Bringing Back Cocktail Hour - Marlborough, New Zealand

Bringing Back Cocktail Hour in Marlborough!Back in January we had a blast touring the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.  Jenn's brother Brent planned the route and blazed the trail along with Matt, Jenn, and Jenn's stepdad, Bill.  When Brent sponsored Bring Back Cocktail Hour, we thought it would be fitting to apply it to another libation-related tour...This time on the other side of the world.

New Zealand is known for its quality wines and we were keen to sample a wide variety. We drove to Blenheim, New Zealand, rented two bikes, and spent a fun-filled day visiting a variety of tasting rooms.  When lunchtime arrived, we were fortunate to be close to The Brothers winery where we paired a 2011 Pinot Noir with their more-than-generous charcuterie plate which contained a selection of breads, meats, cheeses, seafood, pate, olives, and mixed greens.  We left energized and fortified, ready for a riverside path peddle before proceeding to another winery known for its sparkling wine.

We extend our deepest appreciation to Brent for his "Include an Appetizer" contribution.  It helped us create new memories while reminding us of the good times we shared this past winter.

Bringing Back Cocktail Hour - Coral Coast, Fiji

Line 'em Up!

We caught the attention of several vacationing Australians, the hotel's owner, and Mateo, the friendly bartender at the Talanoa Bar, when we politely asked that he "please line up shots of Fiji's local liquors along with their bottles".  The place was quiet as Mateo raised an inquisitive eyebrow and poured the colorful libations into tiny stemware.  Is this not traditionally requested in Fiji?  Who cares?!  We were on island-time and knew that our Bring Back Cocktail Hour sponsor was ready to see what we would do with her contribution to "Include an Appetizer".

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsor Yvonne, we not only sampled the local gin, vodka, rum (white and dark) and the whiskey, but also enjoyed a traditional dish of Coconut Pancake Rolls before dinner.  This appetizer consists of fresh local fish sauteed with garlic, onion and lime juice, topped with a delicate mornay sauce, then wrapped in a thin coconut pancake.  One word - Delish!

Our gratitude goes out to Yvonne for helping us Bring Back Cocktail Hour while also providing an appetizer capable of absorbing our selection of island favorites.  The entire experience will never be forgotten.

Bringing Back Cocktail Hour – KL (Kuala Lumpur), Malaysia

We toasted the generosity of Colleen who used the Bring Back Cocktail Hour feature to sponsor an amazing bottle of Prosecco at Table 23, a small, contemporary restaurant in a great little neighborhood that offered both charm and character. 

After the bottle of bubbly, we moved right down the street for live, local jazz at No Tie Required.  We loved KL and want to extend our appreciation to Colleen for generously sponsoring our delicious libations for the evening.

Bringing Back Cocktail Hour – Manila, Philippines

At Manila's Sky Deck restaurant we witnessed dusk approaching as city lights awakened to illuminate our surroundings.  We proposed a toast to the generosity of our good friends, John and Brea who used the Bring Back Cocktail Hour feature to sponsor a perfect evening of dinner and drinks.  The rooftop venue offered a panoramic skyline view, efficient service, and a live band.

The highlight of the evening was the meal which contained a delicious selection of Philippine heritage dishes such as Lengua Sevillana (Slow braised ox tongue, mushrooms, and olives) and Callos Manileno (Spanish style slow cooked ox tripe, ox tail, pork knuckles, roasted bell peppers, olives, and chorizo).  For desert we enjoyed Ensaymada Pudding, a decadent, custard-like bread pudding with crème a l’angiaise and fresh mango.

The meal was accompanied by local drinks of Tanduay dark rum and San Miguel Pilsen beer.  We extend our appreciation to our generous dining benefactors for sponsoring an incredible, memorable evening.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you and yours!

We welcomed the New Year at our home enjoying turkey and a lovely French champagne given to us as a gift from Michael Elkins and Sean Strache (Keen Information Management (KeenIM) and good friends of Jenn). 

It was a lovely way to start our year off - Thank you Michael and Sean for helping us start our year-off in style!