Murderously bad taste branding for new beer range

Where else but in the US would a beer brand be launched that celebrates mass murderers?

It looks as if the bad taste product of the year award for 2022 will go to Adroit Theory Brewing, whose website claims the company pushes “beer boundaries”.

The brewer's “Murder Box” contains four beers emblazoned with the names and faces of four of the most notorious criminals of the 20th-century, Drinks Business reports.

There is a craze for books and TV programs about serial killers - but this is surely a step too far, even in a land where people shoot each other on a daily basis.

One beer named “Ramirez” is branded with the face of Richard Ramirez, a serial killer and prolific rapist who targeted adults and children in California from 1984 to 1985.

A Pilsner is named after Jeffrey Dahmer, who murdered 17 men and boys, in some cases committing necrophilia and cannibalism.

The other two beers in the box are branded with Edmund Kemper, nicknamed the “Co-ed Killer”, and John Wayne Gacy, who killed at least 33 young men and boys.

Adroit Theory is based in Purcellville, Virginia, apparently a hick town with fewer than 10,000 residents.

At least some of them are clearly American idiots.

New tequila brand makes immediate impact

 

Vodka and whisky are the most popular spirits around the globe, but gin and tequila are rapidly closing in. 

In 2021 alone, the sales volume of tequila in the United States amounted to about 27 million cases. Back in 2004 sales were under eight million cases. 

Mexico is exporting more of the agave-based spit than ever before, most of it to the US but in increasing volumes to other nations, including Australia. 

Leading Mexican tequila brand VIVIR recently launched in the Australian market and is available at Coles supermarkets and its liquor outlets including Vintage Cellars and First Choice Liquor. 

VIVIR, which means "to live" in Spanish, has its Blanco, Reposado and Añejo tequilas all now available in Australia. 

The odd fact about VIVIR is that the brand was founded in England by Navindh Grewal and Paul Hayes - in partnership with the fifth-generation family owned Casa Maestri distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, the birthplace of tequila.

The pair was fed up with the lack of quality tequila easily available in the UK, and launched in 2019 after years of development.

"This is an incredibly exciting time for tequila and agave spirits," says Hayes. "As global interest in tequila flourishes, the Australian market is at the forefront of this trend. I'm delighted to be bringing our passion for great tequila to Australia."

 

VIVIR is produced using 100% Weber Blue Agave and natural volcanic spring water. 

Its aged tequilas, the Reposado and Añejo, are also finished in American oak ex-bourbon barrels. I sampled a glass or two of the Añejo on election night. Smart packaging. Very smooth. Very satisfying. 

VIVIR has launches planned for Africa, the Middle East and the US later this year. 

See https://www.vivirtequila.com/

Whale watching becomes a dangerous pursuit

When you go whale watching one of the last things you'd expect is to be injured by a whale.

Except that has happened twice in the past month, Travel Mole reports.

A humpback whale landed on top of a boat off Ahome, Mexico, this week, badly damaging the craft and injuring four people onboard. One was seriously injured.

Local officials have now warned boat operators carrying tourists to keep their distance from migrating whales off the coast.

“Please do not get too close to the whales: we can enjoy their beauty, but at a distance, prudently,” said the mayor of Ahome, Gerardo Vargas.

The boat’s roof collapsed after it was body slammed by the whale and the vessel had to be towed back to port.

Local media reported that it was being investigated whether those on board were harassing the whale, and whether the attack was deliberate.

The region is noted as a place for whale watching with migrating humpback and blue whales.

A similar incident occurred last month in La Paz, Baja California Sur, when five people were injured.

How to "deep dive" into the world of wellness travel

Wellness is the buzzword in the travel industry right now, even more so than "luxury", "cocktails" or "plant-predominant". 

No surprise then that Australia is to get its first Wellness Tourism Summit later this year. 

To be held on the Tweed Coast, the event is aimed at showcasing the rapid growth and demand in the wellness sector and the opportunities for tourism businesses across Australia. 

To be held on October 13-14, the Summit is being convened by Katherine Droga, founder of Droga & Co. and chair of the Global Wellness Institute’s (GWI) Wellness Tourism Initiative (sorry, never heard of it). 

The program has been designed to "deep dive" (such hip terminology) into consumer insights and trends and reimagine wellness travel. It will feature a panel of leading international and local wellness experts.

“The Wellness Tourism Summit will be embracing the theme of regeneration this year," Droga said. "Wellness tourism can support the well-being of not only visitors but local communities, culture, and the environment. Given the recent flood devastation in the Tweed region, we can’t think of a better place to host this year’s Summit.” 

Consumer demand is certainly strong with the global wellness tourism sector forecast to grow by 21% annually to 2025. Transformational travel is in. 

The Summit destination partner, the Tweed Tourism Company, will showcase the region's wellness offerings, ranging from coastal to riverside and hinterland settings.

The Wellness Tourism Summit is proudly supported by the Tweed Tourism Company, Destination NSW, Tourism Australia, Well Traveller, Waterlily, HydraFacial, Belgravia Leisure, Spa Vision, Philippines Tourism and Finn Cold Press Juices (phew!).

Early Bird Tickets are on sale now for $495 - which shows there is money in wellness. See www.wellnesstourismsummit.com.au

Roads less travelled reveal a different Thailand

Just an hour north from the popular beach resorts of Phuket, visitors can discover a different side of Thailand. 

