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Nothing else makes the mornings better than having a lip-smacking cup of espresso coffee. The stove top coffee maker has brought espresso coffee into our homes and into our kitchens. You don’t have to go to a coffee bar anymore to enjoy a great tasting cup of coffee. The question is, is drinking coffee doing you any harm or any good? There are many studies which have been conducted on this subject and some display the positive effects of drinking coffee whilst others display the negative effects of drinking coffee.

Stove top espresso makers make coffee that tastes so great that everyone would like to have a cup or two or more daily. So what are the safe drinking levels? To date it is not known for sure what the “safe” level of drinking coffee is. However, it has been reported that 4 to 5 cups a day is perfectly safe for people who are healthy. Sometimes it may bestow health benefits and help you in overcoming anxiety and depression.

Over time many people have said that caffeine is bad for our health and it was even considered as a drug of some kind. However these people failed to realize the positive effects of caffeine as they spent all of their time analyzing the bad points. Having a cup of coffee has been said to assist in preventing oxidation which in turn helps in reducing the destructive aging process.

An individual who consumes espresso coffee made by a stovetop coffee maker on a daily basis is reportedly less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease. Caffeine also has been shown to be connected with ancient medication of theophylline which is used for the treatment of asthmatic cases. It is believed that blocked airways are opened with caffeine use and it can provide benefit to those individuals that suffer from asthma.

Since the stovetop espresso maker makes such great tasting coffee, it may encourage you to drink more coffee and since consuming moderate amounts of coffee may provide the body with assistance in avoiding the development of type 2 diabetes in the young and the middle aged this may be a good thing. Further, coffee has proved to be beneficial in protecting against alcoholic cirrhosis and liver cirrhosis.

The rich full-bodied coffee from a stovetop coffee maker may help prevent gallstones from developing and may also reduce the risk of kidney stones. Coffee leads to urination, which further prevents the deposition of calcium oxalate from crystallizing and developing into kidney stones.

If you want to stimulate your mental performance, you can have a cup of coffee. Caffeine has the capability to promote attention, alertness, and calmness. It can also enhance the information processing of your brain. Having three to four cups of coffee daily rejuvenates your brain and enhances vim and vigor.

Drinking coffee on a regular basis may also protect people against Alzheimer’s disease. Recent studies conducted on mouse demonstrated that caffeine equal to five cups of coffee everyday reduces the upsurge of destructive plaques in the brain.

So next time you are enjoying a cup of coffee made from a stove top coffee maker, think about all of the health benefits that recent studies have reported that coffee may bring, so you can enjoy without feeling guilty.

Stove Top Coffee Maker produce coffee with such a beautiful taste and aroma. Wake up and start each day with only the best.

Technorati Tags: bialetti, caf, drinks, espresso, family, Italian, Italian Food, pot, quality, stove top coffee makers, stovetop, style

David Artsmith  -  A drinking game is any competition which involves multiple people drinking some form of liquid according to a series of rules which are based on outside circumstances. While these games are often played with alcoholic beverages, it is not necessary to use an intoxicant, and you can often have just as much fun playing these games with juices, sodas, or coffee. They act as a sort of ice breaker, getting everyone involved and comfortable interacting with one another.

Drinking games can be divided into some relatively broad categories. The easiest are probably based on games of chance. A dice is rolled, or cards are pulled from a deck, and based on what happens you have to drink a certain liquid a certain amount of times. For instance in the game “6’s” a group rolls a standard dice, each taking turns. Whoever rolls a six first is forced to make a drink, but they can use any ingredients they want to. The second to roll a six has to pay for the drink, if in a restaurant or bar, or has to add a second substance to the drink if at home. The third person to roll a 6 then has to drink it. One of the cool things about this game is that even if the person who goes first combines nasty elements to make a noxious concoction, theres still a chance that he will also roll a six the third time, forcing that person to imbide the disgusting brew.

Another category of drinking games involves verbal and social skill. These games require you to remember an ever growing string of words, or to make up new answers based on old answers. The best verbal drinking games you can have at a party involve saying another person’s name, and then giving them instructions. If you don’t say the correct name then there is a penalty, which makes it important for everyone to start remembering everyone elses name rather quickly.

