On a High

Do you like drinking vodka? Have you ever tried vodka infusions? Vodka infusions are made by flavoring vodka with one or more ingredients. The ingredients are generally left in a sealed container along with vodka for a specific period of time, which can range from hours to months depending on the ingredients.
Creating vodka infusions is an art by itself. Did you know that traditional German schnapps is flavored vodka?
If you are looking for something different, then try tasting the Charbay Green Tea Vodka. This crisp and revitalizing flavored vodka is made from the finest variety of green tea from the Anhwei Province in China. It is this very region in China which is famous for its Silk Route. Not only is this vodka refreshing to drink but it is rich in antioxidants too!
Yearning for a drink? Shop online for a bottle of Charbay Green Tea Vodka for $36; serve the vodka in a martini glass on the rocks with 50/50 unfiltered sake, put on your favorite music and relax.

Via: uncrate

After gadgets and autos, it’s the time for wineries to go green. Now, the Robert Keenan Winery has taken wraps off its 2006 Napa Valley Summer Blend Chardonnay that has the phrase ‘Solar Powered and Sustainably Farmed” written on it. So, what’s the story behind this label?

WineBusiness.com says that the winery, located in the Spring Mountain district of the Napa Valley, has lately built a solar power system on their property that will fulfill all of their electrical needs. In actual, this idea was put forth by the owner Robert Keenan who left this world in 2006. He had installed solar power for the home and told his son to solar-power the winery sooner or later.

The company’s website illustrates the Summer Blend Chardonnay as “Aromas of ripe peach, lemon zest, and pineapple augment the concentrated floral nuances. This is a medium bodied wine with crisp acidity and mouth filling flavors. Just a hint of toasty oak shows up on the finish.” Moreover, all the company’s red releases coming this fall will also have the same phrase on the label, the “Solar Powered and Sustainably Farmed”.

Via: Slashfood

I guess after reading the title of this blog many people must be wondering what was this girl thinking when writing such a thing! Sounds strange that I should bring up something as naughty and thought provoking as ‘Sex on the beach’ in the food section. However, that’s what I like doing, raising quite a few eyebrows and particularly alluring people, well, not towards me but towards incredible foods and drinks.

So why does ‘Sex on the beach’ find a mention in my food blog? The answer is because it is the name of a highly popular cocktail around the globe. How well liked is this cocktail can be realized from the fact that ‘Sex on the beach’ is the official cocktail of the International Bartenders Association.

The next obvious question to follow is what goes into the creation of ‘Sex on the beach’? This amazing cocktail consists of vodka, orange juice, cranberry juice and Peach schnapps. A perfect chiller for those sweltering afternoons at the beach or even warm summer evenings. Now, I think many would further want to know the exact recipe to arrive at this cool cocktail. Therefore, here is the recipe for the same.

Ingredients:
Vodka - 2 oz.
Peach schnapps - 1 oz.
Orange juice - 2 oz.
Cranberry juice - 2 oz.
Ice cubes - 4-5 nos.
A maraschino cherry for garnishing

Method:
1.) In a shaker combine the vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice and cranberry juice. Shake well.
2.) Now, take a highball glass and fill it with ice cubes.
3.) Strain the mix from the shaker into this glass and serve garnished with a maraschino cherry.

Now waste no time in sipping this cool cocktail. For those who wish to stay away from alcohol you can go in for ‘Safe sex on the beach’, which is a variant of the ’sex on the beach’. This variant is prepared by utilizing cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, and peach nectar. The ratio in which these three ingredients have to be mixed is 3:3:2 respectively.

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Source: Cocktailtimes

I never knew that wine ca be anyways related to mythology, but it does and here is an example of such a wonderful wine. Well, the ‘Alcyone Tannat Dessert Wine’ is a magical wine with an incredible taste. It will satisfy your throat just like a desert when feels rain drops on its crust. Too much of philosophy? Well, coming to the point, as per the mythology, Alcyone, a Greek demi-goddess, the daughter of Eolo and Cyex, threw herself into the waters when her mother died because of a ship wreck. The Gods took pity and put her soul into a halcyon bird, who builds nests on beaches.

