As my extremely dedicated fans know, I concluded this blog series (focused on locally and culturally unique alcoholic drinks) when Ilene and I finished our around the world gap-year travels. If you are new to this series, (though it is hard to believe there is anyone out there who hasn’t read these) and want to catch up you can find posts here. Since my last writing just under a year ago, a couple things have happened… First, we have been overwhelmed by the volume of fan requ

Although I had thought I’d wrapped up this special blog series, I just couldn’t help myself. Obsessed with delivering for my fans, my OCD kicked in and I scoured Indonesia for 7 weeks dragging Ilene from hut to hut and exploring every beach bar on the 6,000 populated islands. All in order to find Indonesian produced alcohols. I’m proud to report… success! In a remote corner of Indonesia, known only by a select few is Sanur, Bali. Here I discovered (much like Indiana Jones) a

I know, I know… it’s been awhile since my last blog post (found here), but our transition from Southeast Asia into Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea has been a whirlwind. And as I sit here writing this post, I’m realizing that this might be the last time you hear from me since we are on the final legs of our round the world, year-long journey for… science, of course. However, I have to say the data gathered here has really been worth it! In fact, there was sooo much data gath

Africa to Southeast Asia… imbibing from drought to deluge (for science of course). My socials have been absolutely flooded with requests for updates on the alcoholic drinks we’ve encountered on our way to and through Southeast Asia. Ok, ok I hear you! The last post on this topic was (found here) on the heels of our visit to Spain and explored the amazing Spanish wine culture. Unfortunately since then we really haven’t encountered anything terribly blog worthy. That is, until

Admittedly, my only experience with Spanish wine prior to our trip was walking into Trader Joe’s looking for a good/cheap bottle of wine to use in our Sangria recipe in the summer. Because… what better wine than a $5 bottle of Spanish wine for homemade Sangria? Little did I realize just how much of a wine culture existed in Spain! After spending 3-4 weeks in Spain it is very apparent that wine is an integral part of the dining and socializing culture here. As you walk past re

Our explorations of Port in Porto, Gaia, and the Duoro Valley in Portugal.

My fans have demanded that I try and write a monthly post, so here I am again. Ok, well fans with an “s” might be an exaggeration… it was really one fan, and demanded might also be a bit strong… maybe suggested? Anyway… After 3 months of travel through 8 different countries, I think it is time to cover the really important stuff everyone has on their mind… the regional alcoholic beverages of course! Whenever we travel, we like to try the local spirits to get a “flavor” of the