Hobbit Ginger Beer, Snoop Partnership, Dutch Exports & Tissue Culture

Are you a fan of the Lord of the Rings? Or hobbits? Or Tolkien? If you are and you like your ginger beer then you will be interested in this. The Good George brewery in Waikato has been selected to brew a non-alcoholic ginger beer for the Green Dragon in Hobbiton. But the Green Dragon isn't real, I hear you say. Well, it is now. In the Lord of the Rings trilogy the Green Dragon pub was actually only the front, the rest didn't exist. And during the final instalment it was burned to the ground (I don't remember that!). But the Green Dragon has now been rebuilt as a real pub for the forthcoming The Hobbit film trilogy. Unfortunately, the pub is only open to those on the Hobbiton tour. (Source: Waikato Times).

Gladstone Hall, the former home of Australian ginger beer magnate William Starkey, is now on the market. If you have at least $2.4 million and fancy living in the Sydney suburb of Dulwich Hill, you can find more information here. But I am more interested in the ginger beer itself. Starkey started brewing ginger beer in Sydney in 1838 and became so successful that he eventually had the largest ginger beer factory in the southern hemisphere. I can't seem to find anything else about Starkey's ginger beer. Can anyone help?

The Naples Beach Brewery in south Florida recently received state clearance to commercially produce alcoholic beverages. One of its new beers is a mango ginger Belgian ale. Sounds very American.

A press release has announced details of a partnership between the US rapper Snoop Lion (apparently he is sometimes known as Snoop Dogg) and Reed's Ginger Brew to raise awareness of Snoop's Mind Gardens Project in Jamaica. The project's aim is to establish organic community gardens capable of producing fresh fruit and vegetables for school-aged children. Reed's founder Chris Reed has said that he wants to give something back to Jamaica as his company's successful drinks are based on traditional Jamaican-style ginger beers.

just-food has reported on the rising demand from China for traditional English cheeses including the increasing popular dessert cheeses such as white stilton with mango and ginger. It is quite likely that the ginger in these blended cheeses came from China in the first place.

I've just been reading some interesting statistics from the Centre for the Promotion of Imports, an agency of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and known by the Dutch acronym CBI. In 2010, the Netherlands accounted for 35% of all ginger imports into the EU and was the largest EU importer. Again in 2010, 65% of total ginger exports from the EU came from the Netherlands. Some of these Dutch re-exports contributed 6.8% of total British ginger imports.

So why the Netherlands? Towards the end of the 16th century Dutch traders started dealing in spices from the East. Soon after, the Dutch East India Company was formed and this lasted for nearly two hundred years. By then the Dutch spice trade, including ginger, was so well established that it continues to this day. It may seem incredible but last year the Netherlands was the world's third biggest exporter of ginger behind China and Nigeria.

The idea of the EU exporting ginger sounds strange, doesn't it? How can a region which doesn't grow ginger (or at least not commercially) actually export it? The answer is, I don't know. I can only speculate that it could be some sort of added-value or preferential rate. Can anyone enlighten me?

just-drinks has reported a fall in the losses of Castle Brands, the New York-based spirits and wine group. A contributory factor in this improvement is the rise in sales of Gosling's Stormy Ginger Beer, up 45.5% to 74,959 cases in the last quarter. You can always rely on ginger!

A new ginger breeding facility has just opened in the Malaysian state of Sabah, according to the Borneo Post. It uses in-vitro technology to produce 500 plantlets from one parent ginger plant in a process which takes six months. It is hoped that production of disease-free stock will help Sabah meet its demand for 24,000 kg a month.

A press release on PRWeb has announced the forthcoming launch of a loose leaf ginger tea blend in time for Christmas. The Tea Spot, from Boulder in Colorado, has created a blend featuring smoked black tea from China and ginger tea from Honduras. It sounds like the ideal drink for elevenses.

New Beers & Whisky, Stone's Advert & Healthy Curries

Welcome to the first post of this blog's second year. I hope that you still find this eclectic mix of ginger news and personal comments of interest. Let me know if there is anything else you would like me to cover.

Here's a beer I missed at Christmas - There Is No Santa from those inventive folk at BrewDog from Fraserburgh in Scotland. It was a limited edition seasonal stout brewed with cocoa nibs and ginger stems. Apparently, it has a gingerbread flavour. Did anyone try it?