Some drinking games require props like novelty drink coasters, board games, card, dice, or other equipment. The simpler verbal games are better for public spaces, but if your throwing a party in your home then having some of the accessories around for playing these games can be helpful.

Probably the most popular drinking games are those that require a certain level of skill. Of these the most famous are the drinking pong games. This activity requires setting up a long ping pong table. Glasses are placed in a triangular pattern at each end of the table, with a little bit of liquid in each of them. The teams then try to bounce or throw a ping pong ball across the table in order to try and land it in their opponent’s cups. When they succeed, the team opposite them needs to drink the liquid in the cup where the ball landed.

Drinking games are a fun and exciting way to add a little life to the party. While traditionally they are played with alcoholic beverages, they don’t have to be, and you can enjoy a good drinking game with your friends using nothing more than soda, juice, tea, or whatever your favorite refreshing beverage is.

Technorati Tags: alcohol, alcohol games, drink games, drinking games, drinks, gaming

David Artsmith  -  Bartending is a fun and exciting profession, but it takes skill with both drinks and people. The following tips are fairly common sense guidelines that anyone interested in the profession should know and follow.

1. Never discuss religion or politics. All it will do is lead to a fight or make people uncomfortable

2. Keep the bar clean. Wipe it down after you serve every drink, and keep the entire environment neat and tidy. Use drink coasters to ensure that the space maintains its luster.

3. Know the trendy drinks. While you don’t have to have the entire drink recipe guide memorized, it helps to be familiar with the more trendy beverages of the day.

4. Learn about sports. People in bars will often be watching or talking about local sports events. If you understand what they are talking about, you can participate as well.

5. Greet everyone as they come in. Pay attention to people as they come in, especially if they are new to the bar; welcome them with a warm greeting and a smiling face.

6. Be certain to serve the drink by the base of the vessel. Nobody wants to put their lips to a place where your hand just was. As you serve drinks, make sure you hold the glass by the bottom, away from where drinking will actually occur.

7. Maintaining strict personal hygiene is very important in this profession. Make sure that you look neat and sharp, and that you don’t smell bad. You are part of the ambiance of the bar and so your appearance and personal attributes matter.

8. You should also try to be aware of those who regularly come into the bar, as well as good tippers. While you should strive to treat everyone equally, someone who is a constant in the tavern, or who is willing to pay extra for extra service, should receive extra special attention from you.

9. Stay alert. In any establishment where drinking occurs, violence can erupt. You should stay alert, watching for trouble so that you can nip it in the bud. If possible, its always better to stop a fight before it reaches a violent level.

10. Try to have fun. Bartending is a social position. If you look like you are having fun, other people will have more fun as well. Try to relax into the job, and enjoy meeting the people who enter the bar. Be friendly, light, and humorous, and your job will be a lot easier.

Technorati Tags: bar top, bars, bartending, coasters, drinks, spirits, wine

What’s your favourite pisco cocktail? Have you tried one yet? Pisco is grape based liquor that is sometimes known as Peruvian liquor. It is named for the town in Peru bearing the same name. Chile lays claim to the spirit it as well but that’s a long and historical argument that is currently at a stalemate.

In the 1550’s, quality control for the local wine industry discarded grapes that didn’t meet specific expectations and Pisco was born. You could create a whole receipe book from the cocktails you can make using Pisco but some of the classics include Pisco sour, La Serena Sour and Algarrobina. If you want to find more options and varieties then there are lots of great recipes online or in cocktail books and directories.  Below is just a small sampling of some of the drinks you might want to make with it:

Pisco Sour

The pisco sour is definitely a beloved drink in Peru. There is little doubt that this is the most popular pisco cocktail. It is such an important national drink that the first Saturday every February is National Pisco Sour Day. This cocktail is made with pisco (of course), lemon juice, syrup or sugar, Angostura bitters, and egg whites. The drink has a very unique frothy consistency from using egg whites.

Algarrobina

Another recipe with eggs (but egg yolks this time, instead of egg whites) and Pisco is the Algarrobina, which is a creamy cold cocktail made with condensed milk, pisco, and algarrobina syrup. The Algarrobina is a frozen drink made by blending the ingredients with crushed ice.

La Serena Sour

The La Serena Sour is a beverage that is similar to a Pisco Sour. Instead of lemon, bitters and eggs, it uses papaya juice and powdered sugar.

