Beer in the Windy City
Filed Under Destination Features, Travel Tips, Wines & Spirits, USA
Today is National Beer Day, and in its honor we'll be talking about beer in our hometown, Chicago. The rise in the production, sales, and quality of so-called "craft" beers in the US in the past few decades, and particularly since the 1990's, has meant a corresponding increase in craft breweries and brewpubs, not to mention a plethora of amazing brews to try. When I was young and growing up… Read
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Types of Cocktails & Mixed Drinks
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, What's Up at TIK, Wines & Spirits
Happy National Cocktail Day! We don't think one really needs a reason to enjoy a nice cocktail, but we don't mind having one. So what exactly is a cocktail? A cocktail is a mixed alcoholic drink that includes one or more spirit and some type of mixer. Not very specific, is it? cocktail (noun): an alcoholic drink consisting of a spirit or several spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as… Read
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History of the Margarita and a Recipe for a Classic Margarita Cocktail
Filed Under Food History, Kitchen Tips, Recipes, Wines & Spirits, Mexico
Happy National Margarita Day! The margarita cocktail is a bit like the Italian dessert tiramisú. There are many different stories for how it got invented and by whom! And there is not even consensus on how the name of the cocktail came about. One thing there is consensus on? That it is one of the world's most beloved and recognizable cocktails. So what is a margarita? It always includes three… Read
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Loire Valley Wine Tours with The International Kitchen
Filed Under Destination Features, Wines & Spirits, France
What is there to see in the Loire Valley? Some of the world's most stunning chateaux, Renaissance art, verdant fields, and rolling vineyards. What is there to experience in the Loire Valley? Amazing wines and first class gastronomy! In fact, the Loire is known for having some of the best wines of France, even though it is perhaps less known by Americans than Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne. Loire Valley wines… Read
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Italy Vacation Packages: Our Favorite Tuscany Trips
Filed Under Destination Features, Travel Tips, Wines & Spirits, Italy
At The International Kitchen, our Italy vacation packages are perfect ways to explore Italy, whether you think of yourself as a foodie or not. Our culinary trips are for private and small-group travel - no busses, no tourist traps, nothing but intimate and authentic foodie and cultural experiences. In a destination like Tuscany, where vacation packages can be overpriced and touristy, it's particularly important to have someone who knows the… Read
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La Maremma Toscana
Filed Under Destination Features, Wines & Spirits, Italy
... Ma di lontano pace dicono al cuor le tue colline con le nebbie sfumanti e il verde piano ridente ne le pioggie mattutine. - Giosuè Carducci Tuscany is one of our best-selling destinations, which should be no surprise to anyone who knows anything at all about Italy. But to many people, Tuscany means Florence and the Chianti area, while they ignore the rest of the region. Some people do… Read
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