After training their whole lives to win a gold medal, it’s expected that Olympic athletes might want to celebrate with a glass of bubbly or (many) pints of their favorite beer from back home. But if they’re staying in the Olympic Village, athletes have to imbibe on the down-low. According to the official policies released by the Olympic Committee Village, “Alcohol will not be sold to individuals in the Olympic Village and the consumption of personal alcohol is restricted to private spaces.” https://www.instagram.com/p/Be23zaAFNMZ/?taken-by=olympic Olympians can, of course, also take the party off Olympic Village grounds and go explore PyeongChang. Food & Wine reported that athletes have been up for trying all kinds of Korean specialties from gimbap (seaweed wrapped rice and fish), Bibimbap (a bowl of warm white rice with sautéed vegetables), kimchi (salted and fermented vegetables) and Korean Barbecue, so there is a desire to learn about the host country outside of the stage set by…
No more margaritas: why we might see a tequila shortage soon
All you margarita fans out there, let’s get serious. Experts are projecting a massive world-wide tequila shortage until 2021, and unfortunately, yes, your Friday night binges are partially to blame. According to Reuters, a shortage of the agave plant — the plant used to make the liquor — is the problem. The price of the the blue-tinged spikey-leaved succulent has increased six-fold in just two years, causing the price to jump from 3.85 pesos per kilo to 22. Agave plants normally take seven or eight years to reach maturity. The report states that only 17.7 million agaves were planted in 2011 — and 42 million are needed to supply the 140 registered tequila companies. This shortage is forcing farmers to harvest agaves that have not yet reached maturity — causing a downward spiral for several upcoming years. Tequila has gained popularity in recent years with total U.S. sales up 7.4 percent between 2015 and 2016. That amounts…
Stay full all morning with a BANANA, SPINACH, PINEAPPLE CHIA SMOOTHIE
Kick start the new year with healthy recipes that make you feel great. No matter what type of diet you follow, most folks can get on board with meals and snacks that use whole foods and little-to-no processed ingredients or sugars. Smoothies are a great way to pack plenty of nutrition into a five minute meal. As you grab a glass and head out the door, it will quickly become part of your healthy routine. This recipe will keep you full for hours, so if you’re skeptical of smoothies, start here. The chia seeds and banana will see to it that I’m right about that! Banana, spinach, pineapple chia smoothie Serves 2 Ingredients 2 cups skim milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk) 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks 3 handfuls of baby spinach 2 tbsp chia seeds 2 ripe bananas Directions Add all ingredients to the blender, and puree on high for about…
19 Fun facts about champagne
Champagne is synonymous with celebration, and nothing says New Year’s quite like popping a bottle of bubbly. Throughout the year it might be seen as slightly snobbish, but on December 31 Champagne becomes holiday revelers’ drink of choice in countries all over the world. It seems that simply letting those bubbles fly sets the tone for a festive celebration, but what do you actually know about this fizzy favorite? Here are 19 fun facts about Champagne you likely never knew. 1. There are about 49 million bubbles in a 7500ml bottle of Champagne. 2. A standard-sized glass emits 30 bubbles every second. 3. France has the largest Champagne market (of course). The French consume 162.5 million bottles every year, or about 52 percent of the entire world production of Champagne. 4. Champagne has 3 times more carbonation than beer. 5. The pressure in a Champagne bottle is about 3 times the amount of pressure…
Berry breakfast smoothie bowl brings a smart start to the day
It’s not too late to get in on the biggest breakfast trend of 2017. Smoothie bowls are exactly what they sound like — you create a smoothie and top it with pretty much whatever you would like. You don’t need perfectly sliced raw almonds or gorgeous exotic fruits. Any type of nut, fruit or even crunchy cereal make for great flavor and texture. Smoothie bowls are more satisfying than a regular smoothie, too, because you can’t just throw in back in a few seconds. You have to eat it like a real breakfast (there’s a spoon and chewing involved, yay!). There’s a reason why these beautiful bowls became so popular this year, and we’re definitely going to see more of them as people look for a healthy start to 2018. Here is one tasty smoothie bowl variety to get you started. Berry Breakfast Smoothie Bowl Serves 1 Ingredients 5 ounces Greek yogurt, plain…