Occasionally I will mention the launch of a new ginger-infused or flavoured beer from an established brewery (as you can see from the previous story) but I don't believe that I've ever had the opportunity to introduce you to a new ginger-infused beer from a brand new brewery. The Okoboji Brewing Company is so new that it only held its launch party a few days ago. The Sioux City Journal reported that one of the four launch beers was Midwest Charm Farmhouse Ale With Ginger Added. This 6pc abv beer will, according to the brewery website, pair quite unusually with red and white meat, and with fish.

Many of you will have come across old advertisements and thought "they can't say that". Until fairly recently advertising standards were, to be honest, non-existent. But I was surprised to find an old advert for Stone's Original Green Ginger Wine which made the bold claims that it "Increases virility in men" and "Increases sex drive". I can't believe that these claims have ever been medically substantiated. I found this advert on GingerWine.com, a site dedicated to ginger wine. Although the site is full of interesting facts and paraphernalia about ginger wine, unfortunately it does not seem to have been updated for a number of years.

The Mail Online carried an interesting story on why curries are good for you. Most curries contain spices with strong anti-bacterial properties. Ginger, wearing its spice hat, can slow bacterial growth in meat by 25pc. Add that to the corresponding figures of up to 80pc for garlic, cinnamon and cumin and you end up with a range of tasty and healthy curries. Good news for the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and here in the UK where Wikipedia describes curry as an integral part of British cuisine.

The Atlantic reported during the week that The King's Ginger, one of my favourite ginger drinks, is now available in America. This 41pc abv (82 proof in the US) liqueur from Berry Bros & Rudd is made with macerated ginger root. If you haven't tried it yet, treat yourself.

Reed’s Inc., one of the leading ginger soft drink makers in the US, has announced record revenues of $25 million for 2011. According to the press release, the fourth quarter of 2011 marked the 9th consecutive quarter of 20pc-plus growth. I'm not aware of Reed selling its products outside of the US and Canada. With the rapid growth in ginger products around the world I'm sure that the company must have investigated the export potential of its drinks.

It's been a busy week for ginger drink launches and announcements. The Brisbane Times reported that next month will see the launch in Australia of a ginger-infused lager. XXXX Cloudy Ginger Beer has been developed by Lion Nathan, one of Australia's leading alcoholic beverage companies. Brewed to appeal to the more adventurous drinker, the drink uses the popular Summer Bright Lager. The brewer will produce a limited run of 23,000 cases to test the market.

The Digitel reported that Virgil Kaine has recently launched Bourbon & Ginger, a ginger flavoured bourbon whisky. The drink has been developed in Charleston, South Carolina, by infusing two-year-old Kentucky bourbon with natural ginger and a secret blend of exotic ingredients. It is 40pc abv (or 80 proof in the US).

You probably already know this but I've only just found out that the actor Andy Serkis put a lot of strain on his throat and vocal chords when taking the part of Gollum in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. He countered this by drinking copious quantities of a homemade drink containing honey, lemon and ginger. The drink became known as Gollum Juice.

The Himalayan Times announced that Nepal has selected ginger as one of three projects to represent the country in the WTO/Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) Trading Stories scheme. The EIF is a multi-donor programme which encourages what are known as Least Developed Countries to be more active players in global trading markets. The nominated ginger project, "Enhancing Sanitary and Phytosanitary Capacity of Nepalese Ginger Exports Through Public Private Partnership", concentrates on developing ginger added value which is now acknowledged as the best way of maximising income and profit.

A few weeks ago we reported on the call for more ginger farmers in Fiji to help Buderim Ginger, through its Frespac subsidiary, meet its export contracts. Noosa News has now updated the story by reporting that Buderim Ginger is optimistic that it will honour its commitment to export more than 1000 tonnes. Fiji is now an integral part of the Buderim operation, even when Australian domestic production is good.

And finally, Bruce Cost, America's leading authority on ginger, has said of ginger that "It’s probably the premier herb on the planet".

Ginger Tea Sponsors Volleyball, Agricultural Downsizing, Missed Export Deal & Ginger Coffee

I was browsing through some Google Hong Kong search results last week (I don't know why as I can't read Chinese) and came across a character called "Ginger the Big" (see right). Apparently, this little fellow is the key brand for Shandong Manhing Food Company who were selected as the exclusive ginger supplier at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I really must come up with a little character of my own.

