Tag Archives: Crowberry Frost Liqueur

December 7 – Winter is Coming

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Yuletide Legends

Urban legends can be so fascinating. Movies and websites have been made to cover all of the crazy (yet sometimes true) theories out there. And Christmas is not safe from urban legends. Here are some of the most intriguing:

Suicidal Dream

Christmas is supposed to be one of happiest times of the year. For some, though, that just makes it all the more miserable. But the theory that more people commit suicide during the holidays over any other time of the year is pure myth. So, while the holidays may drive you crazy, as you visit with relatives you don’t particularly care for and battle with fellow shoppers to find the perfect gifts… it at least won’t drive you to kill yourself!

Assisted_Suicide

Candied Cane

While we recognize peppermints and candy canes as often being coloured red and white, a rumour has persisted that there’s more to the iconic image than just flavour. Some have insinuated that the candy cane is a symbol for Jesus Christ; the red representing his blood, and the white his purity, as well as the shape being a ‘J’. It’s simply not true, however, so feel free to eat your Jesus canes at all hours of the day and with complete disregard towards religious persecution.

The Brotherhood of the Travelling Pants

Let’s get a true legend into this piece. Apparently, two brother-in-laws spent 25 years trading a pair of pants back-and-forth as a Christmas gift, each year finding a more inventive way of exchanging the slacks. The tradition began in the 1960’s and involved the pants being stuffed into a thin pipe, baled, and even added to a concrete mix. The pants were finally destroyed when they were to be encased in molten glass, but were burned to ashes, accidentally. Kind of makes me hope I never have a brother-in-law!

Won’t Someone Think of the Children

We’ve all seen those donation boxes at Wal-Mart and other outlets that say toys bought in the store can be donated to needy children… well, it seems this case went awry when the donated toys were returned to store shelves for resale. At the Sterling, Colorado location, managers wanted gifts to be wrapped in a Wal-Mart bag to prove the item had been purchased and not simply taken off the shelf and tossed in the box. Of course, staff made the mistake of putting the box in an unsupervised spot in the first place and should have just taken a loss on any possible donations through mischief.

walmart-gene-pool

Unlikely Allies

We’ve all heard the story that German and Allied troops took a break from their World War I fighting on Christmas Day in 1914 to exchanged gifts, sing carols, and even play some footie (soccer for you North American blokes). Well, all of that is, in fact, true! There’s nothing like partying with your enemy. This is why I’m always celebrating with Mrs. Sip! The 1914 truce eventually ended (as does many of my armistices with Mrs. Sip) and future attempts to come together on Christmas didn’t pan out. The war ended on Nov. 11, 1918.

Only in Canada

Sometimes I love this little country of ours. Okay, so it’s actually a massive country, but that’s not the point. If you’ve ever wondered how to reach ol’ Santy Claus, apparently us Canucks even gave the jolly fat man a postal code. It’s H0H 0H0… that’s right, it reads Ho Ho Ho! Pretty clever stuff, am I right!? Every letter sent to this address is answered, even if it comes in a foreign language or even Braille. The postal code was established in 1982 does not require postage and even return letters are free of charge!

City of Santa Hate

Philadelphia is known as the City of Brotherly Love, but clearly not so much in the sports world, where fans of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles actually booed Santa Claus when he appeared during a game in December 1968. The Eagles had experienced a dreadful season that year, finishing with a 2-12 record and conditions at the game were horrible, with cold temperatures, slushy seats, and falling snow. The half-time Christmas Pageant ended with Santa being pelted with snowballs from much of the Philadelphia faithful. I hope they all received coal for Christmas!

