two snaps for ginger

the balmy weather when i hit the kcc farmers market was reason enough to hit the queue and order up a fizzy concoction at the pacifikool booth. the cooler is made of the company's signature ginger syrup (which has become a foodie favorite since making its debut a few years ago), fresh basil leaves & lemon making for a refreshing accompaniment during my stroll around the market.

its versatility in the kitchen has made the island made ginger syrup (who knew that hawaii is the states' largest producer of ginger) the secret ingredient behind everything from island style cocktails to teriyaki sauce not to mention the homemade ginger ale which put the company on the map.

in addition to the kailua & kcc farmers markets, bottles of both the original ginger & thai ginger syrups are stocked at local shops and are finally available online (where you'll also find the company's latest offerings of gourmet biscuitti and handcrafted ginger soap).

design finds

mr. p * sigg * eco-weekender

in my search for an alternative to water bottles (which have an annoying way of littering the planet not to mention the potential health risks of plastic), i came across these fabulous aluminum contenders in a range of tropical and surf inspired designs. sigg bottles are designed in switzerland and are a stylish solution to stay hydrated on the go with many bottles sporting eye catching graphics created by artists from around the world.

put a cork in it and save your wine with one man stuck, propaganda's saucy surfer bottle stopper.

and, with the amount of rice that hawaii consumes, wouldn't it be nice if all those rice bags that get tossed in the trash featured more colorful designs? at least then they would have a chance at a new life like these fun eco-weekender bags which are repurposed by a woman's co-op in cambodia out of old feed and rice bags.

{update | jan 2010: if you are concerned about bpa and own an older sigg bottle, be sure to double check the liner color to determine if you should upgrade your bottle to a newer edition}

timana tea company

it's no secret that i am a sucker for good packaging. it will tempt me every time and although my pantry is stocked with an array of tea leaves i have discovered something new to steep from the timana tea company. their specialty is sourcing estate tea from across the globe to whip up premium tea blends like their signature line of island infusions made with black or green tea mixed with essences of ginger, mango, pineapple, papaya and passion fruit.

and tea newbies can join the party and get the scoop on how to make the perfect cup of tea with the helpful tutorial posted on timana's website.

fyi - sign up for the timana mailing list (on the homepage) for a chance win your very own stash of tropical tea.

{update | jan 2010: the company rebranded the line after this was published and is now known as tealani tea}

ocean vodka online

just a quick update to let those of you who have been patiently waiting to add ocean vodka to your home bar that the maui made organic spirit can now be ordered online via hi-time wine cellars. however, if home is one of the states with prohibition era liquor laws then you are out of luck unless you find yourself visiting the oc (if not, then make a note to smuggle back some hooch the next time you are in hawaii).

of course, islanders can dodge all the subterfuge and stock up on ocean vodka whenever they please at foodland, costco and, yes, even the ever ubiquitous abc store.

kauai caffeine fix

despite the fact the i am quite possibly one of the few people on earth who don't drink coffee, one thing i know is that coffee lovers everywhere swoon when you gift them with a bag of coffee from hawaii. the big island typically gets all the glory but did you know that coffee farms also exist on the other islands? in fact, kauai was the first island in hawaii to establish a commercial coffee farm way back in 1836.

kauai also happens to be home to the blair estate which grows 100% organic coffee on their farm north of kapaa. you really get to understand life on a coffee farm on their super informative website, but if you want to see the journey from coffee bean to cup of joe firsthand, the owners also welcome the public to take a tour of the family owned farm.

of course, if you can't get yourself over to kauai you can still savor blair estate coffee (and chocolate covered beans, and guava jam, and lilikoi butter . . . yum!) via their online shop where the beans patiently wait to be freshly roasted until the order button is clicked.