I have a lot to write about today. I finished my orange liqueur and have been trying different beers, wine and coffee and I need to share! Also there is a freebie available to you if you subscribe!

Early April I started a batch of homemade orange liqueur. Check it out here! This is part two of that process, so let’s do a recap. I took four oranges and peeled them ever so slightly so I only got the orange and left the white pith behind. Then I added some sugar and mashed the peels and sugar around. I put my peel/sugar mixture into a glass jar, added some vanilla bean, vodka and brandy and let it sit for 20 days. And here we are – and the next step very easy!!!

Orange Liqueur, Part II

– Take the glass jar of peels and mixture, and strain into a bowl, using a colander and discard the orange peels.
– Stir 1 cup of sugar with 2 cups of water in a sauce pan and heat over medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved. This is a “simple syrup”
 – Let the simple syrup cool completely. While the syrup is cooling, take your strained orange liqueur and strain again through a coffee filter 2 – 3 times, until the orange liqueur is coming through clear. 
– Add the cooled simple syrup to the orange liqueur and mix. Pour mixture into a glass bottle, refrigerate and store for a up to a year! If it lasts that long, that is!!

I haven’t tried my orange liqueur yet – I am waiting to try it and the Coffee Liqueur I made in the same post, next weekend when I go camping! (Half excited and half panic because it just snowed this week [a.k.a. a blizzard!] and I haven’t turned my garage from winter mode into summer mode yet [i.e. everything is crammed in every corner possible… where is my tent? where is my tarp? I have no idea….] )

Beer!

A review of Village Blacksmith, Alberta Black Ale! I recently learned a little about tasting beers. If you are interested in tasting beers I created a cheat sheet on how to do it! Subscribe with your email address and I will send you the cheat sheet FREE! Who doesn’t love freebie’s? 

The Alberta Black Beer has a dark colouring to it, almost looking like cola. It has a slight malt smell and tastes of coffee. It is smooth, even though it has the bitter coffee taste. Overall it is a win for me in the porter/dark beer selection! 

Don’t forget to subscribe to get your freebie – a cheat sheet on how to taste beer!

Coffee!

I recently went to Carbon Environmental Boutique in Edmonton with my friend and she suggested I try a coffee they sell. The coffee is by Catfish Coffee Roasters and I picked up their SuckerPunch blend. This is a dark and smooth coffee. The smell and taste is amazing! The beans are a bit oily, so if you are worried about grinding beans in an expensive grinder… then I might opt out of this brand, but our coffee maker is old and on it’s last legs… and the coffee is absolutely worth it! I will be buying again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wine!

This is a wine that I have tried many, many times! Cupcake Red Velvet wine is one of my favourite wines, along with Apothic Red. The California wine is a red blend of Zinfandel, Merlot and Petite Sirah. It is extremely easy to drink (like way too easy) and is fruity and chocolatey with a smooth silky finish. If you are interested in wine tasting, Cupcake posts all of the tasting notes including Red Velvet’s!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you subscribed yet? Subscribe today and receive my free cheat sheet on beer tasting!