Love & Hate – Tiramisu Martini

Your belly is full, but there’s always room for dessert. We finish off my likes and dislikes of a full meal with some of the sweets the Sip Advisor loves:

Cheesecake

Even as a kid who refused to have any type of cheese, I made an exception for cheesecake. A memorable serving was the massive piece Mrs. Sip and I took back to our hotel room from New York City’s famous Carnegie Deli, following a very late night meal.

Cookies

I’ve made it very clear that I f*ckin’ love cookies. Me and Cookie Monster could have practically been separated at birth and I may look better if I was blue and fuzzy and had googly eyes. My passion for all things cookie has been inherited by the Sipplings, who often go hunting for the treats without permission.

Cheesecake

Ice Cream/Ice Cream Sandwich

While I don’t eat ice cream regularly, the odd serving is appreciated, particularly if it’s topped with all sorts of other goodies. A future Love & Hate article will delve into just which toppings are on the Sip Advisor’s preferred list. Given my love of cookies, I’m also quite fond of ice cream sandwiches.

Donuts

Another dessert I don’t abide in as often as I did as a youngster. Still, I enjoy donuts, both in simple (glazed) and advanced forms (covered with all sorts of different toppings). Donut Holes can also offer a nice little treat, without having to spend as many calories as you would on the bigger pastries.

Pie

There are a number of pie flavours that I really enjoy: apple, cherry, strawberry-rhubarb, etc. This may be the best way to get your daily dose of fruit, while still enjoying a sweet treat. Pie is on my list of the best things eaten cold that aren’t traditionally served that way.

Ice Cream Sandwich

Milkshake

When I was a teenager, Pa Sip used to make milkshakes regularly. Mrs. Sip even made me a couple in the early days of us dating when I think she was trying to fatten me up. How did that plan work out!?

Chocolate/Chocolate Bars

A top notch sweet is anything chocolate. I prefer milk chocolate most, but have dabbled in the darker depths of the cocoa world on occasion. Among my favourite chocolate bars to indulge in are Snickers, Twix, Oh Henry, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Wunderbar.

Milkshake

That ended up being a fairly long list. I also recently tried a Kouign Amann (think the most decadent croissant ever) that rocked my world! Do I hate as many desserts as I like? Let’s take a look:

Tiramisu

I don’t get the appeal of this cake. Worse yet, it’s everywhere, like some kind of infestation. For the annual Dine Out Vancouver, the dessert is on almost every place’s menu in some fashion. I also attended a birthday once that offered two Tiramisu cakes and no other options.

Crème Brûlée

Mrs. Sip loves her some crème brûlée. The Sip Advisor, being undisputably the wiser of our couple, doesn’t at all. I guess I’ve never really been one for custards. While it’s neat how they achieve the hardened sugar topping, using a mini blow torch, I’m still unwilling to eat the dessert.

Creme Brulee

Flan

This menu item doesn’t even have a tantalizing name. Whoever invented it knew it was incredibly boring, so gave it an equally lame name. Much like I’m not into custards, very few puddings turn my crank.

Rice Pudding

This is like the worst version of rice, with rice crackers being a possible exception. I won’t fully describe what Rice Pudding resembles to me, but given that connection, I find it very hard to stomach a serving. Although, I’ll giggle like a youngster as Mrs. Sip eats it.

Fortune Cookie

As a kid, I liked fortune cookies. As an adult, I find them to be totally lackluster, so I’m happy to let the Sipplings have my servings. And what’s with those little notes inside… they don’t taste very good at all! 🙂

Fortune Cookie

Fruit Plate

Fruit is not a dessert. Full stop!

Jell-O

I get why kids like Jell-O, with all the neat colours and that they can kind of play with their food. Jell-O shots are awful too, as they’re hard to consume. We used to go to an all-you-can-eat sushi place that only offered Jell-O as a dessert option. I’ll just take the cheque, please!

Baklava

I guess I’m not really into international desserts. I find baklava to be dry, boring and uninspiring. Sure, the pastry has an incredible history, but that’s not enough to convince the Sip Advisor to steer away from the cookies and cakes of the world.

Love & Hate: Tiramisu Martini

Tiramisu Martini

  • Rim glass with Chocolate Syrup
  • 2 oz Vanilla Vodka
  • 1 oz Amaretto
  • 1 oz Kahlua
  • Splash of Half and Half
  • Sprinkle with Cocoa Powder

I wondered if drinking a Tiramisu would be any better than eating it. I did like this martini, but I also cheated a bit with the ingredients, using my Stoli Salted Karamel Vodka and Kahlua Vanilla to make it for my tastes. Well, that completes our full meal. I hope you enjoyed the feast!

