My My Mai Tai

It’s Thirsty Thursday everyone!! That means the weekend is right around the corner. Get through the next few days by sipping on our featured drink of the week the Mai Tai. One thing this drink does is put you in the mood for a tropical vacation. Some of the best Mai Tai’s I’ve ever had were in the Bahamas and every time I sip one it brings me back to paradise. Let learn a little bit about this vacation style beverage.

A Mai Tai is made with white rum, dark rum, orange curaçao, Orgeat syrup and lime juice. They are typically garnished with a pineapple or a tropical flower. Shake your drink with ice and pour over ice for a refreshing cocktail that will transport you and your tastebuds to white sand beaches and crystal clear skies.

The Mai Tai is claimed to be invented by two rival restaurants in L.A. Trader Vic’s owned by Victor Bergeron claimed to have made the drink in 1944. Vic had friends visiting from Tahiti so he created this cocktail. One of the friends yelled out “very good” in Tahitian, which in the native tongue translates to Mai Tai. The rival restaurant who stakes their claim to fame is Don the Beachcomber restaurant. This tinsel town eatery claimed to have invented the drink in 1933, 11 years before Vic and his Tahitian friends. Reports claim that the Mai Tai’s from both restaurants taste so different that you may not even know they are the same drink. Officially there are 11 different ways to make a Mai Tai, so the argument will still persist.

Looking to sip on a Mai Tai poolside? Give us a call 920.236.7777

Thirsty Thursday: Jenever

Welcome to Thirsty Thursday today we are taking a trip across the pond to Europe to learn about a beverage known as Jenever. Jenever translated means Dutch Gin in English. It is a very popular liquor in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany. As far as I can tell the Dutch part does not mean it comes from there, but makes it a specific type of gin because it is described as tasting more like vodka.

The European Union states that it can only be called Jenever if it is made in 2 northern French Departments (also known as regions or states) and in 2 German Federal States. The drink itself is produced by distilling malt wine with added herbs such as the juniper berry. In Dutch the word juniper is translated to jeneverbes hence Jenever as the name.

Like many alcohols it’s history is a little confusing and disputed, but lets learn about it shall we. Jenever is attributed to being invented by Dutch Chemist Franciscus Sylvius de Bouve. And it was first sold by him as medicine in the 16th century. One problem with this theory is that Bouve was not born until the 17th century, so him inventing it in the 16th is pretty much impossible. There are also records showing that in 1606 it stopped being considered a medicine and that pretty much completely discredits Bouve. The National Jenevermuseum in Belgim claims it was created in Flanders in the 13th century by Professor Eric Van Schoonenberghe. There wasn’t much proof or history behind that, but it would make more sense for it to be invented at this time.

There are two types of Jenever: Old and New. This doesn’t have anything to do with it’s actual age, but instead the distilling process. New style contains more grain than malt. According to guidelines new style cannot contain more than 15% malt wine and no more than 10 grams of sugar per liter. Old style must have at least 15% malt wine and no more than 20 grams sugar per liter.

The liquor is served generally in a tulip shaped glass, poured to the brim at room temperature. It is often consumed as well in a frosted shot glass.

To try out this beverage yourself you will need to call 920.236.7777 or visit our website ambassadortravelltd.com to set up an appointment with one of our excellent Travel Consultants!

Best Drinks From Around the World

If you are like me then you are obsessed with Buzzfeed articles. I can barely scroll through my Facebook timeline without seeing their humorous articles and I can NEVER pass up one of their quizzes.. like who doesn’t want to know which version of Taylor Swift they are, (I got leaving the gym looking perfect Taylor, naturally), but today I found an article perfect for our Thirsty Thursday blog. In said article they lay out 13 of the world’s best drinks and where in those cities to try them. I don’t know how they landed on these 13, but several have been featured right here on our blog, so naturally I wanted to share it with all of my lovely readers!

article: https://www.buzzfeed.com/ariannarebolini/delicious-boozy-drinks-from-around-the-world?utm_term=.xsNjwXx13#.fd46VZ5Ry

Although I’ve written about quite a few of these I have actually only tried 2 of them myself. I would love to hear from all of you if you have tried any of these drinks. I have had the Pimms cup, which by the way I love and is becoming more popular again. You can find it at many bars. And the Paloma, which I would say far rivals the margarita any day. But please don’t hold back tell me what you think about these worldly beverages!

Ambassador Travel Ltd. | 920.236.7777 | ambassadortravelltd.com

Thirsty Thursday: Pina Colada

What gets us in the mood to travel south more than a delicious Pina Colada. Now most of us have enjoyed this delicious umbrella drink, but do we know anything about its history? If not, then keep reading; if so I guess go make yourself a Pina Colada and wait until tomorrow’s blog post.

Pina Colada is Spanish for strained pineapple, which comes from one the drink’s main ingredients. Other ingredients include white rum and coconut cream. It has been the national drink of Puerto Rico since 1978 and the people of the island celebrate national Pina Colada day every year on July 10^th. Like many popular drinks the Pina Colada has a history that is debated and still to this day a definite rivalry. The two main accounts of where the drink was first made come from a dispute between two bartenders. The first, Ramon Marrero Perez, claims to have made the delicious drink first at the Caribe Hilton Hotel’s Beachcomber Bar in San Juan in 1954. Another Ramon tells a different story though; Ramon Portas Mingot says he created the drink in 1963 at the Barrachina Restaurant in Old San Juan. And regardless of which account you believe you can still visit both locations to sample what claims to be the original Pina Colada.

Want to try this delicious drink in its native land? Call us today to book your next trip to Puerto Rico. Also make sure to check out our website, here you can request an appointment online and learn more about what we do. 920.236.7777 or ambassadortravelltd.com

Brazilian booze

Welcome to Thirsty Thursday, the weekend isn’t far off and I am here to inspire you with some drinkspiration. Because we talked about Brazil’s Carnival yesterday I got to thinking about how much I want to visit the South American country. We are about to get a real taste of everything Brazil in the next few months because the Olympics are being held there this summer. And I know that that will just give me more of an itch to travel. So I decided to continue my fascination and feature Brazil’s national liquor for today’s Thirsty Thursday blog–Cachaca. 

Cachaca is an alcohol similar to rum. It is made by a fermentation process with sugar cane juice. Sugar cane production was brought to Brazil by the Portuguese in 1532. The process of making Cachaca is similar to rum, except for the fact that rum is made with molasses and Cachaca comes strictly from the sugar cane juice. With 1.5 billion liters consumed within Brazil annually you can see why it is known as their national liquor.

Like rum, Cachaca has high end and cheaper versions. It can be bought white or unaged, which tends to be the lower quality and is generally used in mixed drinks. One of the most common mixed drinks that calls for Cachaca is Caipirinha, which I featured on a Thirsty Thursday blog last spring. The more higher end versions are generally aged and have a gold coloring. This type is supposed to be sipped rather than mixed to make cocktails.

Interested in learning more about Brazil? Give us a call 920.236.7777 or visit ambassadortravelltd.com to schedule an appointment with one of our South America experts.