Posts Tagged: Underwood Strawberry Cooler

Link Up with Freeland Spirits

August 16, 2019

Earlier this summer we were on the search for the perfect spirit to complement our Underwood Strawberry Cooler. We thought the bright and floral notes of a gin might be the best pairing. After tasting a few, we landed on Freeland Spirits’ Gin.

Freeland Spirits not only has amazing tasting gin, but they are an incredible women-owned craft distillery located in NW Portland. One of the few distilleries owned and operated by women. They have been open just over a year but their beautiful tasting room, original packaging, and warm personalities have already made a positive impact in the distillery community in Portland.

We worked with their team to create a cocktail that was just released on their menu and will be featured at the Distillery Row Beach Bash this Sunday (8/18). Grab some Strawberry Cooler and Freeland Spirits Gin to create this cocktail at home or stop by Freeland Spirits on NW Vaughn in Portland to find it on their menu.

Link Up

Underwood Strawberry Cooler
2oz Freeland Spirits Gin
1oz Lime
1oz Simple Syrup
2oz Coconut Milk

In a shaker tin add Freeland Gin, lime, coconut milk, and simple syrup shake and strain into a glass of their choice and ice and top with Underwood Strawberry Cooler!
Cheers!

Tillamook Frozen Custard & Underwood Strawberry Cooler Syrup

July 19, 2019

A Perfect Pairing:
Tillamook Frozen Custard & Underwood Strawberry Cooler Syrup

Strawberry season goes by way too quickly, but we aren’t quite ready to say goodbye just yet!

We have recently discovered (and fallen in love with) some of our local Tillamook Creamery’s Special Batch ice cream, gelato and custards. We thought it would be interesting to pair strawberries with their Sea Salt & Honeycomb Toffee Custard, and it worked amazingly. To sweeten the deal we created a simple, yet very complex tasting, Strawberry Cooler Syrup, which really highlights the salty crunchy bits of toffee in the creamy custard.

The syrup is simple to make and will stay good for weeks in the refrigerator.

Underwood Strawberry Cooler Syrup

Underwood Strawberry Cooler
3 ripe strawberries
3 sprigs of mint
1/4 teaspoon of black peppercorns
2 Tablespoons of sugar (optional)

STEP ONE:
Pour a can of the Cooler into a wide, heavy bottomed pot and bring to a boil. If adding the sugar, do so at this time. Stir until the sugar is dissolved so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.

STEP TWO:
Immediately reduce to a simmer and continue to cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

STEP THREE:
After 15 minutes, place the strawberries (stems removed), mint and peppercorns into the pot and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes or until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.

STEP FOUR:
Strain liquid immediately into a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. Once cooled, scoop out some custard (or your favorite Tillamook ice cream flavor), add a few strawberries and a healthy drizzle of the syrup.

Bon Appétit!

Photography, Recipe and Text by David L. Reamer. (@dlreamer)

Its Strawberry Season! Pick ’em, Eat ’em, Drink ’em

June 14, 2019

Of all the seasons here in Oregon the absolute best one has to be Strawberry season! Oregon Strawberries are nothing like the ones you see around the country, (or, on the rest of the West Coast anyway.) A good bit smaller in size, Oregon strawberries pack a bright red center and a flavor that will put a giant smile on your face.

The strawberry season here lasts only a few weeks, so we recommend not letting it pass you by. Of course, you can go to plenty of local markets and co-ops around town and get beautiful pints of berries, but for the true fans, nothing compares to packing up the family, making the drive out to Sauvie Island and spending an hour or so in the fields picking your own. Besides saving money, it’s a family activity that everyone can enjoy.

For this adventure, we enlisted the help of the Alexander Family. Walter is a North Carolina native and one of the original owners of Pine State Biscuits, and Darcie is one of the best local real estate agents with PDX Green Team.

There are plenty of local farms that allow you to pick your own. We chose one of our favorites, Columbia Farms, on the far side of Sauvie Island, but they are all pretty great.

If it’s your first time out in the fields, you can bring your own reusable containers to fill up or the farms will provide you with everything you need to get your berries home safely.

Once you get out into the fields, the different varieties are marked with color-coded flags for easy identification. Some types are better for baking, some are better for straight munching. We love Hoods the best, but we encourage you to do a little taste test once you get into the fields, illustrated here by the Alexander children, Hazel and Lewis.

(so much for hiding the evidence…)

And, while the kids are busy picking and enjoying a few berries, we encourage the adults in the group to quench their thirsts with our Strawberry Cooler. Made with Pinot Noir and just a hint of lime juice, this punch is not super sweet or overly intense but a perfect balance of sweet and tart. And, it’s lower alcohol content makes it perfect for an afternoon out with the family.

As we like to say, Oregon pinot noir + Oregon strawberries + cranberry juice + lime = all summer long.