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.

Andalou Naturals – Men’s Invigoriating Body Wash, Grooming Style Balm & Herbal Deodorant

Stem Cells are grabbing our attention today - fear not, we will delicately avoid beginning a debate on ethics, but rather, let us focus on the benefits which can be had from the science employed in the extraction of the exotically named phytocannabinoids from the mature stalk of the hemp plant, fortifying us with a veritable armoury of goodies to counteract free radicals, oxidative damage and pollution. Yes, we at The Amazing Blog are talking totally natural skincare here - a revolutionary, patented liposomal technology which promotes and protects the vitality and longevity of skin stem cells, and thereby giving us enhanced skin health. All this comes to us from the incredibly popular Californian brand of Andalou Naturals whose range is as expansive as it is diverse.

Started by Stacey Kelly Egide and Mark Egide, who have a long track record of success building brands in the natural space. For over 30 years these visionary partners have been creating category-defining brands like Beauty Without Cruelty, Avalon Organics, Alba Botanica, Alba Hawaiian, Sonoma Soap Company, Un-petroleum, and The San Francisco Soap Company.  Andalou Naturals, the first non-GMO project verified beauty brand and has a comprehensive product portfolio and distribution network in North America, Europe, and Asia. Founder Stacey said “for Andalou Naturals, my goal was the create an empowerment brand with a mission to influence the industry to do better”

Of course, the full range offers up lots of benefits from all sorts of sources - the apple, grape, rose, and the organ tree kernel, all contribute their nutritious elements for our skin’s wellbeing, but for today we are highlighting three of the best in Andalou’s men’s grooming range, starting with the minty refreshing Men invigorating Body Wash  which comes in a bumper 25ml tube, giving us the 3-in1 action, for hair, body and face. It can be bought here for £10.79. This one gives great value for money, and has been formulated with cannacell antioxidants and organic hemp seed oil. There is also aloe vera in the mix to soothe, and bioavailable vegan ingredients, keeping the natural credentials high, making this suitable for all skin types.

The cannacell antioxidants are also to be found in the Men Herbal Deodorant in Mountain Sage, along with the essential hemp seed oil and vegan probiotics, which is again it’s very gentle on the skin, neutralising any odour in a mild but effective way. Sizewise, we have a stick of 75g  here for £8.55

Interestingly, Andalou gives us another 3-in-1 option when it comes to their Men Grooming Style Balm which can be used to shape and condition our hair, scalp and beard. Clearly giving a nod to the avoidance of too many bottles of potions in our grasp, here we have an easily absorbed application to create and finish off the well-groomed look we are asking for. Priced at £10.79 here for a tube of 125ml. What makes this, the deodorant and the body wash all very appealing is that they are 98% nature-derived, non-GMO project verified, and vegetarian with a large vegan offering, Plus, they're gluten-free and cruelty-free. And we love that these are quality grooming products are accessibly priced for our wallets!

Popcorn Shed

At The Amazing Blog we always have a small selection of snacks at our desks to feast on. We try to be good by consuming only low fat and healthy snacks. Today we want to tell you about our new discovery Popcorn Shed that left our taste buds tingling!

Popcorn Shed was founded by cousins Laura Jane and Sam Feller in 2016, and like every great brand it has a story, Jane’s and Sam’s story starts in a shed! Their popcorn is a home-grown, family-owned business where they’ve created a unique set of flavours, that not usually found in rival popcorn brands. These are gourmet popcorn range that are natural, gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians. Their popcorn is made using an artisan cooking process using a fresh caramel batch in every process, before being scattered in either melted chocolate, nuts or dried fruit all adding a new texture to the popcorn. What piqued our interest is that each of their packets of popcorn have an average of fewer than 140 calories per pack. Don’t worry the popcorn is easily chewable and you won’t have to worry about kernel or sticky caramel getting stuck in your teeth! We’re also fans of the vibrant packaging which make them unmissable.

The first of the seven flavours we tried was the Pop ‘n’ Choc. These are evenly coated with Belgian milk chocolate in a smooth cocoa-caramel base. They are not too sweet and the chocolate is in the right quantity to be enjoyed without being overpowering. Next is Salted Caramel which was our favourite. Coated with sea-salt caramel and Belgium milk chocolate, it has a fabulous crunch and a slight hint of salt, making it very moreish. We then move on to Butterly Nuts, all peanut butter with a blend of salt, caramel and nuts, this hit the spot! The peanut butter is creamy and the nuts offer an irresistible crunch. The Pecan Pie popcorns are partly coated in caramel and real golden pecan nut pieces. They have a smooth nutty, buttery and sugary taste and a sensational crunch that leaves you wanting more.