Still on a sporting theme, I discovered that GingerLove, a rather nice ginger tea from Belgium, will sponsor the female Belgian beach volleyball team as they prepare for next year's Olympics. Incidentally, you can read our review of GingerLove on the All Things Ginger website.

Manila Standard Today reported on a Philippines government scheme to encourage farmers in the Highlands to switch from illegally growing marijuana to making an honest living from other crops. Farmers in the towns of Kapangan and Kibungan have chosen to grow ginger on a large scale whilst farmers elsewhere have opted for a range of activities from cattle and pig farming to silkworms.

I came across an unusual use for ginger the other day when I read on nebusiness.co.uk about the recent launch of a ginger muscle rub. Natural Hero, a UK start-up in the north east of England, has developed a couple of herbal rubefacient products including one called Hot Ginger Muscle Rub. The company has worked with experts in medicinal plant research and molecular dermatology at Newcastle University to develop the products which contain 98pc natural ingredients. Although these products have been commercially available for a couple of months, they are still being tested by a range of athletes including runners, cyclists and surfers. I gather the ginger rub does not have much of a smell which, for me, is a big plus point.

The Jamaica Observer reported that the Jamaican Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will be reviewing the number of crops which the country grows commercially. The idea behind this exercise is that the country should be concentrating on those crops which have a competitive and comparative advantage. The minister, Robert Montague, says that the ministry should "put all our resources behind them and, therefore, maximise the earnings from them". It is planned that the current level of 64 crops will be reduced to 20 core crops, one of which will be ginger. This appears to be a case of a government adopting a business practice which has become common in recent years - downsizing and concentrating on core products and values.

Having just said that Jamaica will be putting more resources into ginger, the government must be livid that the ginger industry has just failed to win a J$500 million (US$6m) contract to supply ginger to US-based Reed's Inc, one of the largest naturally brewed ginger soft drinks manufacturers in North America. The Gleaner reported that Chris Reed, the founder and CEO of Reed's, had been unable to find a reliable supplier and also had issues obtaining an export licence. Reed's will now import 1.5 million pounds of ginger a year from South America (which I assume means Brazil). The Jamaican government believes that the country has the potential to supply 170 tons of ginger but is only exporting a mere 15 tons. The Reed's contract could have increased the export market from 170 to 820 tons, a figure which will surely give both the government and the industry itself food for thought.

The Hindu reported that police in the Indian state of Kerala are hoping to reduce night-time accidents by offering drivers ginger coffee. Certain points on the State Highway are known accident black-spots with nearly 300 people killed so far this year. The police are concentrating their resources (and ginger coffee) at these locations, particularly during the Sabarimala season. (Sabarimala is a Hindu pilgrimage centre in Kerala which attracts 45-50 million followers a year).

I knew Crabbie's wouldn't be out of the news for long. Last week Halewood International, who own the alcoholic ginger beer, reported a massive rise in pre-tax profits from £8.8m to £15.8m. Oh, I'm sure that I saw Crabbie's on sale at Tesco yesterday at 3 for £5.

Congratulations to the pupils of Pathways to Technology Magnet High School in Windsor, Connecticut who have just won the Innovative Beverage category in the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship World Series of Innovation competition. They created GinTropic, described by Hartford Business Journal as "a caffeine-free, tropical fruit juice-infused line of ginger ale soft drinks aimed specifically at improving brand recognition and sales of Seagram’s ginger ale by Coca-Cola". The category was sponsored by Coca-Cola.

Shipwrecks, Brazilian Exports, Fijian Growth & Ginger With Cayenne

There is an old Chinese saying, "If you have a good habit of eating radishes in winter and ginger in summer, you will not need a prescription from the doctor". It tends to appear on Chinese sites for food, drink and alternative medicines. Apparently, radishes are helpful as they improve the immune system which can be weakened during the cold winter months. Ginger is said to increase appetites which can be reduced naturally during the hot summer months. Can anyone help with any information?

