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Beer From Around the World

Beer, glorious beer. As many of us know, beer is the blue jeans of drinks. It goes with anything, from salads and appetizers to steaks and burgers all the way down to dessert. It can even go by itself. And just like any overpriced designer jeans (which pretty much serves the same purpose as with cheaper ones), beer has its counterparts in the form of exotically made, relatively expensive yet equally intoxicating brews. So for those who are wondering, “Where exactly can I find the finest booze in the world?” here’s a list to satisfy the connoisseur in you.

Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout:

The ye olde brewery was founded in 1758 at Yorkshire, England. But it wasn’t until 1852 when a man named Samuel Smith ponied up the cash to his son in order to purchase a privately owned brewery at Tadcaster. Since then, the name Samuel Smith has been synonymous to excellent quality. Most of their beers, with the exception of two, are made with malt, hops, yeast, and water. Among the most famous ones in their lineup is the Imperial Stout, which is also considered a “vegan” type of beer. Although they import their products to different countries around the world, nothing beats chugging down a fresh stout straight from their brewery in England.

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale:

Established in 1980 at Chico, California, the Sierra Nevada Pale Brewing Company is now one of, if not the most popular of all craft brewing companies in the United States. These guys aren’t just some commercial company out to sell us standard quality drinks. They take the “craft” of making beer quite seriously. Seeing how their pale ale is world renowned is proof enough. They also produce hoppier, oak and cinnamon flavored beer such as Winter Celebration, and Summerfest which has an appropriately sunny and citrusy taste. Also, a number of their products have been featured in hit TV shows such as Friends and Sex and the City.

Duvel:

The Duvel Moortgat Brewery was started in 1871 by a man named Jean-Leonard Moortgat in Steenhuffel , Belgium. Originally made to celebrate the end of the First World War, Moortgat named it Victory Beer. But during the 1920’s, an avid beer drinker tasted Moortgat’s concoction, and declared it to be “nen echten duvel” (a real devil) because of its high alcohol content (8.5%). The name stuck ever since, and what was once considered a commemoration to life after chaos ironically became, well, the devil’s handiwork.

Trappist Beer:

If one Belgium brewery produces a beer from hell, then another Belgian brewery creates a beer worthy of God’s divine graces. In Scourmont Abbey, in the Belgian Municipality of Chimay, monks are responsible for producing one of the best beers in the world since 1863. Named after the Trappist monks who make them, Chimay (or Trappist) Beer ranges from tasting nutty, creamy, light, and incredibly bitter.

Red Horse Beer:

The San Miguel Brewing Company is a Philippine based division which has its roots dating all the way back to 1890. They are the largest brewing company in the country, and their beers are world renowned, not to mention a staple of Philippine culture. Among their products is the infamous Red Horse Beer. Not only is it known for its full taste and acid like strength, it is also surrounded by urban legends. One of which suggests that the beer is mixed with a good amount of gin, which explains why it is insanely strong. Another rumor points to its packaging. Like rare baseball cards, each case of Red Horse supposedly contains one or two “Happy Horses.” Seeing a horse insignia on the bottle with its mouth slightly curved upwards (resembling a smile) is a symbol that the beer it contains was made to be twice as strong as those in regular bottles, giving more happiness to those who gulp it down, that is, until they wake up the next morning.

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The Health Benefits Of Oolong Tea

Oolong tea has a long and rich history that includes being one of the plants that were grown and prized by ancient Chinese emperors and today is prized for its many known health benefits around the world. The history of the plant that is botanically known as Camellia sinensis has been used throughout history for good health, healing and averting illness. These tea leaves generally originate from the Fuijan Province of China or the mountains of Taiwan and can also be referred to as Wu-Long tea. There is some evidence that the tea leaves from this region have a history of at least four hundred years; arriving toward the end of the Ming Dynasty.

This tea now known for ensuring many different health benefits can be found as straight oolong tea or with other enhancements such as jasmine, orange blossoms and others.

