Last week I attended a Women & Whiskey event  at the beautiful Fairmont Copley Hotel in Boston. Held by Where to Eat Boston and led by Brandy Rand, a cocktail and wine marketing expert, the whiskey tasting was fun, informative, and delicious.

We kicked it off with a Basil Hayden bourbon drink, a tea julep that was a nod to the Kentucky Derby coming up that weekend. The drink was lightly sweet with a lovely tea flavor and a kick of bourbon, really delicious.

 

whiskey tea julep

The Fairmont Copley put out a nice spread of grilled breads, cheese, and charcuterie, and I filled my plate a couple of times, enjoying each bite with sips of my cocktail. The perfect meal?

cheese

Brandy shared information on how whiskey is made, the history of whiskey in various places in the world, and information about whiskey through the decades. It was interesting to learn how vodka, flavorless and difficult to smell, nudged whiskey out as a top choice, but how whiskey (especially bourbon) is making a comeback.

We wafted various whiskeys and learned to properly taste, holding tastes in our mouth, making sure to cover all the tastebuds, and appreciating the finish of each whiskey.

I had tried some of the whiskeys before, including the Scotch whisky, Auchentoshan while we were in Scotland. However, this was my first time trying Japanese whiskey, a Yamazaki 12! I really loved it!

We also tasted three bourbons side-by-side, Maker’s Mark, Basil Hayden, and Knob Creek rye. I’ve become a rye fan in the past few years and enjoyed the vanilla and oak notes in the Knob Creek. It was my favorite of the American whiskeys.

whiskey and women eventTyrconnell Whiskey

The winner for the night for me, however, was the Tyrconnell Irish whiskey. I can’t help it; it was smooth with notes of honey and a little bit of smoke, evoking moments of sitting by a turf fire on past trips to Ireland. It smelled and tasted like a bit of home.

Brandy did a really awesome job keeping us interested and making whiskey fun and approachable, especially for women, who are often steered toward girly (vodka) and fruity drinks. Brandy wanted us to be able to identify a whiskey that we liked, and from the chatter in the crowd, it seemed that everyone did.

whiskey and women

Are you a whiskey fan? If you have an opportunity to attend a Women & Whiskey event, I would definitely recommend it!

Tags: events, Fairmont Copley, whiskey, whiskey and women, whisky, whisky tasting

It really helps to have friends and coworkers who love to travel. Aside from blogs, most of the places we visit on our travels come from friends. When we were planning our weekend getaway to the Inn at Mystic, I spent a lot time asking around for places to visit in Mystic, especially restaurants. The Oyster Club came up as a recommendation again and again, and it became a must-visit for our trip.

Oyster Club Mystic

Oyster Club is located in downtown Mystic steps from the harbor. It features an outdoor “tree house” sitting area that wasn’t open for the season yet, but that would be well worth a visit now that it’s nice out.

Oyster Club Tree House We arrived at around 1:30 for lunch, and the Oyster Club bar and dining room were both bustling with activity. Everyone was super friendly, and we didn’t mind waiting a few minutes for a table to be cleared.

oyster club wine

We were soon whisked over to a table by the window, sweet wildflowers providing a burst of seasonal color.

wildflowers

There’s always something to celebrate, so we toasted with a glass of pink bubbly and the house Dark n Stormy.

cocktails

At the Oyster Club, you have to get oysters, and I have been having huge oyster cravings lately. We stuck with a dozen briny, medium-sized Fischer Island oysters, and as always, I could have eaten a dozen more. What is it about oysters?

oysters

It was a bright and sunny day, but the air still had a cold bite to it, so a bowl of the Oyster Club quahog chowder was a hot, filling must-have. Chunks of potato, bacon, and clams were brought together by a light cream broth. It was a really excellent chowder.

clam chowder

The Oyster Club was a really great recommendation and a place that I would visit again on another trip to Mystic. If you have a plan to visit Mystic anytime soon and are a fan of oysters and other seafood, definitely add it to your itinerary.

Tags: Connecticut, mystic, oysters, Travel, travel blog, Travel Tuesday

Travel, Wine, and Dine has definitely been focusing more on the travel and wine lately, with a departure from the recipes and cooking that used to be a bigger part of my blog and my life. Life happens, people change, and there are times when being in the kitchen is a little less appealing that being out and about, working really hard on growing my career, and seeing as much of the world as possible.

twice baked sweet potato mash

I do still cook, in between nights out and takeout and those nights where cereal is the only thing that is possible. I’ve been trying to make lots of entree salads as well as shrimp, veggies, some sort of sauce, and pasta.

This twice baked sweet potato dish was inspired by one of the many articles that I have been reading, trying to find quick, healthy recipes for weeknight meals. While it’s getting warmer out, nights are still chilly, so this sweet potato mash is perfect either on its own or with main dish. Greek yogurt adds in protein, and the sweet potato and kale are chock full of nutrients.

How to make it:

I simply baked two large sweet potatoes until they were soft, scooped out the filling and mixed it with the following:

2 cups chopped kale and 1 cup chopped yellow onion, sautéed in oil until soft

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

dash garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper, all to taste

I pureed the ingredients together until soft and silky, then topped with a generous sprinkling of crumbled feta. I put back in the oven at 400 for about 10 minutes and this easy Meatless Monday meal was ready to serve.

I’m excited for gardening and farmers markets and all of the beautiful seasonal produce they will bring!

Tags: easy recipes, Food, recipe, Vegetarian

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