Tag Archives: drinking

Christmas Cocktails  ft. The London Essence Company

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One month to go, ho ho ho… so to open our first installation of our Christmas Cocktail guide we are featuring two Low-Cal cocktails kindly provided by The London Essence Company. 

Kicking off with a relatively healthy start, *wink, The London Essence Company have created some easy and elegant cocktails all under 100 calories. Winning.  Not only do they look and sound impressive, they are bloomin’ delicious and we think you’ll be impressed with the fab selection of mixers and tonics The London Essence Company have to deliver. 

Tangerine Mule – 94 KCAL

A lighter festive twist on the Moscow Mule

ingredients;

25ml Vodka

20ml Tangerine Juice

5ml Sugar Syrup

2 drops Chocolate Bitters

London Essence Ginger Beer

Method

Highball Glass ● Tangerine Wedge Garnish ● Build & Stir

Cinnamon Highball 94KCAL

For a warmer, spicier affair

ingredients;

25ml Aged Rum

15ml Lime Juice

5ml Cinnamon Syrup

30ml Cloudy Apple Juice

London Essence Classic Tonic Water

Method

Highball Glass ● Cinnamon Stick Garnish ● Build & Stir

London Essence are a collection of mixers made with distilled essences and are all under 20KCAL per 100ml and naturally sourced sweetness. The London Essence Company range includes, Tonics, Soda Waters and Ginger Beer  and are available to buy at selected Tesco and Waitrose stores as well as Amazon and Ocado RRP from £1.69

For more info visit;

www.thelondonessenceco.com

Whisky Lovers gather round for The London Whisky Weekender 1st-3rd April

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Celebrate the end of a four-day week with a toast of some of the finest Whisky’s from around the world. The London Whisky Weekender is back and returns to the popular East London venue, The Oval Space. From only £30 ticket-holders can revel in trying a whole host of new and traditional Whisky’s from American bourbons through to Japanese, Irish, Scotch and more. This year sees a particular emphasis on Old and Rare World Whiskies, along with a programme of unique ‘blendathon’ workshops, tastings, guest appearances from distillers, whisky cocktails, street food and music all weekend, making it the whisky event on the London calendar.

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With four sessions to choose from from Friday-Sunday, there will be plenty of time to try, buy and ask any burning questions to the expert exhibitors who include, Talisker, Chivas Brothers, Jamesons and Jura to name a few. Included in the ticket price is a bottle of water, a festival guide and a Glencairn glass for you to try drams from any of the eclectic exhibitors. With the opportunity to try out some of the legends or the newer craft and small batch distilleries, The London Whisky Weekender is your grain-filled oyster. If you’re after something extra special, why not try one of the Under-the Counter drams this gives you a chance to purchase tokens to try some of the more exclusive and rare Whisky’s on offer.

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Soaking up the whisky will be a roster of tasty street food offerings and local organic suppliers, whilst a soundtrack of rock and blues will set the tone for a whisky fuelled weekend. We think it’s the hottest ticket for the Weekend, whether you’re a connoisseur or novice, trying something new or enjoying an old favourite, toast away your winter blues with a decent old dram.

For more info or to purchase tickets visit;

 The London Whisky Weekender

Special offer if you visit on Friday 1st April session 2 tickets for £40

Oval Space, 29-32 The Oval, London, E2 9DT

5cc Singer Tavern launch new Old Street location.

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At a loss for what to do this weekend? Well 5cc the uber secret cocktail club have bars tucked away in a host of hip venues in London and they’re just about to add a new location to the mix. Singer Tavern: 1 City Road is a Grade II listed pub bang in the heart of Old Street, but behind the traditional façade and down in the basement, lies the newest venue kitted out with the best of East London’s design inspirations.

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If you’ve serious about your cocktails make sure you hot tail it down here to try a smashing selection of traditional cocktails and also innovative twists on classics which pack a serious punch. Perfect for after work drinks or a hot date with large booths and hidden little nooks. Watching the skilled barman mix up the drinks is a spectacle itself. All of the cocktails are served in different glasses with their own panache and edge.

