March To This Beet: Beetology Juices

I believe adults take many of their food cues from their parents.  If my mom or dad didn't like a food then it never entered the house.  I must say my parents weren't that finicky, but there were just certain foods that never made in onto our regularly-scheduled menu.  Beets was one of those foods. I believe I may have had beets only once as a child then never again till the early 2000s.  Many say they taste like dirt, but I say that when paired effectively with supplementary ingredients in a salad for example, a hidden flavor component can be unlocked.  Beets are one of those vegetables that are a hard sell to most A) since it is a vegetable and B) since its so concentrated and distinct.  However, I say that it's this concentration that makes it a great superfood and perfect to juice.

A bevy of vitamins, disease-fighting and digestion benefits aren't really enough for many folks today to overlook the distinct rooted taste of beets.  That is until now.  Beetology is the quintessential way to get your fill of beets in a flavorful way that won't test your gag reflexes.  This brand is 100% pure cold-pressed, organic, not from concentrate or filled with extra ingredients you can't pronounce or never heard of.  What's more is that Beetology blends their pure beet juices with other fruits and vegetables, but the ingredients list is still readable and to a minimum.  A nutritionist once told me that if it doesn't go bad then it's probably bad for you.  

Beetology offers up the five wonderful flavors of Beet+Lemon+Ginger,  Beet+Cherry, Beet+Veggie, Beet+Tropical Fruit and Beet+Berry.  What they've made here is a healthy, beneficial and satisfying drink that all taste delicious.  You are not overwhelmed by the beet flavor and what's great is that the other 100% juices in each bottle complement the beet taste.  Here's another good reason to try Beetology if you're not a fan of beets.  Besides the health benefits, the gritty and earthy bite of a beet is not present which brings the sweet and vegetal taste of beets more to the forefront and make it a perfect and satisfyingly plausible candidate for a juice.

The nice part of Beetology is the natural flavor, its purity and the heart/blood pressure/brain benefits.   Since you know I just can't help myself, the naughty party ushers in by my making Beetology a wonderful main ingredient for a somewhat redemptive spin on classic cocktails.  Check out the cocktail recipes below.  Beetology is available now at select retailers in metro areas and if you don't find it then definitely ask them to stock it. 

Ginger's Beet

6 oz             Beetology Beet+Lemon+Ginger 

2 oz             Herradura Silver Tequila or any silver tequila

3-4               Almond-sized slivers of Fresh Ginger

1/2 oz          Fresh Lemon Juice    

Place ginger and tequila into a shaker then muddle.  Place the rest of the ingredients into the shaker with a few cubes of ice.  Shake for about 10-15 seconds then strain into a glass with the ice.  Garnish with a lemon wheel.

The peppery depth of the ginger a great weight against the depth of the tequila.  The addition of the  fresh lemon and ginger heighten the flavor profile while the beet stays a constant earthily subtly sweet addition. 

Beetini

2 1/2 oz        Beetology Beet+Lemon+Ginger

1-1/2 oz        Tanqueray Dry Gin or any kind of dry gin  

1/2 oz           Carpano Dry Vermouth or any dry vermouth

Pour the ingredients into a shaker filled with ice cubes.  Stir for about 30-40 seconds.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist and/or a dash of orange or Angostura bitters, if desired.

The juniper of the gin plays very cordially with the subtle sweet notes of the beet.  The peppery pop of the ginger is nicely cooled down by the tart citrus of the lemon and fragrant & refreshing vermouth.

*As always, please remember to drink responsibly.

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Dave White

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Whatever Helps Me Win The Race: Budstraps

Set the speed!  Definitely get some incline rising for those calves!  Cue up the 'Can't Stop, Won't Stop' playlist on your phone and then you're off!  Well almost, since right around the first mile you're earbuds slip out due to sweat and the antics to corral them back into your hands then ear are similar to those of a young girl clumsily twirling ropes for double-dutch.  

I know that I've long desired something to help me have more control in the gym so that my mind stays focused on completion.  I am a fan of convenience and organization so I ensure that my mind stays focused on the task at hand by addressing the problems that may occur beforehand.  Enter Budstraps! 

