That Travel Meal :: Pok Pok Som Thai Basil Gin Rickey

[trip style = food + wine]

Editor's Note: In our "That Travel Meal" series, we recreate memorable dishes or drinks we've tasted while trip styling around the globe. Don't miss our previous posts with recipes for burrata and chèvre-prosciutto-pear-arugula pizza. 

Whenever I'm in Portland, I have to stop by one of Andy Ricker's restaurants for two things: Fish sauce chicken wings and drinking vinegar cocktails. Even if the idea of drinking vinegar makes you pucker your lips and say "heckkkkk no" you must try it—I've changed the tune of many skeptics with this creative cocktail.

Also known as shrubs, drinking vinegars have been around this continent since colonial times as a health tonic and form of fruit preservation. They've been around Europe even longer; Hippocrates prescribed apple cider vinegar with water and honey to cure coughs and Roman soldiers drank sour wine or vinegar with honey as a daily indulgence. These days drinking vinegars have regained popularity as craft cocktail mixers.

Pok Pok Som drinking vinegars, inspired by Southeast Asian street drinks, can be purchased online or in local specialty grocers. My favorite flavour, Thai Basil, is tart, sweet and peppery, and pairs well with cucumber gin and soda. This cocktail, inspired by my visits to Pok Pok, will make you dream of Phuket—or maybe just Portland.

Pok Pok Som Thai Basil Gin Rickey
- 1 oz Pok Pok Som Thai Basil Drinking Vinegar
- 2 oz Hendrick's Gin
- Squeeze of lime
- Ice cubes
- 4 oz soda 
- Cucumber slices
- Lime slices
- Fresh mint

Instructions
- Combine drinking vinegar, gin, lime and ice cubes in a cocktail shaker.
- Shake until chilled and well mixed.
- Pour into glass, top with soda and stir.
- Garnish with cucumber slices, lime slices, mint sprigs and extra ice as desired.

Trip Styler Tip: Forget the gin for an almost-as-amazing mocktail or swap gin for whiskey or mezcal for a smokier spritzer. Play with the drink; you really can't go wrong!

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

Related
That Travel Meal :: Best-in-Show Burrata at Ava Gene's
That Travel Meal :: Chevre-Prosciutto-Pear-Arugula Pizza

[photos by @heatherlovesit]

Roll-On Essential Oils for Travel

[trip style = any]

In my restorative yoga class last week, the instructor came around and offered each class member a pump of lavender lotion for our hands, which we raised up to our noses in prayer position and breathed in the floral aroma to prepare ourselves for class. While this practice scored a little too patchouli for comfort on my new-age-o-meter—well, that and the eight minutes of shanti chants—the lavender had a calming effect over me and helped me leave behind outside distractions and focus on my breathing.

Aromas trigger emotional and physiological responses in our bodies and our brains, making them therapeutic problems solvers instead of simply pleasant scents. Essential oils are concentrated liquids distilled from plants, and while they may be trendy, they're also lifesavers for travelers. To ease stress, try lavender or frankincense. For energy and balance, try grapefruit and lemon. For jet lag and motion sickness, try peppermint and ginger. If these don't work, you could always work on your eight-minute shanti chants, but I think I'll explore aromatherapy instead.

I've assembled a small list of easy-to-pack rollerball oils for travel. To use, roll a little on your temples, wrists, neck and pressure points behind your ears. When flying or traveling in close quarters, be mindful of others and their scent sensitivity.

Aesop Ginger Flight Therapy
- Ginger Root, Lavender, Geranium
- For stress, nausea or weariness

Aveda Stress-Fix Concentrate
- Lavender, Lavandin, Clary Sage
- For stress

H. Gillerman Organics Travel Remedy
- Lemon Balm, Lavender, Orange, Palmarosa, Cedar
- For jet lag or discomfort with sitting

Silk Road Happy Wellness Remedy
- Lemon Balm, Grapefruit, Lavender, Tropical Verbena
- For energy and mood enhancement
- Love this one! I purchased it on a recent trip to this shop and spa in Victoria, BC.