However, at the time of laying eggs, Eolo out of compassion restricted its winds so that waves were calm for whole seven days during which she laid eggs. Thus, those seven days came to be known as ‘Halcyon days’ and Alcyone was named the goddess of peace and tranquility. Are you surprised that a name of wine can have such a history? Whatever, as the myth suggests the wine also tastes to calm you down. It’s tranquil and tasty enough. The wine is made up of cocoa, honey, cinnamon, cloves and herbs and all these elements add to its soothing effect. You can find a bottle of it at corpwines and I must say-so try it. Happy drinking hours! :)

Source: Agirlmustshop

Making food look presentable and desirable is a prerequisite and this depends not only on how it is prepared but also how it is served. A particular food or drink’s appeal is enhanced by the way it is served for consumption. Therefore, there must have been some reason why foodies throughout the many eras came up with different dishes in which food could be served and relished.

Ever pondered why a scotch glass is different from a wine stemware? Why we use platters for some foods and bowls for others? Even the way all this crockery and drink ware are prepared has a bearing on food’s appeal. A beautifully shaped glass or a plate adorned with stunning prints like those of fruits and flowers or some intricate work immediately draws your attention. The use of crystal, colors and unusual innovative designs in crockery and drink ware can pique any person’s curiosity.

This is the allure also experienced while using the inside out champagne glasses. No party is complete without popping of a champagne bottle. Therefore, it is necessary to have champagne flutes at any party. However, the champagne would lose all its appeal if it does not remain cool and bubbly in the flute. Thus, for you to enjoy your champagne the way it is to be enjoyed, the inside out champagne glasses are very handy.

The inside out champagne glass is designed in such a way that you do not have to worry about your champagne turning warm in your hand. The inner portion holds your drink while you can grab a firm hold of the outer glass without affecting your champagne.

The brainchild of AlissiaMT, these insideout glasses are 3.8 cm in width and 23.5 cm in length. The price of a pair is pegged at $60. The mere spectacle of champagne in these unusual glasses is a feast for the eyes.

So, thumbs-up to this innovative design!

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Source: Betterliving

Well, this one should make for a perfect tale of serendipity. This endearing tale of frozen beer began with a fortunate mistake. Now, this chef in Washington D.C. and the man behind this novel savour calls his creation hopsicle and tells that it is selling like hotcakes!

As the mercury rises, the frozen beer comes as a welcome surprise to the restaurant patrons of Rustico who seem to relish it.
It all started when this chef put the beer in refrigerator to get it cold quickly. The brew, as we ourselves may have seen happening often in our homes, was frozen solid. Instead of waiting for the solid mass to melt and then drink it, our chef decided to eat it. It didn’t take long before he realised that it tasted good and should make a good sale. And the rest is history!

Image credit: Alderflats

The Hogue Cellars Fume Blanc is a perfect party wine. It is a rich white wine. Grapefruit dominates the aroma and the flavor initially. But in the end you will experience a refreshing melon twitch. This will be the best if served with fresh shellfish, appetizers and artichokes. The wine has a blend of Semillon too, for a rich and quenching taste.

Source: Wine

The mere talk about wine conjures up images of a magnificently colored alcoholic beverage served in the most elegant of stemware. Wine is a highly revered drink available in myriad of forms and one of the most important factors for enjoying wine is to serve it at an optimum temperature, specific for each type of wine. Ideally, wine should be served at room temperature (65′ F) or lightly chilled to about 57′ F or further chilled to 52′ F depending upon the wine.

However, if you are the kind of person who likes everything hot and spicy rather than chilled and sweet then you will enjoy the mulled wine. Mulled wine preparation involves mostly red wine blended with spices and served hot. A practice that began in bygone days to make old wines that have turned bad palatable again with the addition of honey and spices is today popular in many European regions. No doubt, each region has its own variant to offer.

There are different names for mulled wine in different regions of Europe. In Nordic countries and Estonia, mulled wine is called gl’gg. The Germans call their mulled wine Gl’hwein, which means glowing wine. Vin chaud is the term used by the French for their mulled wine. This term when translated in English means hot wine. If you are in Italy, mulled wine will be known as vin brul’ (burnt wine). The Polish refer to their mulled wine as Grzane Wino, the Slovaks call theirs Varen’ vino, and Hungarians have given the name Forralt bor to their mulled wine while the Russians use the word glintwein for mulled wine.

The gl’gg is an intriguing form of mulled wine. In Sweden, gl’gg is prepared by heating the red wine with food elements such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and sugar and sometimes even stronger spirits such as cognac, akvavit or vodka. Care is taken not to boil this mixture to avoid the alcohol from being evaporated. This preparation is particularly enjoyed during Christmas season with accompaniments such as almonds, raisins and splitters. Even gingerbread and lussekatter, a type of sweet bun consisting of saffron and raisins are relished with gl’gg.