Budstraps is a brand of sporty neckband accessories that address the issue of earbuds and AirPods that may pop or slip our during exercise.  If you're like me who needs his music in his ears to set the tone of his personal soundtrack at the gym then you know the value of damaging an earbud or even losing an Airpod.  If your earbuds pop out for whatever reason the Budstraps Earbud Neckstrap keeps your earbuds secured to a comfy flexible sporty strap that's safety tucked behind the neck.  Similarly, to keep your AirPods from popping out and rolling under dusty gym apparatus, the Budstraps Neckstrap for Apple AirPods features an adjustable cord with two secure-fit loops at the end to fit your Apple AirPods.  The best part is that both are nonintrusive and won't distract you from your fitness mission.

The Budstraps line is available here on at their website and on Amazon.com.  Check out my video  above showing how easy and convenient the Budstraps Earbud Neckstrap is to put on and use.  Please note, although great, Budstraps won't finish your cardio time for you, it'll just make the experience a bit easier to bare.  

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Dave White

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¡Viva Verano!: Viva XXXII Tequila Review/Cocktails For National Tequila Day

Odd how the Summer season plays out.  The unofficial start of Summer is Memorial Day which is three weeks before the actual start of the Summer Solstice.  Then the Fourth of July creeps in a couple of weeks after the start of the Summer Solstice and then people get invigorated, schools let out and grilling becomes the norm.  It's almost as if Independence Day is the proverbial 'first-pitch' to the Solstice's 'team entering the dug-out'.  Then Labor Day slides in and the frantic energy to salvage the rest of the Summer begins as the realization that the start of Fall is only three weeks away.  Schools start again and, for those like me, the collective consciousness of the crisp weather and memories of the impending thrust back into a ten month long trek through academia meant the end of the Summer bliss.  

Now, since August is the only month on the calendar without a national holiday, with all the ins and outs aforementioned, I have a declaration to make.  Today is National Tequila Day and since tequila makes my Summer all the more better, I'm declaring this day as the unofficial kick-off to the dog days of Summer.  Only 1/3 of the Summer has passed already so technically an unofficial holiday is in order.  So rather than pick some debatable historical day of old, let's celebrate the wonderful spirit by toasting with a wonderful spirit.  Viva XXXII is a refreshing no-holds barred tequila.  Viva compels one to 'live' and this brand promotes disrupting the tradition of charging more for the bottle than what's inside it.  The handsome transparent bottle with the characteristic printed motif of the outside gives way to wonderfully crisp and bright-tasting tequilas.  However, the tasty tequila is the star. 

I recently had the distinct privilege to discover and enjoy Viva XXXII's Reposado and Joven tequilas.  Their Reposado is aged for six months in American oak barrels.  I found it to have a slightly sweet fragrance with a nutty and floral taste, but it was clean and smooth.  The Joven is an 100% blue agave blanco tequila that's carefully blended with their three year old añejo variety.  On my first sip I noticed spicy and slightly herbal notes balanced cleanly with a small citrusy finish for a bold overall taste.   These were really nicely cured tequilas whose well-done executions could be great over ice with fresh lime or used to create delicious cocktails.  So I came across two recipes that I simply had to try and recreate and since this is a newly self-appointed unofficial national holiday, I thought creating a cocktail of my own was in order as well.

VIVA Rip Tide by Seamore’s (390 Broome St, New York, NY 10013)

• 2 oz. VIVA XXXII Reposado Tequila
• 1 oz. Fresh Juiced Pineapple
• ½ oz. Fresh Lime Juice
• ½ oz. Agave Syrup (3:1 Agave to Water)

Directions: Place all ingredients into a shaker and give a short “dry” shake. Then, add crushed ice to shaker. Pour ice and cocktail into a highball glass and top with a float of Angostura Bitters and Pineapple Frond.

