GIN

A clear spirit, with a variety of herb and fruit flavorings, produced for more than 400 years, originally from Holland, For all fizzes, fixes and slings….the most wanted spirit for all occasions, in all the bars all over the world, can be experimented in its own unique way…..you can have it on the rocks, with a mixer or in a cocktail…..GIN is the most preferred alcoholic spirit in any bar popular for its cocktails.

There are various brands available in the market if you want it dry, the London dry gin is most popular as its unsweetened as well, for a more aromatic one try the Plymouth gin, slightly sweetened and has always been held in great affection by the Royal Navy, who have a tradition that true pink gin must be made with Plymouth Gin, while the Sloe Gin (Sloe a black thorn berry, from the plum family) a bright clear red, can be a delicious after dinner drink.

To make cocktails using this spirit one needs to know the alcoholic content as some types have a lower alcoholic content than the other. Congeners are present in almost all alcoholic drinks……the element in alcohol that causes hangovers and is the fewest in Gin. It makes an ideal base for cocktails as it blends well with all flavors and has a flavor of its own too.

THE CLASSICS

DRY MARTINI – ½ measure dry vermouth, 3 measures gin, green olives, ice.

ORANGE BLOSSOM – 1 measure gin,1 measure sweet vermouth, 1 measure fresh orange juice, orange slice, ice.

EXOTIC COCKTAILS

SAPPHIRE MARTINI – 2 measures gin, ½ measure blue curacao, 1 red cherry, ice.

CHERRY JULEP – Juice of ½ lemon, 1 tea spoon sugar syrup, 1 teaspoon grenadine, 1 measure cherry brandy, 1 measure sole gin, 2 measures gin, lemon ring strips,ice.

CHAMPAGNE BOTTLE SIZE.

Time to celebrate a Birthday, Anniversary, New year, winning of a cricket match, a formula 1,or maybe any other reason you could think of and want it to be special one would think of how to make it special, may be by opening a bottle of Champagne to begin with……..This classy wine comes in varied sizes to suit your need or the number of people or friends attending to make the event special.

HUITIEME – 1/8 bottle / 9.4cl /1 glass.

QUART -  1/4 bottle / 18.75cl / 2 small glasses.

DEMI BOUTEILLE – Half bottle / 37.5cl / 3 glasses.

MAGNUM – Two bottles / 150cl / 12 glasses.

JEROBOAM – Four bottles / Three liters / 24 glasses.

REHOBOAM – Six bottles / 4.5 liters / 36 glasses.

METHUSELAH – Eight bottles / Six liters / 48 glasses.

SALMANAZAR – Twelve bottles / Nine liters / 72 glasses.

BALTHAZAR – Sixteen bottles / Twelve liters / 96 glasses.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR – Twenty bottles / Fifteen liters / 120 glasses.

So order your favorite and enjoy the occasion. CHEERS!!!!!!!!!

ROSE WINE

Wine is probably the best social drink man has ever known. A lot has been spoken about Red Wine and White Wine, but the Rose has never got its worth.

Rose wine comes in a range of colors from a pale orange to a vivid near purple, depending on the grape, additives and wine making techniques.

There are three major ways to produce rose wine

Skin Contact – Red grapes are crushed and the skins are allowed to remain in contact with the juice for a short period, typically two to three days, the grapes are then pressed, skins are discarded ,the longer the skins are left in contact with the juice , the more intense the color of the final wine.

Saignee – or bleeding, used when the winemaker desires to impart more tannin and color to a red wine, and removes some pink juice from the must at an early stage, this is then fermented separately, producing a Rose.

Blending – Mixing of red wine to a white to impart color.

Rose wine is made from red grape varieties, and nowadays many winemakers mix a certain amount of white grapes with the red. It is also rare to find rose wines subjected to oak treatment. Rose can be refreshing in hot weathers as its light, delicate and crispy, and also can be called as summer wines, They can be dry or sweet, A Rose wine is much simpler than a true heavyweight white or red wine.

They look so good in the glass, too: after all, aesthetics is an important part of the dining experience.

Sparkling rose wine is especially very famous as it is one of the few wines that taste really good with the sparkle rather than without it. As is obvious, rose wines are red wines. These wines have a bouquet and taste real good. After carbon dioxide is added during bottling, sparkling rose wine is ready and once opened, the contents will fizz out.

