According to Tommy Dewar, "A philosopher is a man who
can look at an empty glass with a smile." However, you
do not need to be a philosopher to enjoy a glass of
Dewar's. Rooted deep in the highlands of Scotland, in
the town of Aberfeldy, Dewar's has emerged as the
largest selling scotch in the US.
Excerpts: Not many people know that
Dewar's, the 6th largest whisky in the world, is not new
to India. It was available here a century ago. Stephen
Marshall, Global Brands Ambassador, Dewar's during his
recent trip to India gave some interesting insight into
the brand's popularity and renewed interest in the
Indian market.
Sud
de France is the umbrella brand born of the Languedoc-Roussillon
region's desire to support and promote its regional wine
and food. It helped identify a shared image of high
quality products attached to a particular area and
culture. Catherine Machabert, Project Manager, Wine
Department Asia in her recent trip shared Sud de
France's plans for the Indian market with Ambrosia.
Excerpts: Sud de France has over 800
member companies uniting farm produce, wine and food,
guaranteeing original products prepared according to
traditional and ancestral recipes.
It's
a search for alternative fuels in an age where time is
running out. At the helm of this is the ISAF
(International Symposium on Alcohol Fuels) a non-profit
international organization which gathered together
recently in the NCR specialists, technologists,
executives and technical experts to debate the future of
fuels.
Excerpts: The participants ranged from the
alcohol, alcohol fuels, methanol, ethers and bio-fuel
industries. Incepted in 1976, the ISAF marked its 34
years with the ISAF-XVIII which was held at Suraj Kund
and organized by the All India Distillers Association
(AIDA).
"Fermentation
may have been a greater discovery than fire," said
Plato. The new trend of beer drinking that is catching
up fast with the city life is the microbrewery pubs.
Excerpts: Gurgaon near Delhi seems to be
the beer guzzlers paradise these days. Two such
microbrewery pubs have opened at the Ambience Mall (Rockman's)
beer Garden and the other one at Galaxy Hotel (Howzatt)
just off the Gurgaon Expressway, a year ago. The concept
of these pubs is to brew fresh beer on the spot and
adjust the quality of the brew - in flavour, bitterness
and viscosity according to the need of the customer.
Punjab
in the North maybe known for its kingsize Patiala pegs
but it is the people in the southern state of Kerala
that are now the heaviest drinkers in India, and sales
of alcohol are rising fast.
Excerpts: Kerala is India's tippler
country. It has the highest per capita consumption in
the nation, overtaking traditionally hard-drinking
states like Punjab and Haryana. The per-capita
consumption rate is slated to be more than 8.3 litres,
more than double the national average of 4 litres with
increase in sales of liquor of about 20 per cent. Sales
records of 20 years with the Kerala State Beverages
Corporation (KSBC) points out that per capita alcohol
consumption in Kerala is increasing year after year,
pushing Punjab to second place (7.9 litres).
While
the hangover of recession continues to dog the developed
countries, India which is already on the road to
recovery and growing about 7 per cent is likely to lead
the spirits industry out of the woods.
Excerpts: For those who thought that the
liquor industry was resilient in a recession, need to
think again. The global spirits market is expected to
see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of just 0.4 per
cent between 2008 and 2013, according to an IWSR
Forecast report. The whisky category will grow 2.7 per
cent (CAGR) during the same period thanks to the Indian
market. Rum is also expected to grow 0.8 per cent.
Euromonitor
International's global briefing on functional drinks
aims to identify markets and brands for functional
drinks that offer the greatest growth opportunities. The
briefing looks for ways to accelerate trends where
functional drinks are growing the fastest. Insights on
how to develop the identified opportunities are also
offered. The data and analysis are specific to the key
functional drinks sectors of sports drinks, energy
drinks and functional bottled water.
Excerpts: Although functional drinks are a
relatively small segment, it has experienced the second
highest growth rate over the past five years (behind RTD
tea). Functional drinks' high growth rate is
attributable to it being a relatively new segment.
Functional drinks manufacturers have been expanding
geographic distribution and successfully introducing
products targeted at new consumer segments. The forecast
growth rate is lower than historical growth due to the
maturing of sports drinks and the impact of the economic
crisis in the early years of the forecast period.
The
Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has claimed that a
European Court of Justice ruling about tobacco products
is a major setback for Scottish plans to introduce
minimum alcohol pricing.
