DrinkableGifts Blog

Shannon Youngblood

Shannon Youngblood is a thirty-something blog writer who has an affinity for falling and an extreme love for dachshunds, Dr. Who, and musicals. She loves to write, regardless of the subject matter, and she wishes everyday could be Halloween! Although she was born and raised in the United States, her lifelong goal is to retire somewhere in Europe with her husband, her books, and a cup of hot coffee.

Everything You Need to Know About Tequila

For all of my legal drinking years (I won’t say how long because it’ll make me feel old), I have never seen a word have such a visceral reaction from people. You can probably guess by the title of this blog the word I am talking about. 

You guessed it — It’s all about Tequila. People either absolutely love this bold flavor of the liquor, or they hate it, and I find there is very little in between. Personally, I am a huge fan of this delectable beverage, so when given the opportunity to write about one of my favorite spirits, how could I pass it up? But, with that being said, I took a lot of time to really dig into the history, the culture, and the ups and downs of this particular beverage. I’ve gotta tell you, I was quite surprised to find new information I didn’t know. With that being said, grab your Margarita, (no salt for me, thanks), and let’s talk about my go-to liquor, Tequila.

Everything You Need to Know About Tequila: Shots of tequila with lime and salt

Everything you need to know about Champagne

As a host, the most surefire way to tell your soiree is going strong is that distinctive pop of a champagne cork. It’s the sound of celebration, a mini cherry bomb that signals mirth, merriment, and good times ahead. But, before you lift that glass of bubbly to your lips, read on to find out how to take your shindig-game from sparkling wine novice to champagne connoisseur. Let’s talk about champagne

About Champagne: Glasses of Champagne on gold background with New Year presents

Singing Rice Wine’s Praises: The History of Sake in Japan

Have you ever been out with your friends for sushi and been offered a glass of sake? Or wondered about the history of sake? Well, we have, and there’s some questions we’ve decided to answer.  What exactly is sake, and where did it come from? The history of sake is something that has been disputed for centuries. So we decided to dig a little deeper into it and see what we could find out. 

Sake itself is an alcoholic drink made from fermented rice, traditionally from Japan.  Locally people also know it as nihonshu, which in literal translation means “Japanese Liquor’. In Japan, people drink sake during holidays, special occasions, and formal ceremonies.

People enjoy sake in much the same way they enjoy wine. I can already hear you asking:  isn’t wine technically made from fermented fruit? The answer is, yes, it is, and while rice is certainly NOT a fruit. However, like a wine, you should sip and savor sake, and temperature is everything when it comes to perfecting its flavor. And that leads us back to the questions at hand. What is sake and where did it come from?