Borrago #47 Paloma Blend

We love nothing better than to enjoy a nice cocktail on a summers evening, here at The Amazing Blog. So we were very curious to try a much talked about new and rather sophisticated non-alcoholic drink, called Borrago’s #47 Paloma Blend. This is a unique substitute for a spirit since they say that it has no alcohol, sugar, fat or calories – frankly, we think it all sounds far too good to be true! The perfect tipple for an urbane barfly, Borrago is a new British brand that was just launched in 2018. Named after the bright blue edible flower, Borage, the brand prides their alternative spirits on their natural, delicious, and beautiful flavouring.

The #47 Paloma Blend is made from six different of steam distilled botanicals which are individually distilled in order to maintain their own unique flavours. This non-alcoholic spirit has a complex zesty taste that has a clean and smooth finish. This blend makes a great base for a cocktail and can be used to replace high-calorie gin or vodka in your favourite drink. However, for our preferred drink, we recommend combining 50 ml of Borrago’s blend with 200ml of tonic water and a lime for a refreshing low-calorie drink. While the major wow factor is the fact that this drink has zero calories and zero alcohol - we mustn't forget to mention how elegant the bottle is… ready to don any table. We just love those hip, bright flowers on the bottle; it makes such a great addition to our drinks cabinet! 

You can purchase a 500ml bottle of the #47 Paloma Blend here for £19.99.

Zonin Prosecco - DOC Cuvée 1821

Here at The Amazing Blog, we use any excuse to pop a cork and celebrate! We love to have a refreshing chilled bottle bubbly at the end of a hard working day.  A big thank you goes to  Zonin UK who kindly sent us a bottle of their very special Prosecco DOC Cuvée 1821. Zonin was founded in Italy in 1821. It is a branch of Casa Vinicola Zonin, the largest private vine growing and winemaking company in Italy. They now have UK branch to help ensure that they maintain the quality of their wines imported 'from grape to glass'. From the very first sip, this refreshing sparkling wine brought us a taste of Italy, which we couldn’t wait to share with friends.

This Zonin Prosecco hails from north-east Italy. It is made solely from the Glera grapes, giving it a fruity and aromatic taste with hints of wisteria flowers and Rennet apples. As this bubbly beverage hit our taste buds, we also noticed a very subtle toasted almond flavour. Recently, this Prosecco went through some redesign. We love the stylish teal detailing on the label and the elegantly new curved bottle. We think that this Prosecco makes both an ideal gift as well as a perfect aperitif. The versatility of the flavour works well with a variety of recipes so it can be paired with almost any dish on your menu – even desserts! This Prosecco has 11% ABV and is recommended to be served at 5-7° C.

You can purchase a gift set, which includes a bottle of the Zonin Prosecco DOC Cuvée 1821 here for £35. In this gift set, you'll also receive two chic diamante embellished champagne flutes - bonus! 

Absolute Collagen - Protein Rich Marine Collagen Supplement For Men

Superfoods and supplements have become more and more popular over the past years and we at The Amazing Blog are always on the lookout for new and beneficial supplements to include in our diet. There is still a big trend for ingestible beauty supplements (which means beauty products you swallow rather than apply to your skin) particularly those that are collagen or hyaluronic acid based. We were very interested to hear that the award-winning British brand Absolute Collagen had launched the first-ever men’s ingestible beauty supplement, their Protein Rich Marine Collagen Supplement. We applaud this brand for recognising the need for specific male skincare supplements.

The Protein Rich Marine Collagen has numerous benefits. Fish collagen has superior bioavailability, which means it’s quickly absorbed into the body when digested. Once in the bloodstream, it starts working its magic. The Absolute Collagen supplement encourages the fibroblasts responsible for collagen reproduction to kick-start and therefore helps to fight signs of ageing.

One sachet of 10ml makes a daily dose of the marine collagen. The Supplement is as ‘absolute’ as possible, containing vitamin C for absorption and lemon and sucralose for taste. You can take the marine collagen direct from the sachet or mix it with hot and cold drinks or even add it to yoghurt – the possibilities are endless. We only had a two week supply, and I would like to add that probably I need a lot longer time than just a few weeks, to see significant results. However, I have to say that my joints felt more fluid and my fine lines did start to look slightly more plumped-out. The supplement does actually boast that the skin will look smoother, plumper and more hydrated, so perhaps this is just the start. They also state that the collagen benefits nails, joints, blood vessels, ligaments and tendons as well. I'm very tempted to keep going and order more! You too can order a 14-day supply of the Protein Rich Marine Collagen Supplement for Men here for £29.99.

