Tasty drinks don’t end when summer does! In fact, autumn is my favorite time of year for fun beverages, especially when it comes to curling up on the couch with my husband and a good movie (ok, and probably some popcorn too!).

Since most afternoons are still a little on the warm side, even the cooler iced drinks are still a treat, whether it’s an iced coffee or a yummy fruit shake. So for this week’s link round-up, I kept an eye out for all of the above, and found a lot of great, creative drink recipes to try out:
~ Eggnog …read more

This morning, I had to drive my daughter to school. I decided that since I was already out, I might as well treat myself to a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. I’ve really enjoyed these lattes in the past. They are made with a pumpkin-milk base and pumpkin pie spices. I made my own version last year….. I’ll share my recipe as soon as I find where I put it. 
I had my boy in the car, so we hit the drive-thru. It took forever. Seriously. I think I was in that line for almost 10 minutes and my coffee cost …read more

Ferran Adriá, known as the “World’s Greatest Chef” has collaborated with Juli Soler, elBulli sommeliers and Estrella Damm, the leading brewer of Barcelona to create INEDIT Beer.
Dan Barber of the restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns introduced INEDIT. The beer created to pair with food.
INEDIT is an alternative to wine for pairing with all dishes – from informal to more exquisite, sophisticated types of food. INEDIT is a unique coupage of barley malt and wheat with spices which provide an intense and complex aroma. It aims to complement food once thought to be a challenge in …read more

Another classic product of the Sapporo beer factory in Hokkaido is their beer ice cream.  It looks white and ordinary like vanilla but as soon as you get it near your nose you can smell the beer.  The taste is not overpowering and actually surprisingly pleasant.  Nothing like a beer spider and if you’ve ever tried one of those you will be glad to hear it.

At Sapporo beer factory they do a nice little taster of three of their beers.  Here we have the Sapporo classic (good), the Yebisu dark (wonderful) and a smaller boutique beer that I can’t remember the name of (the bad).  Its a great way to compare beers and a cheap way to find out what you like.

As far as I am aware, beverages are not supposed to be a test of manhood but I may be wrong.  Guts drink is for a man who has a passion.  Perhaps a passion for an over flavoured toxic coloured joke of a soft drink.  Try it if you dare but only if you are a man with a passion.

If you believe their marketing this place is world famous.  Is that because of their almost brand new vintage architecture complete with balconies to rooms that don’t exist, massive hinged doors that are concreted open, rusticated brickwork and imitated bricked up windows.  Maybe it is because of their massive copper brewing vats that produce quite nice (but not exceptional beer).  Or maybe it is because they have perfected the recipe for making paella that tastes distinctly like burnt plastic. 
 If you visit Hakodate, and I recommend that you do, there are millions of places you should visit before you go here.  …read more

Here is one for all you Nata de coco fans out there ( and there are a surprising number of you!).  This can contains a drink made of yogurt and chunks of the fermented coconut jelly.  I tried it, had a think and passed it on.  It isn’t really my thing but I imagine there are worse combinations

Sapporo beer is usually a white or silver creature when it is young.  It is common to find these younger ones measuring about 350ml.   However when they grow up to be either 633 or 750ml they change color to a black.  The labels and logos still stay the same and as far a s I can tell they still taste the same.  Why the colour change?

While not strictly junk food, how do you like the idea of yogurt in a can?  How about carrot, orange and grape flavoured  yogurt all mixed together in a can?  Maybe you are having second thoughts?  Very wise.