Excerpts: In a ruling published recently,
the European Court said minimum prices for cigarettes
and loose tobacco in France, Ireland, and Austria
contravene EU competition rules. Set as a percentage of
average prices, the minimum prices were adjudged to
undermine competition because they may artificially
protect some companies from lower cost rivals.
According
to Plato, the research organization, the world beer
market grew less than 0.1 per cent in 2009, but expected
it to pick up in 2010 to growth of about 3 per cent. A
report.
Excerpts: Europe and North America are
putting the biggest drag on global sales growth.
Together the two regions represent 45 per cent of the
global market and neither is
Anja
and Georges share the experience of their visit to
China.
Excerpts: A s our project progresses
through the less common wine regions of the world, we
have been taken from an ancient communist capital to
frosty Siberian plains, and onward into an emerging
giant in wine as well as all other economic forms:
China. As the first country in which we have been able
to visit wineries themselves for our humanitarian
project aimed at collecting wines around the world for
auction, we have been pleasantly surprised in a land not
yet known for its viticultural inspirations.
Kvass
is a Russian beer made from fermenting rye or barley and
having a dark colour and sour taste
Excerpts: Kvass or kvas (borrowed in the
16th century from Polish kwas meaning acid) or Russian
квас (kvas), sometimes called in English a bread drink,
is a fermented beverage made from black rye or rye bread
(which contributes to its light or dark colour). By the
content of alcohol resulted from fermentation, it is
classified as non-alcoholic: up to 1.2 per cent of
alcohol, according to the standard of Russia.
Through
the ages, owing to the nuances of its flavour and
fragrance, the pairing of food with ale has remained an
untouched custom. Karen Anand attempts to create some
magic with food and Carlsberg.
Excerpts: The bon vivant will recognise
the wide range of flavours and aromas that the brew
encompasses, harmonising or accentuating a range of
culinary delights, whether it is a handmade sausage or
the most complex gourmet dish. Great attention must be
given to the subtle qualities of both the menu and
beverage, matching strength with strength, finding a
balance that enhances both tastes - a culinary
experiment at its best!
Russia, January 2010 -The Trans-Siberia/Mongolian
Express: Unexpected Stories
Excerpts: During the Trans Mongolian train ride
we not only had the great opportunity to enjoy the
amazing landscapes of deep Russia, the face of pure
nature with freckles of villages scattered throughout,
but we were also able to share closely with locals both
the space of our coupe, and the stories of their lives.
- Anja and Georges For further details visit
www.worldwinetour2010.com An Ambrosia magazine
Initiative
Ashish
Jasuja checks into a room with a splendid view of a mash
tun and discovers that artisanal methods of brewing
still prevail in rural Franconia.
Excerpts: "Could I have a room with a view
of the Mash tun," I asked. It wasn't apparently the
strangest request that the receptionist had seen in her
days at the Höhn hotel. After a glance at the Guest
Register and a little bit of luck I was staring out at
the brew house from a quaint window sill in my room.
This was no ordinary hotel though. It was a charming
combination of brewery, inn and hotel also known as a
Brauerei Gasthof Hotel. The ones without a hotel but
with a brewery and attached inn are simply known as
Brauerei Gasthofs. I had arrived here at the Höhn
Gasthof Hotel in Memmelsdorf, which has a 200-years-old
brewing tradition according to a recipe that has been
handed down and preserved for eight generations.
Savouring
Grey Goose vodka-based cocktails can be a refreshing
experience in itself. The French vodka can be used to
concoct some refreshing drink recipes.
Purists
may cringe and baulk. But can they ignore the acceptance
of champagne cocktails world over? The drink that is
synonymous with French aristocracy and luxury, champagne
together with its sparkling wine cousins were barely
seen to be mixed with other ingredients and drink
mixers.
Excerpts: History has witnessed both the
highs and lows in the popularity of champagne cocktails.
Presently, in India the trend has seemingly caught on,
and is on its way up quite rapidly. Awareness is the
primary factor to influence the growth. Indians have
definitely grown more adventurous with their choice of
drinks. The lovers of cocktail typically, would vouch
that it adds more zing to the bubbly potion. The
concoction serves as a great accompaniment to a relaxing
Sunday brunch, or the perfect welcome drink to an
enjoyable party.
Ambience
of watering hole getting zanier and hip worldwide and
the trend is fast catching up in India as well.
Excerpts: Imagine going
for a drink and ending up in a jail! Don't panic.