Pisco Punch

Mix it with pineapple juice and fresh lime.

Pisco Sapphire

Mix with blue Curacao and Cointreau.

Piscola

Mix it with Coca Cola or Pepsi Cola.

What does Pisco taste like?

Pisco is described by some almost like a cross between vodka and brandy but with a very distinctive grape flavouring. You really need to taste it in order to understand why people that drink it love it so much. The production uses a copper still and a very specific method. The production methods vary between Chile and Peru so they do vary in taste.

Increasing Popularity

This drink is increasing in popularity outside of both Peru and Chile. In Australia Pisco based drinks are becoming increasingly popular which is leading to people trying to seek down stockists of Pisco to recreate their favourites at home. In Australia, you can buy several options including: Payet Quebranta, a non-aromatic version as well as Payet Torontel, a premium pisco.

Peruvian or Chilean?

Some people find there’s a difference in the two options. The distillation processes are slightly different as are the resting, bottling, and storage procedures. Try both, if you can, and see what you think.

Pisco is often used as cooking liquor as well.

Article by Quantive on behalf of Era Bistro, Brisbane which is a Brisbane fine dining restaurant that includes Wine@Era stocking fine wines, beers and liquor.

Technorati Tags: cocktails, drinks, liqueur, pisco, pisco sour

Do you need an Italian restaurant in Bellevue today? If you do, you will certainly want to choose the perfect restaurant for you. There are many different options too. This can make it difficult to choose the best Italian restaurants Bellevue has to offer.

There are many different levels of quality found in the various Italian restaurants around. You can go to a restaurant that is nearby to simplify the selection process. You will generally want to make sure the restaurant can meet your individual preferences before making your reservation though.

Many people prefer a specific Italian restaurant because of the quality of food they serve. They are not concerned about the ambience of the restaurant, but the quality of the cooking being done. If this is how you are, you should certainly ignore the ambience factor for now, and choose the restaurant known for having the best food. If you are having a party, you may wish for a little more ambience. Whatever you want, you should look for a restaurant that best matches your desires.

A great way to find out how good a company is before you buy their food, is through customer reviews. These reviews will generally explain to you how your entire customer experience will be. The reviews will tell you how fast customers are seated on average, the type of design and service a restaurant has, and they will also be able to tell you how good the food is. If you find people who love the food at one restaurant, you should certainly look into that restaurant more.

If you can, you should also visit the restaurant’s website. Here, you will be able to see pictures of what the restaurant looks like. You will also be able to understand the atmosphere the restaurant has better. Most restaurants also list their menu with pricing online. This can be a great way to guess how much you will have to pay for a particular restaurant.

When you look at the reviews, and you see the restaurant online, you will know you are choosing a good restaurant beforehand. Before you make your final decision though, you should check the menu to ensure the restaurant you are choosing serves the meal you want the most.

Once you have found a restaurant with a lot of good reviews, and you have found a restaurant designed the way you want, take a good look at the menu. Then, you will know exactly what type of foods the restaurant serves, and you can make sure they provide your favorite Italian food.

Another important factor you should consider before you choose your Italian restaurant, is the type of alcohol you want the restaurant to provide. Some restaurants have great wine selections. These selections can make your entire dinner experience exceptional too.

If you are having a group dining event, talk to the restaurant beforehand to ensure they can handle a group of your size. Some restaurants will be better for groups than others. If you are going to dinner with a group you should certainly make a reservation beforehand. Then, there will certainly be a proper amount of tables and staff available to assist you.

If you make sure your Italian restaurant has great food quality, a good atmosphere, and enough space for your dining needs, you will feel much more comfortable when you go out to dinner.

Want to find out more about Italian restaurants Bellevue, then visit Luigi DeMarco’s site on how to choose the best Italian restaurant for your needs.

Technorati Tags: cooking, drink, drinks, food, gourmet, health, Italian, Italian Food, Italy, meals, restaurant, seattle, washington, wine

As more and more countries discover the great flavours of whisky, their popularity continues to skyrocket. In actual fact, Japan claim that it is one of their fasting growing drinks, second only to French wine. Unfortunately, due to the long and difficult refinement process, whisky has a tendency to be quite expensive and a drain on finances for connoisseurs. There are some whisky makers who sell their older bottles for thousands of dollars.Here is a list of 5 of the best whiskies you can buy, without breaking the bank. So put your wine glasses away, and dig out that tumbler.

