France ponders breathalysers in clubs

by Abha Malpani on

It is possible that from this summer, all alcohol serving establishments in France will have breathalysers so people can take breath tests before they leave clubs. 350 bars/clubs around the country have already had trial runs.

In France, the legal drinking age is 16 and you can get a driver’s license when you are 18. For years, the country has seen people killed on the road because of drunk driving and this decree is particularly to reduce the number of people driving when over the limit.

Solving the problem by focussing on keeping the roads safer as opposed to controlling alcohol consumption seems more practical, keeping in mind that France has one of the highest rates of road fatalities in Europe.

In principle the idea is great, but how can you force people to take breath tests before leaving? When youngsters drink and drive, they know what they are doing and their over-confidence that “nothing is going to happen” is what lets them drive home instead of taking public transport. So what will make them take a breath test? Will they put someone at the door who makes them do it before they leave? Will it be free to use?

A bar in Boston has taken a similar initiative into their own hands by selling a device called “Breath Scan” in their vending machines — two for US$7. It looks like they are selling, which is at least reassuring.

But once they’ve taken the test, what’s to say that they will still not drive home?

In Dubai (where the population is 70% Westerners from Europe and the US), drink driving is a huge problem — even though the limit is zero and the punishment is a month of jail plus a fine! Such rigid rules haven’t discouraged people from drink-driving, so although France’s initiative is great, I’m not sure how effective it will be.

Expensive caffeine: Coffee made from animal dung goes for £50 a cup

by Anna Brones on

At Gadling we are pretty crazy about odd and bizarre foods. We’ve already written about Indonesian turd coffee, a byproduct of wild civets, but today the good news is that you don’t have to travel all the way to Southeast Asia to get it. To get your morning cup of turd coffee, make your way to London instead.

Peter Jones, a department store in Sloane Square, is selling a gourmet coffee blend made from animal dung and selling it at £50 a cup; that’s almost $100! Caffe Raro, which is thought to be the most expensive coffee in the world, is a made from a blend of Jamaican Blue Mountain and Kopi Luwak beans. The Kopi Luwak beans are eaten by the Asian palm civet, and once passed through their system, collected and sold for a little under $650 per kilogram. Don’t worry — they’re washed before they are roasted.

$100 may seem like a lot to spend on a good cup of java — especially when it’s made from animal dung — but then again, if you live in Europe, it’s cheaper than a ticket to track down the specialty in Indonesia.

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Big in Japan: A taster’s guide to green tea

by Matthew Firestone on

Yesterday, I wrote about Japan’s national beverage, namely the humble yet refined glass of green tea.

However, just as no two glasses of wine are created equal, green tea is just as varied as the finest fruit of the vine.

Indeed, there are a multitude of specialty green teas, each varying in taste, texture and complexity.

While a true vinophile would never consistently drink glass upon glass of red wine, green tea connoisseurs take great pride in sampling the full spectrum of brews.

But how do you tell the difference between sencha and matcha?
Aren’t all green teas simply dried leaves seeped in hot water?

Ah, my young grasshopper!

You have much to learn, but fear not as today, I’m going to present you with a handy taster’s guide to green teas that will hopefully get started on the long road to green tea devotion.

To get started, click on the link below to take a tour through the wide and wonderful world of green tea, one of nature’s most perfect beverages.

With millennia of history dating back to ancient China, green tea has undergone some incredible transformations over the generations.

Of course, all aspiring aficionados of green tea should start with ryokucha, or quite literally true tea (緑茶).

Green tea in its simplest form is so common in Japan that it’s known as just ‘tea’ (お茶; ocha) or even ‘Japanese tea’ (日本茶; nihoncha).

Nine times out of ten, true tea takes the form of sencha (煎茶, broiled tea), which is distinguished as being the first and/or second flush of tea leaves that have been dried in the sun.

Of course, the Japanese are also extremely partial to matcha (抹茶, rubbed tea), a finely ground tea that is the centerpiece of the tea ceremony.

Somewhat reminiscent of green flour, matcha can also be used to flavor a variety of confectionaries including ice cream, rice flour cakes and sweets.

Another excellent brew is genmaicha (玄米茶, brown-rice tea), which is usually a hearty a healthy blend of sencha, matcha and roasted genmai (玄米) or brown rice.

Genmaicha in particularly has a unique history since it was first brought to Japan by Myōan Eisai, a Japanese Buddhist priest who also introduced the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism.

Are you with me so far? If so, also be on the lookout for the following:

Shincha (新茶, new tea) Freshly picked and dried tea leaves that tend to make an appearance in the markets a few times a year.

Bancha (番茶, common tea) This blue-collar brew is made from the trimmed unnecessary twigs of the tea plant.

Hojicha (焙じ茶, pan fried tea) Sencha takes on an entirely different taste after it has been gently roasted in a frying pan.

Gyokuro (玉露, jade dew): The highest grade of Japanese green tea that is famous for its pale green color and extremely high caffeine content.

See – this just goes to show you that with a little time and practice, anyone can become an aficionado!

** All images were courtesy of the WikiCommons Media Project ***

Big in Japan: Japanese energy drink makes Red Bull look like apple juice

by Matthew Firestone on

Life can be unbelievably stressful, which is why every one of us needs a quick boost from time to time.