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I tried the Old Fashioned, Margarita and Montgomery Gin Martini, a few times, which was by far the freshest Martini i’ve tasted in a while. Other than whats on the menu, the highly skilled barman aim to please by making whatever you like however you like. Thumbs up all round. This is a hidden gem in the heart of the city. If you’re looking to escape the corporate bar vibe this joint has some serious soul.

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As well as Old Street, 5CC have locations in Hoxton, Exmouth Market, Bethnal Green and Farringdon all with different menus.

For more info check out, 5cc-London.com

Hans Sloane Drinking Chocolate Review

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We got quite excited when a box of Hans Sloane Drinking Chocolate come to Frost HQ. It looks amazing first of all. It is very unique as the drinking chocolate is in the form of beads and, just in time for Christmas, a bauble filled with chocolate beads. You just put the beads into hot water or milk and stir. They come in award-winning 70% Ecuador, 67% Madagascan and Honey flavour, as well as Smooth Milk and Rich Dark. It is hard to pick a favourite. They all taste so delicious. I hope to get some of these in my Christmas stocking as this lot will definitely be finished by then. Amazing drinking chocolate.

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Hans Sloane Drinking Chocolate is the only hot chocolate product to be made from pure chocolate beads. Their company mission is to bring the taste of chocolate back to drinking chocolate and their beads melt perfectly in hot milk or water to create a richer chocolate drink. Named after the man who pioneered drinking chocolate in Europe in the seventeenth century, Hans Sloane continue to innovate the hot chocolate market.

Sir Hans Sloane was a chocolate pioneer. In the late 17th century, after tasting drinking chocolate in Jamaica he came up with the idea of combining it with milk to make it more palatable. He brought his recipe back to England, initially as a medicine, but it soon became the way people consumed hot chocolate in Europe.

Four centuries later, the name Hans Sloane continues to be synonymous with innovation. Hans Sloane Drinking Chocolate is the only hot chocolate product to be made from pure chocolate beads. Their company mission is to bring the taste of chocolate back to drinking chocolate and their beads melt perfectly in hot milk or water to create a richer chocolate drink.
Available in 270g packs, Hans Sloane Drinking Chocolate comes in five varieties, including the Great Taste Award-winning Smooth Milk, Rich Dark, Madagascar 67% and Ecuador 70%, as well as their unique Natural Honey. 1 kg catering packs for baristas and cafes are also available in Smooth Milk and Rich Dark.

This autumn sees the launch of the perfect stocking filler for Christmas – Hans Sloane’s handmade single-serve Christmas Bauble and Cocoa Pod, each filled with chocolate beads. Simply shake to hear the chocolate beads inside before popping the bauble/pod into a cup and adding hot milk or water.

Victor’s Drinks Make Your Own Cider Review

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Making your own alcohol may sound like something they did during prohibition, or that one of your mates does but doesn’t do a very good job of. Not anymore. Making your own cider is coming to the masses. As featured on Dragon’s Den:  Victor’s Drinks Make Your Own Cider is a brilliant invention. It is easy, convenient and really gets a party started. We tested it and we loved it. Just add water and the yeast, then days later: you have cider! The cider is cloudy and mixed berry. Other flavours are available. It tastes great to be honest and we can highly recommend it. Christmas is coming and this would make a good present and is also a great way to entertain your guests. We like.

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History 
Alex Dixon (28) and Ralph Broadbent (27) met at University and hosted many parties during their years studying. Their parties grew and so did the requirement for alcohol. Alex experimented with home brewing, to the delight of his friends who always loved it, although for Alex there was a lot of time, effort and money required to get there. In the following three years Ralph and Alex spent time coming up with a way of changing the way people viewed home brewing and in October 2013 launched the first batch of apple cider drinks kits which is an extremely simple way to make your own alcohol while also having a fantastic taste. Alongside Victor’s Drinks Ralph and Alex put on a number of music festivals across the UK including the award winning 15,000 strong Y-Not Festival in Derbyshire.

