaped the culture of a whole part of the world for the past 800 years. The brand’s philosophy as a company is to honor and respect the old-world tradition of producing the iconic, traditional fruit brandy of the region and its labels retain Serbian-Croatian names, a sense of humor and a stalwart refusal to compromise on quality and ingredients. Yebiga has brought the real taste of the Balkans to the U.S. with two rakijas on the market – PRVA & BELA:

  • PRVA (SRP $38.99) – Yebiga’s first expression to come stateside is a style that favors the Serbian methods of starting with fresh, ripe plums domestic to the region, hand-plucked and barrel aged for 18 months.

  • BELA ($29.99) – Yebiga’s youngest expression. This rakija is lighter, free of color and finished in stainless steel. BELA is smooth, delicious, and rustic, perfect for everyday occasions and cocktail experimentation.

The next time you are looking to try something new, why not give Yebiga Rakija a try? A little different, a little culture- who knows, maybe a new favorite drink.

Glendalough Craft Irish Spirits

irish whiskey

Founded in 2011, Glendalough Distillery (pronounced glen-da-lock) began distilling the traditional Irish spirit Poitín and has since used the inspirational backdrop of the Wicklow mountains to become a purveyor of fine whiskey and gin. 

Glendalough gins are freshly distilled from hand-foraged, wild botanicals in the Wicklow mountains, while Glendalough whiskeys are the result of a relentless search for the finest, most flavorful species of oak in the world. 

Glendalough was named New York International Spirits Competition “Ireland’s Gin Distillery of the Year 2021” and awarded Icons of Whisky Ireland “Sustainable Distillery of the Year 2021.”

Glendalough, Co. Wicklow, Ireland

A rainy day in Glendalough, Co. Wicklow, Ireland. One of our better days traveling- even if the rain came at you from every single direction, LOL.

THE RANGE:

Glendalough craft Irish spirits are perfect for mixing into autumnal cocktails, as well as for gifting this holiday season. Samples and recipes are available upon request:

Glendalough Distillery is the first Irish whiskey brand to use the rare and exotic Mizunara oak, where the woods of Wicklow meet the island of Hokkaido in the form of a rare, exquisite whiskey. Unlock Glendalough 7-Year-Old Single Malt Mizunara Finish – the key to your best, most elevated dinner yet.

Mizunara

Mizunara’s rarity makes sourcing a great undertaking, but Glendalough was ready for the challenge of being the first Irish whiskey to utilize this oak. The trunks of these uniquely beautiful trees are prone to growing twisted, and they must grow to be twice the age of most oak trees before they can be felled. It then takes three years to dry, and even then, is notoriously difficult to cooper due to its porousness. However, therein lies its saving grace: whiskey can seep deeper into the wood, resulting in an alluring, exotic flavor.

Nose: Vibrant, fruity and floral

Palate: A luxuriously smooth mouthfeel with notes of dark chocolate orange, sandalwood and cinnamon synonymous with Mizunara whiskeys

Finish: The spirit benefits from an exceptionally long finish of toasted oak and subtle layers of complex, woody spices, with the dark chocolate lingering even longer

Purchase: Mizunara is rolling out now in limited quantities at select retailers nationwide at SRP $99.99 for 750ml. This March, your readers can find a bottle near them here: glendaloughdistillery.com

National Mezcal Day- and a recipe #honestoliveoil #capatriti  #oliveoil  

Did you know that October 21 is National Mezcal Day? That’s right, every year. Little did we know!  This is a great recipe using OLIVE OIL of all things! @capatritioliveoil is a EVOO with a full body and amazing taste, and the mezcal is an artisanal brand created by renowned Mexican actor and producer Luis Gerardo Méndez. Amazing together.

mezcal drink recipe

Ingredients:
1.5 oz Mezcal Ojo de Tigre
8-10 Mint Leaves
1 oz Simple Syrup
2 Dashes Lemon Bitters
3 Drops Olive Oil
Method: Place all ingredients except olive oil in a shaker with plenty of ice and give it a good shake. Serve in a cold coupe glass and use a fine strainer to catch stray pieces of leaves. Finish with 3 drops of olive oil on top and decorate with a mint leaf.

