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Due to Customer Backlash, Tropicana Ditches New Logo

partysugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:15:32 -0800

Last month Tropicana debuted a clean new look to emphasize the all-natural, fresh squeezed juice. However, due to an overwhelming amount of customer outrage, the company is abandoning the changes and returning to the old packaging. Many loyal Tropicana fans were disgusted by the brand's redesigned logo - which features a glass of orange juice against a white backdrop, instead of the familiar orange with a straw poking out the side - calling it ugly, stupid, and generic-looking. According to Neil Campbell, the President of Tropicana North America, the company was unaware of its fiercely loyal consumers:

We underestimated the deep emotional bond [of the brand's original logo]. What we didn't get was the passion this very loyal small group of consumers have. That wasn't something that came out in the research. Those consumers are very important to us, so we responded.

The reaction will be quick: Tropicana plans to discontinue the redesigned packaging immediately and have the old image back on the carton by next month. The juice giant isn't the only brand to update its logo; Pepsi, Snapple, and Heinz have recently revamped their trademark images. Only time will tell if these companies fare better with consumer support than Tropicana did.

Did you notice the new Tropicana packaging? How do you feel about the controversy?

Happy Brunch Hour: Great Uncle's Gin Fizz

YumSugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:14:22 -0700

I love brunch and even more so, I love brunch cocktails! This past weekend, my great uncle taught me how to make his effervescent, tangy, and delicious gin fizz.

There are many different types of gin fizzes. The simplest version combines gin, lemon juice, sugar, and carbonated water. The Ramos Gin Fizz, a New Orleans classic, dates back to 1888, and jazzes up the recipe by adding lime juice, cream, orange flower water, and egg white.

My great uncle has perfected his variation to include gin, sugar, cream, lime juice, orange juice, soda water, ice, and one whole egg. The egg made me a little nervous, but it adds a fabulous texture and frothiness to the blended drink. If you don't want to use raw eggs, substitute powdered egg white.

To add a little fizz to your weekend brunch, read more.

Great Uncle's Gin Fizz
Original Recipe

Ingredients

8 ounces Gin (I used Bombay Sapphire)
2 ounces fresh lime juice
2 ounces orange juice
1 whole egg
4 ounces cream
5 teaspoons sugar
8 ounces club soda
ice

Directions

Blend gin, lime juice, orange juice, egg, cream, sugar, and ice in a blender until smooth.
Divide among 4 festive glasses. Float 2 ounces of club soda on top of each cocktail and stir to combine. Add a straw and enjoy!

Makes 4 cocktails.

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Happy Hour: Buzzy Navel

YumSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:01:05 -0700

This past weekend might have been the last seriously warm Saturday of the year. To celebrate, I mixed myself a fruity refreshment.

The Buzzy Navel, as it's called, is closely related to a perennial favorite, the Fuzzy Navel. The primary distinction? It includes a surprise element of beer, which alters the taste of the cocktail, mellowing out the hot flavors of hard liquor and adding a lingering, malty finish.

When I mixed my Buzzy Navel, I tweaked the recipe to my own liking, adding an extra 1/3 ounce of beer and omitting the ice. You can do the same when you read more.

Buzzy Navel
From The Ultimate Beer Lover's Cookbook by John Schlimm

Ingredients

1/3 ounce vodka
1/3 ounce peach schnapps
1/3 ounce beer
Orange juice

Directions

Combine the vodka, peach schnapps, and beer on the rocks in a highball glass, stirring well.
Fill the remainder of the glass with orange juice.

Serves 1.

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Happy Hour: Rossellini

YumSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:00:30 -0700

Sunny weekends in San Francisco are hard to come by. When I awoke last Saturday to clear-blue skies, I headed over to Bar Bambino, an Italian nook in the city with a new back patio.

There, I enjoyed the perfect warm-weather drink: a spin on sangria that was refreshing and fruity without being overly cloying or too heavy on the alcohol. With one in hand, I imagined I was an effortlessly chic Italian woman. I snagged the recipe for the next real Summer day.

The cocktail calls for white wine (I'd recommend a Sauvignon Blanc, or any other dry white with mineral notes) as well as orange bitters, which can be found at large liquor stores. For the recipe, read more.

Rossellini
From Bar Bambino

Ingredients

5 ounces white wine
1 ounce white vermouth
2 ounces fresh-squeezed orange juice
Orange bitters, such as Fee Brothers, Regan's, or The Bitter Truth
orange wedge, optional for garnish

Directions

Combine first three ingredients in a large glass or pitcher. Stir to combine.
Serve in a highball glass filled with ice.
Top with 5 dashes of orange bitters.
Garnish with an orange wedge and enjoy.

Serves 1.

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Happy Hour: Mimosa

partysugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:01:51 -0700

The other day, a friend asked me what were the standard proportions for making a mimosa. While I pour mine with 3/4 Champagne and 1/4 orange juice, I wasn't sure if that was the normal ratio. I asked her to wait a second while I checked YumSugar.com. I went looking for our mimosa recipe and was shocked to see that we've never written about a mimosa before! How this classic brunch cocktail slipped through the cracks is beyond me - I enjoy mimosas on a weekly basis!

For the best mimosas, use fresh squeezed orange juice and a cheap but good sparkling wine. To look at the recipe, read more.

