31 October

Traditional Bottle Tops Soon To Be No More

The design of bottle caps and wine bottle corks have changed very little over the last 50 years and they have done their job very well indeed. Indeed they are an iconic image to the seasoned drinker, scattered about the floor and table after a heavy night on the liquor. However, with the insurgence of the screw top wine and beer bottle, the old designs are being pushed out, and are soon to be an extinct.

Steel is the material that has been used for most bottle caps and these caps are attached to the rim of the bottle by clamping their 21 teeth around it using a special machine. Whilst they were great at keeping the contents of a bottle fresh, they are a nightmare to get off and unless you have teeth made from granite, you have to use a bottle opener to stand any chance of quenching your thirst. This is the main reason that screw top bottle caps have increased in popularity, as they allow people easy access to the content, without the need to have a bottle open to hand at all times.

It’s a similar story with wine bottles, although ease of entry is not the only reason wine makers are moving away from corks. A corkscrew used to be a staple part of any tableware set, but its usefulness is dwindling as screw top wine bottles become more popular. In the same way as beer bottles need a bottle opener, wine bottles always required a corkscrew to be close by, and that’s just not always practical. Additionally, when it comes to storing wine for any length of time, screw tops are far superior to corks. Air can breach the cork as it expands and contracts with different moisture levels in its surroundings, and air can very easily turn a wine bad. Also, it has a tendency to break up over time if the wine is stored horizontally, as it often is on a wine rack, resulting in the wine sometimes being ‘corked’ when served. So whilst it may be sad to say good bye to the bottle tops we have been so fond of, at least they are being made redundant by better products.

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30 October

Indian Wine Consumption on The Increase

To complement a good dinner you need exquisite wine to go with it. When having a smart meal the waiter would ask you what you would like to drink to which you would answer, “A bottle of your finest Nashik region sauvignon blanc or an original Maharastran Shiraz”. Like any good meal there are some essentials that you need, for example, glassware, an ice bucket to keep the wine cold (if it’s white) and ideally someone to pour it for you. Whilst all of these are most often associated with fine French or Italian cuisine, India are now making a move for the market.

The Indian wine industry is desperately trying to emulate the success of the sub-continents beer (Cobra) and food (Curry). However India’s oldest winery only dates back to 1982 so the industry is still really in the early phases of its inception. India as a nation are trying to increase their revenue stream as much as possible by broadening their own commerical potential. Exporting wine as well as beer and food will be a great move for India as a nation as this will un-doubtedly help their relation and profit prospects.

White wine and red wine go well with any meal and normally you would go for a wine that has been brewed and made in France or Italy for example, but Indian wine could change all of that. Sales have grown by 30% to 35% in India every year since 2002 and although only 2% of the population drinks wine, that still accounts for a staggering 20 million people. Last year alone the Indian market accounted for 1.two million cases of wine being sold, representing a doubling of domestic consumption in only just five years. Compared to global players in the wine industry – America last year produced 270 million cases – India remains a viticultural minnow but now producers believe they have spotted a receptive export for the globe and a massive avenue to make plenty of money.

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29 October

Showing Off Your Reidel Wine Glasses Decorations

It occurred on a Sat. night. You hosted a wine tasting party for a grouping of 12 friends, and everything went perfectly. Well, almost everything. It didn’t take you very long to find out that, while you had the ideal combination of cheeses, crackers and reidel wine glasses, people were consistently confusing their glass with somebody else’s.

You were embarrassed, particularly when that fact became the thing that just everyone joked about. Now, you are planning another get-together and you need to avoid this problem with reidel wine glasses decorations, but how do you begin?

Buying Reidel Wine Glasses Decorations:

Just about every department store carries reidel wine glasses decorations. They literally look like tiny earrings with different charms on every one and are built to go around the stem of the wine glass to mark it as individual for different guests.

These charms are commonly sold in packages of four or 6 and cost anywhere from 5 to 20 dollars relying on where they are purchased, the material they are made from, and how ornamental these reidel wine glasses decorations are.

One of the most creatively fun concepts to engage in, for a grouping of good friends, is to create your own reidel wine glasses decorations. It is wonderfully straightforward and they’ll love it.