Flavour Revolution – Salted Caramel

Liquid Sunshine

Salted Caramel has become an incredibly popular dessert trend, featuring in cookies, cakes, ice cream, chocolate bars, milkshakes, and nearly every type of treat one can dream up. A perfect mix of sweet and salty, this combo has even been turned into a spirit flavour. Salted Caramel is not alone, though, on the dessert-turned-liquor front. Here are some other post-dinner courses that have been translated into booze:

Cookie Dough

The Sip Advisor has yet to try this alcohol from Pinnacle Vodka, but given it’s one of my and Mrs. Sip’s favourite desserts (often enjoyed in Dairy Queen Blizzards and other indulgences), we should get our hands on a bottle ASAP. As a human facsimile for the Cookie Monster, this is a notable omission from my bar collection.

cookie dough

Rainbow Sherbet

This vodka, also from Pinnacle, should be the official booze of the LGBT community. Personally, I wonder which flavour features most heavily amongst the berry, orange, and lime. Perhaps it’s a different experience for each drinker and one I should test on myself.

Cotton Candy & Caramel Apple

Why not bring the festive fun of the carnival home with you… in liquid form! While I’m not really into cotton candy, I have used the Pinnacle Cotton Candy Vodka in a previous Flavour Revolution article. On the flip side, I love Caramel Apples (especially the ones that are loaded with Smarties and other goodies), but have yet to try any booze related to the treat.

S’mores

This campfire classic is brought to you by Three Olives Vodka and it tastes like a mix of marshmallow and chocolate, with a hint of Graham cracker… exactly what you’d expect. I have used the spirit in a number of beverages seen on this site and the best part is you don’t need a fire or pokers to enjoy.

smores multiple

Pumpkin Pie & Pecan Pie

While I’m more of a fan of fruit-based pies, such as cherry and apple, these two pie variants are the ones that have been turned into spirits. I have a bottle of Pumpkin Pie Vodka at home that I haven’t had the chance to get into much yet, but with family members who love the Thanksgiving tradition, I’m sure it won’t take long for the bottle to get some serious use.

Lemon Meringue

Sticking with popular pies, we have an entry from Sobieski Vodka, which puts a spin on the tart pastry. Mrs. Sip isn’t a fan of lemon-based desserts and while I’m lukewarm to them, in alcohol form, it might be more tolerable.

Birthday Cake

With this libation option, you can celebrate your birthday anytime you want, which is awesome, unless you’re one of those anti-birthday peeps… although if that’s the case, you probably aren’t the drinking type, either.

birthday cake boobs

Cinnamon Buns

Thanks to a partnership between Pinnacle Vodka and Cinnabon, the world was introduced to this yummy liquor, which does its best to replicate the experience of biting into one of their famous buns. The taste is a mix of cinnamon sugar and cream cheese icing and it works for dessert cocktails.

Crème Brulee

Ma and Pa Sip brought a bottle of Crème Brulee Liqueur back with them from Colorado last spring and it didn’t take long for the sweet treat to disappear. Sadly, Mrs. Sip (a certified Crème Brulee fiend) wasn’t around to sample any. That’s what she gets for taking off on me for a month-long European holiday!

Blueberry Pancake

Okay, I know pancakes are a breakfast food, but I think the intent here is to replicate a crepe-type dessert. This is another liqueur (from McGuinness) that I have yet to try, but I have seen it around and perhaps I should just take the jump and see what it’s all about.

Bacon-Pancakes

Sugar Cookies

Who doesn’t like sugar cookies? Well, diabetics, I suppose, but I think they’re appreciated by most other folks. This is another vodka that I have yet to try and while it’s not at the top of my list to pick up, I’d certainly try it at a friend’s place.

Glazed Donut

Coming in liqueur and vodka releases, when I first came across a bottle, by chance, my jaw literally hit the floor. Mrs. Sip saw the look in my eyes and knew that we’d be going home with the product. Since then, I’ve used it in a number of drinks – usually shot recipes – and have enjoyed it thoroughly.

Candy Bar

Who doesn’t love some chocolate for dessert? Well, this chocolate-caramel flavoured vodka from UV will satisfy your need, while also limiting your calorie intake. I’m very curious about the chocolate-caramel blend and if it’s anything like the real thing, I’ll come away pretty happy!

Flavour Revolution: Bad Romance

Massive thanks must be given to the various companies that have a willingness to experiment and bring us many of these flavours, of which there are some I just couldn’t fit onto this list. This includes Strawberry Shortcake, Peppermint Bark, King Cake, Peachberry Cobbler, Cookies N’ Creme, and Chocolate Cake. It seems that spirit creativity knows no bounds!