Tea is available absolutely everywhere these days; cafes, tea shops, restaurants, gastro pubs, supermarkets, health food outlets, anywhere you go sells tea in some shape or form. You can now buy tea online from a tea shop, and it is increasingly popular due to both convenience and the variety and ranges available. Those with a more discerning palate who like a tea that is out of the ordinary invariably head online to track down their favourite blend.

Master tea producers Twinings offer one of the most comprehensive online ranges of tea that you will find anywhere. The greatest teas from around the world are all covered by Twinings globally recognised and respected brand, and there literally is a tea to suit everybody and every occasion.

The rise in popularity of herbal and fruit teas has been phenomenal, and Twinings have been right at the forefront of this revolution. A trip to their website will take you into a world of teas that you never knew existed. There are loose teas, tea bags, traditional teas, green tea, exotic teas, you name it, and you can buy it online from Twinings. There are even 2 free samples available so you can try before you buy.

Whether you have a penchant for a Chai Black tea, or a revitalising cup of lemon and ginger tea, or even a caffeine free Redbush blend, you will find it online from Twinings. Whether you are already an avid tea drinker, or want to try something new and exciting, head down to the Twinings website and see what they have available. There is so much available that you would be hard pressed to have a drink of the same tea twice.

You can order multiple packs to try, or simply stock up on your favourite type and rest in the knowledge that you are never going to run out. As long as there are British citizens there will be tea, and as long as there is tea, we will have Twinings.

Article for Twinings

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The previous weight of the bottle was 900grams and Tesco have announced that they will be introducing a greater number of lightweight bottles during the course of this year. The supermarket have said that they are dedicated to reducing the levels of waste that their food and drink items produced as this not only helps the environment but also reduces their transport costs.

The change to lighter bottles is not something that is just limited to Tesco however and their use has been seen across the industry. Andrew Gale, who is responsible for alcohol at Tesco, has commented, “We are not just working with champagne bottles and wine and beer are also going to now be sold in lightweight bottles.

We are working very closely with those who supply our alcohol so that we get lighter weight bottles. We are sure this is something that our customers are going to appreciate as it is good for the environment and does not affect the product in any way.”

A recent report by the government has shown that the amount of waste being produced by supermarkets has fallen in recent years and waste is being cut at all levels of the supply chain. Tesco is one of the leading supermarkets in waste reduction.

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The first BrewDog Scotland bar was launched in Aberdeen, October 2010.  Taking over a venue formerly known as The Marischal, the team renovated the bar ‘in the one way BrewDog knows best – with a sledgehammer’.

By branching out into the public space where they could serve their real ale on draught, BrewDog created an opportunity to share their passion and knowledge directly with their fellow craft beer lovers – a concept that became a major attraction and one which was instilled in all of the satellite bars that followed.

Aberdeen

With real-brick interior walls and open plan seating, BrewDog Aberdeen is definitely one of the coolest looking pubs in North East Scotland.  The steel doors and fittings, together with the overhanging and exposed air conditioning pipes, give the bar an industrial feel which is an apparent homage to their HQ brewery, also based in Aberdeen.

The staff here are as knowledgeable as they are passionate about craft beer but also about everything that goes with BrewDog – music, culture and even what food you should be eating with different beers.

Edinburgh

BrewDog Edinburgh was a step towards UK domination and a step towards new ideas for the business.  Serving home-made pizzas and a wide selection of BrewDog and guest IPA beers from across the world, the venue rapidly became a hotspot for fellow ‘beer revolutionists’.

Incorporating the same factory style decor as Aberdeen, BrewDog Edinburgh has carried the brand southwards and is an awesome bar to stop into when visiting the Scottish capital.

Glasgow

The BrewDog attitude was always destined to marry up with the attitude of the Glaswegian people and in July 2011, the city was chosen to house the third and largest BrewDog bar.

Again, inside is warehouse-themed but this bar has even more of a twist.  All furniture and decoration is second-hand and reborn with the BrewDog edge.  Old, laminate gym flooring has been used as wallpaper on one wall – an example of how contemporarily-artistic the building is on a whole, in beautiful contrast with the historic Kelvingrowe Gallery & Museum, which overlooks the corner venue on Argyle Street.

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John Lewis, who lives in Shipton-by-Beningbrough with his artist wife Jane Blackman, has turned his home brewing hobby into a small business and now hopes to see his ales stocked in pubs in the York area. John, who used his scientific background as a medical researcher to good effect when creating the micro brewery Treboom, has developed two drinks for serious drinkers; Drum Beat and Kettle Drum.

Having turned his back on cancer research at the University of York to follow his passion for fine ales, John set up his micro brewery in a brewhouse owned by neighbour Martyn Sellers, and housed in a converted barn.