In truth, you may even consider sending the customized charms home as party favors. All you have got to do is go to your local craft store and pick up chrome steel or nickel plated wire hoop findings. While you are on the same aisle, pick up a few charms that you suspect will be great identity markers for your friends, and perhaps some beads for color.

When you get home, slide the beads and charms onto the rings, fasten the rings around the stems of each glass, then wait to see the grins on everybody’s face as they realize how much trouble you went to simply for them. Possibilities are, they will all instantly forget about the last time and will just enjoy the personalized attention you have put into their evening.

Or, if you prefer, you can drop all of the newly made charms into a basket and have each person pick out their own charm at the beginning of the evening; this way, you know they will notice the charm and will not be as likely to confuse their reidel wine glasses with some other person’s again.

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29 October

Tips To Know About Alcohol In Absinthe

There has been much controversy regarding the thujone levels in Absinthe and whether Absinthe can really make you hallucinate but what about its alcohol content – How much alcohol is in Absinthe?

All commercial alcoholic drinks are labeled according to their alcohol content which makes people able to decide about the drink and also about the quantity of consuming them.

A person needs a hydrometer to measure alcohol content. A thermometer is attached with a hydrometer. The hydrometer swims straight in the liquid. As it is supplied to water the water line stops at the level marked 1.The level of water increases when it is put in sugared water. The float moves lower with the use of hydrometer in fermenting alcohol as the sugar is eaten by the yeast. While preparing alcohol the first measurement (original gravity) is taken with the sugar before the yeast is added and then the final calculation is done after the yeast has finished fermenting.

One can detect the volume of alcohol by the following formula
Formula is Original gravity – Final gravity x 131 = Alcohol by volume.

The EU and the United States use label for the alcohol by volume content of drinks while a few countries go on proof. Studies show that proof is approximately twice alcohol by volume.

Different brands of Absinthe have different alcohol contents. Look at the following statistics:-

Lucid Absinthe 62% abv (124 proof)
La Clandestine Absinthe 53% abv (106 proof)
Sebor 55% abv (110 proof)
Pere Kermanns 60% abv (120 proof)
The alcohol content in Pernod Absinthe is 68% abv
One can get 70% abv alcohol content in Mari Mayans Collectors 70
Knowledge of La Fee XS Absinthe Suisse 53% abv (106 proof)
The alcohol content in La Fee XS Absinthe Francaise is 68% abv (136 proof)
Knowledge of La Fee Bohemian 70% abv (140 proof)
The alcohol content is 68% abv in La Fee Parisian
Kubler 53 is available with 53% abv (106 proof) of alcohol by volume
Doubs Mystique Carte D’Or contains 65% abv of alcohol
Roquette 1797 75% abv (150 proof)
The volume of alcohol in Jade PF 1901 is 68% abv
One can get 72% abv alcohol content in Jade Edouard
Going through Jade Verte Suisse 65% abv (130 proof)
Jade Nouvelle Orleans 68% abv (136 proof)

As you can see Absinthe can range from 53% abv to 75% abv, quite a difference. Now, let’s compare those levels to other alcoholic drinks:-

Absolut Blue Vodka 40% abv (80 proof)
Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila is available with 38% abv (76 proof)
Beer is available with 4 or 5% alcohol by volume.
One can get Table Wine with 9-12% alcohol by volume.
The availibility of alcohol is 40% in Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky.
Everclear 95% abv (190 proof)

No other alcoholic drink seems to come close to Absinthe!

The alcohol content can differ in homemade Absinthes. Mix an Absinthe essence from AbsintheKit.com.One can either use Absolut vodka (40% abv) or the Everclear (95% abv) .

Absinthe was banned in the 1900s because of claims that thujone, the chemical in wormwood, was like THC in the drug cannabis and that it was psychoactive and caused psychedelic effects. The claims about Absinthe has been totally wrong but there can be risk to health because of over dose of any drink. People in Memphis have realized this and, in 2006, Memphis was the city that drank the least alcohol in the USA – more than 6/10 Memphis citizens had not even consumed a sip of alcohol in at least a month when they were polled.

However alcohol is not harmful when drunk in moderation but it is necessary to have know about alcohol content in Absinthe and other alcoholic drinks.

 

 

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