Blue Curacao Drinks That Can Add Festivity to Your Life

Who doesn’t enjoy a fun and festive blue cocktail? Drinks made with blue curacao are beautiful to the eye and delicious to drink. Whether you’re spending a summer day by the pool or a romantic evening with a loved one, a dazzling curacao cocktail can elevate the mood and make the event feel more festive.

Curacao liqueur is made from the dried peels of a bitter orange known as laraha. Although the flesh of this fruit is not very palatable, the peels produce pleasantly fragrant oils. The peels are soaked in a solution of alcohol and water and removed once the oils have infused the solution. Spices are then added, and the mixture is cycled through a process that involves several steps, including being heated in a copper still, cooled, diluted, and distilled. In the end, the resulting curacao has a unique and delicious orange-like flavor.

In the final step, a blue colorant is added to give the liqueur the festive and exotic color that immediately makes any drink feel like a celebration. To discover the appeal for yourself, try one of these curacao cocktails for yourself.

Blue Hawaiin

If you enjoy the taste of a pina colada, the chances are good that the blue Hawaiin will become a new staple on your list of favorite cocktails. Fill a tall glass with ice, add equal parts of vodka and blue curacao, mix in coconut syrup and pineapple juice for that pina colada flavor, and garnish with a cherry.

Lotus Flower Martini

While curacao brings some bling to this drink, vodka plays the starring role. Add 1 part vodka, 1/2 part lychee liqueur, 1/3 part blue curacao, and 1/3 part violet liqueur to an ice-filled shaker. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. To make the lotus flower martini even more memorable, add a mint leaf or a couple of edible flowers as garnish.

Lagoon Punch

An easy and beautiful option for summer get-togethers is lagoon punch. Combine a bottle of lychee liqueur, 2 cups of blue curacao, and 1 liter of club soda or seltzer water in a large punch bowl. Add ice and garnish with sliced fruit. As a bonus, this festive punch can be made ahead of time, freeing you up to relax and enjoy the party.

Sparkler

This drink is perfect for the Fourth of July, but it’s also a great choice when you are looking for a refreshing fruity drink. To make a sparkler, fill a glass with ice and add 1 part vodka. Next, create colorful layers by pouring 1/2 part blue curacao slowly down the side of the glass, followed by 2 parts cranberry juice. Then, slowly top with 2 parts lemon-lime soda and allow the drink to settle. Finally, garnish with red fruit or lime wedges.

Blue Dolphin Martini

The blue dolphin martini is a great summertime drink that only requires three ingredients. For two drinks, add 3 parts vodka, 2/3 part blue curacao, and 2/3 part peach schnapps to an ice-filled mixing container. Stir well, and then strain into two chilled martini glasses. The fruity and refreshing flavor of this drink makes it a perfect choice for poolside lounging.

Deep Blue Sea Martini

Another great choice when lounging in the sun is the deep blue sea martini. In addition to being beautiful, this drink offers a mix of tantalizing tropical fruit flavors that puts anyone in a summer state of mind. To make this refreshing drink, fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add 2 ounces vodka, 3/4 ounce blue curacao, 1/2 ounce sour mix, and 1/2 ounce pineapple juice. Shake well and strain into a martini glass.

Blue curacao cocktails can add delicious fruity flavor and a splash of festivity to any drink. Serve a few of these dazzling cocktails at your next event to impress your guests and make your party a memorable one.