1.)    The Dalmore 12 ($20-$30). This whisky has some very complex flavors, including honey notes and can compete with the bigger boys in terms of depth, without the hefty price tag.As this is a reasonably unknown whisky still, you don’t have to pay a fortune to get your hand on a bottle.

2.)    Glen Garioch 10 ($20). This whisky is the youngest of the list and what it lacks in strength it makes up for in smooth drinking. You definitely wouldn’t give this a price tag of if you didn’t know any better

3.)    Old Pulteney 12 ($20-$30). Found in bottles that look like crystal vases, this malt is truly value for money. Due to the fact the whisky is sweet by nature, but has distinctive salty qualities, it is considered to be a very good drink to take to the seaside or on a boat trip.

4.)    Aberfeldy 12 ($35-$40) One of the darker whiskies out of the five, this everyday drink has been produced for hundreds of years and is still as popular as ever. If you are wondering whether its worth paying that little bit extra for this whisky, the answer is yes. You’ll need decent whisky glasses to do this one justice.

5.)    Coal Lla 12 ($40-$45) This is most expensive whisky out of this selection, but again its worth every penny.  This one really can hold its own with the world class whiskies, and its brilliantly smoky body and powerful notes make it a favorite with the seasoned whisky drinker. This is one you need to try.

Technorati Tags: best, drinks, value, whiskey, whisky

Making your own alcoholic drinks can be fun and challenging at the same time, and will not take up a lot of time or space. Most of the ’scientific’ part of the process can be conducted on a standard home stove by following a set of simple instructions. With just a couple of hours work, you could have 4-5 gallons of home brew to look forward to.

Are you interested in home brewing? Maybe you have already followed up that interest and have already brewed some alcoholic beverages at your own home. Either way, you may want to consider joining a home brew club. Whether your beverage of choice is beer, wine or grain alcohol, and regardless of where in the country you reside, there is going to be a home brew club to match your interest.

Many times people follow directions for so long they tend to ignore the possibility there are other ways of doing things. As people become more experienced in home brewing, they may try different methods or different ingredients and often willingly share these findings with other members of their home brew club. The associations are designed for this type of sharing as well as gathering and sharing their finished products as well as discussing potential legal issues surrounding the home brewing industry.

By joining a home brew club, you can get many new ideas and can ask questions of your own, finding out if a technique will work before you try it. Others in the home brew club may have already tried and failed and can offer advice on how to do things correctly.

Many members of a home brew club are more than willing to share their knowledge and experience, despite the intense competition of brewing the best. Whether it be beer, wine or spirits that you want to improve your knowledge on, someone will be there to lend a helping hand.

A few times a year, you will probably find that regional competitions get organized, at which home brewers from a particular area have their best work judged. You will be going up against some pretty experienced people should you enter but do not let that put you off. This is one type of competition in which taking part is truly more important than winning. You are guaranteed to have great time!

To learn more from a home beer brewing expert, and to discover the simple secrets of brewing world class beer from the comfort of your home, visit: http://homebeerbrewingsecrets.com/

Technorati Tags: alcohol, Beer, drinks, food, home beer making kit, home beer making kits, home brew club, home brewing

Making beer at home is something that every true beer lover should try at some point. Not only is it fun to do, but it’s neither expensive, nor difficult.

If you are interested in learning how to make beer at home, then you are definitely going to want to read on so that you can learn about the basic process that is involved to make beer at home.

Making beer at home requires you to only really follow a few steps. The first is to get yourself a beer kit, which is a kit that includes all of the different tools and materials that you are going to need to make the beer.

Having got yourself a beer kit, you next need to obtain the 4 main ingredients of beer - water, yeast, hops and malt. You might be surprised to know water is actually the most abundant ingredient, and makes up most of the final product. Malt is short for malted barley and is a type of grain which has been soaked in water and then dried out. Hops balance out the sweetness by adding a degree of bitterness and also add a distinctive aroma to the finished brew. As for the yeast, this is the catalyst which is needed to make the other ingredients come together.