Think deserted stretches of sand with a hammock to call your own, white-water rafting and award-winning restaurants in which you may well be the only non-Thai in the room. 

For a slice of authentic Thailand that's not too far off the beaten track, Khao Lak delivers plenty of variety. 

Khao Lak is in Phang Nga province and is known for its palm trees, endless golden sand beaches and long winding roads into the hills. 

If you are looking for somewhere stylish to chill out that also offers plenty of activities for younger family members - including a kid's club and a dedicated pool for youngsters - then the recently opened Avani+ Khao Lak Resort delivers.

Opened just a couple of months ago (and still with some work to do on the gardens and signage), the 327-room seafront property on Bangsak Beach offers the chance to stroll almost deserted beaches but also enjoy modern luxuries within the resort - including some superb villas with their own plunge pools and some snortingly good cocktails at sunset.

For more active types, the property is home to an AvaniFit complex offering endurance and resistance training, aerobics and high-intensity interval training. Guests can also sign up for boxing or tennis classes or try their hand at hanging yoga and indoor or outdoor climbing walls. 

Outdoor activities include kayaking, on-property PADI lessons and surfing nearby. But there are no jetskis, noisy motorbikes, or loud ladies offering "massaage".

There are - and more to my taste - several pools, family-friendly amenities and drinking and dining venues with Andaman Sea views. 

A range of room categories features deluxe lagoon pool rooms for couples and solo travellers to spacious and very well equipped family pool suites a separate living room and dining area, king and twin beds and a private balcony. 

The on-site AvaniSpa offers pampering treatments and healing therapies, while the two-storey AvaniKids club, Khao Lak’s largest, is complemented by a splash park and a skate park - both well away from the accomodation. 

Elements is a standard hotel eatery while the beautifully located Beach House (below) is the spot for sundowners and a melange of Thai and European menu options. You can even try a glass of Thai chenin blanc with your dinner.  

It is the many local experiences on offer, however, that set the resort apart. 

Enjoy a cycle trip along the coast to check out nearby Bang Niang market or take an excursion to the Similan Islands, Phang Nga Bay or Koh Phi Phi. 

Maybe take a day trip to the Takuapa Old Town or go rafting on bamboo rafts through a local forest. 

Two of my favourite activities, both arranged through the hotel, were exploring the ‘Little Amazon’ of Khao Lak rafting along the Wang Kiang Ku River, and the authentic southern-Thai Chinese-influenced cuisine at Nai Mueang Restaurant, where I believe I was the only tourist tackling the spicy, tasty food. 

Check those activities out here: https://www.gourmetontheroad.com/2022/05/a-real-taste-of-thailand.html 

For bookings, deals and further details see: www.avanihotels.com/khao-lak-phang-nga 

The writer travelled with assistance from Jetstar, which has resumed regular direct flights from both Melbourne and Sydney direct to Phuket. https://www.jetstar.com/ 

Hunter Valley stars recognised

Back in the 1980s - long before I started writing about wine - we regularly made the trip from Sydney to the Hunter Valley to fill our boot with wines to last us through the next few months. 

Among our destinations were Terrace Vale, where Alain le Prince crafted wines with French style, and Wyndham Estate, home of master marketer Brian McGuigan. 

At this week's 2022 Hunter Valley Legends & Wine Industry Awards l was honoured to not only share a table with le Prince and McGuigan, bothy Hunter Legends, but also with one of this year's winners: Neil McGuigan.

The Hunter always knows how to put on a show and the event at Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort saw a record number of Hunter Valley wine and tourism businesses recognised for excellence, commitment and quality.

After close to 50 years of active service to the industry, Brian McGuigan AM was announced as Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association Honorary Patron.

And his younger brother Neil was named Hunter Valley Wine Legend for 2022: With Brian's wife Faye McGuigan also a Hunter Legend, the family's decades of service to the wine industry have been deservedly recognised.

The event also saw a poignant tribute from Phil Ryan to recently departed veteran Hunter winemaker Karl Stockhausen.

The winners of the 2022 Legends and Wine Industry Awards are:

Riedel Young Achiever of the Year: Alex Beckett (Briar Ridge Vineyard)
HVWTA Tourism Operator of the Year: Beyond Ballooning
HVWTA Accommodation Operator of the Year: Spicers Guesthouse
Jurds Viticulturist of the Year: Jerome Scarborough (Scarborough Wine Co.)
Wine Selectors Cellar Door of the Year: De Iuliis Wines
First Creek Winemaking Services Winemaker of the Year: Liz Silkman (First Creek Wines & Silkman Wines)
HVWTA Outstanding Contribution of an Individual: Christina Tulloch (Tulloch Wines)
HVWTA Patron: Brian McGuigan AM
Hunter Valley Tourism Legend: Philip Hele OAM (Hunter Valley Resort & The Farm Hunter Valley)
Hunter Valley Wine Legend: Neil McGuigan

Image: from top from left to right, top: Alex Beckett, Philip Hele, Neil McGuigan, Jerome Scarborough, Mike De Iuliis. Bottom: Brian McGuigan AM, Julia Allen (owner of Beyond Ballooning), Liz Silkman, Christina Tulloch and Mark Whitnell (Spicers Group). Picture: Elfes Images.