Kickstart Your Morning with CBD Living Instant Coffee

It’s a universal fact that mornings are rough, and they’re 10x more difficult when you have to wrangle sleepy kids too. If you are like me, you are trying to balance the “new normal” of working from home, kids be schooled from home, and trying to keep everything going smoothly while staying sane (since everything is canceled or postponed and we are all going stir crazy, no? LOL)
Mornings, though. Impossible, even with the new, non-commute many of us now have. And getting the kids into online school isn’t any easier or faster then into real school- on the contrary, it seems to take longer, and you have to stay on top of them all day besides. Arg.
So…..what do you do to give yourself a little boost?
Try new CBD Living Instant Coffee, which has three flavors of delicious instant coffee. OriginalGolden Milk and Matcha. Each flavor contains 7mg of US-grown organic hemp and is made from 100% Colombian Arabica coffee. Even better, CBD Living Instant Coffee is vegan, gluten-free, THC-free and non-GMO.
Using CBD Living Instant Coffee is easy. Simply scoop one teaspoon of CBD Living Instant Coffee in a cup then add hot water, cold water or milk. Stir and enjoy.
Doesn’t get much easier then that.
It tastes pretty good too- my oldest son and I grab it on the occasions when the pot is empty and we don’t want to make a new one for just one more cup. It’s not that watery, blech “instant coffee” flavor that many people associate with instant- it’s totally worth trying and a really good staple to keep in the house.

Sports Drinks For Kids/ Hydrate Without Chemicals

Looking for an alternative to Pedialyte that is more natural but has all the benefits? Look no further. Kinderlyte gives you multiple options for your child (and several flavors to choose from) that they will enjoy. No syrup-y aftertaste, these are flavors your kids will enjoy. There is also individual powder packs that make it easy to keep them on the go in case you need them.

After the founder made a 2am trip to the store for his sick daughter only to find that the Oral Electrolyte Solution he had purchased was full of artificial sweeteners, flavors and colors that are known to influence behavioral and health issues, he decided to create Kinderfarms. This is a company dedicated to values-driven alternatives that better serve the needs and values of today’s healthy families.

At Kinderfarms, it all starts on a farm, where healthy hydration begins with real, natural ingredients! Kinderlyte is the first 100% natural and Non-GMO oral electrolyte solution (OES). NO artificial colors, sweeteners, flavors or preservatives. Kinderlyte is Non-GMO Project Verified, Vegan, Gluten Free and Kosher. With Kinderlyte, you get more electrolytes with no artificial ingredients like Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium, Yellow 6, Blue 1 or Red 40.

 Kinderlyte is different. Doctors & Dieticians worked to formulate a true OES with more electrolytes, potassium & zinc than the leading brand. Unlike Sports drinks, OES’s use dextrose exclusively to carry electrolytes directly to the bloodstream for rapid absorption. Any product containing juice, coconut water or honey will be absorbed more slowly and is not a true OES. Kinderlyte hydration drinks work quickly when you or your loved ones need it most.

Kinderlyte is a 100% natural oral electrolyte solution. We use non-gmo dextrose instead of fructose so it’s delivered direct to the bloodstream for rapid hydration. This helps to rehydrate and replenish key nutrients due to dehydration resulting from illnesses and colds in both children and adults alike.

Kinderlyte can be used for rapid rehydration & rehydration therapy for people of any age! More than 90% of people are dehydrated, keep your eye out for symptoms of dehydration in adults, the elderly and kids. These include dry skin, dry mouth and muscle cramps. Kinderlyte’s direct rehydration to the bloodstream makes it effective, it works fast to address dehydration for any reason including sports, hangover, travel, stomach virus, infant diarrhea, toddler vomiting and more!

Liquid and powder electrolyte solutions  – Kinderlyte liquids and hydration powders offer natural and effective rehydration, without artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners. We recommend keeping at least two bottles of electrolyte solution at home and two boxes of the electrolyte powder in your (or your kids’) favorite flavors on hand for instant hydration on the go.

Drinks and powders with high levels of electrolytes like Kinderlyte meet the World Health Organization’s requirements and can help relieve symptoms associated with virus-related mild to moderate dehydration in both adults and kids. Kinderlyte’s oral electrolyte solutions are designed specifically for rehydration with the optimal balance of glucose and electrolytes. Kinderlyte products are available at Target, Rite Aid, Walgreens and other retailers nationwide.

