Pop-up King Charles II with Fever-Tree and Bobby’s Gin

3-6-2015

Fever-Tree and Bobby’s Gin from Schiedam join forces and come to Rotterdam for a tasting of the many possibilities with gin, tonic and botanical herbs for three weekends in June.

Fever-Tree

In 2005 Charles Rolls and Tim Warrillow stepped into the world of soft drinks because of the dissatisfaction they got from the existing mixers that were available on the market to use for cocktails. They joined forces to reinvent soft drinks. Back to the basics and nature, to create a mixer that can supplement spirits. Fever-Tree presents itself as a valuable ingredient of a cocktail, which often contains 3 / 4 parts of soda. Thus this must be a high quality soda as well.

Bobby’s Gin

‘Dutch courage mixed with Indonesian spices’ is the best description of Bobby’s Schiedam dry gin basis. By recreating the recipe from his Moluccan grandfather Bobby, Sebastiaan van Bokkel developed a unique gin together with Herman Jansen distilleries in Schiedam.

Pop-up King Charles II

This June King Charles II pop’s up above restaurant ‘De Engel’ in Rotterdam. Bartenders literally lead visitors through a garden of ingredients and show a world beyond the established Gin & Tonics. Magical new cocktails are created as gin joins freshly picked herbs and Fever-Tree’s Ginger Ale, Bitter Lemon, Lemonade, Ginger Beer, soda water or lemonade Sicilian.

Opening and food pairings

Between 21:00 to 00:00 hours King Charles II serves a tasting menu from restaurant ‘De Engels’ downstairs, for food pairings as worthy companions to the royal refreshments. To personally experience the magic of gin and it’s necessary to make a reservation before your visit.

Opening hours: 12 & 13 June & 18-20 June and 25 to 27 June – Booking via www.king-charles.nl or via 06-401530 83.

Ecocapsule: the hiker’s cabin of the future?

29-5-2015

Ecocapsule: a micro-shelter that operates off-grid and promises impressive sustainable technology including solar power, rainwater collection and filtration, and wind power.
Bratislava’s Nice Architects has unveiled a prototype of the Ecocapsule at the Pioneers festival in Vienna on 28 May. The ecocapsule comprises a total usable floorspace of 8 sq m (86 sq ft), and includes a kitchenette, toilet, shower, work and dining area, folding bed and internal and externally-accessed storage. Access to the home is gained through one door and it has two windows. The micro-home can be easily transported by trailer and the architects indicate that it can serve as a tiny house, additional bedroom or even office. And we think it would serve great as hiker’s cabin!

The sustainable hiker’s cabin

A lot of sustainable technology is built in this ecocapsule, like a 2.6 sq m (28 sq ft) solar array on the roof and integrated battery system. Ecocapsule also has a silent 750 W wind turbine that’s set on a retractable pole. The bathroom includes a composting toilet and a shower, and a rainwater collection and filtration system offers clean drinking water.
Nice Architects hopes to be ready for sale by the end of 2015 and promises a competitive price.

Digital illuminated billboard addressing women

29-5-2015

The beer brand Astra’s digital billboard is able to target its messages only to women, using gender-detection software.
Agency Philipp und Keuntje created the first digital illuminated billboard advertisement for the German beer brand Astra (from Hamburg). The billboard was installed outside the ‘Zum Silbersack’ pub in Hamburg. Philipp und Keuntje shot around seventy short videos with the comedian and journalist Uke Bosse in the leading role, all with the aim of inspiring more females to try the beer.

The digital illuminated billboard in action

At the billboard, the comedian addresses passersby and specifically women with the aim to encourage them to sample an Astra beer. The billboard has been equipped with a camera and the latest gender-detection software, allowing to detect the gender and the age of the individual. Check the video for great examples of the video messages the billboard uses to ‘sell’ Astra to the passing women.

The Dangers of Selfie Sticks – by Pizza Hut

26-5-2015

Pizza Hut has published a humorous and sarcastic video on 20 May about the use of the selfie and the selfie stick hype. Pizza Hut combines the actuality and humor in this great video, with the effect that now 7 days later, nearly 2.5 million people saw the video and probably smiled about it.

