Shopping in Europe is Different

On August 16, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Germany, Photo Challenge8 Comments

When we moved into our apartment in Frankfurt, one of the things that we had to get used to was where to go to buy certain things. In the United States, we are used to large chain stores that carry anything and everything that you need. That isn’t necessarily the same in Europe, at least where we were staying. If you need medicine, you went to the apothecary. If you want fresh meat, you went to the local deli. If you want fresh baked goods, you went to the bakery. During our last few days in Germany, we took some photos of the walk along the sidewalk from our apartment to our favorite restaurant.

Another thing that we got used to during our time in Frankfurt was having an aperitif after our meals, something that we don’t see too many people doing here in the States. This week’s Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is photos of things that start with the letters AP. Here are some pictures of our apartment building, the apothecary on the corner of our street, and the aperitifs that accompanied our meals.

Flavors Can Take You Places

On June 8, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Photo Challenge2 Comments

Just as flavorful dishes can take you back to a place that you have visited before, drinks can do the same thing. Whether it is a fruity tropical drink, a specialty drink for a region, or something that represents the season of the year, drinks can take you to a place in your memories. For this week’s Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge, Glasses, Cups, Saucers, we decided to look back at some special drinks that we have enjoyed. Perhaps one of this will wet your whistle.

Pisco Sour – Traditional South American Cocktail

On June 8, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes, South America12 Comments

When a friend of ours, who is a bartender, heard that we were going to be in Lima, Peru, he immediately told us that we absolutely had to try a Pisco Sour while we were there. We had never heard of Pisco or a Pisco Sour, but we agreed that we would give it a try. We weren’t disappointed. Pisco is an alcohol that is distilled from grapes and is essentially a brandy. Although we’ve had whiskey sours before, a Pisco Sour is similar in that it utilizes simple syrup and lime juice, but it doesn’t taste at all like a whiskey sour. It basically tastes like a frothy lemonade, but don’t let its sweet taste fool you, it is a strong drink. Just because Pisco is distilled from grapes, it isn’t wine, it is forty percent alcohol, or eighty proof.

One of the reasons that it is so light and airy is that an egg white is added and then it is shaken vigorously. Some places use a blender, but the better Pisco Sours are made using a hand-shaker. The dash of bitters at the end adds to the taste and the presentation. We tried Pisco Sours while in both Lima, Cochabamba, and La Paz with varied results. Ultimately the best Pisco Sour that we had was the first one we tried in Lima. We bought a bottle of Pisco on our way home at the duty-free store in Lima and will be trying our own hands at making Pisco Sours here in the very near future. If you ever get the chance to try them, you definitely should, they are delicious.