7 Scintillating Drinks That Are Perfect For A Wedding

mixed drinks

A grand Indian wedding is about good food, dance, music and fun. A big fat Indian wedding is deemed to be incomplete without good food. India is a land of diversity which is why it is known as a foodie’s paradise. The availability of the plethora of cuisines makes the Indian weddings a matter of grand feasting. At a wedding just like the variety of cuisines you also find a variety of wedding guests. At a wedding you find several types of guests like the mithai lovers, chat addicts, beverage lover’s and the free loaders.

A guest returning with an empty stomach from your wedding is the last thing you would want to happen. At a wedding it proves to be a necessity to have something befitting the likes and tastes of everyone. No matter in which part of the world you get hitched but having a customized has become a trend of the modern weddings. Having tried and tested cuisines at the weddings has become a talk of the past. You might have booked the top wedding caterers in Kolkata, Pune or wherever you plan to tie the knot. To pair the heavy snacks you need to serve your guests with drinks. A wedding menu is incomplete without beverages. The beverages are act as a perfect accompaniment to the meals and for a summer wedding serve as a perfect cooler. With the plethora of beverage options available choosing the ideal ones is a dainty task. Wondering how to trudge ahead with your selection? Worry not as we have got your backs. Here are some of the best scintillating drinks that are the perfect add-ons for your wedding menu.

Sangria

Driving its origin from the lanes of Spain, this cocktail is made from red wine, sugar and packed with the goodness of fruity delights like lemons, oranges, apples, limes or cherries. Chill the drink and serve it in fancy glass pitchers. The drink is simple to make yet is a treat in the hot weather.

Mojito

A drink befitting the likes of all age groups. The drink has numerous options like Virgin Mojito packed with the cooling effect of fresh mint and lime, Green Apple with extracts of apple and the rejuvenating qualities of lemon. This summer drink comes as a most preferred choice for the youth and incorporating it in the menu would keep you in line with the trend.

Coconut Margarita

Get the vibes of the ocean to your wedding as you add a dash of Coconut milk, kick of Tequila Blanco and a tang of freshly squeezed Lemon to your Margarita. The creamy take on Margarita leaves your guests bewildered.

Aam Panna

This age old refreshing drink from your mom’s kitchen never goes out of date. Made from fresh raw mangoes and mixed with Indian spices the drink serves as a good appetizer after those heavy meals. Transverse your guests back in the times of their childhood as you serve them with a chilled glass of Aam Panna.

Screwdriver

The name of the drink is enough to raise brows. The cocktail is the epitome of freshness. The tangy citrusy twist of orange paired blended with outlandish vodka makes the cocktail a perfect balance of taste and an ideal drink for the summers.

Bourbon Peach Sweet Tea

Got cravings for south Indian food and drinks? Why not add it to your menu! Go classic as you serve your guests with a glass of sweet tea, topped with peach preserves and good old lemon juice. Make the drink flavor some as you spike it up with bourbon.

Bloody Mary

The character of Bloody Mary got us Goosebumps! The drink is as mysterious as its name is a delicate chemistry between craziness and danger. The drink packed with a whole lot of ingredients is best suited for those fun loving chatterboxes. Make it a part of the menu and let the magic happen.

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Sugar & Spiced Coffee

Now that the temperatures have dropped, we’re snuggling up and sipping on these cold weather classics. Community Coffee Company offers seasonal coffee blends (made exclusively with 100% Arabica beans) that are deliciously satisfying on their own AND in a number of food and drink recipes.

pic4

Servings: 8
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup chilled whipping cream
4 1/2 tsp. powdered sugar
1 cup freshly ground Community® coffee
5 tsp. ground cardamom
3 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
7 cup water

Directions:
Using an electric mixer, beat whipping cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Then, add powdered sugar and continue beating. Place ground coffee, cardamom, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a coffee filter. Using spoon, mix gently. Add water to your coffee maker and brew to your liking. Next, divide coffee among 8 cups. Garnish each with a dollop of whipped cream and serve piping hot. Single serve coffee maker is ideal for this recipe, as long as you get one that has reusable pods. They are simple to use and can brew barista like coffee all day long. In case you haven’t gotten one already, check out Single serve coffee maker reviews at KitchenGuyd to find the best pick.