For those who like a warm drink but chose to stay away from alcohol, the gl’gg can be heated in such a way to evaporate all the alcohol. Even replacement of wine with black currant juice is adopted to make the gl’gg alcohol-free. An easy way of preparing your very own gl’gg at home is to buy a bottle of ready-made gl’gg extract, which is flavored with spices and consists of fruit extracts. All you have to do is mix this with water and heat it to 60-70′ C. Now go ahead and enjoy your very own gl’gg, hot and spicy like the way you want it.

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Source: Wikipedia

The Coors Brewing Company has thought of a new way to let its customer know the right temperature of the beer. The company is launching a new Cold Activated Bottle to stop the sufferings of its customers from warm beer. The new bottles will support a label that will turn from white to blue when at optimum temperature. The beer bottles will be hitting the markets soon.

So, next time you sit down to drink you better wait for the label to change the color.

Source: Yumsugar

A trip to the vineyard and you are in for a treat, as you would definitely not leave the place after just a mere tour of the estate. An esteemed wine producer will surely give you a taste of the wide variety of wines his vineyard turns out. In the process he would enlighten you about the various wine facts and how they are to be sipped for maximum satisfaction from a wine drinking experience.
If you are a person who takes delight in wines you will surely know that older the wine the better it is. But what many people don’t know unlike a wine aficionado is that for wine to make its impact on the person, it should be served in the right type of glasses.

Wine is typically served in what one calls stemware. The stemware is in general a glass with a stem holding a bowl in which wine is poured. At the base the stem is supported by what one would call the foot of the glass. The wine glass is held at the stem and any contact with the bowl is considered inappropriate and should be avoided for tasting purpose as body temperature through contact with the bowl may affect wine properties. It is the length of the stem and the diameter of the bowl as well that play a crucial role in determining how a person enjoys the wine. They govern the way the aroma and taste of the wine are brought out to the person sampling the wine.

Then how important a role does the stemware used to taste or serve the wine plays? A wine buff will suggest that you ought to have different stemwares to truly enjoy the richness of taste and aroma each of the delectable wines in the world have to offer. It is for this reason that the shapes of the white and red wine glasses and champagne flutes differ from each other to bring out the best in each of the wines. The top companies such as Riedel, Schott-Zwiesel, and Waterford Crystal involved in the manufacture of stemwares will back this fact.

This leisure pursuit to have wine and that too in the best way using the best stemware might just prove to be an expensive pleasure. So this would not go down well with a lot of people but that shouldn’t stop one from enjoying the good things life has to offer. At the moment go ahead with the stemware you have and savor your wines. Maybe in the future who knows you may have an exclusive and diverse collection of stemware just as your wine collection.
So go ahead and enjoy your wine without a whine!

Image: Crateandbarrel
Source: Freep

Many a times the space constraint at our end makes us compromise on long cherished desires. Having a lavish wine refrigerator was one such longing that I have been suppressing since so long...thanks to my little apartment.

But I think, this will soon end as I’ve got a small version of the refrigerator this equally good wine chiller from Gracious Home.

This one is chic, handy and easy to use. The chiller is not limited just to wines, anything that goes into it right from water to juices comes out cool. What more?

This tiny miny gadget is versatile enough to give you 33 odd presets for different types of wine. COOL! And price? Hmm...it’s a bit big for a small thing. It’s priced at $99.99.

Via: Hometech

A bottle of good wine that compliments your favourite cuisine gets a delightful welcome anytime. And if the wine is made specifically to mingle with the taste of your favourite deliacacy, then its nothing like that.

San Francisco-based Amazing Food Wine Company has introduced Wine That Loves. It is a delight for the no-nonsense brigade, who loves to eat their food with some good wine, without beating the drums of wine-connoisseur snobbery.

Order your favourite pasta and compliment it with Wine That Loves Pasta. Available options include Wine That Loves Pizza, Wine That Loves Roasted Chicken, Wine That Loves Grilled Steak and Wine That Loves Salmon.

Backed by the expertise of Windows of the World (Manhattan) cellarmaster, Ralph Hersom, the Wines are a blend of exquisite taste and sophistication.

Wine That Loves should be out in the stores around California and New York by May, and at the company’s website by April end.

Source.

Termed “the elixir of quietude” by E.B.White and labeled “the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet” by H. L. Mencken, the martini is one of the most popular cocktails enjoyed the world over. The martini comprises gin and dry vermouth mixed in a specific proportion to give a crisp feel to the palate. Martini in general is served after gently stirring or shaking the mixture of spirits as per an individual’s wish in a chic martini glass garnished with a stuffed olive or lemon twist. Although, it is a widespread practice to substitute vodka for gin in the martini nowadays, even so the classic martini remains a huge favorite.

