Tsingtao Beer. Lager. As it should be.

Tsingtao Beer is lager beer, as it should be.

I remember taking a sip from a glass of my late father's lager back in the early 1960s. And I enjoyed the taste.

However, when I came of age I found that lagers that tasted as refreshing as the lager I had 'borrowed' from my father's glass all those years ago were few and far between.

And then  I found Tsingtao Beer.

Tsingtao Beer is brewed in China and has been brewed by the Tsingtao Brewery since 1903, that's a proud record of over a century of brewing excellence.

What does the beer look like? It is a delightful golden colour, more golden than many other lagers, it has to be said.

It is made of water, malted barley, rice and hops. It has a respectable, but not ridiculously high, alcohol content of  4.7% Vol.

So, what does it taste like?

The bouquet is of lager hops, with a tang of something fruity.

The taste is a revelation. It is very, very similar to the delicious lager beer that I managed to take a sip of from my father's glass all those years ago.

It is refreshing, and you can notice a proper, balanced combination of flavours. There's even a hint of summer fruits, including ripe wild berries.

It goes very well with all types of foods and I think that an iced bucket filled with bottles of
Tsingtao Beer will be an excellent addition at any party this summer.

And every bottle is brewed in China. There's none of that "brewed under licence business", here!

It's also available in Wetherspoon pubs and most good off licences and many supermarkets.

To learn more please visit www.tsingtaobeer.co.uk.

Heck Zesty Chicken sausages

"Heck Zesty Chicken Sausages?" "This should be interesting," we thought as we opened the package.

The label says: "bursting with peppery watercress and lemon freshness."

And that was exactly right.

The predominant flavour was of tender, moist British chicken. Well, with 85% chicken you would expect no less!

There was, however, a very well-balanced taste sub plot going on, here, too.

The watercress was there, adding a nicely executed watercress flavour, which is peppery, but not overly so.

And what else was there? Yes! A definite hint of a lemon flavour, too.

But the watercress and the lemon had been included in the recipe to assist the chicken, not to overpower it.

We enjoyed these sausages very much.

We had them with some fresh three seed long rolls, but they would be equally at home with a salad (perhaps chilled after cooking and sliced up?) or perfect with fresh mashed potatoes and some homemade gravy, too? Or served with new potatoes and homegrown beans direct from the garden?

The choice will be yours!

Heck sausages are available from Morrisons and several other leading supermarkets.

To learn more please visit them at www.heckfood.co.uk.



 

Overhang it revitalises you very quickly

There are many drinks that claim to revitalise you. Some of them work, but others not so much.

Firmly in the former category of drinks that do revitalise you is Overhang.

It is based on a traditional Italian family recipe that has been passed down through the family for generations.

Recently late one evening I was developing a headache. I had been busy working all day, had forgotten to have lunch (that's never a good thing) and by the evening a migraine was threatening to start.

I remembered that there was some Overhang in the fridge and I took the bottle out, shook it (not necessary, but I always like to play it safe!) and poured it into a glass and started to drink it.

The first thing I noticed was the delicious taste of oranges, but with an underlying tang which I think was the limes coming through.

Then there was the noticeable and very welcome (but not too strong)  bite of the ginger.

Wow! That started me feeling better straight away!

Intrigued, I looked at the label and was impressed with the ingredients of Overhang. 

Orange juice, lime juice, ginger, burdock root, milk thistle, raspberry leaf and a whole host of vitamins C, niacin, pantothenic acid and B6.

I retired to bed and the next morning the migraine that had been threatening to start was just a sort of dull memory of what could have been a really bad migraine.

I would imagine it would be good if you have overindulged the night before, if it's been a hot day or if you have had a stressful day at work, or you have been working in the garden, doing a workout or whatever. 

Keep some in the fridge ready for when you need to be revitalised.

Where you can get it? Various retailers, including Holland and Barrett where it costs £2.49 for a 500ml bottle.

You can learn more about this drink and its unique history at http://overhangdrinks.com.

Jim Beam Double Oaked Twice Barreled

I

had never tried Jim Beam Double Oaked Twice Barreled Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in oak before, so I was intrigued and pleased to be able to give it a taste.

It has an inviting golden to very light brown colour to it, so it has obviously benefited from the unique process that it has been put through.

So, it looks good and it leaves the bottle with a highly satisfying glugging sound.

But what of the taste?