Perhaps you've either landed on a film's sets or walked
into a jail-themed bar. It is perhaps not the latest
thing to happen in the world of pubs and lounges, as
bars built around a particular theme or concept, simply
known as 'concept bars', have a good reason to continue
to fire people's imagination since time immemorial. Take
for example, the Hard Rock Café, not necessarily a new
addition as it has been around since the early
seventies.
The
property might be the same, most visuals as you enter
are the same as they were before The Grand had to close
for renovation, but The Grand is a new property – albeit
revamped and relaunched – in many ways.
Excerpts: The first difference one notices
is the approach road now resplendent with expensive
malls housing international range of designers. It used
to be fairly deserted here, when the hotel was closed.
Now these malls also have some of the new stand alone
restaurants, creating a fair amount of interest. Within
the hotel the exact location of the bar within the hotel
has changed.
An
evening dedicated to tasting good wines paired with
great food especially in a place like Tasting Room
definitely composes a perfect set up. The occasion was
introduction of the range of De Bortoli wines in India.
Excerpts: The wine
importer Finewinenmore had recently organized a tasting
to celebrate the addition of a new Australian wine into
its portfolio De Bortoli range which earlier belonged to
its competitor Aspri Spirits. Nikki Palun, the Marketing
& Trade Manager for Asia Pacific, De Bortoli was present
to answer all the queries raised by a selective group of
media invited for the tasting. Nikki's passion in wine
began at an early age when her father lowered her into a
barrel to help him crush grapes to make the family's
wine. She studied Commerce and Asian languages
(Mandarin) at university before being awarded a
scholarship to continue her Mandarin language and
cultural studies in Nanjing. She also studied Hindi for
a short while at Latrobe University but professes that
her Hindi language ability is "bohot karab" (sic)!
Bacci
Group, which owns the three top vineyards in Tuscany,
Italy, ties up with Aspri Spirits to launch
internationally-acclaimed wines in India.
Excerpts: Bacci Group,
which owns the three top wine estates in Tuscany, Italy
– Castello di Bossi, Renieri and Terre Di Talamo – and
Aspri Spirits recently launched new premium wines in
India. Marco Bacci, the owner of the house of Bacci, was
in Delhi recently to unveil the internationally-
renowned wines.
Tuscany
in Italy is a region full of beauty – natural and
man-made. Warm earthy colours of landscape also have a
reflection on its inhabitants too. Wines from this part
of the world have enticed many a connoisseur over time.
Every year is a new experience for the winemaker.
Rainfall, cold and hot weather contributes to what he
can do with the fruit on the vines. A report.
Excerpts: The region of
Montepulciano is rich in its own right in history and
way of life. Incidentally, this is the area where
adjoining town, Chianciano, has the famous thermal spas
renowned for their therapeutic value since the Roman
times. Even the water in hotels seems to have a
different quality.
Wine
is one of the few commodities that can improve with age
but it can also rapidly deteriorate if kept in
inadequate conditions. The three factors that have the
most direct impact on a wine's condition are light,
humidity and temperature. A fourth consideration can be
security, since wine can be considered a luxury good
with value on the after-market. Here's a lowdown on how
to store wine to retain that perfect blend and taste.
Excerpts: Storage is an
important consideration for any wine that is being kept
for long-term aging. While most wine produced today is
meant for near-term consumption (with much being
consumed within 24 hours of purchase), there are certain
situations in which it may be set aside for long-term
storage. Historically, the long-term storage of wine was
handled by wine merchants, but since the mid-20th
century the task of handling and storing wine has
increasingly fallen to consumers. Industries relating to
specialty wine storage facilities and the construction
of home-based wine cellars have emerged to cater to the
storage needs of consumers.
Alcohol
dehydrogenases (ADH) are a group of seven dehydrogenase
enzymes that occur in many organisms and facilitate the
interconversion between alcohols and aldehydes or
ketones with the reduction of NAD+ to NADH. In humans
and many other animals, they serve to break down
alcohols which could otherwise be toxic; in yeast and
many bacteria, some alcohol dehydrogenases catalyze the
opposite reaction as part of fermentation.
The company anticipates a
turnaround in the overall trend for the first half of
2010, with a concomitant increase in sales during the
2010 business year of 5 % to 15 %, plus a return to
significant positive results
Excerpts: The year 2009
was dominated by the global economic crisis. As a
consequence, the 2009 business year was for Krones AG,
the world's market leader for beverage filling and
packaging technology, probably the most difficult in the
company's 59 years of existence. Demand in the packaging
machinery market fell worldwide by more than 25%. With
the exception of China, all regions were affected by a
significant decline, particularly North and South
America, and Eastern Europe and Russia.