Thanks to financial help from friends in the business, including the owner of a top London restaurant, as well as a grant from the Rural Development Programme for England, John and his wife are planning to extend their business and develop new beers, based on both the European and American methods of brewing.

John added that Treboom is hoping to expand its range of drinks in the near future and that he is already working on pale ales, traditional bitters, milds and even a porter.

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Find out why sound matters in the wine world

The Antique Wine Company, www.antique-wine.com has carried out a unique experiment to ascertain whether or not sound has a direct influence on how a wine tastes. While corporations and supermarkets have looked into the effects of environmental sounds, this is the first time that it has been so directly explored in its relation to taste.

This project, that includes several experiments that looked at it in different contexts, was the subject of an RTE radio documentary in Irelandon the 9^th of December. It looks at things such as sound affects senses via intonation, subtlety of language and its subtext, and also looked at volume and resonance.

Part of a larger on-going study, the experiment is a fascinating, fun, scientific and well-researched look at exactly how sound impacts on us, thus changing our behaviour. Other interviewees for the documentary include James Sanger, producer of Keane’s hugely successful ‘Hopes & Fears’ album and Ed Bentham, founder of the Atlantic Whale Foundation, looking at how sound is used to change human brain states.

The experiment at The Antique Wine Company looked at key aspects of how sound affects us, cognitively, physiologically and psychologically in relation to wine specifically.

The session was presided over by Stephen Williams, Managing Director of The Antique Wine Company and was held in the company’s bespoke wine-tasting facility in Marylebone, which also houses the AWC Wine Academy.

Participants, who were members of the public with little or no wine knowledge, were asked to give their views on five red wines, while different types of music were played into the room as they drank them. None of the members had any prior knowledge of what the experiment was about, so that views could be unbiased. The wine served was also all red wine, so that it was purely the music that could influence them.

The music, which was all classical, moved from slow and relaxing, to more robust and dramatic. The Results were extraordinary, they showed that 40% of the participants who described wine number one as ‘subtle and refined’ went on to describe the same wine (which was labelled as wine number five), as ‘powerful and heavy’. This very tangible evidence gave us a direct example of how just by the change in tempo and style of the music, the perception of the same thing gave the participants a whole different experience!

Another example of how powerful outside influences are, was that when asked which wine was their favourite, not one person chose wine number one, yet 70% of participants chose wine number five as their favourite, which as you might have guessed, was the same wine !

All participants were surprised when it was revealed to them that the music had been the determining factor in the experiment and 90% of participants increased all four categories in wine rating from wine one to five, as ‘more powerful’ in colour/intensity, nose, fruit and quality – a direct correlation with the music having been increased in tempo and drama.

It was evident by the end of the experiment that different types of music, which ranged from ‘mellow and soft’, to ‘powerful and heavy’, strongly determined the way that they perceived the wine.  This compounds the theory that the environment in which you consume wine is very important, as it has a sway on your feelings towards it and how you actually perceive the ‘taste’ of what you are drinking. The results of the experiment conducted, demonstrated the direct impact and strength of influence that the surrounding environment in which you drink wine, plays. The journey into sound proves unequivocally that sound does matter!

The experiment was the idea of Peter Stone, CEO of the Riviera Media Group. He is one of the world’s leading consultants on Sonic Branding and has an impressive music career that includes conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna National Opera, amongst others. In his consultancy role, Peter has also advised The Antique Wine Company on sonic branding.

Commenting on the experiment Stephen Williams, said: “We were delighted to be asked to conduct this experiment, as at The Antique Wine Company we believe in advising our clients, not just on the intrinsic qualities of wine, but also the best way to enjoy it. The environment that you drink wine in makes a huge difference to how you experience and taste wine and this experiment has proved just that.”

Stephen Williams goes on to explain: “This was one of the main reasons for launching the AWC Wine Academy, as many of our clients wanted to not only know more about the wine that they were purchasing, but to understand how and where best to drink it, as well as what to eat with it, in order to really obtain maximum enjoyment from the wine that they acquire.”

AWCWineAcademyoffers a wide range of tasting events that offer the opportunity to taste unique, best-in class wines. Events include everything from instruction on food and wine matching to exceptional verticals and rare tastings with iconic winemakers. All of our events are designed to encourage participation and interaction. Events are always fun and informative, never pretentious or stuffy.

The wines tasted were all very similar (the first and last were purposely repeated to see if a change in music made any difference) – details of the wines tasted are as follows:

Margaux 2004 (which was repeated)

Medium ruby, developing nose, very classy, elegant, cigar box and blackcurrants-fragrant. A classic Margaux in a classicBordeauxvintage. Fine silky tannins, balanced acidity and seamlessly integrated oak. Lovely concentration and very long. 18

Palmer 2004

Medium to deep ruby, ruby rim. Developing meaty and undergrowth, spice, cigar box. On the palate black fruits and hints of aniseed with fresh balancing acidity and silky tannins.  Mouth coating fragrance. Long lingering finish. Good 17.5.