The qualities to look for in a good rosé would therefore probably be crispness and freshness (buy the most recent vintage), fruitiness, good balance (they need acidity to provide food compatibility)

Apart from the color, there is no connection of rose wines with the flower 'rose' that we all know. Rose wines have all the health benefits of red wines. Sparkling rose wine is thus not only good to taste for enjoyment but also healthy. As is always said about wines, moderation is the key to taking complete advantage of all the health benefits they have to offer, sparkling rose wine should also be consumed in moderate quantities, not exceeding 2-3 glasses a day. Regular, moderate consumption has good health benefits and hence, is highly recommended for everyone.

FIRANGI PANNI

Dear Friends,

Listed below are some bottled waters around the world know for their quality in some way or the other.

Australian Bottled waters

Island Ice – Is known for its hermetically sealed ice trays containing Tasmanian spring water

                           

Belgian Bottled Water

Spa – Is known to be sodium free and low in total mineral salts as compared to leading European mineral waters.                                

                                                                         

 

Canadian Bottled water

Gize – Is known to be calcium rich, gold filtered mineral water.

                                          

French Bottled water

Saint-Geron – Is known as an aid in the treatment of anemia, digestive problems, diabetes and even gout.

                                               

German Bottled Water

Staatl. Fachingen – Is known for its unique combination of mineral nutrients and its high concentration of hydrogen carbonate helps to neutralize acids in the body.

                                              

American Bottled Water

Bling H2O – Is known to have made a defining statement in Hollywood.

                                             

Blood Type Menus

Blood Type diet is most sought after and thought about by individuals today, Health is a concern with most living a hectic and busy schedules, to over come lifestyle diseases one is also looking at blood type diets, according to researchers  a chemical reaction occurs between your blood and the food you eat.

Each food groups are broadly classified into three types – Highly beneficial, Food allowed and Foods not allowed as per your blood types – for example a type O is recommended a high protein diet – Meat , Fish, Vegetables fruits but grains beans should be avoided.

Going through some of these facts one wonders if hotels today are ready to provide Blood Type Menus.

It could be a trend to start and can be marketed to regular guest and  banquet guest too. A careful study on blood type diet will help building these menus …..So are the Chefs ready for another new trend….or will you always be followers?

The ancient festival of cheese rolling

The ancient festival of cheese rolling

               

Each year thousands of spectators gather to watch the ancient sport of cheese rolling at Coopers Hill in Gloucestershire in the U K. No one knows the exact origins of the ritual but this spectacle reputedly dates back at least 200 years and possibly has its roots in Roman times.

A whole Double Gloucester cheese is hurled down the one-in-two gradient hill and competitors take part by chasing down after it, in an attempt to catch it. The first person down the hill wins the cheese! There are usually four men's races and also a women's and young competitors' race ably stage-managed by the master of ceremonies. Competition is fierce, but friendly, and some entrants are veterans having been involved with the race for many years. Injuries such as twisted ankles are commonplace but fortunately serious injuries are rare.

Spectators, entrants and the media travel from around the globe to marvel at this strange custom. The festival celebrates the return of spring.

However, cheese rolling is not limited to the Double Gloucester. For example, in the English village of Stilton, cheese rolling is an important part of their May Day celebrations

COCKTAIL STORIES

A drink called "cock's ale" was served in early colonial times during cock fights. It was a mixture of ale into which a sack of a par-boiled chicken, raisins, mace and brown sugar was placed. This was left to ferment for about nine days….to get the term........Who knows the original clams to originate them though some stories go as further.

The Manhattan   

This is a true classic. It gets its name from the Manhattan Club in NY. A special drink was needed for entertaining politician Samuel J. Tilden at a party given by Lady Randolf Churchill. God bless that bartender on duty!

The Rob Roy   

This variation of The Manhattan is named in honor of the 17th century, legendary Scottish thief and hero, Rob MacGregor. Roy is the Scottish colloquial term for a man with red hair, the color of this drink.

 Mai Tai    

Trader Vic invented the Mai Tai in 1944 at his Hinky Dinks restaurant. A Tahitian patron, Mrs. Wright proclaimed, "Mai Tai, Roa Ae" or "Out of this world, the best!"

Planters Punch

A drink created in Jamaica to celebrate the opening of Myers's Rum distillery in 1879. The fame of Fred L. Myers's cocktail mixture spread quickly through the Island, and on to the rest of the world.

Martini

There are many myths surrounding the creation of the Martini.

The legendary bartender "Professor" Jerry Thomas,had arrived in San Fransisco during the Gold Rush and worked at the El Dorado as a bartender. Later, he moved to the Occidental Hotel and this is where the Martini myth was created. A man on his way to the town Martinez walked in, placed a gold nugget on the bar, and asked Thomas to make him a drink to remember. In his book, The Martini, Barnaby Conrad III quotes: "Very well, here is a drink I invented for your trip," said Thomas."We'll call it the Martinez".