Using selfies and selfie stick in your marketing

We wrote about using the ‘selfie’ in your marketing earlier and we see more and more great examples. Like the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Paris, which offers a ‘selfie in Paris’ tour. A select number of Marriot Hotels offers their guests the possibility to test a free GoPro camera during their stay. With the camera guests can share their vacation experiences with family and friends.

Selfie sticks aren’t unlimited popular

The hype of the ‘selfie’ stick has exploded to major proportions in the USA. We have heard that at several events the selfie stick is even prohibited. Recently friends of us experienced this at a baseball match of the Yankees.

Pizza Hut increases the ‘danger’ of the stick in this video and offers potential guests a smile. The only question is whether the relatively small connection with the Pizza Hut brand in the video works out and if the video will generate more guests for their restaurants.

Dutch town of Sneek is iBeacon capital

20-5-2015

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During the eightieth edition of the Sneekweek (August 1st till 6th) in Sneek, there is an innovative iBeacon app connected to the program. The app shows you where you are, what’s going on, where your friends are and what square or café is most popular at that time. By connecting with Facebook you can give friends access to your specific location. This way you make sure that only they can see where you are.

What are iBeacons?

iBeacons are small transmitters that can send targeted information to mobile phones when you’re in the area. When users wish to use the iBeacons that are scattered throughout Sneek during the Sneekweek, they must also have the Lightcurb app on their phone. The app runs on iOS (Apple) and Android.

Interactive map

On the interactive map this app provides, you can see your current position, those of friends and various party locations. It’s easy to only show relevant information by clever filtering options. A bluetooth connection allows the app to connect to hundreds of beacons throughout the city.

Push notification of the program

Visitors can prepare themselves to the Sneekweek by putting together a personalized program. The app will automatically send notifications when the user is not on the right square if a selected part of the program starts.

Developers

The app was developed by Near Able Labs of Leander Sikma in collaboration with StOm Design and will be available as free download in the App Store and Google Play Store from July onwards. Light Curb provides the iBeacons that app gets its data from. More information about the app can be found at beleefdesneekweek.nl.

Bonaire’s beer is here: Bonaire Blond!

18-5-2015

Bonaire Blond is island inspired and brewed with ingredients of Bonaire. The pale beer has a fresh hint of lime and an aromatic spiciness from Aloë Vera flowers that grow at the local Onima Aloë Vera Plantation.

Bonaire Blond

Bonaire Blond is an artisanal brewed pale beer with a double fermentation in the brewing process and a third fermentation on the bottle. The pale beer is made from Barley malt only and has a light yellow-gold colour. Bonaire Blond is fresh, tasteful and the only Bonairian pale beer with character. This beer has aged at least four weeks longer than normal, which enhances the flavour in every aspect.

Another great initiative from the owners of Restaurant At Sea

Bonaire Blond is an initiative from the owners of Restaurant At Sea (watch their story here), who thought it was a deficiency that the island did not have its own beer. Consumers responded very positive and therefore, they have decided to sell it at other places as well. The beer is now exclusively available at Jibe City Hang Out Beachbar, Little Havana, La Cantina and Restaurant At Sea.

In 2014 the owners of Restaurant At Sea launched a commercial for their own At Sea Cornetto.

Shadow Wi-Fi system

13-5-2015

The premier Shadow Wi-Fi System, developed by Happiness Brussels, launched with the support of the Peruvian League Against Cancer. The president of the Liga Contra el Cáncer, Adolfo Dammert Ludowieg about the system: “Shadow Wi-Fi has changed sun-worshipers’ behavior and educated them about the value of becoming shadow-worshipers at the most harmful hours of the day, between 12 and 4pm.”

We want the Shadow Wi-Fi system at the Dutch beaches as well this summer

With the summer ahead we could use some inspirational warnings against the harmful sun at the beaches in the Netherlands as well. It’s a new call for being extra careful while sunbathing especially directed at our youngsters. Check the video to see how it works, a little bit more info: a directional antenna ensures that the Wi-Fi is only delivered to the shadow area. A sensor tracks the movements of the sun throughout the day, changing the rotation of the Wi-Fi antenna. The system allows for more than 250 users to connect to the network at once. Once users log on to the network, they also received an email from the Peruvian Leage Against Cancer. According to our source the towers have been wildly successful in Lima (Peru) and will be scheduled to be rolled out in San Francisco and New Zealand as well.

