Jeffrey’s Tonic

With the party season nearly upon us, we’re always looking for a fresh take on our favourite cocktails in order to impress! At The Amazing Blog we love a good gin and tonic just as much as the next person, however, we’ve found ourselves getting a little jaded with just plain tonic water, which is normally on offer. That’s where our #amazingfinds and discovery of Jeffrey’s Tonic comes in.

Jeffrey’s Tonic started when Mike and Maureen Robinson received a book for Christmas all about gin, tonic waters and syrups. After experimenting with the recipes and getting glowing reviews from family members, it finally clicked to the Robinsons that this might be something they should share. The distinctive ingredients are what make Jeffrey’s Tonic stand out. The syrups are made from cinchona bark straight from Ecuador. While most other syrups use quinine a extract, Jeffrey’s uses bark straight from the tree which gives it a distinct amber colour. Discovered in Peru, cinchona bark is known for its anti-fever properties. Did you know that Robert Talbot used cinchona bark to cure King Louis XIV of France of malaria?

Jeffrey’s Syrups come in 4 varieties and it is recommended that you mix them in a 1:5 ratio with soda water. The Not So Plain Tonic Syrup is simply made with cinchona bark and organic Sicilian lemon juice. We recommend pairing it with complex or fruity gin for an interesting cocktail. The Original Recipe is the first recipe that Mark and Maureen made, with cassia, nutmeg and allspice, The Original is a great addition to any Christmassy drink. We recommend adding a splash to your whisky cocktail for a round, bold flavour. The Lime, Galangal & Orange pairs perfectly with your bubbly prosecco or with soda water for an adult soft drink astThe galangal gives depth to the delicious citrus flavours. Whereas the combination of their Yarrow, Rosehip & Elderflower provides a really delicate flavour, perfect for pairing with a floral gin or dry prosecco!

If you want to add an original twist to your drinks this season, the individual Jeffrey’s Tonic Syrups can be purchased here for £7.00 for 200ml. Apart from being able to purchase them individually, we also like the Gift Set with all four varieties of Tonic Syrups, and think it makes the ideal stocking filler this Christmas, as it’s only £14 for four 50ml samples here.

FITCH Brew Co - Cold Brew Coffee

We are heading up to Yorkshire for The Amazing Blog this time - and happily so, for some of the best things come out of this glorious part of England AKA ‘God’s own country’, and we are never slow in jumping forward to celebrate it. But we aren’t talking ubiquitous puddings, or dales here, but coffee - deliciously smooth, and naturally sweet, cold brewed coffee to be exact! The secret of cold brewing we learn, is that it takes longer for the flavours and aromas to extract, and therefore keeps the acidity low. The Fitch Brew Co have taken this concept and added their own roasting technique and grind profiles to create a superb range of refreshing and totally delicious coffees for us all to enjoy.

Founded by young pioneers Andy and Emily who knew that there was more to soft drinks, more to flavour, more to brewing techniques and more to transparency! All coffee used in cold brew here is from using single origin, Rainforest Alliance coffee where they apply their own specific roast and grind profile. The cooler the water the slower the flavours and aromas will extract. It also has a limited acidity thus providing a naturally sweet and smooth taste. The names of each coffee are themselves a magnet for our tastebuds. Here are our favourite three: Coffee Infused With Sicilian Lemon, or perhaps the Blood Orange Infusion  will tempt you? Delve a little deeper and we find Dark Fortune Cold Brew Coffee with Amber Tonic which definitely gives a good zing! It is well worth checking out to see their full range, and to read the background story to this creative team, who also pride themselves on their sustainability through a collaboration with Bio-Bean to recycle their coffee waste into high performance products, displacing conventional fuels and chemicals.

Each coffee is brewed in-house, with all-natural ingredients, no refined sugar and all vegan friendly - giving every one of us a drop of Yorkshire magic in each can, along with the required caffeine hit to brace us for the morning. Each can is 330ml, and depending on the flavour, they range in price from £1.99 - £2.20, but let’s face it, none of us will be opting for ‘just the one’ option, so obviously there are multipacks at £8.50 for a pack of four cans. All the ranges and much more merchandise besides are available here.  

Home Fragrances – Scent Elite, Maiden, Orla Kieley, Miller Harris

There’s something about a fragrance that gives a home a sense of identity, and here at The Amazing Blog we have selected a few products to give your home the beautiful scent it deserves. From candles to reed diffusers, there's an option for everyone. 

ScentElite has been living up to its name with their range of luxurious Reed Diffusers, packaged in stunning handmade boxes and wrapped in mauve tissue paper.