Trip Styler Tip: These oils are safe to use topically, but if you have individual pure essential oils, combine them with a carrier oil like jojoba or almond to avoid skin burns. Or, as an alternative, place a drop of oil on a cotton cloth, raise it to your face and breathe in deeply.

Holiday Gift Guide 2014

[trip style = any]

Editor's Note: We're currently trip styling in Palm Springs. We're back at it on Tuesday, but in the meantime, check out the TS Instagram feed for pool and palm tree inspiration.

We usually ask, "What do you buy for the person who has everything?" But perhaps the better question for Trip Styler readers is, "What do you buy for the person who goes everywhere?" We've curated a list of both practical and whimsical gift ideas for stylish travelers. Merry Christmas and happy holidays from the Trip Styler team!

{Clockwise from top left}

Stephen Kenn Travel Cocktail Kit :: The Don Draper era may be over, but that doesn't mean we can't cocktail in coach. This leather and canvas kit comes with nine bottles, a mixing spoon and a recipe manual with instructions for various drink and trip styles.

Hisy Bluetooth Remote for iPhone Camera :: Never let an outstretched arm ruin a photo again. This cordless, handheld remote connects to your mobile device via Bluetooth for easy, if not shameless, selfies. Also available for Android.

Filson 72-Hour Briefcase :: Carrying a lifetime guarantee from a 117-year-old company, this durable, water-resistant bag is a solid investment piece. And my favorite feature—besides the camo print option—is the strap on the back for sliding over rolling luggage handles.

Bali Beads Wooden Necklace :: Sourced on the beaches of Bali, this tassel necklace comes in multiple colors and materials {wood, stone or glass} and complements just about any outfit. Trust me—I have several of them and I've been known to wear them all at once because you can never have too much of a good thing.

Aduro Apple-Certified 10-Foot Charging Cable :: How often do we find ourselves stooping awkwardly over an outlet trying to charge our mobile devices? This handy charging cable comes in three lengths—up to 10 feet—so we don't have to stoop any longer.

Embryolisse Travel-Size Lait-Crème Concentré :: This French cult product is Chief Trip Stylist Trish's latest travel beauty obsession. A cult product in France, this do-it-all cream is a face moisturizer, body lotion and make-up remover. Bonus: it's gentle enough for baby too.

Heritage Store Rosewater Mist :: The first step is admitting you have a problem. And I might have a problem with floral mists. These hydrating, soothing, toning and energizing sprays are perfect midday—and mid-flight—pick-me-ups. Start with rose and then dip your toes in the waters of lavender, orange and beyond.

Olympic Provisions Royale Salami Sampler :: This might be the most random item on this year's list, but we're big fans of Portland's Olympic Provisions restaurants. When we found out they ship their charcuterie, we knew we had to include it. We're not their only fans; their salami samplers made Oprah's Favorite Things list this year!

Lipault Foldable 2-Wheeled Continental Carry-On :: Ultra-lightweight, durable and easy-to-clean, this French luggage rolls smoothly for easy travel and folds flat for easy storage. Perfect for savvy travelers who live in small spaces.

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

Related
Holiday Gift Guide 2013
December Gift Guide 2012
Cool Christmas Finds 2011
Gifts for Travelers Christmas 2010
Gifts for Travelers 2009

[collage by @heatherlovesit, map via poppy and pinecone]

Wintery Weekend in Victoria

[trip style = weekend getaway]

When you can't get away for a week, but you need an escape, it's helpful to have a few sure-thing weekend destinations in your back pocket. One of those places, for me, is Victoria, BC. This small capital city is at once charming and old-world while also hip and ever-evolving.

I arrived by seaplane on an icy morning after the season's first snowfall, and spent the weekend going out for breakfasts, browsing downtown boutiques, walking along the waterfront and stopping in for dinner and drinks at cozy tapas bars. Read on below for a few of my favorite spots to visit on a wintery weekend in Victoria.

