Portland Ice Cream Parlor: Fifty Licks

What: Fifty Licks
Where: 2021 SE Clinton St
When: Sun-Thurs 3-10pm, Fri-Sat noon-11pm
Honey's Heart: Sorbet Cocktails (and Chad)

Katie and I are always flattered when someone wants us to come try their restaurant, bar, or in this case, versatile cocktail-serving ice cream parlor, so when we were invited to come sample Fifty Licks' dessert cocktails (available for $2 off during happy hour- 4-6pm) we jumped at the chance.

Fifty Licks opened its brick and mortar just a couple months ago and so far we are digging what we see. Offering innovative ice creams and sorbets, unique toppings, and our favorite, cocktails, Fifty Licks is essentially an ice cream parlor designed for grown ups. Love it!

We sat down with Chad, the creator, owner, and flavor developer, to try Fifty Licks' four sorbet cocktails while learning more about his vision.

Chad divulged that he has two main goals in mind when creating a new ice cream: The first is, if it's a classic, it must be the very best version of that classic. That's why you won't find a chocolate ice cream on his menu (at least not yet, anyway). As he explained, all the fat in ice cream dulls down the rich flavor of chocolate. So, instead of ice cream, Chad makes a chocolate sorbet as there's no cream to dumb down the flavor. Other classic flavor options include Stumptown Coffee, Tahitian Vanilla, and Blood Orange Creamsicle.

Chad's second goal is that if he's creating a new flavor, it must be utterly delicious in every way, so no novelty flavors for him (looking at you Salt & Straw turkey ice cream). Some of Chad's unique but very tasty creations include Jasmine Tea with Apricot, Toasted Milk, and Passionfruit with Schuan Peppercorns.

Fifty Licks' cocktails came about from Chad's desire to provide a place for people to go after dinner if they just don't feel like going to a bar. Fifty Licks is a great alternative if you want dessert, a drink, or both.

I have to admit, Katie and I were anticipating overly-sweet cocktails, which we are not a fan of. Instead, we tasted four perfectly balanced craft cocktails that would be delicious even without their complementary sorbets- though the combination of cocktail and sorbet was so out-of-this-world that I don't know why you would ever want to separate them.

Here's what we tried: 

Furacao- Passionfruit with Sichuan Pepper sorbet, Madeira, Brryh, bitters

Velvet Shiso- Coconut Lemon Saffron sorbet, plum wine, bubbly, fresh shiso

Nordic Palmer- Frozen Lemonade, iced tea sparkling mead, lemon peal 

Bitter Rose- Grapefruit Rosewater sorbet, Cocchi American Rosa, orange bitters

It's hard to choose a favorite because they were all so good, but we both loved how refreshing the Nordic Palmer was and Furacao really did have a great balance of sweet and bitter.

During our sampling, we also had the opportunity to try a bunch of ice creams and sorbets on their own. One stand-out was Cherry Bourbon (sorry kids, this one is only for adults...) which Katie immediately called it out as Adam's potential favorite. Adam does have a sweet tooth (and a bourbon tooth too) and upon visiting later that week and getting this in the waffle cone, Adam felt confident in stating that it was likely the best waffle cone and ice cream experience he's ever had. I can attest to this as he stated it no less than 6 times while we were there.

We also got to try Chad's Cuban Coffee. It was so good that we both drank two cups... and were up late into the night thanks to our mid-evening caffeine boost. It was worth it though!

The flavors at Fifty Licks are constantly changing and sometimes a flavor doesn't make it up to the board, so don't be shy to ask if your favorite isn't listed.

Plus, Chad just released three amazing-sounding fall flavors: Sweet Potato Toasted Marshmallow, Autumn Harvest (roasted butternut squash with a baked savory-spiced apple ribbon), and Cranberry Cherry Sorbet. Be sure to like Fifty Licks on Facebook so you can stay updated about all the new flavors.

P.S. A huge thanks to Chad for sharing his story and his creations with us. We had so much fun chatting with you!

HHH's Favorite Drinking Games

Kel and I are big on drinking games. I mean, not that we need an excuse to drink, but they are a great way to get a room warmed up.

