Martini cocktail

The cocktail is an Americanism that broadly refers to any alcoholic beverage combined with other ingredients, such as sugar, water and fruit juice.

It seems to have been ‘baptized’ the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York in 1911, but most likely was created around 1880 in tandem with the development of production of gin.

The martini cocktail, narrowly defined, is a combination of gin, vermouth and an olive or a twist of lemon. An onion replaces the olives as the garnish in a cocktail called the Gibson.

Gin is distilled from a variety of grains and is bottled at 80 proof. Every gin manufactured has its own distinctive flavor and aroma. Gin usually colorless and is most often used in making martini cocktail.

Actually the martini cocktail has gone through substantial evolution as well, from a much sweeter version in the nineteenth century, with additional ingredients like bitter, to the vodka martini of the late twentieth century.
Martini cocktail

Beverage of gin

Gin is distilled alcoholic beverage that can be made from a variety of cereals and draws its signature flavor from the juniper berries that also –give its name.

Juniper berries are the seeds of tress of the Juniperus genus of which there are several dozen species found around the world.

It was originally developed in the Netherlands in the 16th century. It was created d by Francis de la Boe, but spread to the British Isles when William and Mary became regents of England in 1689. Holland still makes its classic genever, a Dutch-style gin that is highly aromatic with intense flavor.

The historical importance of gin lies largely in a supposed ‘gin craze’ in England in the first half of the eighteenth century, when gin consumption was blamed for widespread immorality and social disruption.

When people refer to gin, they usually mean London dry gin, which is most often used in cocktails.

Dry gins made in the United States tend to b softer and less flavorful than London dry gins and are best suited for mixed drinks.

Today, gin comes in at least four main types:
*London dry gin
*Dutch gin
*Plymouth
*Old Tom gin
Beverage of gin

Espresso coffee

In Italy a cup of espresso is a small heavy china cup with a capacity just over 50 ml, half full with a dark brew topped by a thick layer of reddish-brown foam of tiny bubble, also known as the Italian term ‘crema’. 

Crema contains oils and is one of the sure signs of properly brewed shot of espresso. It is created by the high pressure dispersion of gasses in the coffee.

Espresso is actually a coffee brewed from beans roasted medium to dark brown, with the brewing accomplished by hot water forced through a bed of finely ground, densely compacted coffee at a pressure of over 9 atmospheres.

Espresso is famous for being small, strong and black. It is the essence of coffee and the basis for many drinks, such as cappuccino and latte macchiato.

The name espresso is an Italian in origin. It was first coined around 1900 and loosely translated, means a cup so coffee brewed expressly just for you.
Espresso coffee

Tea: Origin and Health Benefits

Tea: Origin and Health Benefits
The tea plant Camellia sinensis has been grown in Southeast Asia for thousands of years. According to Chinese mythology, it was the emperor Shen Nung who discovered tea in 2737 BC.

In ancient China, tea was considered as a medicinal remedy for headache, body aches and pains, depression, immune enhancement, digestion and detoxification; as an energizer and to prolong life.

The Japanese population learned the habit of drinking tea from the Chinese in approximately 800 AD. Tea consumption has now been adapted and assimilated by many cultures around the world. In Kamakura era (1191 – 1333), the monk Eisai stressed that beneficial effect of tea in his book, ‘Maintaining Health by Drinking Tea’ in 1211 in which he emphasized: “Tea is miraculous medicine for the maintenance of health.”

Of all the beverages consumed today, tea is undoubtedly one of the oldest, most widely known, and most widely consumed. Its consumption was introduced throughout the world by traders and travelers.

One thing that makes tea attractive is that it is inexpensive and comes in numerous flavors. Tea drinking is a pleasurable experience that is enjoyed either alone or shared at social gatherings. The Japanese tea ceremony and the English 4 o’clock tea are examples of how important tea has become in the tradition of some cultures.

As the people age, a major health issue becomes remaining disease free. Thus, understanding what to eat and drink and what to avoid is important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Evidence is accumulating that tea has the potential to help reduce the incidence of major diseases, especially when combined with a healthy lifestyle. Such a lifestyle includes plenty of exercise and minimizing mental stress. It also includes consuming a diet that possesses health promoting effects. Nutrition has, therefore, been an area of intense investigation during the past few decades.

Some foods and beverages have a beneficial and protective effect. Daily intake of tea, fruit juice, and soy milk is part of a health promoting dietary tradition. This undertaking is based on differences in disease incidence as a function of locally prevailing nutritional habits.
Tea: Origin and Health Benefits