Life's Journey Travel Blog

Signature Cocktails from Around the World

7/31/2020

We often bring up wine at Life’s Journey Travel, but not every place you visit is a bustling wine region. However, most places do have a signature cocktail or two, and there’s often a good story that goes along with it. Today, we’re bringing you the backstories of 5 signature cocktails from around the world - plus links to recipes so you can try them out for yourself!

Negroni - Florence, Italy
This is one of the few cocktails whose origin has a documented history. The year is 1919 and Count Camillo Negroni enters a Florentine bar. The Count, a fellow who had traveled to the United States and spent time as a cowboy in the Wild West, orders his favorite cocktail: an Americano. But he asks the bartender to give it more teeth; the man obliges by swapping the Americano’s club soda with a healthy dose of gin. Thus, the Negroni was born.

Caipirinha - Brazil
The zesty Caipirinha has a muddled history. Some people think that it was intended as a remedy to the Spanish flu in the early 20th century--it originally contained cachaça, green lemons, honey, and garlic, instead of sugar. Others say it simply got started in the regions of Santos and São Vicente, because that’s where the first cachaça distilleries were.

Manila Sunshine - Philippines
Like the Singapore Sling, the Manila Sunshine is also a cocktail dreamt up by a hotels seeking to engage more visitors. In conjunction with the Philippines Department of Tourism, the Makati Shangri-La hotel added the Manila Sunshine to its repertoire in the hopes of attracting more foreign visitors. What makes it unique? Its base of lambanog, or coconut wine. Add to that some pineapple and mango juice with some triple sec and rum and you have yourself a taste of the Philippines!

Pimm’s Cup - London, England
Pimm’s Cups also began as a medicinal tonic. James Pimm, owner of a 19th-century oyster bar in London, marketed his new recipe as a drink to improve one’s health. It got so popular that he began selling the drink around the world. It’s still immensely popular, especially at the Wimbledon tournament.

Sazerac - New Orleans, United States
Some say that the Sazerac is America’s first cocktail. That may or may not be true, but what is known is that Antoine Amédée Peychaud, a native to Haiti who landed in Louisiana, created the drink. Peychaud ran a drug store in the Big Easy and offered his clients toddies mixed his own bitters and Sazerac cognac. The rest is history, but it’s now the signature cocktail of New Orleans.

Thinking about making one of these? Let me know how it goes!

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Diversity in the Travel Industry

6/15/2020

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For weeks now, people of all ages, genders, races, income brackets, and political affiliations have been protesting the murder of George Floyd. They aren’t just protesting what happened to one man of course; at the core, these protests are about systemic inequities within the United States and elsewhere around the world that make it possible for a group of people to be treated differently (and worse) than another.

If you know me personally and have spoken to me about these issues recently, you know where I stand. I don’t often bring up sensitive topics on my business platforms, but there comes a point when silence becomes compliance, and I cannot allow my silence to be construed in that manner any longer.

I have struggled to find the right words to say… Every one of us has friends and family members who have different opinions on what is happening in our country; we have people in our lives who will misconstrue our words and view a statement like black lives matter as white lives don’t, or they will interpret our support for social justice movements as an acceptance of the violence that has accompanied some of the protests.

I cannot control these reactions, but allow me to unequivocally state this: Black lives matter. If this statement sparks something in you and you want to talk about it, I welcome your comments below.

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I Am Listening, Learning and Growing

6/14/2020

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Dear Reader,

Since my last post, I have written and rewritten this newsletter ready to hit the send button only to realize events have changed, whether it be COVID19 or the protests, and being speechless, sad, and awakened.

Today is Flag Day, June 14th. Growing up as a child in a military family, we celebrate everything about the Flag and what it stands. I do so today - we live in a country where we can protest, speak our opinion, and question the status quo. As I celebrate I am also sad that racism still exists in this country. I ask what can I do, I am just one person? But I can listen, learn, and positively change every interaction, one at a time.

Be well,
Debra

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Zambia: A Unique Safari Destination

5/29/2020

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Can you point to the country of Zambia on a map? Perhaps not. Unless you’re a safari buff or someone who has a burning desire to know the name and location of every country on earth, it’s highly likely that Zambia doesn’t cross your mind often. But that’s precisely what makes it a special and unique safari destination.

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What’s In a Full Irish Breakfast?

5/22/2020

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When I’m on my own and when I’m traveling with a group, some of my favorite parts of the entire experience are getting to sample new foods and taste familiar ones assembled in new ways. And really, who doesn’t love indulging in the experience of food? I plan whole trips around that idea! In preparation for my trip to Ireland with Brendan Vacations, I’ve been doing a little research on the famed full Irish breakfast (AKA “Ulster fry” in Northern Ireland), and I’m here to share my insights.

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