The process of manufacturing the tea is done with utmost care and in a fashion that has transcended the ages; from the time it is picked until the time it is packaged it undergoes a careful hand process. After the leaves are picked they are laid out to dry for a short amount of time where the oxidation process begins. Then the leaves are placed in baskets and shaken in order to bruise them. This exposes the juice of the leaves to the air whereby the oxidation process continues after which the leaves are laid out to dry for a second time. This process will oxidize the leaves from 20-80%, depending on the type of final product desired. The leaves will then be fired to halt the oxidation. Then they are sometimes rolled while still freshly roasted and fired several more times. As a way of finishing the process the leaves are completely cooled and then fired a final time to give the oolong tea the special flavor while reserving the healthful properties of the leaves.

Tea of all types have been under the microscope of late, and oolong tea has been studied and found to have numerous antioxidants, vitamins and minerals along with polyphenols, which all fit into a healthful regiment. Polyphenols that are found in oolong tea have the ability to remove free radicals, which are known for prematurely aging the skin along with causing the dark spots associated with aging. Free radicals have also been associated with hindering the immune system and they are also associated with cancer cells as well as muscle tissue deterioration or damage.

Oolong tea is also known for enhancing the function of enzymes, which in turn are known to dissolve triglycerides. These are the fatty deposits in the body and therefore it can aid in a weight loss regiment. There have been clinical trials done and it was found that this type of tea can raise the metabolic rate, which speeds up fat oxidation and the catechin polyphenols raise the rate that calories are burned in the body. This in turn means that oolong tea has the compounds in it to aid directly in weight loss. It is also an aid in reducing blood pressure that will in turn help to prevent hypertension; this is because of its ability to use the fatty deposits in the body as fuel for energy.

There is also possible evidence that along with the caffeine there is also an increase in stamina, which can help in an exercise regiment. Caffeine is also known to stimulate the frontal cortex of the brain; this helps in memory function and enhances the thought process.

There are other health benefits that have long been believed by Chinese herbalists such as the properties in oolong tea to reduce tooth decay and to aid in speeding oral healing because of tannic acid that is present in the tea. They also believe oolong tea assists in aiding the kidneys, as well as improving the utilization of glucose, which in turn aids the regulation of insulin.

Research and studies have shown that the Chinese who are known for their consumption of drinking have significant lower incidences of heart disease and prostate cancer than other ethnic groups. There is also scientific evidence that tea can also be an aid in breast cancer treatment, when used along with tamoxifen.

A recent study of Japanese elderly demonstrated that those who consumed two cups of tea per day had a lower chance of cognitive impairment by approximately fifty percent. Other studies have pointed to tea’s positive impact on the onset of Alzheimer’s.

While there is evidence that oolong tea and tea in general can benefit the health of the body there is also the fact that this tea is consumption friendly. Unlike vitamins, pills, health drinks and other health foods and drinks that are supposedly good for promoting health, oolong tea has a taste that is a pleasure to drink – and it is rehydrating, and nourishing.

This is a tea that has the ability to be flavored with different herbs and florals as well as served alone. Alone it can be dark in color with a robust taste that includes a hint of raisin, honeysuckle or almond. It can also be light and floral if only partially oxidized. Flavored oolongs can be found with names and tastes such as ginger peach oolong tea, orange blossom and plum oolong tea and others. Each of these teas has their own unique flavor and some have history behind their name like the Oriental Beauty, which received its name from Queen Elizabeth II. She named the tea after a tea merchant who brought it from Asia. The name is still used today.

Jeffrey Lorien is one of the owners of Zhi Tea, a discount retailer of quality organic teas from around the world. On their site you’ll find products and great information from the health benefits of Oolong tea to the antioxidant properties of green tea and much more.

