Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I'm back again with a new edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food and drink events. I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
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1) Salt & Straw’s Halloween Series is back, bringing five spooky, candy filled flavors to scoop shops nationwide. Available through November 1, this year’s lineup leans into the playful side of Halloween, finding inspiration in everything from a trick or treater’s dream candy stash, to edible chocolate-covered creepy crawlers and nostalgic confections.

Additionally, on October 30 and 31, guests who trick or treat at Salt & Straw can also dress up their scoop with a free Halloween upgrade featuring black and orange sprinkles, whipped cream and a sugar cone, plus a limited edition sticker designed by Portland artist Mike Bennett, available while supplies last.

Flavors in The Halloween Series include:
The Great Candycopia – A trick or treater’s bag of chocolate candies including Crunch Bars, Reese’s, Snickers and Heath dumped into salted butterscotch ice cream, with chocolate feuilletine, peanut butter and BOOrbon vanilla toffee throughout.
Jack O’Lantern Pumpkin Bread – Pumpkin spiced ice cream with hunks of pumpkin bread and generous ribbons of whipped cream cheese frosting.
Witch’s Brew Fruit Punch Sherbet – A refreshing fruit punch sherbet bursting with orange flavored candy and finished with ribbons of sour candy apple.
Creepy Crawly Critters – Sweet green matcha ice cream scattered with candy coated chocolate crickets and toffee brittle mealworms, made in collaboration with Don Bugito. (Yes! There are real insects!)
Chocolate Graveyard Cookie Crumble (v) – Dairy free black cocoa coconut cream with black cocoa cookie crumbles and crimson swirls of vegan white chocolate frosting.

2) During the entire month of October, Maple & Ash in the Seaport will feature a cocktail with a cause for Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Second Chances with Grey Goose, housemade fig vermouth, spiced pear, cranberry-apple, and citrus. The cocktail costs $20 and with each purchased, Maple & Ash will donate $2 to The Ellie Fund in collaboration with Bacardi Limited.

3) Croatian Premium Wine Imports has announced their next Masterclass, focused on the region of Istria, on Tuesday, October 27 at 8 pm Eastern/5 pm Pacific. The class will start with an intro to Croatian regions and then focus on Istrian regions and winemaking as well as taste four wines: two whites – a Malvasia and a blend with Malvasia, followed by two reds – a coastal Teran as well as a Teran from Motovun, which have very different expressions. 

No purchase is necessary. If you register HERE you will get a link to the Zoom video call, where they always take Q&As, or if you cannot join them, they will also send registrants the recording and slides.

If you want to taste the wines along with them during the Zoom, they are offering these four wines as an Istrian Masterclass Bundle at a 15% discount. East Coasters should order by October 15 to make sure they receive the wines in time for the Masterclass. The bundle includes:
Damjanic Malvazija
Franković Filiam Blend
Ritoša Teran
Fakin Teran

I've been to the Istria region, and loved their wines. Many people may know about the Dalmatia region, which is the most popular tourist destination in Croatia, but Istria is very worthy of your attention.