Drinks in Tube

The drinks trolley trend has been on the rise for some time now, and when we at The Amazing Blog are hosting a dinner party or a get-together we love to have this as our centre piece. As any cocktail lovers will know, having a variety of spirits on tap can be quite pricey; and the last thing we want to do is break the bank, with all our inventive and one-off cocktails. So when we received both the Masons Gin Tasting Sets and The Spirit Adventure from the brilliant creators at Drinks In Tube, it certainly put our bartending skills to the test making new tantalising tipples. The Hampshire-based team at Drinks In Tube started to curate their own sets of wines and spirits in unique glass tubes in 2015. They wanted to share their passion, knowledge and love for the finest drinks that they could find, all at an affordable price. Discovering new and unique spirits and wines has never been easier, more affordable or quite such fun as this.

The first box we opened was the Masons Gin Tasting Set. This set comes with four 50ml tubes of various unique gins at 42% ABV and we simply couldn’t wait to get mixing. Masons Dry Yorkshire Gin was set up by the husband and wife team, Karl and Cathy Mason who have since won Gold Medals at The Gin Masters. The first gin up is their Classic Dry Gin, which boasts full fennel and green apple flavours that are perfectly balanced with a citrus infusion, which left our mouths simply watering for more. Next up is the Masons Tea Edition, which we felt calling our name from the beginning. We found that this gin balances the robust tea flavour with herbal, citrus and spice notes for a wonderfully full and aromatic gin that satisfies our daily dose of tea (and has to be our favourite). After this, we drank the Lavender Edition for a fun twist to our classic gin and tonic. The soft and sweet lavender notes really hit every spot as we quickly sipped away. Lastly, we mixed up some tonic with the Sloe Distilled Limited Edition. Rather than infused with the sloe berries, this gin has been distilled with them, which created quite an unexpected twist, especially when garnished with a touch of fresh strawberries and mint; our mouths water simply thinking about it. We think this set is the perfect gift for the gin lover in your life or even just as a little way to treat yourself. With each tube being 50ml it makes it very portable and also perfect for a quick 'snifter' at picnics or point-to-points!

The Spirit Adventure set definitely took us on a delectable journey. This one comes with three 50ml spirits: Butterscotch Vodka (37.5% abv), the Philippe de Castaigne Cognac (40% abv), and the Masons Yorkshire Gin from the last set. We took their recommendation to the next level with the Butterscotch vodka and added it to a milkshake and it was a hit with everyone. The creamy flavour of the vodka really took our milkshake to the next level (!) And last but not least, we treated ourselves to the Cognac. This one is carefully aged in oak barrels for at least 4 years and has wonderful notes of vanilla, walnut and hazelnut that warmed us right up on a chilly night. This one is perfect as a gift for those who like a little taste of everything.

And last but not least for all the wine lovers out there, Drinks In Tube have recently launched their wine tasting subscription service. In summary, this service will include five 100ml servings of wines from around the world, delivered to your door each month. The sleek box also comes with a tasting card to guide you on your journey each month. It is available for 3, 6 & 12 months here. The Masons Gin Tasting Set can be purchased here for £24.99 and The Spirit Adventure can be purchased here for £19.99. We say "Cheers" to discovering new favourites!

New Collagen Supplement Drink by Calla-Coll

At The Amazing Blog we believe in the saying: “When you put good in, you get good out," so when we received the new collagen supplement drink Calla-Coll that contains peptides and hyaluronic acid too, we were interested to put it to the test. Skincare professional, Lynne Baker from Calla Salon, has worked hard for the past five years to create this high-potency drink with the help of a specialist lab in Sweden using bovine collagen. 

As we age, our body naturally slows down its production of collagen. Soon enough we begin to see fine lines on our skin and start to feel achy in our joints and that’s when we know we need to take action. Calla-Coll is expertly formulated using the best ingredients to ensure our nails, skin, hair, joints and our overall body is functioning as it should be. The formula is also enriched with essential vitamins C, B5, B6, B7 and B12 and the key ingredient: Type I and Type II bovine collagen, which is sourced from organic, free-range, grass fed and non-GMO cattle in Brazil. Together, these ingredients rejuvenate your body from the inside; giving you the energy you need to work through your busy day. The liquid formula makes it simple to take before you head out the door in comparison to most powder formulas that are difficult to fully mix.

The sweet berry flavour makes it enjoyable to take a shot on its own, but it can always be added to your favourite fruit smoothie. We added it to our banana and vanilla protein drink in the morning. We think that you need to take this supplement for three months before seeing visible results, we only had twenty days supply, although our executive editor did notice a little more mobility in her joints. This supplement comes in a neat 500ml plastic bottle with a separate small measuring cap. All you need is 25ml a day to help keep your body looking and feeling younger. Calla-Coll is available for purchase here for £45.