Drink #341: Winter is Coming (A Sip Advisor Original Recipe)

Winter is Coming Shooter

There are, of course, so many other urban legends to do with the Christmas season. So many that I can’t possibly fit them all in. If you’re interested in more, head over to Snopes and browse away to your heart’s content!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3.5 Sips out of 5):
Based off of the catchphrase Winter is Coming from Game of Thrones, I decided to combine my alcohols that had the word “frost” in their title. The Crowberry Frost Liqueur is quite ironic because crows play a large role in the Game of Thrones story and there’s even an entire pack that dresses like the filthy bird. As for taste, it was pretty good. The Perma Frost Liqueur is strong, but not unpleasant and the Crowberry Liqueur adds a touch of sweetness to the shooter.

August 31 – Brain Freeze

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Roasted

During Frozen Cocktail Week, I subbed Jell-O shots in as the Super Saturday Shot Day post, rather than create a frozen shot… for I believed a frozen shot to be an utterly insane and useless creation. Here we are two weeks later and I have in fact created a frozen shot, inside a frozen shot glass, no less. Mrs. Sip insisted it be done and here it is… now you all have her to blame for your ice cream headaches!

With that in mind, let’s take a few moments together to roast Mrs. Sip. She may be the best thing that ever happened to me, but that doesn’t mean she’s immune from a little Sip justice!

Stuck in Rome

Mrs. Sip and I love Rome, particularly the Trevi Fountain, which we have visited multiple times during the day and at night. On our last trip there in 2007, we had already stopped by during the day with our tour group, before we went off on our own for a romantic dinner. When our meal was complete, night had fallen and Mrs. Sip insisted on returning to the fountain for a twilight viewing. Off we went, snapped a couple photos, watched a drunk guy jump in, and tossed a penny into the attraction (usually a penny for a wish to return to Rome, but since the drunk guy may have been collecting them, let’s just call it charity). When we made our way back to the subway, we were met by a locked gate. Keep in mind it was only 9 pm on a Friday night… there was no way the line could be closed.

Trevi Fountain

Frantically we searched for another entrance with no luck. The place our group was staying was 40 minutes outside the city by transport, so taking a cab was clearly not an option for us poor students. We tried figuring out a bus route that might get us to the train line we needed to take, but ultimately ended up stranded in the middle of nowhere in the middle of nowhere. Looking for a safe place to stay until the trains started running again at 5am, we ended up inside an American-themed hot dog and waffle joint that was open late. The Italian waitress, who spoke no English, and one beyond-drunk customer were our only company. As Mrs. Sip napped on our little table, the drunk dude tried in loud Italian, which I don’t speak, and violent hand gestures to communicate with me. When he noticed that I clearly didn’t understand he spoke even louder (because that does the trick, obviously) Finally I got across that he knew a guy who could rent us a room..by the hour…right.

Night turned into morning and we left our little slice of salvation en route back to the train station… with our still drunk, helpful, Italian associate in tow. Fear not, little sippers, he ended up coming in handy. When we reached the station we caught the first train of the day and were off. But our day pass transit tickets had now technically expired and we had spent the last of our cash on waffles on a stick. Enter our drunk Italian friend (yes, he was our friend now) who explained to the ticket collector our struggle and situation and the nice man allowed us to continue on our journey uninterrupted. We finally made it back to our campsite at 6:30am, with enough time for an hour-long nap, before we were back aboard the bus and onto our next destination.

Lost in Monaco

Here’s another tale from that same circuit tour of Europe… we had some sketchy luck during that vacation. Mrs. Sip and I had just spent an amazing evening in Monaco, walking to the city’s famous palace and enjoying the luxury casinos in the heart of the metropolis. As our tour group reconvened and headed back to the bus for the journey back to our humble (and I really mean that) abode. Along the way, Mrs. Sip stopped to take some photos and joined one of our fellow traveler in his. I kept with the group, theorizing that I could at least grab us some seats together on the bus.