Where to Eat

• Jam Café - Victoria is a breakfast town, where Saturday mornings spent lining up in the cold for pulled pork pancakes is a right of passage. My shared dishes this weekend included pan-fried oatmeal with blueberries and lemon curd and a blackstone avocado benny. Jam's morning cocktails, which include gin cucumber lemonade and bourbon caesar, take the edge off after a chilly wait outside.
• Hey Happy - The city's newest caffeine hot spot brews single-cup coffee in gorgeous ceramics by Mazama Wares with beans from Phil & Sebastian (Calgary), Ritual Roasters (San Francisco) and Heart (Portland). The hipster factor is high, with baristas in toques, a Gremlins thermos for cream and A Clockwork Orange screenplay for perusing.
• Bodega - From the owners of the always-hopping Tapa Bar comes bar-next-door Bodega. Open from lunch till late, this tapas, wine and sherry bar boasts friendly service, delicious cocktails and gorgeous charcuterie boards.
• Tacofino - From Tofino taco truck to West Coast taco empire, Tacofino's newest Commissary location is shaking up the downtown dining scene. You can never go wrong with the fish taco and chocolate diablo cookie.
   

Where to Shop

• Reunion - Formerly known as Rebel Rebel, this shop is stocked with some of our favorite brands like Cheap Monday, Pendleton, Levi's and Malin + Goetz. 
• Victory Barber & Brand - OK, OK, this is a barber shop, but they've got an incredible selection of grooming products in store and they're the nicest guys in town {OK, OK, they're my friends}. 
• Sitka - This local success story/surf shop/café is a must-visit for anyone looking for super-soft sweatshirts, waxed-cotton outerwear and locally roasted coffee.

How to Get There

Instead of travelling to the island by ferry and bus for several hours this weekend, I flew over with Harbour Air, the world's largest seaplane airline. A 35-minute flight put me harbor to harbor from Vancouver to Victoria. Besides the obvious time and convenience benefits, it's arguably the best way to see the coast. Flying standby, I caught the first flight out on Saturday morning after an hour in the lounge reading the weekend paper, drinking a complimentary Americano and watching the sunrise.

Trip Styler Tip: Sign up for the next Turbo Ticket release, when the airline releases a limited number of $25 standby tickets {not including taxes} available in groups of four. The tickets never expire and are valid everywhere Harbour Air, Westcoast Air and Whistler Air fly. I paid a total of $20 in taxes for return flights from Vancouver to Victoria and had no wait on the way to Victoria and a one-flight wait on the way to Vancouver.

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

Related
Weekending in Victoria
Spotlight :: 30 Hours in Victoria

[collages by @heatherlovesit & photos by @heatherlovesit & businesses mentioned]

Gifts From Afar :: Holiday Sale

Oh the weather outside is frightful, 
But this sale is so delightful,
And if you've no place to go,
Shop our store, shop our store, shop our store!

So long Cyber Monday; hello December sale! Skip the mall and send your loved ones on a virtual vacay with 20% off gifts from the Trip Styler Store this holiday season.

From the beaches of Tulum to the medinas of Morocco, these one-of-a-kind finds have flown across the globe to reach your tree in time for Christmas.* 

A few of our favorite items include versatile kimonos from Tokyo, on-trend necklaces from Bali, vacation-ready clutches from Thailand and multitasking blanket scarves from Mexico {they triple as table runners and end-of-the-bed décor!}. 

Promo code: TSholiday2014 {20% off code valid today thru December 24th}

*North American orders placed by 11:59pm December 14th and local Vancouver orders placed by 11:59pm December 22nd will arrive in time for Christmas.

Oaxacan wrap & Thai envelope clutch

Tokyo blazer-kimono

Tulum beach-weave bag & Thai golden triangle purse & Dubai cashmere scarf {coming soon!}

[photos by @heatherlovesit]