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 from Sugar Crafter

~ Pumpkin Protein Shake at Eating Well, Living Thin

~ Autumn Sangria from Tokyo Terrace

~ My Glass Is Greener Juice at Healthy. Happy. Life.

~ Es Cendol from J’s Kitchen

~ Hot Matcha Green Tea Latte at The Sweetest Kitchen

~ The Caledonian from Houseboat Eats

~ Seven Fruit Smoothie with Yogurt at Beachlover Kitchen

~ Anise Herbal Tea from La Fuji Mama

~ Honey Liqueur Recipes at The Pegu Blog

~ Cameron’s Kick Cocktail from Umamimart

~ Matcha Green Tea Latte (2) at Kirbie’s Cravings

~ Rooh Afza from Pham Fatale

~ Vesper Martini at Sippitysup

~ The Spicy Lemon Cocktail from Tokyo Terrace

~ Kahlua Cream Cocktails at Kaiser Penguin

~ Calm Chamomile Banana Smoothie from Healthy. Happy. Life.

~ Vietnamese Iced Coffee at Ravenous Couple

~ Damson & Apple Cordial from Culinary Travels of a Kitchen Goddess

~ Homemade Orange Liqueur at Palachinka

~ Healthy Oatmeal Shake from Gina’s WW Recipes

[image: flickr]

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Weekend Food Links: Beverages

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 almost $4, which I think is crazy and the main reason that I do not visit Starbucks very often.

Did you know that you can look up the nutrition information for the products that Starbucks carries? 

I chose a Grande size drink and it was made with whipped cream, although I did not order it that way. The whipped cream adds 7 grams of fat, with 4.5 grams of these being saturated fat and a total of 330 calories. Skip the whipped cream, order with fat-free milk and the Grande size reads more like this:

Calories: 260
Fat:0
Saturated Fat: 0
Protein: 14 grams
Calcium: 50% RDA

If you prefer your Pumpkin Spice in a Frappuccino, then here’s a peek at the nutritional information for a 16 ounce Grande without whipped cream:

Calories: 290
Total fat: 3.5
Saturated fat: 2
Protein: 6 grams
Calcium: 20% RDA

Image credit: Michelle Smith

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Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte & Nutrition

Ferran Adriá

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 terms of culinary pairings, including salads, vinegar-based sauces, bitter notes such as asparagus and artichokes, fatty and oily fish, and citrus.

With its delicate carbonation, INEDIT adapts to acidic, sweet and sour flavors. Its appearance is slightly cloudy, and INEDIT has a yeasty sensation with sweet spices, causing a creamy and fresh texture, delicate carbonic long aftertaste, and pleasant memory. The rich and highly adaptable bouquet offers a unique personality with a smooth, yet complex taste.

Unlike most beers, INEDIT is bottled in a 750 ml black wine bottle and is intended for sharing. INEDIT is to be served in a white wine glass, filled halfway and chilled in a cooler.

Chef Dan Barber who was recently awarded recently awarded TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and Outstanding Chef by the James Beard Foundation hosted the INEDIT tasting at his restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns on May 13, 2009.

(Images/Source : INEDIT Press)

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Ferran Adriá Launches INEDIT Beer

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.

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Sapporo icecream

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.

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The good the bad and the wonderful

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.

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Guts

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.  Sorry.

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Hakodate Beer

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

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Nata de coco wierdness

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?

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Sapporo beer when it grows up

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.

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Yogurt in a can