Pineapple is one of my all-time favorite summertime fruits and the addition of it here in this drink is just amazing as it creates a wonderful culinary story of tart citrus sweetness especially with the Viva XXXII Reposado.  This makes a refreshing Summer sipper and the presence of the bitters takes down the sweet for a good balanced cocktail.  This is definitely a cocktail that you can sip like juice and not realize you've finished it in one sitting.

VIVA Crisp made by Chris Kramer @celebratedspirits of The Larchmont (5750 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038

• 2 oz. VIVA XXXII Joven Tequila
• 3 fresh slices of Cucumber
• 2-3 fresh slices of Jalapeno (deseed to control spice factor)
• ¾ oz. Agave Syrup

Directions: Place all in a tin and lightly muddle. Do not crush ingredients just press to express oils and flavors. Add ice and give a short and soft shake. Pour all into a Double Old-Fashioned Glass. Garnish with some something fresh and fragrant. We use a lime peel and cucumber wheel. But a large basil sprig is also recommended.

This drink was a yummy balance of sweet and garden freshness.  This drink shows the depth and success of the greens.  The spicy burst of the jalapeño together with the verdant refreshing pop of the cucumber were paired lovely with Viva XXXII's Joven tequila and its herbal and peppery notes were leveled out lovely by the sweet addition of the agave and the fragrant basil.  It was an invigorating drink that reminded me of a zesty cleansing Summer salad of fresh greens with sweet ingredients thrown in for depth.  This could only be successfully done with the bold Viva XXXII Joven. 

VIVA Sorrel Sipper made by David White www.JacketOptionalShoesRequired.com Bronx, New York

• 3 oz. VIVA XXXII Reposado Tequila
• 1/4 cup of Sorrel (dried hibiscus leaves)
• 1/4 ounce of fresh Ginger
• 6-8 whole Cloves
• 3 Cinnamon sticks
• 1/4 cup of organic Sugar
• fresh Lime wheel
• fresh Orange peel

Directions:  Prepare the sorrel first.  Pour 4 cups of boiling water over the sorrel, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and orange and let it steep for 4 to 5 hours minimum in a container that is stain-resistant (the red sorrel leaves stain).  Strain into a glass canister and then add the sugar (add more sugar to adjust for desired sweetness level).  Place ice into shaker and enough sorrel for a serving, soft shake then pour into a Mason mug.  Zest a bit of the orange peel on top, then garnish the glass with a lime wheel and skewer and orange peel on a bamboo skewer.

I'm no bartender, but I must say my foray into this celebrated Caribbean staple drink known as bissap in West Africa was pretty good.  The longer you steep sorrel the deeper the flavor but the 4-5 hour window was a good one to allow for a great cocktail.  Sorrel in the islands is usually spiked with rum or sometimes red wine, but the cleanness of Viva XXXII Reposado was nice to get the satisfying potency of the tequila while enjoying the tart herbal and floral quality of the sorrel.  Adjusting the sugar amount really plays up or down the tartness and getting that right is key to make for a nice finish with the crisp smooth full notes of the reposado.

However you choose to acknowledge the official spirit of the unofficial holiday of the dog days of Summer, make sure you imbibe in the satisfying tequilas from Viva XXXII.  

Viva XXXII is available now at your finer wine and spirit retailers with 10% of net proceeds of all purchases going to support animal abuse prevention.  Enjoy your National Tequila Day and make sure you drink responsibly.  

www.Viva32.com

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Dave White

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Quicker Frontstage, Quickest Backstage: TexWorld USA, AvanPrint USA, Et Al Tradeshows

I don't know about you, but I've found that it's getting a bit more tasking to keep track of menswear after the collections.  So much happens in society in general on a daily basis that by the time first deliveries roll around, the trim thin-waled corduroys can oftentimes seem like a misstep rather than a next step. Take the recent Mens Spring 2018 Collections that wrapped up here in New York last week, for example, and the preponderance of voluminous trousers and streetwear inspired highbrow nods.  Still tucked tightly inside the modern gent's brain is a close fitting pant or jean that seemingly accentuates his newfound verve to fine-tune his body with weights rather than whiskey.  Now with the onslaught of fuller shapes proposed last season and now taking full swing for Spring/Summer 2018, what's a guy with exemplary quads and fuel-injected pecs to do?

