Thank you IKEA

You already know from our previous post how much we enjoy products from Denmark. We are danskophiles. Sweden also produces many favorites. I think we could easily be considered svenskophiles too. While living there during a long summer internship back in 1997 my husband and I gained an appreciation for IKEA. We were thrilled when the company expanded to the U.S. Now every time we visit one of their stores it's like making a quick trip to Sweden, but without the expensive airplane ticket.

Sadly our closest IKEA is 2.5hrs away, so anytime we are near one we stock up on favorite food items from the market. During our last visit to Scandinavia we found a soda that we really liked, that I have yet to find in the states, which contained elderflower. Luckily IKEA sells Elderflower Saft, a simple concentrated syrup:

 Since I recently posted about grapefruit I remembered that the soda we liked had grapefruit and elderflower in it. It has such a unique taste, but I really like it. Knowing IKEA had the main ingredient I thought I'd grab a bottle and start playing around with ratios to see if I could come up with the right combination.

Elderflower-Grapefruit Spritzer
Serves 2
3 T grapefruit juice
1/3 C Elderflower Syrup
1 C Pellegrino or club soda

Adjust amounts to desired taste and serve over ice.
It is quite refreshing, and again, it has a very unique flavor, unlike anything we usually find in the States.
Now I just need to think of a catchy name for it...

Extreme Bottled Water

My husband and I got a chance to sneak away to Miami Beach for a weekend retreat. It was greatly needed to escape the bitter cold. When we left home it was 9 degrees; we forgot what 80 degree weather felt like. Since this trip was all inclusive, courtesy of "the firm", I was able to walk up to the bar and order anything I wanted free of charge. 

Here's the bar:

This is what I ordered:

The bartender handed me a glass bottle containing artesian water from Norway!

It tasted like regular water but without the plastic after taste some bottled water has.

Fancy Hotel = Fancy Bottled Water

Care to guess the cost of 12.6oz of imported water? 

Inspiration

Our family made a trip to Disney World during the Christmas holidays. While there my husband and I had the pleasure of eating at an amazing Italian restaurant. The pizza was incredible. So good, in fact, I have yet to find an equal. The only bad thing I can say is that when I asked the waiter for a non-alcoholic version of a drink on their menu he looked at me like I was trying to pull a prank on him. He was so puzzled by my request that he wasn't sure what to do. Really? With a restaurant of this caliber had he never received a request like this before?

This started my quest. Instead of asking the servers to come up with something I knew I needed to have an arsenal of options at my disposal. I've spent several months researching drinks, website, bartenders guides, etc. to find options that are refreshing and memorable, yet free of alcohol for anyone who needs (or wants) to keep that out of their body.

As far as munchies are concerned, I love food. Who doesn't? However, in my case I'm picky about the quality of the ingredients and how my food is prepared. Part of my preference stems from food sensitivities and the other comes from plan old palatability. I have become a little snobby about preservatives and I prefer food made from the freshest ingredients. More on that later...

So I dedicate this blog to anyone who shares a love for good quality food and has a taste for drinks from the bar that are alcohol free. Welcome!