The real Budweiser please stand up !!

Where is Budweiser from?

A simple question to which most would reply with confidence - USA. But hold on, in the world of food and beverage nothing comes without caveat and contradiction. So, true to the form our Bud also has two origins or shall we say a disputed origin that has been debated for last 140 years.

Curious case

The Czech Republic has its own Budweiser... since 1785!!

For the uninitiated - The Issue

This issue involves United States of America and the Czech Republic. For past hundred years, an international legal dispute continued between the American brewer Anheuser-Busch and the Czech beer producer Budejovicky Budvar over the right to use the trademark name Budweiser on their products. Currently, both of the brewers produce beer beverage labeled Budweiser, and battle over who does have the legal right to the commercial use of this name. Both the brews have a long history of existence. The disagreements over the right to use the trademark started in late 1870s, when the brewers began to export their like-named products to markets beyond their national borders. Attempting to legally win the exclusive right to the trademark use, the dispute has been taken to courts in different countries. The results so far did not provide either party the exclusive right to the name, but rather resulted in the division of market.

Why the same name?

Budweiser refers to beer produced from or in the style of Budweis, a city in Czech Republic.  Locals have been producing beer here since 13th century. Czech company Budvar has been brewing here since 1895. Two German speaking Americans - Adolphus Busch and his friend Carl Conrad (from Anheuser-Busch brewery, USA) in 1876, developed a "Bohemian-style" lager, inspired after a trip to Budweis in Bohemia (today's Czech Republic). They named their beer Budweiser after the Bohemian style beer they produced.

As it stands now

After over a hundred year of court battle eventually, the courts allowed Anheuser-Busch to use the Budweiser name in North America while Budvar's Budweiser is sold in North America as ‘Czechvar’. Budweiser Budvar has exclusive control over the Budweiser brand name in the whole European Union and Anheuser-Busch uses the brand name ‘Bud’ here.

Well, all this Bud-wiser gyaan is making me very thirsty. Time for Bud - American or Czech?

Checkout

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budweiser
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budweiser_(Anheuser-Busch)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budweiser_Budvar

Desmondji - An Indian Tequila.

The man

Tequila is now made in India. Yes, you heard it right. The signature drink of Mexico made from the famous blue agave plant is now produced just 150 kms.off Bangalore. The brain child behind the spirit is Desmond Nazareth, an IIT engineer who returned to India after a Y2K crash in US. Back home,he found it difficult to replicate his perfect margaritas here as the imported tequila was too expensive.

His mission

He set out to make his own tequila. Desmond did extensive research in spirits, distillation and topography. He concluded that he could grow agave plant (raw material for tequila) in Deccan plateau. Desmond selected an area in Chittor district of AP and planted agave in 44 acres of land. The tougher part however must have been to recourse finance and getting clearance and licence for his micro-distillery. Thankfully he could cut across the redtape and open India's first micro- distillery.

The product

Desmond named the company 'Agave India'and it is the first alco-bev company in India to make high-quality Margarita blends, Agave Spirits and Orange Liqueurs using original production methods such as harvesting, baking of agave 'pinas', fermentation, double distillation, ageing etc. This method is in accordance with the international spirit production standards, unlike most spirit producers in India, who simply add flavour to ENA (extra neutral alcohol).

Agave India is also the only company in the world to produce 'Tequila' outside of Mexico. However according to international law a product can be termed 'Tequla' only if it is made in Mexico. Hence the company calls its products - Desmondji 100% agave and Desmondji 51% agave. The product is only available in Goa right now and is priced at Rs. 495 per bottle (750ml). The company has plans to launch it in Bangalore, Mumbai and Pune by the end of this year.

http://www.desmondji.com/home.php

Chaterbox salutes Jesmondiji's spirit !!!!

Blavod - Black Vodka and its dark secrets

Vodka is hip and modern tipper for a new age. In recent times vodka sales across all markets has seen a sharp rise thanks to its popularity among young drinkers and cocktail lovers.

Vodka as we have known is a colourless, odourless and flavourless spirit. The only problem, if any was that it never looks 'sexy' in a glass, like a single malt filled with ice in a crystal rocks glass, or a champagne in a tall flute.

Now one might think how difficult it would be to add some colour to the drink, specially when vodka by nature is a great mixer as well. The trick however is to get a colour that will not affect the taste or flavour of vodka.

After years of research a UK company finally came with the perfect ingredient that would give a sophisticated yet edgy black colour to the drink without affecting taste in any form. They found Black Catechu, ie extracts from the heartwood of Burmese catechu acacia trees has this unique property.

Now what is 'catechu'? Well we all know it as katha in Hindi, Kaath in (marathi) khoyer in Bangla, same stuff our panwala puts in our pans to give colour. It is produced by boiling the wood of acacia catechu tree in water and evaporating the resulting brew. The only difference being that Burmese catechu tree produced black colour.

Well as they say rest is history. We now have a dark black coloured vodka whose popularity is growing among the party circuits and fashion events across New York , London, Milan and Paris. Blavod is also an excellent cocktail mix, as it floats effortlessly over any juice, forming a contrasting dark layer on top.

Cheers !!!

How canine is your Hot Dog ?

Not much thankfully, ie. if you do not go by its misleading yet interesting name. So, why is this tasty treat called a 'Hot Dog?"

What is it?

A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is commonly garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish or sauerkraut.

Why the name?

The term 'Hot Dog' was first coined by cartoonist T.A. Dorgan around 1900 in a cartoon recording the sale of hot dogs during a New York Giants baseball game. He drew a 'dashund' between a split bun to give a humorous twist to the word 'Dog' used for sausage in his era. It is said to echo a 19c. suspicion (occasionally justified) that sausages contained dog meat.