Mimosa
Modified from Williams-Sonoma

According to Wikipedia the ratio is three parts Champagne/sparkling wine to two parts orange juice.

Ingredients

2 Tbs. fresh orange juice
4 fl. oz. plus a splash of Champagne or sparkling wine
1 orange wheel for garnish (optional)

Directions
Pour the orange juice and Champagne into a Champagne flute. Stir briefly. Add the orange wheel.

Serves 1.

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Happy Hour: Clementine Crush

partysugar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 13:13:30 -0700

To me, the screwdriver is a pretty boring drink. Vodka mixed with orange juice is plain, unoriginal, and dull. However with a little innovation, it can be turned into a deliciously complex concoction. The mixologists over at Chicago's Mexx Kitchen at The Whiskey have done just that with their Clementine Crush. Sugar, ginger, and tonic transform the screwdriver into a whole new drink. This cocktail is great at happy hour, and makes a wonderful addition to any brunch menu. If you can, use fresh squeezed orange juice as it makes a huge difference in the flavor. To get the recipe, read more

Clementine Crush
From Life & Style magazine
Image Source

3/4 ounce fresh squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 ounces orange flavored vodka (such as Svedka Clementine)
1/2 ounce tonic
3 small piece of peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sugar

Muddle the ginger and sugar in a cocktail shaker.
Add ice, vodka, and orange juice. Shake to mix.
Strain mixture into a fun glass filled with ice.
Top with tonic and stir gently to combine. Garnish with fruit, if desired.

Serves 1.

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Happy Hour: Cranberry Margarita

partysugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:00:46 -0800

While I'm a fan of the classic margarita, during November, I like to enjoy its Thanksgiving-themed cousin, the cranberry margarita. It's surprising how much the addition of cranberry juice changes the flavor of the tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice cocktail. It's festive and familiar, but potent with a rich autumnal hue. Instead of craving tortilla chips and guacamole, I found myself wanting something elegant and savory. Thus, I paired the cran marg with a warm crab dip. Shake and serve straight up, or pour over ice, like I did. To check out the recipe, which is perfect for a party, read more.

Cranberry Margarita
From Bobby Flay

Ingredients

2 cups tequila
1 1/3 cups cranberry juice
1 cup orange-flavored liqueur (triple sec of Cointreau)
2/3 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice

Directions

Combine the tequila, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, and lime juice in a large pitcher. Shake over ice.
Strain into margarita glasses or low cocktail flutes. Alternately, strain into low tumblers filled with ice.

Serves 10.

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Do you have an amazing Thanksgiving recipe? Please participate in our Thanksgiving recipe challenge. All you have to do is upload your recipe, an image, and a brief description to the Kitchen Goddess group. If you're lucky, we might just feature your recipe here on YumSugar!

Come Party With Me: Bold Flavorful Thanksgiving - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:49 -0800

Jump-start your Thanksgiving with a bold, flavorful cocktail like this appropriately named pear and rum concoction, spice. It's a mixture of dark spiced rum and pear and lime juices. Freshly grated nutmeg is a special garnish that makes it particularly festive.

For the rest of the meal, stock up on sparkling wine, dry rosé, and a light, fruity red like Pinot Noir. Don't forget to set pitchers of water on table as well. Flavor them with orange slices, mint, or cucumber.

To look at the cocktail recipe, read more.

Spice
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

Ice
2 large mint sprigs, torn and bruised
1 1/2 ounces spiced rum
1 ounce pear nectar or juice
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
3/4 ounce Simple Syrup
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 thin slice of pear

Directions

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all of the ingredients except the pear slice and shake well.
Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with the pear slice.

Makes 1 drink.

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Sink Your Teeth Into Blood-Orange Sorbet

YumSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:15:47 -0700

Inspired by the vampire-themed party, I decided to make my own bloody, yet delicious, treat. With Halloween only a few days away, I pulled out the ice-cream maker and started on a blood orange and mint sorbet - a perfect treat for your fangtastic friends! Although the last time I made ice cream, I had a problem with curdling custard, making this sorbet was easier and much less risky.

I started with a mint-infused simple syrup. While it cooled, I pulled out my glass citrus press (just like my grandmother had!) and hand-juiced the blood oranges. Even with the manual juicing, the whole process is quite quick and in only a few hours, I had refreshing and flavorful sorbet. If you want to feed your vamp guests this sensational sorbet, keep reading.

Happy Hour: Whiskey Sour

partysugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:00:34 -0700

It's Whiskey Week here in San Francisco and to invite you along for the fun, I thought I'd share an easy and classic cocktail, the whiskey sour. According to Dale Degroff in The Essential Cocktail, the standard recipe is a combination of spirit, egg white, simple syrup, and lemon juice. The recipe I like jazzes it up by throwing in a small amount of orange juice. The resulting drink is far better than anything made with store-bought sour mix. It's not too sweet but not too strong. To learn how to make this refreshing, surprisingly light concoction, read more.

Whiskey Sour
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

Ice
2 ounces Canadian whisky
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce fresh orange juice
1/2 ounce Simple Syrup
1 tablespoon pasteurized egg white (optional)
1 orange wheel and 1 maraschino cherry

Directions

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the whiskey, citrus juices, Simple Syrup and egg white and shake vigorously.
Strain into a rocks glass over ice and garnish with the orange wheel and cherry.

Makes 1 drink.

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