Palmer 2002

Medium crimson, pale rim. Developing nose, ripe blackberries, cassis with a hint of undergrowth and liquorice. Quite intense and fragrant on the nose. On the palate bright acidity, smooth velvety tannins with a lingering finish. Lacks a bit of concentration of the palate, found on the nose. States 13% abv but feels higher. 17

Margaux 2002

Medium crimson, pale ruby hinting on garnet rim. Nose more elegant and restrained than the Palmer 2002 (tasted alongside). More cigar box, hint of dried violets, spice, blackfruits and mouthwatering acidity. Fine concentration on the palate, silky tannins. Finish is long and fragrant. 17.5

Music played during the tasting was as follows:

Clair de Lune, by Claude Debussy, Arabesque by Claude Debussy, Pavane for Dead Princess by Maurice Ravel, Adaggio for Strings by Samuel Barber, Planet Suite Jupiter by Samuel Barber, The Planet Suite Jupiter (half played) by Gustav Holst, Carmina Burana O Fortuna by Carl Orff, Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner.

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The inspiration for this is that this historic hotel in London was built during the Victorian era, and guests can enjoy a selection of delicious drinks including a Dorian Gray, a Penny Black and a Victorian Martini while relaxing in stylish and elegant surroundings which overlook the bustling concourse that is Victoria Station.

Visitors who come to the new bar can also sample a ’19^th Century’ that is made using Beefeater premium London Dry Gin, fresh orange juice and quality dark chocolate that is then infused with Madagascan vanilla and baby figs. This drink has made the shortlist for the south region in the prestigious Beefeater 24 cocktail championships.

Explosive rum based cocktail including gunpowder tea, the ‘HMS Temeraire’, is named after the first British ship to be equipped with barbette gun shields in 1876 and ‘Cuffs and Buttons’ is a refreshing fruity tipple based on a traditional Victorian recipe which later became known as Southern Comfort.

Reunion’s Head Barman, Paul Bradley, said: “This is the first of a regular series of themed menu offerings that we have designed to celebrate the rich history and heritage of Reunion and the hotel itself. We created each bespoke cocktail to reflect the charm and character of this iconic Grade II listed building and to give visitors a valuable insight into Victorian life.

The Grosvenor was one of the largest and grandest hotels in London when it was originally opened in 1862 and our aim is to put Reunion on the map as the destination bar in the capital. The limited edition menu also serves as a souvenir for visitors so that they can feel like they are part of the hotel’s story.”

Reunion bar, which was designed to reflect the hotel’s colourful past with unique decor and art inspired by the golden age of railway travel, was formerly the VIP lounge for first class rail passengers at Victoria station and was often frequented by famous actors including Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. Platform one, which could be accessed directly from the lounge, was famous for the luxurious trains The Orient Express and the Brighton Belle, the latter being depicted in paintings hanging at each end of the room.

The Grosvenor hotel is nearing the end of an extensive £20 million refurbishment which will see it become the official fifth member of the luxury Guoman Hotels collection in January 2012. London’s oldest railway hotel will also celebrate its 150th anniversary next year.

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He has recently commented, “Pomegranates are a fruit that very popular in the UK and we are delighted to start offering this type of wine to our shoppers. If you’re looking for a great after-dinner drink this winter it can be a great addition to a meal. If you are serving cheese and biscuits after a meal then this wine can be very complimentary to that.”

Pomegranate wine has been being produced since 2003 and it comes from Israel, specifically the mountainous region of Upper Galilee. The wine is being made by a father and son team, Avi and Gaby Nachmias, at the Rimon orchard and winery.

The type of pomegranate they are using for the wine has been specially cultivated by them and it is well known for its particular ability to make great wine. It has soft tannins, a high juice content and a wonderful sweetness that make it such a success. Pomegranates are also known as a fruit that have great antioxidant power and those who choose to drink this wine will be benefiting from this. The wine is also very flexible and can be used in a number of popular cocktails.

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And there are plenty of options on the World’s Biggest Ale Trail as there are no less than 7500 Cask Marque bars imports spread out across the entire country enabling enthusiasts to make their way around some of the finest and most unusual drinking establishments in the world..

The app records the number of pubs visited and rewards prizes for milestones of 25, 50 and 100 pubs. Once you have scanned 100 pub barcodes you become a Cask Marque ambassador, which includes the opportunity to spend the day with an assessor, visiting a number of pubs to see how Cask Marque ensure a quality pint.

