Product of the Week: Sheep Dip

It's offerings like this that have made me soften my stance on blended whiskies versus single malts.

Although there seems to be a bad seal on mine, the bottle is almost all gone. It must have evaporated.

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Beer of the Week: Slavutich Premium from Ukraine

It is well known by those close to me that I am an afficianado of good beer and spirits. Partnered with my Scots heritage, I am always looking for a bargain, to boot.

This weekend, the SuperStore in South Common has flats and flats of 500ml king cans of this robust lager from Ukraine for $1.49 a can. I couldn't find a picture of the cans on Google image search.

I bought some so that my wife could get in touch with her heritage. Although in truth, that would involve polishing a forty of vodka off by herself and setting off a domestic disturbance that requires neighbors to call the polizei. Regardless, we gave the Slavutich a try.

Nice beer. A light gold amber color, but with a really prominent, fresh hoppy taste. Reminiscent of Pilsner Urquel, oddly enough. Ratebeer.com says this is a lager rather than a pilsner. But since the entire can except for the "don't drink while pregnant" warning is in ukrainian, I have no way of refuting this.

I may go back and get some more.

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Product of the Week: Scandyna Minipod

The territory rep for Scandyna has brought the minipod, and their little brother the micropod, by to demonstrate on several occassions despite the fact that we aren't really in the Hi-Fi business. I think it's just because she really, really likes the minipods.

Personally, I think these are adorable. In addition to sounding lovely, I really dig the sculptured organic look. They've got a 1960's retro-future look like you'd see in the background of a scene in 2001 or A Clockwork Orange. They're groovy.

Did I mention that they come in different colors?

Go to Scandyna's website to read more about them, or to find a dealer.

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Not Quite Product of the Week: Lay's Spicy Curry Potato Chips

Since I believe in being willing to try anything once, with the exception of incest and folk dancing, I picked up a bag of Lay's new "ethnic" potato chips, "Spicy Curry."

As you might expect, the most common adjective used by people who have tried it is "interesting."

Now, I am a huge lover of south asian and east asian cuisine. I have had the good fortune to both work and be friends with many people with ties to those parts of the world, and I have been blessed with the opportunity to gorge dine on home-cooked meals from many traditions. Really, these chips have the same relationship to a good curry, as "hot wings" flavored chips have to real chicken wings.

But come on, this is junk food, what do you expect? I enjoyed them with the same semi-guilty pleasure reserved for anything with this much salt and fat, but I am not convinced that I would buy another bag.

When I was Googling for a picture of the bag, I came across a blog called Sepia Mutiny, devoted to cross-cultural issues, and there was some good commentary by people of South Asian descent that I find myself siding with: that contrary to Lay's claim to be targeting the ethnic market in Canada and the US, this flavor is aimed at thrill-seeking* white North Americans who are willing to try something other than Sour Cream & Onion.

I think it could be a good marketing strategy for a 'global outlook'. In the world of 'lexus and the olive tree' indian snacks so far have been a part of the 'indian community' (whether the people constituting that community have been to India is questionable!). But when you get a non-indian taste a traditional indian snack, you get to hear: interesting taste, maybe a bit spicy. Now by introducing the good old 'chips for brain' to the Indian flavours (amongst the other exotic flavours), maybe it is bringing the west to a more general sensitization to these flavours. So, now in 2020 when you offer a traditional indian snack, the reponse might change to: wow tastes just like the chips, but........

*I'm using "thrill-seeking" in the loosest sense of the word, of course.

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Product of the week: an LED bathtub

I know that I am on record as saying that LED technology will revolutionize a lot of products, but I wasn't expecting this! From online merchant Generate comes this wild new bathtub:

This illuminated, self standing, polyethylene bathtub is sure to add drama to your bathroom. Available with internal multicolored, programmable LED light unit, or with a regular light fitting.
Includes overflow, waste set, halogen (or programmable LED multi-chromatic) light unit & transformer. Faucet, garden & shower hose sold separately.

Perfect for getting your freak on, or receiving messages from UFOs (tinfoil hat not included).

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