Monaco

When I boarded the bus, I quickly grabbed us a spot and watched the rest of the group pour one-by-one back onto the coach. With each passing person, I grew more anxious. Then, the once steady stream stopped and nobody else seemed to be coming. I looked around the entire bus, thinking perhaps she had boarded and didn’t see me and vice versa… no such luck. I began to panic a little as our tour guide asked if anyone was missing. Mrs. Sip and one other passenger were not with the group. The minutes seemed like hours as I waited. The bus couldn’t wait around all night, as the drivers have very strict rules as to how long they can be driving and how much time off they need before journeys.

It was time to go and I had to hurriedly hustle off the coach, so as not to leave Mrs. Sip behind (wherever she might be). For some reason, I had Mrs. Sip’s passport, wallet, and credit card on me and Mrs. Sip had just our camera…and the only map of Monaco we had. Fantastic. Thankfully, I went no further than a few steps when I spotted Mrs. Sip hauling ass towards the bus. She and the other missing passenger had taken a wrong turn trying to catch up to the group after their photo and had run back and forth through an underground tunnel vainly trying to find us. We flagged down our bus, quickly boarded and were off again with only 90% of the bus giving the future Mrs. Sip disapproving looks.

Karate Kid

Mrs. Sip can be a funny specimen when she’s inebriated, although I guess we all can. During her university days, Mrs. Sip lived with a bunch of roommates who were very tight, being in the same sorority and some of them having been friends even before living together. After the girls went out for their end-of-the-year dinner, a bunch of their respective guys came up to join the party. When I arrived, Mrs. Sip and I went into her room so I could drop off my things and get settled in and she can change from her cocktail dress to something more comfy. As I sat in her computer chair, she started doing a karate-like interpretive dance and said that she could perform a roundhouse kick over my head.

Karate

Amused and curious to see where this might lead, I allowed her to make her challenge. Then, without warning, she backed up and went to fire her leg over my head… only her leg never got anywhere near me and instead, all that I heard as I closed my eyes was a sickening thud of flesh against desk. She had slammed her poor little foot, full force, right into the side of her desk and was now hopping around, howling. I’ve rarely seen Mrs. Sip cry… she’s cold as ice… but she was mighty close this time. The moans she was making had everyone in the nearby kitchen and living room thinking that the Sip Advisor was getting his swerve on. The other guys were cheering me on and congratulated me when I popped out of the room until I told them that I think she had broken her foot. The next day when I took her for x-rays, doctor’s, and hospital we had to explain over and over again that she had “kicked a desk” while I endured sidelong dubious glances from medical professionals. Ah well, I guess even Mrs. Sip is allowed a drunk faux pas every once in a while! (yes french pun intended)

Marrying the Sip Advisor

Perhaps the biggest mistake she’ll ever make! *rimshot*

Drink #243: Brain Freeze (A Sip Advisor Original Recipe)

Brain Freeze Shot

  • 0.5 oz Kraken Black Spiced Rum
  • 0.5 oz 1800 Reposado Tequila
  • 0.5 oz Crowberry Frost Liqueur
  • Blend with Ice
  • Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry

Mrs. Sip knows the stress she often puts me through with her misadventures… at least we’ve earned some good stories out of our mistakes!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3 Sips out of 5):
This is the perfect dare shot. It is not the easiest to drink (brain freeze, sensitive teeth, stomach freeze, etc.), but it’s incredibly fun and unique. The Tequila taste came out the strongest with a lingering Spiced Rum finish. I liked adding some Maraschino Cherry Juice to make it look like the frozen brain was bleeding! Give it a try sometime!

June 23 – Pink Mishe

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And Away We Go…

Today we begin a two-day recap of my and Mrs. Sip’s recent vacation to Europe, highlighted by a Baltic Sea cruise. Join us for adventures on the high seas and the pillaging of ports. What, you didn’t even realize I was gone? Yeah, that’s how awesome I am, as I kept this site afloat from the other side of the world! Without further ado, here were a few of the places we hit to get our drink on:

Whiskyfest Tasting at Duty Free

The start of our holiday got off to a curious start, as we explored the duty free store in Vancouver International, we stumbled upon a whiskey tasting booth as part of the store’s Whiskyfest celebration. At the booth, I tried a number of scotch products, and decided I liked the Dalmore brand the most. Unfortunately, I had to suffer through my samples with a fellow traveler and scotch know-it-all, who kept telling me to how “peaty” the various libations would taste.