Shadow Wi-Fi’s developer, Happiness, has released access to the software for non-profit use. Cancer foundations around the world can set up the system, without ICT knowledge.

The chefs of restaurant IDRW will be cooking from a vintage outdoor kitchen on location

13-5-2015

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A culinary twist to the trend of outdoor cooking. Marcel Zomeren and Justin van den Berg, chef-owner and chef from the restaurant In Den Rustwat (IDRW) in Rotterdam will be cooking on various location this summer with only the basic essentials. They will use a wood-burning vintage field kitchen from 1944, complete with army tent.

Vintage outdoor kitchen

The chefs from restaurant In Den Rustwat (with a Bib Gourmand rating by Michelin) are available to cook underneath the starry sky at all kinds of parties and events. The outdoor kitchen is part of a new joint initiative called ‘Your Personal Chefs’. At www.yourpersonalchefs.nl you can hire the chefs for a culinary feast on location. The culinary duo is for hire with or without the tough field kitchen. The vintage outdoor kitchen will be pulled by a DAF army vehicle from 1955. Anyone that wants to extend their style can rent the army tent as well.

The chefs can also be used without the vintage kitchen, at any location. The dishes are prepared in camping style, but on a very culinary touch. Think of a perfectly prepared cote de boeuf, grilled tuna, stew or duck. Or flammkuchen, the Alsatian version of a pizza.

Project Foodography: plates that guarantee a perfect picture of your food

12-5-2015

We have already written many articles on how to handle the wish of your guests to photograph your dishes. Project Foodography is a concept that is developed around the art of food porn: dishes photographed on specially designed plates. The plates, called ‘The 360’ and ‘The Limbo’, offer ideal conditions to photograph the Michelin cuisine of restaurant Catit in Israël.

A perfect photo

There are quite a lot of solutions for chefs to ensure that the pictures of his or her dishes look as good as possible. In 2014 we wrote about the Dinnercam and the Apicbase.com was introduced in the Netherlands during Chefs®Evolution by Jonnie and Thérèse Boer (from The Librije***) in September. The device offers a chef and his guests the opportunity to make great quality pictures of what they eat and directly place the picture on their social media channels via the APIC device.
Project Foodography does this through special plates which reflect the light better or you can simply rotate the plate. ‘The 360’ plate has a rotating pedestal allowing customers to spin the dishes around and photograph the dish from all angles. The another plate, ‘The Limbo’ is kind of a mini-studio, it has a high back which reflects the light. This Instagram optimization dinner costs 100 pounds per hour (including the meal).

Foodography is a collaboration of restaurant Catit in Tel Aviv and Carmel Winery from Israël. Ceramic design artist Adi Nissani is responsible for the design of the plates. We spotted Moshik Roth, chef from & Samhoud|Places in Amsterdam in the video and we hope that he will introduce the plates in the Netherlands!

Pair music with food and activate the fifth sense

12-5-2015

Former chef Barbara Werner wrote a book about pairing music with food and runs Musical Pairing pop-ups. She shows you how to create the perfect bite by combining all 5 senses: sight, smell, touch, taste and hearing.

Only BYOH at this event where they pair music with food

(BYOH) Bring Your Own Headset and Barbara Werner will teach you the essentials in assigning a numerical value to the food (FPN – Food Pairing Number) based on a mathematical formula. FPN is based on the primary ingredient (protein), the richness of the sauce, the weight (cooking method) and the heat index. You then find an equal numerical value in a musical piece (MPN – Musical Pairing Number), which is based on the following: primary instruments (musical family), beat, tempo and genre category.

What do you get when FPN = MPN?

For example: hot and spicy Mac & Cheese with as music: Coolio Gangsta Paradise. Vanilla ice cream with Pachelbel’s ‘Canon’. Tuna ahi with The Go Go’s or filet mignon with Pavarotti. Just BYOH to Barbara’s pop-up and enjoy all five senses. There’s also an app and a book on this subjet. A video of a pop-up get-together is to be seen here.
Spotted at a list of pop-up restaurants at the website of Fodor.

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