The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) ran a feature about the ships which have come to grief in the waters around Malaysia. I was particularly interested in the references to the Diana, a British East India Company sailing ship which hit an underwater boulder close to the international trading centre of Malacca and sank in 1817. I will admit that I was drawn to this ship because ginger has been recovered in archaeological dives. As the ship was laden with Chinese porcelain we can assume that the ginger was from China. And if we also assume that the ginger was packed in ginger jars, and I'd be surprised if it wasn't, then these jars should have wax seals on the bottom from Chinese customs authorities giving permission for export. I would be interested to find out what was found.

The Washington Beer Blog announced that Two Beers Brewing is about to release the first beer made from the new hop harvest. It will launch the brewery's autumn seasonal beers and will be joined at the end of the month by the popular Pumpkin Spice Ale. This spiced ale contains ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice, and I can only imagine what it tastes like.

Last week I wrote about Halewood International's exciting approach to advertising and marketing Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer. Since then Halewood has appointed Hatch Communications to manage Crabbie's consumer PR function. It will be interesting to see how future campaigns develop.

Reed's Inc, one of America's leading ginger soft drink manufacturers, has just announced its seventh consecutive quarter of sales growth. Revenue for the quarter was 26% higher than the same period last year. I don't have any definitive statistics but this growth does appear to fit in with my observations of increasing demand for ginger products all around the world.

The New York Times had a small review about Divine Treasures, a vegan chocolate shop in the Manchester Parkade Shopping Center, Connecticut. I mention this because the shop sells a Ginger Explosion containing ginger, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Here in the UK, chocolate with ginger and chilli is very popular but I don't think that I've ever come across cayenne. Interesting.

I know it is a little bit late but congratulations to Fever-Tree Ginger Ale for winning a sofi (speciality outstanding food innovation) gold medal in the Cold Beverage category at this year's US National Association for the Speciality Food Trade awards at the Summer Fancy Food Show.

Brazil is fast becoming a major player on the ginger scene. Fresh Plaza featured Gabe's Import-Export (Comércio Exterior), a Brazilian group of ginger growers linked to an exporter, who farm 200 hectares and export a container of ginger each week. It exports principally to Europe and the USA but sees Canada as the next big market to conquer. Canada has seen a significant increase in interest in ginger tea, ale and cookies in recent years.

The Fijian Agriculture Ministry has announced the launch of a $1m project aimed at boosting the country's ginger industry. Fiji currently exports $6.3m worth of ginger a year and is considered to be an important contributor to the country's foreign earnings. The project, a collaboration between the government, private sector and overseas investors (Buderim Ginger?), has identified three areas worthy of investment. The first is to extend the amount of land under cultivation by 545 hectares. The second is to improve the processing facilities for baby ginger. And finally, to improve the range of value-added products such as crystallised ginger and ginger paste.

Some of you may be wondering about last week's reference to Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer and toffees. Well, The Toffees is the nickname of Everton Football Club.

Ginger Drunkards, Fijian Markets And Increased Sales For Reeds

The other day I stumbled across an article in the New York Times from December 1888. What attracted my attention was the title, "Jamaica Ginger Drunkards; Startling Statements Concerning The Prevalence Of The Habit". William H.Doble, a grocer from Dedham in Massachusetts, appeared in court on a charge of violating the liquer law. Specifically, the alleged offence was selling Jamaica ginger as an intoxicant. What made this Jamaica ginger questionable was that although it could be sold legally for medicinal purposes, Doble's version contained 69% alcohol. The statute of the time stated that any beverage of more than three per cent alcohol would be classified as an intoxicating liquor. Surprisingly, the jury found Doble not guilty which must have pleased many of his customers who were described by the New York Times as "Jamaica-ginger drunkards, a species of inebriates by no means uncommon".

The Fiji Times reported that ginger farmers in Dreketi are struggling to find a market for their produce. The farmers are claiming that middlemen and supermarkets are paying such low prices that they cannot afford to expand into large-scale ginger farming. The Fiji ginger industry is based around a few large growers and many small (typically one acre or less) growers. If the Fijian government's programme to increase ginger production is to be successful, it will have to ensure that a fair payment system is put in place.

Reeds Inc, the US confectionery business famous for its ginger products, released its 2010 Annual Report last week. Total net sales increased by 34% but the gross profit margin as a percentage of net sales decreased by 3% to 21%. Reeds stated that the non-chocolate candy segment (i.e. the ginger products) will continue to be a growth area. Linking back to the previous item I learnt that Reeds Crystallized Ginger Candy is manufactured in Fiji.