Probably the most unusual flavour of the collection is the caramel and cheese in Sweet Cheesus. These popcorns are partly coated in caramel and cheddar cheese offering the bursts of sweet and salty together,  this is one for the fans of less sugary snacks.  Then we have the Berry-licious where fruit tart meets dark chocolate – freeze-dried raspberries in the rich chocolate make it almost a dessert in itself. Lastly, Say Cheese! The Cheddar Cheese popcorn flavour is coated with cheese that leaves a tangy tingle on the tongue, melting perfectly to release a creamy milk and cheesy flavour which all cheese fans will adore.

A Popcorn Shed box of 80g is £3.50 and a 16 pack of 24g is £19.98 here. Why not grab a new popcorn flavour and awaken your taste buds.

Løwlander Winter IPA Beer

At the risk of igniting your fire, The AmazingBlog  is going to mention the ‘C’ word - no, not that one, but with a certain type of pie and pudding now gracing the supermarket aisles, we feel we can mention ‘Christmas’ without too many crossed expletives being hurled into the atmosphere. Too soon? Ok, what if we mention the aftermath of that certain season which will be with us before we know it? Still too much? Ok, let’s expand this to a more general point of what happens to our Christmas Trees once they have decorated our homes so splendidly? Recycling is of course the go-to choice, but what if we were to tell you that you can now actually be drinking your redundant branches in a new beer brought to you by Løwlander, in their delicious new Winter IPA ? Løwlander are quite literally bottling unwanted trees and turning them into an amazing white nectar, affording us the opportunity to enjoy the magic of a certain season all year round!

Løwlander we’ve featured before see here and we’re always impressed with their stylish branding and delicious offerings.  The spruce beer is actually not a new concept, but perhaps in our more enlightened times, the sustainability of such a beverage is ever more poignant. The process appears to be quite a simple one - taking the neglected needles off their branches, brewing them up with those stalwarts of the drinks menu, juniper berries and literally turning waste into something extraordinary - a light beer who’s citrus and hoppy aroma naturally recalls evergreen forests, and much more besides. Aligning the perfect botanical normally saved for the gin label, with the pine needles delivers all kinds of interesting characteristics, and at 5% alcohol, we have a libation to suit all palates.

Being around £2.70 for a 330ml bottle, the cost is also something to celebrate, and at the moment only available from online suppliers, of which there are many – give Beer Wulf  or 31 Dover a try, or indeed Løwlander themselves. If you enjoy an evening at The Botanist or Harvey Nichols in London, why not search out a festive tankard, as it sits proudly on their drinks menu. Scrooge would be proud, and he may have enjoyed the prospect of ‘Christmas Past’ a little more had a bottle of Løwlander’s finest been included!

Bee Approved - Vegan Honey

Veganista is a new company that we at The Amazing Blog  have discovered on our continual quest to search out healthy and nutritious options. And they have an absolute belter to tempt us with … especially if we have opted for the vegan route to our nutrition, in the form of  Bee Approved  their alternative to honey.

Being an animal product, honey of course is not suitable for the vegan diet, and therefore Veganista have come up with Bee Approved Honey as the go-to alternative for those people who wish to avoid animal products where possible. Now our first question - probably like yours - is: how? Step forward the often overlooked brown rice to take a bow, for it is this humble larder staple which when cooked and with its starch broken down, gives us brown rice syrup with easily digestible sugars. Not only is this particular nectar mushy, sticky and thoroughly delicious, but when you consider the vast range of uses that honey gives us, then the field opens up completely for Bee Approved Vegan Honey’s versatility, since it can be used in as many and varied ways itself. It can be used raw, cooked, as a garnish or indeed as the main ingredient in a plethora of dishes from desserts to cocktails, and much in between.

With the Certified Vegan Trademark  behind it, each pot of goodness is authenticated by an acutely experienced team of professionals ensuring the high standards as set down in 1944 by The Vegan Society are continually met adhering to the strict code of total exclusion of any animal products, either in manufacture or final product. All BeeApproved foods are also Certified Organic and Gluten Free.

The primary supplier of Bee Approved Honey is Veganista’s own online shop here, for 150g, we won’t be breaking the bank at the competitive price of £3.49. Larger jars are also available in 250g and 500g sizes as well as the incredibly travel friendly 10g tube for just 50p! So, these jars of golden goodness tick all the boxes - not least of all giving all those hardworking bees a thoroughly well-earned day off the perpetual round of honey production!