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A Hoogly Cocktail

A Hoogly Cocktail

Hello all! Maybe we all spoke too soon. The past few weeks have finally brought along some of that promised weather we have all waited so patiently for! Long may it last. 

Since this trundle towards summer, I have been spending a lot more of my evenings outside. The beach here in Brighton is so close that really there is no excuse to not pop down on your bike and watch all the brave people swimming. The parks are looking so lovely as well, and it’s too easy to stray off the path at Preston and amble through the walled garden there. There is nothing I like more in these moments then to watch the sun slowly set with a gin and tonic or a mojito in hand. Unless I crack open a can, it is my own garden that beckons me for this particular fancy!  A gin and tonic somehow manages to balance a crisp tartness with a summery punch, which always reminds me of the feeling this time of year brings! 

It was one of these such evenings which made me start to think about how I might incorporate our tea blends into a cocktail. I know, I know, there is no way I’d try to say our tea isn’t best served warm and in a mug, but there is no reason it can’t be enjoyed in both circumstances. Embracing hygge is what we try to do here after all, and that doesn’t always means fortifying against the winter cold. 


There really is no reason to use the particular teas that I used. I am sure you can use whatever Hoogly tea you love into the drinks you equally love. They are simply teas which were delicious when combined with my favourite drinks. Do give it a try! The first is a spiced orange gin and tonic. I find that spiced orange, a tea which we actually created to mimic the flavours in a mulled wine, brings out the herbal flavours in the gin, lending the drink a softer taste. 


Spiced Orange Gin and Tonic:


Gin , Orange flavoured preferably, 50ml


Tonic, 100ml


Hoogly Spiced Orange Pyramid Tea Bag


There are so many lovely local gin companies that I find myself spoilt for choice, but since I am in Brighton then surely the Brighton Gin Company needs to be drunk! I  always like to be heavy handed on the gin side, so I fill my glass with 50 ml of gin. I always choose a tumbler, but I know the huge glasses look fantastic in photos.  I then add a spiced orange Hoogly tea bag to the gin, and leave to soak for ten minutes or so, before removing the teabag and adding ice. Afterwards, I fill it up with double the quantity of tonic, and may be a touch too little for most but I like to get the full kick from the gin! 



Sparkling White Mojito:


Mint, 6 sprigs.

White Rum, 45 ml

Sugar syrup, 2 teaspoons

Soda water, to 

Hoogly Sparkling White Pyramid Tea Bag 



This is another great summery drink, and I’d say definitely best enjoyed lounging with a book in front and the full force of the sun behind. A Chill Out Mint would of course work wonderfully here, but to add some new and vibrant to the classic Mojito I think our Sparkling White Tea is the best! I have always been a fan of the combination of both fruit and mint, and I think the elderflower, while enhancing the flavour, is subtle enough to not overpower the flavour of the mint. This is a less citrusy drink to the lime based original, so best for those of you who prefer a fruity taste. 

To make this drink, simply muddle 6 sprigs of mint in the bottom of your glass ( I know you could use a cocktail shaker, but since not everyone has one, I will use a glass) using a fork. Use as much or as little mint as you desire. Then, add 45 mls of rum and a sparkling white tea bag. Leave for 10 minutes before removing the teabag, adding ice and sugar syrup, and then topping up with soda water to taste! A delicious drink, trust me! 

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Not-so-smartphones and the Hoogly Solution!

Not-so-smartphones and the Hoogly Solution!

It appears that Smartphones are bad for our health. A plethora of recent studies have looked into our daily habits and discovered that there are a myriad of ways in which our favourite toys are doing us harm, some of which are obvious, some of which are really quite surprising. How many of these phone-busting facts were you aware of…?

Phones are a pain in the neck! (and back). The number of young people with back problems has risen sharply over the last year or so, with up to 45% of 16 to 24-year-olds feeling the effects of leaning and stooping over their phones, which can put pressure on spinal discs. And as anyone who has experienced back ache will tell you, it can be fierce, repetitive and a real drag on your mood.

Talking of stooping and leaning over your phone, the risk of accidents whilst absorbed in your screen jumps hugely. You are much more likely to walk into a solid object, trip over your feet, and walk into the road without looking or paying attention to traffic lights. And as any police officer will tell you, using your mobile while driving—even simply listening to someone else talk—is a bad idea and can lead to critical loss of attention.

And if you’re not meandering into a road or smacking into a lamppost, it probably means you’re sitting down—which is another negative offshoot of technological advancement. Lack of physical activity is rife in the smartphone era: it’s so much easier to phone or text than step out of the house or office to go see someone. And that’s not even mentioning the endless hours of games we play on our phones on the commute home and in our living rooms. But our sedentary lifestyles are catching up with us. Obesity increases the risk of serious cardiovascular diseases and some cancers, and puts a huge strain on our bodies. All-you-can-eat data is not a good thing.

Research also indicates that depression and anxiety are on the rise, with many young people affected. Having constant access to the web, with its dark corners, is not ideal, but a lot of mental health issues can arise from surprising avenues. With the knowledge that most people have their phone with them 24-7, a slight lull in email or text alerts can falsely convince a person that they’re being ignored or excluded by people who mean a lot to them. In addition to this, there’s been lot of research into the negative effects of social media on self-esteem: young people are constantly exposed to photos and profiles that are curated and perfected, leading to the false impression that their friends all have perfect, stress-free lives, which can build an inferiority complex and anxiety that you are doing something wrong, or living life in the wrong way. Social media is a powerful tool that has the power to bring people together, but its downsides are an extremely serious issue that has yet to be properly addressed.

Another danger of smartphones is that it can impact your sleeping patterns. Exposure to even small amounts of bright light, especially later in the evening, can interfere with the brain’s production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep and wakefulness. In addition to this, answering emails last thing at night, or playing a stimulating game, will put you into a state of alertness or stress that is less than ideal for drifting off to the land of nod.

Interrupted sleep leads neatly onto the next topic of reduced attention span. The constant exposure to links, updates or alerts—and the dopamine hit that this gives us—greatly reduces our ability to concentrate on one task with full concentration. And as nearly all phone-users know, even the physical presence of a mobile can distract us and take our attention away from our nearest and dearest, as the true extent of our addiction (and let’s make no bones about it—it is an addiction) becomes cruelly apparent. And as we become more phone-centric, we lose connection not only with our friends and family, but we can also impair the development of our children. For thousands of years babies and children have bonded with us through eye contact and learned social cues by observing us communicate and examining our facial expressions. Experts have warned that if we have our eyes locked on our phones when interacting with those around us—and with our children—then we risk losing some key connections and developmental milestones down the line.

What’s the solution to all this glumness? Well, I’m not sure there is a quick-fix or antidote, but we at Hoogly have an idea how to take a step in the right direction: Put the kettle on, make a gorgeous cup of Hoogly tea, wrap both hands around the mug, let the taste and scent elevate your senses and bring you a sense of mindful tranquillity—and then repeat!!

 Written by Chris Bedford

www.hooglytea.com

 

 

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