Real ale is helping to save the great British institution of the pub – the recent Cask Report found cask drinkers are more than twice more likely to visit pubs on a regular basis than non-cask drinkers. With the opportunity to try before you buy, cask is recruiting new drinkers – 10% of drinkers tried it for the first time in the last 12 months.

Cask Marque Director, Paul Nunny, who is responsible for the quality of ale in pubs said: “Cask ale is a British institution which should be celebrated by everyone up and down the country. The CaskFinder app helps customers get the most out of their pub visits and rate their favourite beers, sharing tried and tested favourites with other app users.”

Download the upgraded version of CaskFinder straightaway to start your very own World’s Biggest Ale Trail.

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In fact Costa Coffee (www.costa.co.uk) has voted as the outright winner at the 2011 Best Speciality Drink to Boyd Murdock who claimed that the crown this year’s Barista of the Year Awards with his espresso based coffee known as Cranachan Affogato. He managed to beat off strong competition from no less than 25,000 barista’s from every corner of the planet, making it through to the final 12 competitors from Europe Asia and India to win through to first place in the competition.

The Winning Drink – A Cranachan Affogato
1 teaspoon Honey
1 small scoop of vanilla icecream
3 teaspoons raspberry coulis
Raspberry syrup
1 teaspoon toasted pin head oatmeal
1 shot of Costa mocha Italia coffee

Layer ingredients into the glass. First add the honey, next the icecream and raspberry coulis. Then sprinkle the oatmeal over the top and drizzle a little of the syrup. At the last minute, add the shot of hot Costa coffee. Serve immediately and enjoy. In this way the coffee stays hot and the icecream doesn’t melt.

Flying the flag forScotland, Boyd who works at the Ayr Central Costa Coffee store, wanted to prove that great coffee can be found just as easily in a quiet seaside town as it can in a bustling metropolis.

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A delicate balance is essential in the Champagne business

The Champagne world is at the same time both fascinating and complex. Champagne is an exceptional drink on its own and is also part of the much broader wine industry.  It is also an authentic product that has to come from the Champagne region to use the name that is associated with luxury and high living.

A new book entitled ‘The Business of Champagne: A Delicate Balance’ has been edited by Dr. Steve Charters, who is both the chairman of Champagne Management and a professor at Reims Management School. This book aims, for the first time, to give a fully comprehensive overview of the way in which the champagne industry is managed and organised, as well as giving an insight into the future prospects of this famous drink.

Prof. Charters says of the book is that its main goal is to thoroughly examine every aspect of the Champagne industry, from how it is managed and organised to how it is marketed. This book covers every problem that’s associated with Champagne and reviews it current context from a legal, economic and structural stance, to the role in its production played by the land, identity and tourism.

He also explores the myths surrounding Champagne, its competitive advantage and image, and also how the industry is managed by looking at the territorial branding, HR and accountability.

The book is the outcome of the ’Academic Study Tour’ organized for an international group of professors known for their research on the wine business. They were selected because of their diverse interests and disciplines, which included marketing, tourism, accounting and HR. During four days in 2008 the participants met with managers of wine estates as well as representatives from different banks.

“The aim was to explore the champagne industry, forge links with business leaders and their organizations and to stimulate research in the field of champagne,” said Charters. “Through this event we wanted to gather the experts’ objective and multidisciplinary points of view in order to get an outsider’s take on the world of champagne.”

After the study tour, participants wrote some of the books’ chapters, offering their analyses of the champagne industry’s strengths and weaknesses. This explains the diverse styles of the different chapters, some of which are factual, others more theoretical.

“Each contribution has a personal touch,” said Charters. “Certain views on the region are more positive than others. Some accept the conventional wisdom on Champagne while others challenge the myth. Some of the views are even contradictory. In any case, no attempt has been made to smooth over the texts. Instead, we encouraged personal analysis, as every point of view is a legitimate one. It was important to have different opinions because we wanted to write a useful book that would make the reader think.”

The introductory chapters cover the history, the geography, the structure of the industry of champagne and the way champagne is made, as well as the legal and economic contexts governing these operations.

The main part of the book examines land, tourism, branding, marketing and distribution, as well as aspects of champagne management including the debates on the concept of value, responsibility and human resources.

The conclusion, written by Charters and his RMS colleague David Ménival, summarizes the opportunities and challenges the champagne industry will face in the coming decades.

The book is not intended has a handbook on the champagne business, but presents an overview of the product, its paradoxes, its contradictions and its place in the past, present and future. The book addresses a wide audience of students, researchers, teachers and anyone interested in wine education, agriculture, commerce, marketing, tourism, gastronomy and luxury.

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