The key while preparing a martini is to keep in mind a few essential points. The first important aspect contributing to a great martini is the vermouth that is used. When recipes for a martini carried the mention of the use of vermouth, it was always assumed that the Italian vermouth that is red and sweet was the one that should be utilized. This idea had been prevalent for quite a long time until one more type of vermouth called the French vermouth, which is dry and white, made its way into the martini concoction. Nowadays, however many bartenders prefer little to no vermouth in a martini which is quite surprising as the vermouth can play a significant role in balancing the diverse flavors in any cocktail. The secret actually lies in using a complete ounce of French or dry vermouth.

The next factor in line is keeping up the balance of flavor between the gin and the vermouth so that a superb martini is arrived at. The gin is said to contribute tangy and sharp flavors while vermouth adds a soft touch to the martini. The perfect martini has to have a blend of the two in such a way that it turns up crisp but neither too mellow nor too sharp to the taste buds.

As bizarre as it may sound but another important element crucial to a martini is water in the form of ice. The addition of water as ice is crucial to reduce the fiery sensation that results from sipping alcohol present in the various spirits used. In addition, the water works to smooth out flavors. Using about an ounce of water in the form of ice is ideal and the components of the martini should be chilled just enough that they allow the ice to melt gradually into the martini.

So, how exactly do you turn out a martini that is perfect? Well, first you ought o possess a bottle of good quality gin, a fine dry vermouth and copious amounts of ice.

Now, mix the gin and vermouth in different ratios and give each mixture a stir to finally arrive at a blend that suits your taste. Begin with creating a mix with eight parts of gin to one part of vermouth and add enough ice to your martini. If this does not suit you, further vary this ratio to something like four parts of gin to one part of vermouth. Keep trying various proportions until you arrive at a martini that is perfect for you. However, do not forget to give a stir and add ice each time you try to taste the variants. However, take care not to overindulge in the martini experiment as there is no need to attempt different blends of martini all at once, after all you do not want to get yourself a martini hangover that is terrible.

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Source: Drinkboy, Wikipedia

Do you want to do something different for a friend’s birthday? Then, surprise your friend with Birthday Cake Shot, a unique drink recipe, which tastes like chocolate cake!

In order to make this drink a great success, you would require vodka, Frangelico hazelnut liqueur, lemon slices, some sugar, and a shot glass.

The chocolate color of the Birthday Cake Shot is due to the presence of Frangelico hazelnut liqueur, a hazelnut and herb-based caramel colored liqueur. This liqueur is very potent indeed, with 24% alcohol by volume.

So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead, and make this intoxicating drink the following way:

Preparing the shot glass:

• 1/2 shot vodka
• 1/2 shot Frangelico hazelnut liqueur
Slice and have ready:
• One slice of lemon per shot
On a small plate place two tablespoons of sugar per shot.
After you have you finished mixing your drink, take a lemon slice and dip both sides of it in the sugar kept on the plate. Lick the sugar off the lemon (don’t swallow the sugar now), take the shot, swallow, and now bite the lemon slice and relish the chocolaty and exotic flavor of the Birthday Cake Shot.

Via: Liquorsnob

Well how does it sound if your doctor prescribed you a glass of beer a day as a means to stay healthy?You would definitely think that the doctor was out of his mind or you would simply be overjoyed that you now have a legitimate reason to have a glass of beer a day.
Long have people known both-the ill-effects of excessive alcohol consumption and benefits extended to moderate alcohol consumption.The debate that alcohol is good or bad will continue for opinions will always clash.
Some people will argue that indeed intake of alcohol leads to various health problems such as cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, various cancers such as liver,mouth and breast cancers to name a few.But on the positive side the health benefits offered by alcohol are improved cardiovascular function to reduced risk of diabetes and gallstones and even longevity.The presence of a number of minerals,polyphenols and vitamins reported in certain types of beer are found to have profound effects on health.

But first it is necessary to define what kind of alcohol and what is the optimum amount that should be consumed to be beneficial and not injurious to health.It is also of importance to determine that this consumption will be safe for which health and age group of people.It is also necessary to determine if alcohol consumption is to be accompanied by certain compromises in the daily diet of people to ensure health benefits.
It would be wise to say that too much of anything good is also bad,so moderation is the key.With a healthy lifestyle a drink or two may be acceptable.So raise a toast to good health with a good judgement and analysis of your health.

Via:NBC

Image: medicineworld