The Health Benefits Of Oolong Tea / Author: Jeffrey Lorien

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Full Frontal Nudity

I have nothing against nudity, especially if there is no specific law that states nudity is illegal. As far as I could figure, the only laws that may affect anyone’s right to wear (or in this case, not wear) anything they please would be the laws regarding public indecency. But this is where the problems lie – everyone likes putting in their own two cents with regards to the definition of public indecency. Often, this would include things like urinating in public, or “playing with one’s self” in a public bathroom. But other times people will fly off the handle about certain things that baffle me.

Does anyone remember that one incident where a picture of a woman breastfeeding her child caused an outrage and was referred to by many as “disgusting”? I was so very surprised at the negative reaction to the picture, considering the fact that I am sure that most of us were breastfed by our own mothers – there is nothing indecent about a woman pulling out here breast to feed a baby. In fact, I am of the opinion that there is nothing wrong at all with being naked, so long as there is no malice behind the nudity.

I have to wonder why we as a society had to become so prudish about the idea of being naked, and why naked should necessarily equate to sex. I know HOW we came to be this way – religion had a big role in demonizing our own bodies, so much so that we have become ashamed of everything we were born with. This is precisely why I have utmost respect for people who indulge in “clothing optional” affairs, especially people who go to nudist beaches. I honestly think that they are genuinely marveling in just being themselves, without the fetters of clothing and the dictates of society. There is nothing malicious in their nudity. They are only comfortable that way, and they are not at all propositioning anyone by the state of their undress. There is no need to make a big deal out of it.

There is, I stress, nothing wrong with full-frontal nudity provided that the naked person in question does nothing inappropriate or anything that may make anyone feel uncomfortable (save for being naked; I understand that seeing someone with no clothes on may disturb people, but unless the person is touching himself or acting suspiciously, it really shouldn’t bother anyone at all). But since I also think that there should be some due consideration for the people who feel iffy about topless or naked people, I’m perfectly content with the idea of having “clothing optional” places for people who feel constricted by their clothes and have no other agenda save for being nude and becoming comfortable in their own skin (so to speak).

This brings me to my final point: I find it disturbing that nowadays, nudists and the like are being marginalized in the sense that more and more of their “spaces” – like clothing-optional beaches – are being taken away from them because “people are complaining”. Again, there is nothing perverse about liking to be nude, and they have done nothing at all to offend you save for being unclothed. They don’t actively bother you, so it really would be nice for you to not actively bother them. They are not in your face about you preferring to have clothes on, so there would be no reason to be in their face. Let the “clothing optional” crowd keep their beaches and spots, please. It would be appreciated if not enough controversy is stirred up to prompt governments to completely ban being comfortable without clothes on.

There is freedom in letting it all hang out, and letting it all hang out close to nature, out in the air, should not be thought of as disgusting; rather, it should be inspiring.

Elea Almazora, contributor to BonnyDoonBeach.Com

Elea Almazora currently works as a contributor to many information-based websites, writing about many subjects ranging from culture to sciences.

For more information related to this article, please visit BonnyDoonBeach.Com

Full Frontal Nudity / Author: tiandioracle

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15 Interesting Facts About Wine

Enjoy these 15 interesting facts about wine from Rim Rock Ranch.

1. Although red wine can only be produced from red grapes, white wine can be produced from both white and red grapes.

2. There are approximately 20 million acres of grapes planted across the world; thanks to this number, grapes are ranked as the world’s number one fruit crop .

3. On average, there are about 75 grapes in each cluster.

4. Wine is considered more complex than blood serum it has so many organic chemical compounds.

5. The shape of the shallow and wide-mouthed Champagne or sparkling wine glass is widely accepted to be a tribute to the “breast” of Marie Antoinette, but the Greek’s claim it is indeed a tribute to Helen of Troy.

6. Although the average life span of a grapevine is 25 years, grapevines are actually capable of producing grapes for more than 100 years.

7. A glass of wine (about 4 oz.) contains about 85 calories.

8. The wine industry generates more than 145,000 jobs in California.

9. The phrase “rule of thumb” was first coined when brewers would dip a finger or thumb into the liquid to determine the ideal temperature for adding yeast, as they did not yet have thermometers.

