Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Flavoured Coffee Syrup




There's many drinks out there, and coffee is probably the most popular drink of all. Even amongst coffee fans, there's a multitude of coffee types that people like to drink. Getting flavoured coffee is a good way to diversify, and get something that tastes better than your normal, traditional black coffee. Instead of the same taste you usually get, instead you get a different taste, based on the syrup you use. Flavoured coffee syrup is a great product to have in your kitchen, for that time you want to spice things up a bit.


Flavoured Coffee Syrup is typically made from corn and sugar cane. It also has fruits, which gives it the unique taste that it has. This can produce a very sweet taste, and goes at the opposite of what most coffees taste like, which can give a very interesting taste. Thanks to the syrup, you can get flavours of many different types, over a dozen in fact that are made to create just the flavour you want. Usually, you buy the flavour in a separate bottle, and add it yourself to the coffee. It doesn't matter what type of coffee you drink, you can add any flavour you want, simply by pouring it into the mug. The best way to do this is by preparing your coffee, using a coffee maker or another mean, as you normally would. Then, add the syrup by dropping it directly in the mug as it's still hot. The quantity is entirely up to you. There is no too little or too much, it depends how much of a flavour you want. It's simply up to the amount of flavour put in that will determine what the coffee tastes like.

There's flavours that are created all around the world. Some regions are known for their great flavours, because of access to fresh fruits that taste particularly strongly. This can help a region get up to speed economically by providing flavoured coffee syrup to the world. Because there's so many coffee drinkers out there, they quickly make a profit, and people flock from all around to taste their new flavours. It's an industry that's filled with many flavours, dozens of variants, and with many good and not so much brands. Like any extra ingredient, the whole drink will taste good or bad based on the quality you use. Some of the more exotic flavours provide an exceptional coffee, but it's hard to know that beforehand. Your best bet is to try it out, and see if you like it.

Overall, flavoured coffee syrup is something that isn't expensive to add to your normal coffee, and can make a huge difference based on taste. It's an acquired taste, something you may not want to miss once you've become accustomed to it, and can be a great way to spice up your day.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Is The Future Of GreenMountain Uncertain?

News hit on Thursday on Bloomberg and The Street that analysts are downgrading GMCR (Green Mountain Coffee Roasters) to sell amidsts reports of rising inventory and weakening demand.

“Shipments of Keurig brewers will continue decelerating,”said Astrachan, who advises selling the shares. In turn,“slowing household penetration of brewers will increasingly pressure K-Cup shipments,” he said.
Even more damagingly, Green Mountain's patents for K-Cups are expiring, opening up competition and taking a large chunk away from Green Mountain
Next year, Waterbury, Vermont-based Green Mountain will lose the main patents on K-Cups, allowing competitors to make less-expensive versions. The company has sought to boost sales and discourage competition by partnering with brands such as Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) and Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc.
It appears as though the free ride is over for Green Mountain. The company does deserve credit for bringing  a new product to an old industry and giving convenient access of single cup coffees to millions of people. Only time will tell however, just how prepared they are for a competitive market once their patents expire. It's good news for consumers, who can expect lower prices, more availability in the Canadian market and more innovation in 2012.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Is There Any GOOD Instant Coffee?

Canadians have always looked down on instant coffee that those overseas seem to love - not because there isn't any good quality on the market, but because Canadians prefer their coffee to be not pre-packaged. Think about the smell of your freshly brewed pot of coffee, and now imagine trying to live without that. Instant coffee just doesn't provide that level of satisfaction.

While we're not big into instant coffee, we do want our coffee instantly. This can be easily seen by the rise in individual coffee makers, that can prepare a coffee in under a minute. With our lives becoming quicker and more hectic, the pressure is on to get your cup of coffee quick. This hustle has spilled over into our lives a bit though, with instant coffee starting to make it's way into Starbucks and other coffee shops. Know you won't have time to stop by and wait in line for 5 minutes for a coffee? Grab a pack of instant coffee and off you go.

While today's equipment and availability of coffee almost eliminates the need for instant coffee, there is still a market. Single cup, on-demand coffee makers allow you to pop in a pod or "k-cup" and move onto something else, then come back less than a minute later to a freshly brewed cup of coffee. While not "instant", it is "in the blink of an eye". The single cup, nearly-instantaneous coffee makers let you get coffee fast, without resorting to instant coffee.

There are a couple brands of individual cup coffee brewers, and the biggest are Tassimo and Keurig.

Tassimo's machines are the most automated solution of all, with a digital barcode reader that determines what kind of coffee disc (known as a "T-Disc") you put into it and automatically selects the best setting for it. It's capable of making multi-cup coffees like Lattes or Cappuccinos with it's software.

Keurig's machines require you to select the type of coffee pod you put in, but are simple and intuitive to use - and just as fast as the Tassimo coffee makers. Their pods are known as "K-Cups" and are used by a wide variety of machines that have licensed the Keurig technology. Many brands have jumped on board with their own flavours and blends of coffee, as well as teas. Among them, you can find Emeril's K-Cups, Timothy's K-Cups, Green Mountain's K-Cups, Van Houette K-Cups, Celestial Tea K-Cups and many more. The wide variety of K-Cups makes it easier to find than Tassimo's, though the Canadian market is odd at times.

With individual coffee makers popping up everywhere, it won't be long until nearly every business or home has the ability to make a single cup of freshly brewed coffee just for you.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Peppermint Flavoured Iced Tea (Sugar Free)

Ingredients:

Instructions:

This generic recipe makes use Torani Sugar Free Peppermint Syrup and straight tea. Combine chilled tea and syrup in a tall glass (or pitcher if making larger quantities) filled with ice and stir well.

Note: for party size, use 1 cup Torani Sugar Free Peppermint Syrup per 8 cups brewed tea (making sure to chill).

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Torani Blue Freezie Cocktail Video


The "Blue Freezie Cocktail" is similar to an "Electric Lemonade Cocktail", and is made with Torani syrups. Find more at Torani Syrups Canada

French Vanilla Flavoured Martini (Sugar Free)

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Pour ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon or lime. Enjoy your French Vanilla Flavoured Martini (Sugar Free)!