Be At One

Our first stop took us to London, England and between visiting with friends and attending a number of West End shows, we managed to hit this bar three times in just four days for its wonderful happy hour. They way these chaps do things, is drinks are two-for-one, but you have to buy two of the same, so it’s great in groups of even numbers. We must have tried at least a dozen different cocktails over our visits and I even pilfered one of the menus to bring home for my own use.

Be At One

Wetherspoons

This is a chain of bars in London that offer reasonable prices on food and drink, particularly the food. Mrs. Sip and I enjoyed a couple of pints and pub food while resting between attraction stops. They also have pitchers of cocktail creations available, such as Sex on the Beach, Cosmopolitan and Mojito, among others. Some, like the one right across from the Tower of London, also have rather amazing views!

Carlsberg Brewery

From London, we were off to Copenhagen, Denmark in the wee hours of the morning. After checking into our cruise, we visited the Carlsberg Brewery, home to, as the brewery puts it, “Probably the best beer in the world!”. I enjoyed this tour of the brewery, highlighted by our end-of-tour samples and an interesting collection of beer bottles from around the world that fills the entire top floor of one of the landmark’s buildings. This is also the first breweries I’ve visited that house horses!

Ice Bar & Liquor Store Shopping

Our day in Oslo, Norway started with sightseeing and finished with drinks and liquor shopping, as any good travel day should. When we discovered that both art museums housing the famous ‘Scream’ painting were closed, we decided to hit the Ice Bar and enjoy some very expensive (and not very deserving of their price) cocktails in freezing cold temperatures. While the bar made of ice was unique, paying $14.50 per small cocktail of cranberry juice and vodka was maybe not the highlight of the day. Oh well, you have to do it once in your life!

The_Scream

This was our reaction when we found out both the Munch Museum and National Gallery were closed on our one day in Oslo, Norway!

The day took a swing back upwards when we were given directions to a nearby liquor store, where I hoped to find Cloudberry Liqueur, a supposedly rare and expensive spirit known to be found in Norway. While I didn’t find the hidden treasure, I was able to pick up some Crowberry Frost Liqueur (sounds close enough, right?), which I had never heard of before and a small bottle of Hot & Sweet, which I can only describe as a salty Black Sambuca that should be used as a punishment shot in drinking games.

Trotzenburg Brewery

In Germany, the land of beer and chocolate, we managed to enjoy both on this wet, miserable day. The first restaurant we hit to escape the inclement weather, featured a delicious wheat beer (my favourite type of brew, in case anyone was wondering), which I combined with a hot chocolate to help warm me up. Mrs. Sip followed suit, displaying all the qualities that made me fall in love with her!

Once the rain let up a little we made our way to the Trotzenburg Brewery in Rostock, Germany, where our group (we had been joined by some extended Sip family members from Berlin/Hamburg) shared a yard of beer, made up of 13 mugs of various brews. This was the perfect complement to our schnitzel and currywurst orders!

Drink #174: Pink Mishe

Pink Mishe Cocktail

Join us tomorrow for even more escapades as we conquer seven countries in two weeks and most of the time while blitzed out of our minds!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (2 Sips out of 5):
This was my first cocktail using the Crowberry Frost Liqueur Mrs. Sip and I found in Denmark. I have to say the lemon measurement was too strong in this cocktail, overwhelming the Crowberry Liqueur and Citron Vodka. I wish I had used Sweet & Sour Mix over Lemon Juice. To sum up, I look forward to trying Crowberry Liqueur again, sans Lemon Juice.