You then need to combine all of the ingredients using your beer kit. The exact way to do this is dependent on the type of beer kit you get, but every beer kit will come with instructions that will be easy enough to follow.

You can even add your own decided flavors to the beer if you like, however you just want to make sure beforehand that you know what you are doing so that you do not use too much or too little and end up ruining the beer.

Even if you do make a mistake, you can just throw that batch out and make a new one, as practice is going to be the only way that you will be able to learn. After doing a few trial batches, most people master the art of brewing their own beer. When you do, and realize just how fresh tasty home brewed beer is, you will wonder why you took so long to get involved.

To learn more from a home beer brewing expert, and to discover the simple secrets of brewing world class beer from the comfort of your home, visit: http://homebeerbrewingsecrets.com/

Technorati Tags: alcohol, Beer, drinks, food, home brew supplies, home brewing, make beer at home

“Beer” is the casual term used to describe a cold refreshing alcoholic beverage made of malt and hops. However, for those with more than a passing interest in the drink, a single word is far from sufficient to describe it.

When it comes to types of beer, there are many, many options to choose from. The amount of differing characteristics that can be found is surprising, with most people having a favorite type even if they are not aware of it. From stout to cider, and porter to pilsner, there really is something for everyone.

The method of brewing tends to be somewhat similar for most commercially produced beers. However, the names given to different styles of beer generally reflect individual characteristics of the product, such as where it originated. Taste, appearance and aroma are just some of the qualities that make different beers unique.

Below are some of the most popular types of beer available…

Lager: Some of the most popular types of beer are lagers. These include American styles including basic lager, all-malt lager, light lager, double pilsner, malt liquor and low-alcohol or “light” beers. Popular international choices include Czech, European, Japanese and German lagers.

Ale: This includes brown ale, American amber, porter and wild ales. Also falling under the category of “Ales” are Chile Beer, Pumpkin Ale, Belgian and French ales, English, German, Irish, Finnish, Scottish and Russian ales.

Cider: While not an official beer, cider is still enjoyed by many beer drinkers. Favorites include standard cider, New England cider and many specialty ciders.

Hybrids: Combining different beer styles or ingredients create this “experimental” beer. Sub-categories include smoked, spiced, fruit and vegetable beer.

Those are the essentials that every serious beer drinker should have already ticked off their beer list. Remember that variety is the spice of the life; you’re severely limiting yourself by always being loyal to one brand. Next time you’re in a beer drinking mood, try something different!.

To learn more from a home beer brewing expert, and to discover the simple secrets of brewing world class beer from the comfort of your home, visit: http://homebeerbrewingsecrets.com/

Technorati Tags: alcohol, alcoholic drinks, Beer, drinks, food, types of beer

Typically, people make small home brews, and so if you are planning on making a large home brew, then there are several pointers that you are absolutely going to want to take into consideration.

Most people only plan on making a large home brew if they are having a lot of people over or if they are planning to store most of the brew away so that they can use it in the future, and both of these reasons are acceptable. For any other reasons you would probably be best just to stick with making smaller more frequent brews.

As with most other things in life, the bigger you want something to be, the more time and effort it takes. The same principle applies to home brewing. So if you do not have a lot extra of all of these, then perhaps you should just reconsider.

Also, before making a start on making a large home brew, think carefully about whether you really have the space available to do it properly. As with a small home brew, a large home brew can be made in a standard sized kitchen. The difference with a making a large home brew is that you may have to temporarily clear out of the way any none essential items.

Assess the amount of space that you have available on the countertops, in the sink and in the fridge. Spend a few minutes maximizing the space available for your large home brew as moving things out of the way whilst you are in the process of brewing could cause you to lose your concentration and make a mistake.

You basically have 2 options should you unfortunately not have the required amount of space available to you; either you should stick to making smaller brews so that you have more free space to work with, or find a friend or family members home during those one or two times that you need to make an especially large brew.

In terms of the actual brewing process, it is exactly the same to make a large brew as it is to make a small one. Just make sure that you increase the quantities of the ingredients in equal measures.

To learn more from a home beer brewing expert, and to discover the simple secrets of brewing world class beer from the comfort of your home, visit: http://homebeerbrewingsecrets.com/

Technorati Tags: alcohol, Beer, drinks, food, home brewing, large home brew