We have our favorites from college that we still play occasionally- King's Cup, Asshole, and Hot or Cold- but within the last year or so, we've been introduced to a few new games that have quickly become part of our party repertoire.

Let's learn about them, shall we?

Kai Bai Bo!

Dana and Eric learned this one while they were teaching in Seoul a few years ago. We played it for the first time at Sushi/Sake Bomb/Christmas Sweater night last year and it was so much fun.

Materials: 
- Chopsticks
- Drinks

Where to Play: 
At home

How it Works:
1) Players stand around a table with drinks in front of them.
2) Together everyone chants "Kai Bai Bo!" (or "Rock Paper Scissors!" if you want to do it the boring English way).
3) On "Bo!", everyone points their chopstick at someone else.
4) The person who is "it" shouts a number. Something between 1 and 10 is preferable.
5) Follow the path of the pointed chopsticks from the person who is "it", counting to the number.
6) The person you land on has to drink and now they are "it."

Confused?

Bonus: You kinda feel like Harry Potter with all that chopstick pointing. I loved it. (Obvs).

Kill Your Friends

This game comes from Lauren (read about her recent trip to Portland on her blog here) and it's pretty simple. It's best played in a crowded bar with friends who like to have a good time and who aren't going to be nincompoops (not that you would have friends like that anyway...).

Materials: 
- Money
- Drinks
- Strangers

Where to Play: 
At a bar 

How it Works:
1) If you buy someone a drink, you get to choose how they "die."
2) The more public, potentially embarrassing, and creative their "death" the better.
3) The drinker must act out their "death" before they can drink their drink.
4) If you bought multiple people drinks, feel free to combine their "deaths." It's more fun that way. 

Confused? Here are some example "deaths" from a recent game played at Rontoms (their patio is the perfect "death" stage, btw).

Doug starts to get sick and slowly turns into a zombie like on The Walking Dead. He tries to attack everyone at the table until Lauren finally shoots him in the head.

Katie and Kelly start lancing from opposite ends of the bar. They run towards each other. Katie knocks Kelly from her horse and Kelly dies, but not before tripping Katie, causing her to fall as well. 

Lauren is wandering all over the bar, holding up her phone trying to get service. Right in the middle of the bar, she is electrocuted by a lightning bolt and dies.

The Game from Pumpkin Beer Night 

So this one definitely needs a new name (can you guess where it was made up?) but we'll get to that eventually. This game is best with a group that holds their liquor well because there are shots involved. We did shots of SinFire (less syrup-y than fireball but still very festive, you should try it) on Pumpkin Beer Night and half shots of tequila at Rontoms.

Materials: 
- Drinks
- Shots
- Cards

Where to Play: 
At home or at a bar  

How it Works: 
1) The dealer places a card face up in the middle of the table.

2) The person to the dealer's left must guess if the next card will be higher or lower. What happens next is based on the card and their guess:
- If they're right, no one drinks
- If they're wrong, they must drink
- If it's the same card, they must pick someone to "Rock, Paper, Scissors" with. The loser drinks.
- If it's a face card, they get to choose someone to drink (in addition to drinking themselves, if they were wrong).
- If it's an ace, they must take a shot.
3) Play continues around the circle until until the deck is finished. 

This game is really just the best when combined with Kill Your Friends because somebody's got to be buying all those shots and the deaths provide a nice break from all the drinking. Fun!

ALSO: Kel and I love to have a good time but we ALWAYS take a cab or walk home after we've been drinking, especially if we've been playing these games, and you should too. K, bye!

2013 Pumpkin Beer Tasting: Elysian Wins Again!

You might remember that Doug and I hosted a little pumpkin beer tasting night last year. It was so successful that we decided to do it again this year... but turn it up a notch.

Last year we had 10 pumpkin beers, 6 people, and only candy corn to snack on.

This year we had 18 beers, 1 pumpkin cider, 10 people, and a whole spread of fall deliciousness. Much better.

Just like last year, we had everyone rank the beers on a scale of 1 to 5 and just like last year, Elysian Brewing from Seattle was the clear leader, with two of their beers coming in 1st and 2nd place. Here's a breakdown of the top five, with the other 14 listed after.