Tips to help prevent that horrible champagne hangover
If you’ve ever thought that a glass of champagne hits you faster than, say, beer, you’re not imagining it. It turns out there’s a reason why a single toast at your friend’s wedding can leave your head spinning. Boris Tabakoff at the University of Colorado, Boulder, told NPR, “Some of the dizziness you can feel after champagne is due to both the brain getting [a little] less oxygen and also the [effects] of the alcohol at the same time.” Blame it on the bubbles. All of those bubbles in sparkling wine and champagne are nothing more than carbon dioxide. C02 competes with oxygen in our bloodstream, explains Tabakoff, a researcher on the effects alcohol has on the body. The science behind it is pretty simple. Carbon dioxide increases the pressure in your stomach, which in turn, forces the alcohol out through the lining of your stomach where it’s absorbed right into your bloodstream — faster…
The most-Googled drinks of 2017
Without professional bartending skills, most of us have to consult the all-knowing Google for cocktail-making tips. All those queries then get compiled and stored until the end of the year when the online behemoth bestows upon us its year end trends. After sifting through our trillions of search terms this year, Google has brought us the most popular alcohol related search terms in the Year in Search 2017. According to the data, cocktails tips reigned supreme with the Margarita and mojito topping the list. The cold weather classic, hot toddy, came in third. So, thinking back… how many of these have you searched for in the past 12 months? Here’s the full top 10 list: Margarita Mojito Hot Toddy Sangria Whiskey Sour Mai Tai Bloody Mary Cosmopolitan Old Fashioned Irish Car Bomb If you’re wondering how this list compares to the list from last year: Sangria was the most-Googled cocktail, with Strawberry Daiquiri,…
Celebrate National Sangria Day, Wine not?
The holidays can be a stressful time of year, so it’s no coincidence National Sangria Day, December 20, 2017, falls right in the middle of them. Forget shopping, forgetting complicated cooking recipes, forget awkward family functions. Put some relaxation back into your month with a little sangria. A little splash of history The name sangria comes from the word sangre, or blood, and refers to the drink’s often dark color. The first sangrias were likely dark wine, watered down with mixes of water, wine, herbs and spices. Since water was often unfit for consumption because of bacteria, the ancient Romans probably added anything they could to help kill off the germs and disguise the taste of mediocre table wine. Thus, sangria was born. Though Spain and Portugal can claim its origins, today sangria is enjoyed all over the world. Whether you drink it on a patio in the summer to cool off, or…
Kale, Spinach, Pear Lemonade
This is not your ordinary lemonade. It’s far from being summer right now, and with all of these holiday cookies floating around, a healthy dose of fruits, veggies and vitamin C might be just what you need. There’s no refined sugar in sight, yet the pear, apples and touch of honey add just the right amount of sweetness, and the cucumber will keep you feeling refreshed. Kale, Spinach, Pear Lemonade Serves 1 Ingredients 1 bunch kale 1 handful spinach 2 large lemons, peeled 2 Granny Smith apples (or any apple will do in a pinch) 1 medium pear 1 tsp honey Directions Run all ingredients through juicer. Stir in honey. Serve immediately. Enjoy! Also see, 7 things millennials are changing about the food industry. Follow us on Instagram.
Why you should always store your wine bottles horizontally
If you’ve ever sat down to enjoy a nice, relaxing glass of your favorite wine only to have the cork crumble into the bottle, you’re not alone. It turns out, this devastating scene happens because you — and millions of other wine drinkers — don’t realize that proper wine storage is actually really important. There’s a good reason why wine racks typically have the bottle lying down. “Bottles of wine should be stored horizontally to keep the wine in contact with the cork and help prevent the cork from drying out,” wine critic and write Joanna Simon told Cosmopolitan. If a wine cork dries out, it can become brittle and break with just a small amount of pressure. These can lead to those cork fragments floating around your wine glass. Corks are susceptible to drying if not stored properly, and they’re also naturally breakable. “Corks can become crumbly and friable with age — it being…