The first word that comes to mind is sublime.

It's smooth, in fact it is, in my opinion, smoother than smooth.

There's a hint of oak, there. It's almost as if someone has taken the soul of an oak forest and distilled its essence and bottled it.

 But oh, boy! Has it got a kick to it! But, and yes, let's mix the metaphors here, it's like a velvet gloved kick, as there is no harshness in this drink!

There's an undertone of sweetness as if there are some really rather exotic fruits within the DNA of this Bourbon.

Is there a hint of earth ands fire, there, too? Yes, I think there is. Toffee? Yes. That, also.

The flavour is very intense, but pleasingly so.

Serve it by itself, with water, with ice, as part of any cocktail that demand whiskey or whisky as one of the keynote ingredients, and you just can't go wrong.

But my advice is, it doesn't really matter much how you serve Jim Beam Double Oaked Twice Barreled Bourbon, so long as you serve it!

Elizabeth Shaw chocolate orange sticks

Please picture the scene, after a hard morning's writing, my wife and I decide that the next food tasting we would undertake would be on the patio, with some delicious cocktails (more on those, later) and some delicious snack foods on what must have been the hottest day of the year, so far.

And some utterly delicious Elizabeth Shaw Chocolate Orange Sticks made the experience one of utter bliss and contentment.

There is something very special about all Elizabeth Shaw chocolate products, they are all perfect. Which is why they do not feel the need to tamper and tinker with their recipes.

The chocolate is sublime and the amount of orange oils that they use is just right, offering the correct balance of creamy milk chocolate and tagy, tasty orange flavours.

However, even under the shade of the umbrella table the chocolate began to visibly wilt and bend, so we put them into the fridge to allow them to firm up a bit.

Have you ever had Elizabeth Shaw Chocolate Orange Sticks chilled, before? If not, you will find it a marvelous experience. I served them up with some ice cream!

Learn more about the delicious Elizabeth Shaw range at   https://www.elizabethshaw.co.uk.

Firefly revitalising juice drinks

Firefly revitalising juice drinks do exactly what it says on the tin, or rather exactly what it says on the bottle.

They provide a properly balanced drink when you need refreshment.

They taste good -which isn't always the case with some drinks that are supposed to rehydrate you!- for example the Peach and Green Tea flavour that we tried had hints of green tea, with a goodly amount of peach in the flavour.

But it also contains vital ingredients like kola nut, yerba mate and rosemary.

I personally think it is ideal if you wake up cranky after a poor night's sleep, if you have been feeling low after having a cold or an annoying summer bug, if you overindulged at the BBQ or if you have managed to get a bit dehydrated in the hot, summery weather.

It tastes good even at room temperature, but it is better if you allow it to chill before drinking it.

And you must, we are informed, consume it within 24 hours of the bottle being opened.

In fairness I would say that it would be a miracle if it lasted longer than 24 seconds!

You can learn more at www.fireflydrinks.com. They are produced by Purity drinks and there are six delicious flavours.

For a list of stockists please visit http://www.fireflydrinks.com/stockists,

Liberation Nuts. Lots for everyone

No matter what type of nuts you like, Liberation Nuts have some nuts for you and for everyone else!

But they put the exact same amount of effort, skill and knowhow into each of their products.

For example, there's the subtlety warming, yet not fiercely hot, Oven Baked Chilli and Lime Cashews with peanuts and roasted corn.

Plus there is the  absolutely delicious Oven baked peppercorn, peanuts with cashews and Habatas Fritas crunchy beans, which is an International Food Festival in a bag, all by itself.

The next one we tried has got to be my favourite, the Get up & Glow bag, not only is it a source of Vitamin B1, it contains nuts  (brazils and almonds) pears and luxurious chunks of ginger all wrapped up in some of the best dark chocolate that I have ever tasted!

And there's loads of other types to choose from and some peanut butter, too!

Not only are they extremely tasteful, they are also good for you in some way (though I only speak as a nut eater, not a nutritionist)  because if they are oven baked, well, that speak volumes, doesn't it?) and also better for the whole world, as they are all Fairtrade, too!

Where can you make purchase of these most excellent nutty products? Waitrose, Traidcraft and Oxfam.

To learn more just nip along to http://chooseliberation.com/products-stockists/.

Next time I go into town I think a visit to our local Oxfam shop would be a good idea. I think I need some more Get Up & Glow.