Sud
de France is the umbrella brand born of the Languedoc-Roussillon
region's desire to support and promote its regional wine
and food. It helped identify a shared image of high
quality products attached to a particular area and
culture. Catherine Machabert, Project Manager, Wine
Department Asia in her recent trip shared Sud de
France's plans for the Indian market with Ambrosia.
It's
a search for alternative fuels in an age where time is
running out. At the helm of this is the ISAF
(International Symposium on Alcohol Fuels) a non-profit
international organization which gathered together
recently in the NCR specialists, technologists,
executives and technical experts to debate the future of
fuels.
"Fermentation
may have been a greater discovery than fire," said
Plato. The new trend of beer drinking that is catching
up fast with the city life is the microbrewery pubs.
Punjab
in the North maybe known for its kingsize Patiala pegs
but it is the people in the southern state of Kerala
that are now the heaviest drinkers in India, and sales
of alcohol are rising fast.
While
the hangover of recession continues to dog the developed
countries, India which is already on the road to
recovery and growing about 7 per cent is likely to lead
the spirits industry out of the woods.
Euromonitor
International's global briefing on functional drinks
aims to identify markets and brands for functional
drinks that offer the greatest growth opportunities. The
briefing looks for ways to accelerate trends where
functional drinks are growing the fastest. Insights on
how to develop the identified opportunities are also
offered. The data and analysis are specific to the key
functional drinks sectors of sports drinks, energy
drinks and functional bottled water.
The
Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has claimed that a
European Court of Justice ruling about tobacco products
is a major setback for Scottish plans to introduce
minimum alcohol pricing.
According
to Plato, the research organization, the world beer
market grew less than 0.1 per cent in 2009, but expected
it to pick up in 2010 to growth of about 3 per cent. A
report.
Anja
and Georges share the experience of their visit to
China.
Kvass
is a Russian beer made from fermenting rye or barley and
having a dark colour and sour taste
Through
the ages, owing to the nuances of its flavour and
fragrance, the pairing of food with ale has remained an
untouched custom. Karen Anand attempts to create some
magic with food and Carlsberg.
Ashish
Jasuja checks into a room with a splendid view of a mash
tun and discovers that artisanal methods of brewing
still prevail in rural Franconia.
Savouring
Grey Goose vodka-based cocktails can be a refreshing
experience in itself. The French vodka can be used to
concoct some refreshing drink recipes.
Purists
may cringe and baulk. But can they ignore the acceptance
of champagne cocktails world over? The drink that is
synonymous with French aristocracy and luxury, champagne
together with its sparkling wine cousins were barely
seen to be mixed with other ingredients and drink
mixers.
Ambience
of watering hole getting zanier and hip worldwide and
the trend is fast catching up in India as well.
The
property might be the same, most visuals as you enter
are the same as they were before The Grand had to close
for renovation, but The Grand is a new property – albeit
revamped and relaunched – in many ways.
An
evening dedicated to tasting good wines paired with
great food especially in a place like Tasting Room
definitely composes a perfect set up. The occasion was
introduction of the range of De Bortoli wines in India.
Bacci
Group, which owns the three top vineyards in Tuscany,
Italy, ties up with Aspri Spirits to launch
internationally-acclaimed wines in India.
Tuscany
in Italy is a region full of beauty – natural and
man-made. Warm earthy colours of landscape also have a
reflection on its inhabitants too. Wines from this part
of the world have enticed many a connoisseur over time.
Every year is a new experience for the winemaker.
Rainfall, cold and hot weather contributes to what he
can do with the fruit on the vines. A report.
Wine
is one of the few commodities that can improve with age
but it can also rapidly deteriorate if kept in
inadequate conditions. The three factors that have the
most direct impact on a wine's condition are light,
humidity and temperature. A fourth consideration can be
security, since wine can be considered a luxury good
with value on the after-market. Here's a lowdown on how
to store wine to retain that perfect blend and taste.
Alcohol
dehydrogenases (ADH) are a group of seven dehydrogenase
enzymes that occur in many organisms and facilitate the
interconversion between alcohols and aldehydes or
ketones with the reduction of NAD+ to NADH. In humans
and many other animals, they serve to break down
alcohols which could otherwise be toxic; in yeast and
many bacteria, some alcohol dehydrogenases catalyze the
opposite reaction as part of fermentation.