#1 Elysian The Great Pumpkin Ale (Seattle)- Ranked #2 last year

Elysian makes this ale by putting roasted pumpkin seeds in the mash and adding pumpkin to the mash, kettle, and fermenter. Think "pumpkin pie" and that's the flavor of this strong beer.








#2 Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale (Seattle)- Not tasted last year

Brewed with seven and a half pounds of pumpkin per barrel and conditioned with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice, this pumpkin ale differs from The Great Pumpkin thanks to the addition of ginger and its significantly lower ABV (5.9% vs. 8.1%).






#3 Two Beers Pumpkin Spice Ale (Seattle)- Not tasted last year

Similiar to the Night Owl, Two Beer's Pumpkin Spice Ale is brewed with cloves, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and pumpkin and has the perfect balance of maltiness.





 #4 First Edition Good Lawdy Miss Gourdy (Portland)- Not tasted last year

Okay, so this is Doug's pumpkin beer that he brewed specially for our event. We both agree that there was not a lot of pumpkin flavor in this and that its high ranking might be because our friends are good at being friends... but it was a tasty fall beer nonetheless, so it's making the list!







#5 Shipyard Pumpkinhead (Maine)- #3 Last year

Pumpkin, nutmeg and cinnamon flavors abound in this very drinkable wheat ale.





#6 Elysian He Said Porter (Seattle)- brewed with 21st Amendment

#7 One Man Show Boooooo Careful (Portland)- Nathan's home brew

#8 Harpoon UFO Pumpkin (Boston)

#9 Epic Imperial Pumpkin Porter (Salt Lake City)- #6 last year

#10 Alaskan Pumpkin Porter (Juneau)

#11 Two Kilts Pumpkin Ale (Portland)

#12 Laurelwood Pumpkin Ale (Portland)- #7 last year

#13 Silver Moon Twisted Gourd Pumpkin Ale (Bend)

#14 21st Amendment He Said Belgian-Style Tripel (San Francisco)- brewed with Elysian

#15 Captured by Porches Undead Pumpkin (Portland)

#16 Tieton Cider Works Smoked Pumpkin Cider (Portland)

#17 Oakshire Big Black Jack Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter (Eugene)- #9 last year

#18 Midnight Sun Brewing TREAT Imperial Pumpkin Porter (Anchorage)

#19 Unita Punk'n Harvest Ale (Salt Lake City)- #8 last year

Doug and I also got a very special surprise this year. Sarah moved back to the Bay Area a few months ago, so when she texted me this photo, I was all "wish you were here to share your beer insights!"

And she was all "look closer at the picture I just sent you." I'm apparently an idiot because I stared at this photo for quite a few seconds before I realized Sarah was standing on our front doorstep! Yep, best surprise ever!

Do you have a favorite pumpkin beer?

Portland Restaurant: Double Dragon

What: Double Dragon
Where: 1235 SE Belmont
When: 11:30am - Midnight Tues - Sun

With crisp, cool fall days comes sore throats and runny noses. Starting in October (and probably lasting until April) my consumption of soup, ramen, pho, etc., greatly spikes.

Double Dragon serves some "Portland style" Vietnamese Banh Mi using local ingredients as often as possible. Their menu also features some ramen dishes, rice bowls and a few other favorites like the Banh Mi Buger ($9) with painted hill beef, bacon, carrot/daikon pickles, cucumbers, aioli and cilantro.

Of course Adam had to get the side of house made chips ($2 or $3). They were spicy and delicious, and I definitely ate more of them than he did.

I opted for the Curried Coconut Ramen ($10) with chicken and pork broth, coconut milk, kaffir, char siu belly, friend egg, pea shoots and tonkotsu noodles. It hit the spot! 

I probably wouldn't choose it over the ramen noodles at my current obsession, Paadee, on 28th and East Burnside. Double Dragon is more casual and focused on a Vietnamese menu though so I would love to return and try a banh mi and, perhaps, a Stay Classy, Bangkok ($6) with gin, thai tea syrup, lemon and basil.