He adapts.  That is the key here.  For if fashion is the voice of society through clothing then it stands to reason that for some time now there's been less of a dictatorship and more of a catering to.  It's cool to be told what to wear, but a lot more empowering to wear your clothing with ease as opposed to them wearing you.  That's what the shift for years now has been.  How do these menswear designers dress the actual, opinionated and empowered consumer in a way that they'll respect, recognize and identify with?  As public opinion and viewpoints gain notoriety, it's the emboldened perspectives, both visual and spoken, skeptical ideologies, sheep-like pandering and rebellious deflections in society, on social media and in global culture that paint a modern picture of style and affect the fashions we are given come shopping time.  

Digitally printed Fashion and Active Textiles at AvanPrint USA

To operate a business that doesn't make profitable strides to move in-sync with the fluctuating pulse of the people is kind of antiquated.  It's been a key issue in recent seasons to see just how to maintain that synced equilibrium.  Easier said than done considering that much of what drives the pulse nowadays is hocked up on hype one day and in need of a glucose drip the next.  There are designers like Bailey at Burberry Prorsum who has and Gvasalia at Veteménts who is in the process of altering the eight month wait-time consumers wait to enjoy a collection down to a few months to keep a beat that more closely capitalizes with consumer discovery/demand.  Fast-fashion retailers like Zara and H&M keep up with the demand (although questionably according to many) by latching onto that A.D.D, 'see it now, want it now' modern public psyche.  

Digitally printed Fashion and Home Furnishings at AvanPrint USA

While at the recent TexWorld USA, ApparelSourcing USA, AvanPrint USA and Home Textiles Sourcing Trade-shows in New York City, what came to mind was that while everything trickles down, if Zara wants to move faster then those facets in charge of producing that multicolored polka-dot cotton jersey will want to move faster too to stay relevant and in business.  Enter technology and its advances in digital printing which I found to be of particular interest at the TexWorld USA Tradeshow.  There has always been much substantiated truth to the fact that your product is only as good as your production.  

Kornit Digital Printing at AvanPrint USA

An impressive highlight at AvanPrint USA were the advances from Kornit Digital whose digital printing techniques take a seven step printing process down to three steps.  The time spent externally pretreating fabric before dyeing, color-checking, preparing dyes, making screens, etc. are all saved with their processes that involve a range of over ten unique digital printing machines with the smallest of 8 heads to the largest of 60 heads.  It was quite notable to see in-person how shifts in society lead to shifts in commerce in a world where we are not really that much compelled to consider the commendable efforts behind producing a single garment.  However, with liaison companies such as the TexWorld USA-hosted Thr3eFold Ethical Fashion Brokers, that link brands with global factories for ethical labor, competitive wages and safe working environments, there is a growing desire to be more aware of how you contribute positively and negatively to fashion's humanity.  Then how insightful it was to get a quick crash course in 'waterless dyeing' and printing techniques with Eco-Pocketing from Archroma that use very little water and half the amount of energy consumption to produce an attractive and wide variety of colorfast fabrics that aid in production efficiency to get end-products to the market quicker.

Thr3efold Ethical Fashion Brokers display at TexWorld USA

Of further interesting mention on speed and adapting to frenetic the global cultural pace was the Trend Council, a fashion-forecasting company that uses digital resources, not to mention global ambassadors of all lifestyles and professional stages to predict textile and clothing directions two seasons ahead.  From the state-of-the-art digital printing to fashion brokering & trending to the environmentally-friendly mills it was enlightening to see that as fashion and demands change, the basic needs involving humane treatment and a comprehensively fair livelihood aren't taking a backseat to enterprise.  Then, how impishly reassuring to see that our impatience to fulfill our unashamed cravings and naughty little desires involving fashion fixes, stylistic brainstorms and wardrobe up-keeps are being considered from those we buy from all the way down to those they buy from.    

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Dave White

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