10. The first corkscrew was invented in the mid-1800s.

11. When Mount Vesuvius buried Pompeii in volcanic lava, it buried more than 200 wine bars with it.

12. Since the 1980’s the number of commercial wineries in the U.S. has tripled.

13. The world’s leading cork producer is Portugal.

14. One acre of grapevines equals about 800 gallons of wine.

15. A small portion of some of the best port wines are stilled produced by foot treading.

Rim Rock Ranch is located just minutes from Napa on the quiet side of the wine country. Our vineyard properties have the cleanest air in California!

15 Interesting Facts About Wine / Author: rimrocknow

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The Sweetest Things

Like many girls (or indeed, like many women) I am not ashamed to admit that every once in a while, I would find myself craving for sweets. Chocolates, are, of course, a given, but I have to say that sometimes even chocolates just don’t cut it – I find myself wanting something with more “oomph”. Or at least, I would start to crave for any candy, and I would stop caring about which sweet I’d want to have as long as I get to pick out from hundreds of yummy choices. As many people would claim, it is often not the destination but rather the journey that makes everything worthwhile. And I, as a bit of a foodie, would like to concur and add that this could be applied to the quest for the ultimate sweet snack.

Which is why I’m really working as hard as I can to try and earn enough money to travel. Because apart from actually wanting to see new places – some of you may know that I’m interested in seeing Bakersfield and Rhode Island – I also want to have a taste of what they have to offer. And I hear that Balboa Island is potentially the sweets mecca of the world, considering the fact that the frozen chocolate banana was supposedly first marketed there (have you ever tasted one of those? I could only imagine how good they are!). The fact that I have recently discovered that Balboa Island is home to an old-style candy store just added to my interest, because I have never in my life been inside a proper candy store before.

Being the big kid (or is it “child-like adult”?) that I am, I started to get more than a little giddy about running into Balboa Island’s most extensive candy store, “Balboa Candy”, on top of wandering about Balboa Island itself and sampling (as well as comparing) the many different versions of frozen chocolate banana. I mean, what person wouldn’t want to relive a childhood they never had by means of a sugar wonderland? Mind you, just because I’m rushing into the store doesn’t mean rushing when picking out my sweeties. I’m very much determined to take my time.

First, I’m going to decide if I want “old” or “new” candy – that is to say, if I want the kinds of candy that were initially conceived around the fifties or sixties (I wasn’t alive yet, but wouldn’t it be cool have candy that my mom used to have?), or if I want more “modern” candy. Then, I have to decide what kind of sweet I want to have – do I want it sugary sweet, fruity sweet, chocolaty sweet? Or do I even want a sweet sweet at all – perhaps I want something sour, slightly salty, or even a little bit bitter? Then do I want something chewy, crunchy, soft or hard? Do I feel like sucking or biting into the treat? There are so many things to consider when choosing candy!

While some of you may ask: “Oh, but why not grab whatever you want and take them all?” I have to point out that my funds are limited, and have been since I was young. And as such, I have learned to carefully consider what things to get – and I’m determined to get it right the first time. Secondly, I find it offensive that wonderful things such as candy are thought of as so inconsequential that they would just be “thrown into the bag”. My friends, I solemnly declare to you all that there is an art to choosing sweets, as much as there is an art to eating them. Part of it is getting dirty, of course, but the whole other part is enjoying it – and the way you can enjoy it is knowing the right place, the right time, and the right sort of candy to indulge in.

Balboa Island, as far as I can tell, has gotten it right; which is why it’s my goal to get there before I turn forty. Why forty? Just because.

Elea Almazora, contributor to BalboaIsland.Com

Elea Almazora currently works as a contributor to many information-based websites, writing about many subjects ranging from culture to sciences.

For more information related to this article, please visit BalboaIsland.Com

The Sweetest Things / Author: tiandioracle

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