Deliciously different, definitely. For some reason, I had in my head that Zag was an alternative to beer but when I tried it, this tasted nothing like beer. Which was good. Great even, because I'm not a beer drinker. This had a minty, cucumber-y, citrus, lime, lemon, green tea flavour. Strong and oh so lovely! Now to get down to the nitty gritty - it contains NO artifical sweeteners, NO alcohol and only a tiny amount of added sugar. Every can is just a meagre 54 calories. That's more than okay then. The can itself stands out in a crowd. It has a distinctive colour and a look-at-me ZAG logo on the front which unfortunately I can't replicate here as I can't do the upside down 'A'. It smells a bit like mint leaves mixed with orange. When poured, it looks like a light beer. Zag is refreshing, full of flavour, great for quenching a thirst and very more-ish. Unlike beer, you can drink lots of it without any after effects! imageZag complements strong flavours, so go on, eat your spiciest, curriest, fire-iest meals and you'll love Zag even more. Another thing, ZAG contains Kombucha which is good for the digestive system and - so they say- helps weight loss and rids the body of toxins. Alcohol free - vegan - no artifical sweeteners - low in calories. 12 x 330ml bottles £17.49 - £1.45 per bottle A big thank you to the lovely people at ZAG who sent me not one, not two, but a case of 12 bottles of ZAG! images (c) ZAG & G Pickup
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Eco-conscious Sea Change produce a range of wines all linked to a different ocean charity reflected on the bottle label. Depending upon which wine you choose, there's everything from dolphins to turtles to starfish. Doesn't it make great sense if you're an environmentally conscious wine lover to be able to choose bottles that help protect the environment, in particular our oceans and sea life? As a wine and ocean lover I was delighted when the company kindly sent me a bottle to try - and yes, it was very good! Let me tell you more about all this. Sea Change's sustainable, mostly vegan, award winning wines which come in light weight bottles designed to reduce the raw materials needed, are selected from European vineyards that share the company's values. There's no plastic wrap around the bottle neck and top, corks are bio-degradable, while paper for labels, partially made from grape waste, comes from certified sustainable forests. Minimal packaging reduces waste and environmental impact. So far, so great. With every bottle sold, the company donates a percentage to Ocean Conservation projects. This cash goes towards funding marine life protection, cleaning beaches, ocean pollution education and setting up marine animal sanctuaries. I think that's fantastic. Many other companies could learn a lesson here.
There is no excuse for you not to choose Sea Change wine because they probably, almost definitely really, stock your favourite. Malbec? Tick. Pinot Griogio? Tick. Merlot? Tick. Prosecco? Tick. Organic red? Tick. Organic white? Tick. Negroamaro? Tick. Chardonnay? Tick. Rose? Tick.... you get the picture. So, stands to reason, if you are someone who cares about our oceans and the living creatures who call them home, you can feel good about drinking this wine. I was pleased to be able to work with Sea Change wine to help get their message out there. Cheers! More at www.seachangewine.com. image (c) seachange wine Read on if you want to spice up your spooky season ... Halloween parties are back this year! To get you in the ‘spirit’, why not try the Aloha Vampire cocktail which is super simple ... . All you have to do:
Hang on a minute though, what exactly is Aloha 65? Well, it's not rum and it's not gin, it is a spirit though, versatile too, made with 100% natural ingredients and better still it's vegan friendly and gluten free. So what's in it then? Ah, well there's pineapple, lemon, ginger and ssssh! a load of secret herbs plus fiery scotch bonnet chillies. Good, huh? Back to the Vampire Cocktail recipe. Maybe you're determined to turn up the party vibes a bit more? Easy! Just swap the soda water with bubbly and rim the glass with red sugar. Then how about finishing off your creation with raspberry or pomegranate seeds or drop in some vampire teeth for a real surprise..... For a party with a punch try this : Autumn Punch Ingredients (Serves 10) 500ml Aloha 65, 500ml brandy, 1.5L apple juice, 100ml orange juice, two or three cinnamon sticks, an apple, sliced orange Combine the Aloha and brandy with the apple juice in a jug filled with ice, cinnamon sticks and a sliced apple and orange. About Spirit of Aloha 65
Conceived and created by a British barman at his beach bar in Florida, the Spirit of Aloha was designed as a versatile, refreshing and reviving tipple to lure in surfers looking to wind down after the waves. The once homemade gift to the après-sea crowd became a ritual; a unique sundowner that put a smile on everyone’s face. Aloha 65’s Sun on a Beach hot sauce is made from the same ingredients minus the alcohol, of course and their spicy pineapple ‘detonators’ use just two of Spirit of Aloha 65’s main ingredients, pineapple and chilli, and well… boom! The brand Spirit of Aloha 65 offers the consumer something different to look at and taste. With its coastal roots, Spirit of Aloha 65 is a relaxed sundowner for those who live life to the full. The ski winter bottles are a must for an après ski session or winter drinks gathering, virtual or otherwise. Aloha 65 has also created a sweet, tangy hot sauce and a spicy pineapple ‘detonator’ snack. disclaimer: I received two mini 50ml bottles of Aloha 65 for review purposes Aloha 65 - 70cl RRP: £22.50 Aloha 65 - 50ml 12 pack RRP £36 Hot Sauce RRP £3.99 Detonators RRP: £4.50 Available to buy at aloha65.com and Amazon images (c) Aloha65.com No doubt you've heard of Belvoir, the British family drinks company, but maybe you don't know that they organise a lovely event every year called the Elderflower