…or rather how I learned the proper way to order coffee in Spain. And a recipe for a Spanish Carajillo and other Spanish coffee drinks. On our second day in Spain several years ago, our group enjoyed a fantastic two hour long lunch at Loreto Restaurant in Jumilla with the winemakers and winery representatives we met…
Cocktails
Bourbon Spiked Hot Apple Cider
Bourbon Spiked Hot Apple Cider is an incredibly delicious and oh-so-autumn treat. It can also be served cold for a refreshing treat! It takes me awhile to finally get into the fall spirit. While most people are getting exciting about their pumpkin spice lattes in August, I’m soaking up every last minute of summer I…
How to make the Ultimate Mimosa Bar (or Bellini)
No matter what time of year it is, mimosas are always a great idea! Whether for a wedding or baby shower, celebration, or heck, even Sunday football, your brunch needs a mimosa! And we’re here to show you how to create a Mimosa Bar along with some fun ways to jazz up the average orange…
Blackberry Aperol Spritz (recipe & video)
A Pacific Northwest twist on a classic Aperol Spritz. Aperol Spritz gets a new personality by adding some homemade blackberry simple syrup. Anybody who has been to the Veneto region of Northeast Italy will testify to the fact that the Aperol Spritz is *the* cocktail of the region. Shoot, many will say it’s *the* cocktail…
Champagne vs. Prosecco — What’s the Difference?
It’s that time of year. You know what I’m talking about. Time to pop to the bubbly. Of course regular readers of this blog know I drink bubbly year round (and every Friday night if you follow my Instagram feed). But for many who don’t frequently indulge in my favorite drink it’s this time of…
Holiday Gift Guide for Wine & Cocktail Lovers
This is part 2 of our Holiday Gift Guide. See part 1 here, all about ideas for BBQ, Grilling, and general foodies on your list. In part 1 I discuss my love/hate relationship with most gift guides and why we narrow it to 10 in each category, and why when it comes to our favorite…
Smoked Ice Cocktail
A twist on a classic Old Fashioned using Smoked Ice. Yes, that’s right, Smoked ice. *UPDATE: We now have a video for this recipe! Scroll to the bottom for the recipe video. We’ve talked about smoked ice before, but we thought we’d bring it up again because it’s that time of year! You know what…
Smoked Bloody Mary with Smoked Bacon (the Video)
Smoked Bloody Mary with Smoked Bacon is an absolute must try for your weekend brunch. It’s even better with fresh summer tomatoes! Since we first created this smoked bloody mary recipe back in 2014 it’s become a staple at any brunch we host. You can read the story of how we came up with the recipe…
What’s new at Ken’s Artisan Pizza?
Ken — a name that has become synonymous with some of the best pizza (and bread!) in Portland – has some exciting new additions to his well-known restaurant, which is now in its tenth year. Shortly after I moved to Portland Ken’s Artisan Pizza quickly became our favorite pizza joint. Fast forward ten years, owner Ken…
12 Super Bowl Recipes on the Smoker or Grill
We’re down to the last few days before the big day. Have you planned your menu yet? Here are 12 awesome game day recipes that can be cooked on your smoker or grill. I promise this will be my last Super Bowl related post this year! I just can’t contain myself right now. So much…
The Smoky Old Man – A cocktail recipe…
… and a boozy birthday celebration Today is a big day. It’s Sean’s birthday. But not just any birthday, it’s his 40th birthday! I still remember when my mom turned 40 back when I was a kid. The house was decorated in black with “over the hill” signs everywhere. I grew up dreading the thought…
Sparkling Watermelon Cocktail
This could be the red for your red, white, and blue celebrations this coming weekend! I used to have an aversion to artificial watermelon-flavored things (candy in particular). But fresh watermelon, I could gobble up for days. And with one of my favorite holidays on the horizon it’s time to bust out some watermelon. There’s…
Happy New Year
Whatever you do, wherever you are, I wish you happiness, health, friendship, laughter, love, and a glass full of bubbles! If there’s one challenge I have for you in the coming year it’s to DRINK MORE BUBBLES. Y’all know I’m a proponent for drinking bubbly year-round. Heck I’m drinking some right now, and not just…
Friday Favorites – Fall Drinks Week ends as Sicily travel begins
A weekly roundup of my favorite things in the categories of wine, food, travel, and (occasionally) lifestyle. FALL DRINKS As fall drinks week comes to a close I wanted to give a shout out to The Heathman Restaurant & Bar’s new fall cocktail menu. The Heathman, in collaboration with renowned Bar Chef Kathy Casey…
Cocktail Week — Adults Only Blueberry Lemonade with Gin
Cocktail Week continues today with… GIN I love the signature juniper berry flavor of gin. I love gin martinis. I love a refreshing gin and tonic. What’s not to love about gin?! And this bottle of gin makes me wonder why I don’t drink it more often. Produced in Scotland, Hendrick’s Gin is infused with…
Cocktail Week: Lemon Rhubarb Fizz Cocktail & Rolling River Spirits Vodka
Let’s talk about vodka shall we? Why not? Kids are back in school and folks are already talking about cooler weather and heartier food… in other words, the F word — fall! This whole fall business makes me uneasy since I’m a little obsessed with summer and don’t want to see it go (ever!). Vodka…
Cocktails Week: Simple Simple Syrup Recipes
Cocktails Week It’s cocktails week here on Vindulge. We’re putting wine aside this week and dedicating an entire week to booze! I am not a professional mixologist, but I have been on quite the cocktails kick this summer. I blame my kids. No, not that they drive me to drink, but that their favorite activity…
Friday Favorites – Touring Oregon Wine Country
A weekly roundup of my favorite things this week in the categories of wine, food, travel, and lifestyle. Since returning to Oregon I’ve tried to immerse myself in Pacific Northwest wines, specifically on understanding the intricacies of each wine-growing region. This week I had the opportunity to spend some time focusing on two different regions…
Friday Favorites — Touring Portland with Friends
A weekly roundup of my favorite things in the categories of wine, food, travel, and lifestyle. Two of my dearest friends, Allison and Lynn, were visiting last weekend from CA, one of whom I’ve been BFF’s since we were fifteen years old, singing and dancing our way through high school together. We had a lot…
Cognac Hot Toddy
A cure for the common cold… or at least commonly cold fall nights. It’s that time of the year. Time to put away your tank tops and bust out your sweaters. Box up your flip flops and dust off your boots. Fall is officially here. And with the return of fall comes not only a…
Pomegranate Mimosas
A delicious and festive cocktail made with sparkling wine, Cointreau, and pomegranate juice. Perfect for holiday parties. The Holiday Season is officially here (wohoo), and along with that comes the decorations, music, lights, shopping, and my favorite part, the holiday parties! Parties filled with good friends, good food, good wine, and holiday cocktails. Now we…