Whether your preferred liquid energy comes in the form of a double skim latte, a bottle of Jolt cola or a red bull and vodka, life is so much easier with caffeine and taurine surging through your veins.

Of course, if you think that we have stressful lives in the West, you should spend some time in the Land of the Rising Sun, where eighty hour-plus work weeks are the norm, and sleep is for the weak and the dead.

So, it should come as no surprise that the Japanese are partial to their energy drinks.

With that said, allow me to introduce you to Yunker Fanti (??????????????????????????????), a powerful concoction by Sato Laboratories that makes Red Bull look like apple juice.

I’m not kidding!

From Royal Jelly and liquid-based nicotine to complex vitamins and herbal extracts, this stuff will put some serious spring in your step.

Want to know more about this invigorating elixir? Click below to learn the secret behind Japanese efficiency.

In Tokyo, you can buy a 50 milliliter bottle of Yunker Fanti for 1,700 yen or approximately US$15. The product is even endorsed by the legendary Seattle Mariner Ichiro Suzuki, so you know this stuff has got to be good!

Remarkably, you don’t even have to go to a health food store to buy the product.

Instead, just simply walk out of your apartment, head into the first convenience store you see, and knock your socks off for the price of a large cappuccino and a pastry at Starbucks.

So what is exactly in Yunker Fanti that makes this stuff so damn good?

For starters, this tiny bottle is jam-packed with caffeine and taurine, which probably isn’t the best thing for those with fragile hearts. But, think of this little baby as a mix of a double espresso and a red bull on ice.

Here’s the clincher.

Yunker Fanti, along with several other Japanese energy drinks, is packed-full of nicotine, which isn’t exactly the greatest thing to be putting into your body.

But, if you want to sharpen your senses, stave off hunger and punch the clock for a few more hours, you can’t beat this liquid gold.

Yunker Fanti is also brimming with a variety of natural and herbal remedies for fatigue, depression and sickness, such as royal jelly (think bees), complex vitamins, ginseng, guarana, garlic, ecinachia and a whole bunch of Chinese herbs that don’t translate into English.

Seriously – this stuff is the cure for what ails ya’.

If you’re still interested in trying Yunker Fanti, sadly you’re going to have to make the trip out to Japan.

Unfortunately, I’m fairly certain that there strict import restrictions in the States regarding liquid-nicotine based products, though perhaps I’m wrong. With that said, please chime in if you’ve seen this product in a health food store near you.

Big in Japan: Sake tasting notes

by Matthew Firestone on

I really love sake (?????????, nihonshu).

If you think about it, variety is indeed the spice of the life, especially in the bar. In the modern era of microbrews, alcopops and flavored vodkas, we are all secretly becoming closet gourmands.

Of course, all of these self-aggrandizing styles can’t match the sheer variety of flavors and styles of the sweet, delicious nectar that is sake.

Think sake is just rice wine? Don’t believe me that no two bottles of sake are created equally? Allow me to educate you on the high culinary art that is sake.

Much like wine is divided into red, white and varying shades in between, sake runs the spectrum from sweet and rounded with fruity overtones to dry and crisp with a powerful bite.

Of course, true wine connoisseurs can distinguish the variety of grape, just as true sake connoisseurs understand the different brewing styles.

Although there are literally dozens of sake brewing methods, this basic list will help you get started:

Yamahai (???) One of the most traditional methods of brewing sake, the mash is allowed to sour, which gives the final product a more intense flavor.

For more tasting notes on the sweet, delicious nectar that is sake, click on and keep reading!

Sokujō (速醸) Referred to as modern sake, lactic acid is added to the mash to speed up the production time, and subsequently yields a crisp and clean drink.

Muroka (無濾過) ‘Unfiltered’ sake is spared the charcoal filtering process, which creates a slightly cloudy brew that is extremely bold and complex in flavor.

Doburoku (濁酒) This classic unfiltered style is reminiscent of traditional homemade sake, and can come in a variety of flavors depending on the individual brewing methods.

Nigorizake (濁り酒) One of the most unusual types of sake, this unfiltered sake contains a large amount of rice sediment, and must be shaken before it can be served. The texture of nigorizake is extremely smooth and creamy, while the flavor is surprisingly sweet and rounded.

Namazake (生酒) ‘Fresh sake,’ which may can be made by any of the processes described above, is not pasteurized and best served chilled.

Kuroshu (黒酒) Something of an acquired taste, this Chinese-style sake uses unpolished (brown rice) to create a rough and ready brew that quickly overpower the palette.

Taruzake (樽酒) Absolutely delicious but difficult to find, this premium sake is aged in cedar casks, which imparts a unique spiciness to the final product.

Koshu (古酒) Although sake is meant to be drank immediately, a few varieties can be aged, resulting in a honey-flavored brew that is as rich in taste as it is in price.

Now that you know lingo, don’t be afraid to experiment with whatever varieties of sake are available at your local liquor store or Japanese restaurant.

Truth be told, the best Japanese sakes are sadly rarely exported to North America, though every once in awhile it’s possible to find the real staff.

Happy drinking, or as they say here in Japan, kampai (かんぱ, cheers!)