Harvest. Around the end of May, they ask people from their local community and three bordering counties to pick flowers for the following year’s Elderflower Cordial production. And YES! pickers get paid for their efforts. This year the harvest is getting a helping hand from BBC presenter Gemma Hunt, who is raising awareness of the event by going behind the scenes at Belvoir Farm. Picking takes place at Belvoir’s 60 acres of organic plantations and surrounding hedgerows. Within 24 hours of harvesting the flower heads, they are poured into vats and stirred by hand so continuing the 40 year-old tradition of producing Elderflower Cordial. It's still made to the same family recipe. Belvoir Farm was the first company to produce elderflower cordial commercially, a business started by John Manners and his wife Mary, who created the original recipe. The farm was established in 1981 initially to grow ‘pick your own’ fruit because the Manners didn't like to see anything go to waste. It was when they were looking for a way to use unpicked and over-ripe fruit that the idea came to make pure fruit cordials. Great idea! The cordial has to be diluted so one bottle makes up to ten pints which I think is fabulous value. I love Elderflower Cordial's refreshing taste, it's lovely to drink on its own, or - and you can add it to recipes for cakes or desserts and - this is one I also like lots, you can add a splash to your white wine or cocktails! All Belvoir drinks are made from local spring water and natural ingredients. Belvoir kindly sent me a couple of bottles of Elderflower Cordial to see what I thought. And here are three things you might not know about elderflowers
More about the Belvoir 2021 Elderflower Harvest, how paid to pick works and how to get involved at www.belvoirfarm.co.uk. For more on Gemma Hunt and her work with Belvoir, see www.theoutdoorguide.co.uk. Images (c) Belvoir Inspired by G&T but without the alcohol, Sea Arch Drinks produce delicious ready to drink cocktails in cans. Crisp and oh-so refreshing, they are a sensible alternative for times when people want, or need, to be alcohol free. There are two flavours to choose from. One is Sea & T the other Rose Sea & T and both contain a double measure of Coastal Juniper spirit. Sea & T is topped up with lightly sparkling Indian tonic, while Rose Sea & T is topped up with a delicate rose and raspberry infused tonic. They are designed to be served chilled in a tall glass over ice, garnished with a slice of citrus or fresh raspberry. I tried them both and can say that they are indeed very tasty! Inspired by the sights and sounds of the glorious Devon coastline, home to founders Sarah and Geoff Yates, Sea Arch Coastal Juniper blend is a healthy, alcohol-free drink that doesn’t compromise on taste. Made from 11 different botanicals the resulting distilled spirit is clean, refreshing, crisp, dry and complex, providing a non-alcoholic alternative for gin lovers.
Case size for trade purchases is 12 cans per case Stockists include Ocado; Amazon; The Wise Bartender; Sea Arch online shop Sea Arch Drinks co-founder Sarah Yates says, “Bursting with seaside botanicals, our Sea & T has all the deliciousness of G&T with none of the alcohol. It’s a great addition to the Sea Arch range as the convenient format of a ‘ready to drink’ can means people can simply snap it open and serve, ideally over ice and a slice. This makes the Sea & T an easy and delicious option for occasions when you might be driving or working, or you simply don’t want to drink alcohol. As we like to say, it really is more beautiful without!” Sea Arch non-alcoholic distilled spirit is crafted using traditional distillation techniques and created with complex, natural botanicals including sea kelp, samphire, cardamom and blood orange with the alcohol gently removed. Sugar free Sea Arch can be enjoyed with a clear head, a clean conscience and – always – plenty of ice. It’s as uplifting as a walk on the beach… and just as good for you. Pataka Ginger Liqueur, produced using Fairtrade root ginger and 100% Fairtrade sugar, adds an exotic, fiery, spicy touch to a cocktail. It's a perfect warmer for these chilly winter evenings, but that's not really surprising, after all, Pataka means 'firecracker' in Punjabi. I received a bottle of the golden liqueur from the nice people at Mangrove UK to see what I thought. So, what's my verdict? It has a cockle- warming flavour which reminded me of old fashioned ginger sweets. It is fresh, fragrant, appealingly fiery and pleasantly smooth. Since it contains no extra flavouring or spices, there is no chemical aftertaste at all. Definitely a great addition to any drinks cabinet. And here are some recipes from Mangrove UK that you can try Mulled Ginger: for when mulled wine needs an extra kick Warm a glass of red wine in a pan, add 30ml Pataka, a slice of orange and a cinammon stick. Good to go! East Side: a short shaken glass of fiery goodness Add ice to a shaker with 40ml Pataka Ginger Liqueur, 10ml navy strength gin, 25ml fresh lime juice, 8 mint leaves and 10ml sugar syrup. Shake and strain into a glass. Fire Cracker : simple but full of flavour Pour 50ml Pataka over a tall glass filled with ice and top with ginger ale. Pataka ginger liqueur can be used in lots of cocktail recipes, so if you have any brilliant ideas that you'd like me to share, do let me know and I can add them here. Stockists: Master of Malt Whiskey Exchange The Drink Supermarket RRP £24 The brand is owned by French company Ethical Wine & Spirits and developed jointly with MANGROVE in the UK. EWS is dedicated to producing high-quality spirits sourced ethically and sustainably. |
AuthorI'm Gilly, award winning journalist /author of 13 books. Credits incl: Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, CNN, BBC mags, The Scotsman, Daily Express, Country & Town House, Metro, Countryfile, Tatler, trade & consumer cruise titles etc. Lifestyle Categories
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