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  • Shrubs

    Cocktail 101: How to Make Shrub Syrups | Serious Eats: Drinks.

    Hanging out with Lee & Sachi in Seattle, we dove into the world of shrubs:

    In any case, the sugar, acid, and optional alcohol preserve the fruit juice, and in fact that was one original purpose of the shrub. Prior to the invention of refrigeration, a shrub syrup was a means of preserving fruit long past its picking. Shrubs were popular in Colonial America, mixed with cool water to provide a pick-me-up on hot summer days.

     

    A proper shrub has a flavor that’s both tart and sweet, so it stimulates the appetite while quenching thirst.

    I ordered one at The Walrus and the Carpenter, a pretty fantastic oyster bar in Ballard where we had dinner.

    This got me thinking about drinking vinegars, which is somewhat a name for the syrup + vinegar that you make shrubs from. We had some in Vancouver  at The Union which was fantastic.

    So, Lee and I concocted a shrub syrup from 2 oranges simmered in simple syrup and then added some sherry vinegar.

    Lee made up a drink with Averna in it and some soda. It was pretty delicious, especially when we kept amping up the amount of sherry vinegar.

    Yep, I’m a fan. And to think, it’s supposedly a summer drink.

    Update July 5, 2020: I’ve gone on to make many more shrubs / drinking vinegars. Browse the AllTheBest.Recipes shrub tag »

    → 12:04 AM, Dec 19   •  AllTheBestRecipes, Food, Lee Lefever, Seattle, Link, Averna, Ballard, cocktails, drinking vinegar, drinks, shrub, The Union, The Walrus and the Carpenter, Blog
  • Seattle Sounders game opening

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    When I went to Seattle last weekend, Lee took me along to see the Seattle Sounders play. It was actually my first MLS game.

    Attached a short video that starts out focused on the Sounders super fan section, just as the game opening ceremonies are going on.

    Thanks for taking me Lee, it was a lot of fun. I’m a lot more interested in the company Whitecaps season tickets now…

    → 1:55 PM, Apr 17   •  Personal, video, Lee Lefever, MLS, Qwest Field, Seattle, Seattle Sounders, soccer, Whitecaps FC, Blog
  • Walking in Seattle

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    I spent half a day on a Sunday in Seattle while Rachael was teaching her book arts course.

    I sat and blogged at the Tully's for a while, then did a walk around the neighbourhood and some parks nearby.

    I was relaxed and specifically had my eyes open looking for interesting things to capture. The fact that I found a plastic Sabretooth tiger toy placed in some rocks was a great bonus.

    I also had a bite to eat in a little mini Main Street down the road a bit. It reminded me a bit of Commercial Drive - lots of great restaurants and coffee shops.

    → 10:32 AM, Apr 17   •  Personal, Seattle, Blog
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