Why Victor’s Drinks?
The name Victor’s Drinks is derived from the word “Victory”, and is based around the personal accomplishment gained from creatingyour own drink. The box is designed like a trophy and #TasteVictory is used across their social media channels.

How Does It Work?
The product is based on bag in box technology, and comes ready filled with a specially formulated syrup which gives the drink its flavour. In order to create the drink the customer just removes the cap (which also acts as a valve), removes the plastic seal (which keeps the syrup fresh), adds the supplied sachet of yeast and fills with 18 pints of warm water before leaving at room temperature for 10 days, following which, the drink can be poured directly into a glass. Inside the box the sugar in the syrup and the yeast combine to create the alcohol. Once the drink is ready it can be drunk within 3 weeks.

The Product
The box should ideally be kept somewhere at room temperature and not moved for 10 days. You can keep the cider for up to 3 weeks and the longer you leave it the dryer the taste becomes. The ales are also ready after 10 days. The box features a push tap for easy pouring.

Locations
Victor’s Drinks is based in London Fields, close to Alex and Ralph’s current London home in Angel.
Alex was born in Poole and lived with his family in Wareham until moving to Manchester University at the age of 18. 
Ralph is from Biggin near Ashbourne and like Alex moved to Manchester after his A-levels.

Dragon’s Den 
Victor’s Drinks received an offer of investment as seen on August 3rd episode. After initial worries all but one of the Dragon’s opted “out” and they rejected a sole “offer” from Duncan Bannatyne however Alex and Ralph returned with a counter-offer and a deal was agreed for £40,000 for 25% share, which if after 3 years all profit targets are hit, will reduce to 15%. Following the programme (filmed in April) Ralph and Alex have been working hard on the brand are are excited about re-launching in the coming months.  
Watch the episode here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04d4nbc

Stockists
Victor’s Drinks is available on their own website as well as at Cuckooland.com, Victor’s Drinks Apple Cider 20 Pint Kit is available here, Menkind, Fenwicks, QD Stores, Victor’s Drinks Homebrew Cider Making Kit – 10 Pints Elderflower is available here, Hawkins Bazaar and a variety of independent gift shops and garden centres with a rep of £24.99

 

Research reveals that drinking tea reduces non-cardiovascular mortality by 24%

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More evidence on tea and reduced risk of mortality

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Drinking tea reduces non-cardiovascular mortality by 24%, reveals a study in 13,000 people presented at European Society of Cardiology Congress by Professor Nicolas Danchin from France.

 

Commenting on the study, Dr Carrie Ruxton from The Tea Advisory Panel (TAP) notes: “This study investigated the risk of cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality in relation to tea and coffee consumption in a large population of French people at low risk of cardiovascular disease. The study included 131,401 people aged 18 to 95 years who had a health check up at the Paris IPC Preventive Medicine Centre between January 2001 and December 2008. During a mean 3.5 years follow up there were 95 deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 632 deaths from non-CVD causes. Tea consumption was assessed by a self-administered questionnaire as one of three classes: none, 1 to 4, or more than 4 cups per day.

 

“Compared to no tea drinking, tea drinking lowered the risk of non-CVD death by 24% and the trend towards lowering CV mortality was nearly significant. When the analysis was extended to 2011 tea continued to reduce overall mortality during the 6 year period. Most of the effect of tea on non-CV mortality was found in current or ex-smokers, while tea had a neutral effect in non-smokers.

 

“In this study, tea had a more marked effect on blood pressure than coffee, with a 4-5 mmHg decrease in systolic blood pressure and 3 mmHg decrease in diastolic blood pressure in the heavy tea drinkers, compared to non-drinkers, when adjusted for age. This effect of tea on lowering blood pressure has been found in several earlier studies. A meta-analysis of 25 randomised controlled trials published in the British Journal of Nutrition [1] involving 1476 people found that long term tea intake reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure while acute tea intake had no effect. The blood pressure lowering effect was apparent in people who consumed tea for more than 12 weeks.