Once opened the glass diffuser with its crisp white fibre reeds, makes an opulent addition to any room. We had the opportunity to try The Tea diffuser; the liquid is similar to the colour of a Peridot gem and the scent is warm and floral with a hint of citrus. ScentElite uses 100% pure essential oils and top quality perfume concentrates. They use 8 reed diffusers to keep the scent working for up to 8 weeks - you definitely get your money’s worth! We loved the beautiful packaging and care that evidently went into these diffusers, but the crowning glory of the product was without a doubt the scent. If you fancy a coming home to a warm floral scent order yours here now for £23.

If candles are more your style, we've found a unique alternative to your regular scented candles. Maiden Dorset have created the Curve Candle; that’s right, a handmade curved scented candle.

We were lucky enough to try the Butterfly Lace, which is overlaid with beautiful wax lace and finished with a handmade wax butterfly. All of the candles at Maiden Dorset are handmade and can  be used in two different ways to create different ambiances. For an subtle glow, place a tea light behind the curve of the candle to highlight the intricate carvings on the candle, or simply light the three wicks at the top of the candle for a more traditional look.  The candles come in a variety of scents, we in particular loved the soft English Rose, and can be bought from Maiden Dorset's website here for £28.

For those who prefer more vibrant home fragrances, we love Orla Kiely's Sicilian Lemon Scented Candle to give your home a bright, zesty feel.

This is one for all the citrus lovers out there; it’s a striking candle that will certainly bright up any home with its scent and detailed glass holder. The candle is a blend of uplifting pure oils; Sicilian lemon, mint and lavender, with a warm hint of frankincense. We found that the scent reminded us of a rich and creamy lemon cheesecake, yummy! The glass case is sturdy and detailed with climbing yellow daisies in a futuristic design - it would make a great addition to a room in need of some colour. We loved the rich lemon scent, the thoughtful addition of a heat mat, and how long lasting the product is (it burns for up to 50 hours). Want a candle that smells good enough to eat? Pick yours up here for £25.

It seems that winter is truly upon us, and with it the distant memories of Pina Coladas and the palm trees of summer. Never fear though, Miller Harris has created the beautiful La Pluie candle, inspired by the tropical climate of Mauritius, to bring a little bit of sunshine back into your living room during these dull, dreary winter months. 

We loved the gorgeous combination of tangerine, lavender, cassis, ylang ylang and jasmine which will make you feel as if your lying on a beach in no time! Each scent complements to other to create a soft but intense fragrance that leaves your room feeling like a tropical paradise. If you want to bring some warmth and exoticism to your home, get your own candle here for £40.00.

BLEND Collective - Enlivening Hand & Body Lotion

If there’s a step in my beauty routine that I can't skip that'll be body moisturizer - for me there's nothing more uncomfortable than tight and dry skin. When it comes to choosing the actual moisturizer, I’m guilty of being quite picky; I prefer thicker and more buttery textures for the winter and a thin and almost runny consistency for the summer. So bearing in mind that my skin has been very dry for the past weeks, body butter has been my best ally. However, if there’s one thing that I can’t stand of thick creams is waiting for them to be absorbed - especially if like me, you rush in the mornings to go to work. So in my hunt for the perfect deep hydrating body lotion, I came across with BLEND Collective’s Enlivening Hand & Body Lotion – a light yet hydrating, multi-purpose and all natural product.

To be fair, in the beginning I was quite sceptical of the level of hydration this lotion would offer to my dry skin, mainly because of its light and slightly runny consistency. To my surprise and from the first use, it left my skin feeling super soft and deeply moisturized – my skin absorbed it instantly leaving a delicious citrusy smell. And for my surprise, my hands absorbed the excess lotion in a few seconds: I had no need of washing my hands afterwards. This Hand and Body Lotion is part of BLEND Collective’s Enlivening Range, exquisitely blended by Alec Lawless, who was acclaimed as one of the most charismatic and passionate perfumers ever (at The Amazing Blog we’d love to read his book “Artisan Perfumery or Being Led by the Nose”!). The Enlivening Range has this fresh and modern scent, rich in Sicilian Melon, May Chang, Myrtle and Lime. BLEND Collective offers two other ranges: the Balancing and the Unwinding one – created again, by established experts on essential oils and aromatherapy, Emma Nash and Glenda Taylor.

Another thing that we love about BLEND Collective is that all of their products are at least 99% natural and contain organic ingredients – they’re free from potentially harmful and chemical ingredients. Moreover, their packaging apart from being hygienic and very convenient, is recyclable and produced in environmentally friendly factories.

At The Amazing Blog we’d love to try more products by BLEND Collective and we couldn’t be more pleased with the Hand and Body Lotion. This fabulous cream and the rest of their products can be purchased through their website. – BLEND Collective is a definite winner for The Amazing Blog; we’re in love.