 

“Tea drinkers also had a better cardiovascular risk profile in this new study than people who did not drink tea. For example, tea drinkers had a healthier lifestyle. One-third (34%) of the people who did not drink tea were current smokers compared to 24% of those who drank 1-4 cups per day and 29% of those who drank more than 4 cups. Physical activity increased with the number of cups of tea per day from 43% in the moderate tea drinkers to 46% in the heavy drinkers.”

 

Dr Catherine Hood from TAP adds; “Overall this study adds to the growing evidence base that tea consumption reduces cardiovascular risk. This is likely related to the flavonoid content of tea. In addition to effects on blood pressure, a study published earlier this year found that drinking more than three cups of tea daily is associated with reduced arterial stiffness.[2] Other previous studies have shown that black tea improves blood flow through the arteries[3] and can reduce the risk of stroke.[4] Two recent meta-analyses have found that tea consumption improves cholesterol profile mainly by reducing LDL (bad cholesterol). [5] [6]

 

“Tea is a very popular beverage in the UK and these findings across several studies continue to suggest that Britain’s’ favourite beverage is good for cardiovascular health.”

 

 

One Beer, Das Horn | Cool Things

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Here is one for the boys: Quite simply, Das Horn is beer for heroes. Drink with real class, not a glass and drink 709ml (24oz) of refreshing juice of your choice. Made from BPA free plastic it has a stainless steel finish with a Bavarian neck strap and stand. Great for parties or showing off in your home.

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Features:

Channel your inner Viking conqueror and make your next beer epic!
Includes neck strap and display stand
Colossal 709ml/24oz capacity
BPA free plastic with stainless steel rim
Hand wash with warm soapy water
Not intended for use with hot liquids
Dimensions: 9.5 x 12 x 32.5cm

Das Horn costs just £24.95 from www.prezzybox.com.

Drugs, Drink & Driving Set To Trigger Lethal Festival Cocktail

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Drug and drink driving, coupled with a lack of insurance were expected to cause a surge in the number of people arrested while attending the August Bank Holiday festivals last weekend.

With thousands of revellers hitting the roads for the hugely popular Creamfields, Reading and Leeds festivals, leading motoring solicitors were bracing themselves for a busy few days.

Matt Reynolds, a solicitor with Just Motor Law, said: “Festivals inevitably see a sharp rise in the use of illegal drugs and alcohol and we would expect to see a number of motoring arrests in relation to these.

“However, another growing area of concern is the amount of people being tempted to drive without insurance because they cannot afford the ever-increasing premiums.

“We would urge all people attending festivals being held this Bank Holiday Weekend to think through the consequences of being stopped for drink or drug driving or lack of insurance.”

Young men aged between 17 and 29 are believed to be the most likely to drive while on illegal drugs. Cannabis is known to distort a driver’s perception of time and distance, cocaine causes aggressive and risky driving, amphetamines such as speed impair coordination, while Ecstasy causes blurred vision and poor judgement. Looking for a drug rehab near me can help with overcoming the issue.

Police currently have no equivalent to an alcohol breathalyser to test for drugs and instead use a Field Impairment Test (FIT). Tests can include standing on one leg, touching your nose with the tip of your finger and closing your eyes and estimating when 30 seconds have elapsed.

Reynolds added: “People who are arrested on suspicion of any motoring offences while attending music festivals need to ensure they get the right support immediately. They have a right to be represented at a police station and, should it be required, to be defended in a court of law.”

Just Motor Law – www.justmotorlaw.co.uk – provides specialist legal advice on all motoring offences with a 24-hour hotline and online live chat facility. The company also specialises in providing clients with technical defences, challenging equipment used by police officers and highlighting any failure to conform with rules of evidence.