Something new on the top shelf: Acai

By JOSH L. DICKEY - Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES — When a mysterious biblical philosopher wrote what would become Ecclesiastes 1:9, he may as well have been staring into the liquor cabinet: "What has been done will be done again," his thoughts roughly went. "There is nothing new under the sun."

Vodkas are flavored, tequilas super-aged, wines "made" by sports stars and celebrities - but it's still just vodka, tequila and wine after all.

So it was easy to get worked up about the prospects of Veev, the self-styled first and only distilled spirit made with an exotic berry from the Amazon, complete with hyperbolic claims of environmental friendliness and antioxidant benefits.

It comes in a handsome, frosted bottle. The folks who make it offer a handful of intriguing cocktail recipes. And by golly, it tastes like nothing else.

Veev, supposedly made from the purple berry of the acai palm tree, has the clean mouthfeel of vodka, the slight citrus tang of fine tequila and a blueberryish overtone all its own that raises the question: "What kind of killer, last-gasp-of summer cocktail can I make with this stuff?"

To answer that, we go back to the source, deep in the Brazilian rainforest.

Acai juice, which used to be nothing more than a goopy staple of Amazon cuisine we'd never heard of, went from total obscurity to global superfood in little over a decade. You can't swing a smoothie menu these days without waving its claims of antioxidant potency, cholesterol fighting abilities and sexual, er, enhancements.

Enter Courtney Reum, a young and palpably ambitious Goldman Sachs investment banker who, sick of the vodka-Red Bulls that were fueling his nights out in New York City, recognized acai's fermentation potential while on a surfing trip in Brazil with his brother.

"My brother and I were surfing in Rio, and had an acai smoothie on the beach almost every day for a week," he said, "and didn't think much of it."

He thought more of it pretty quickly. In the throes of a brief career working inhumane hours on major corporate mergers and consumer products - including during explosion of Vitamin Water - Reum, already in search of an entrepreneurial opportunity, began to wonder how to turn the local slurry of dark berries into a health-conscious clubber's drink of choice.

"I was struck by lack of innovation in the alcohol space," he said, "and even had a couple of CEOs tell me they've never really tried to innovate. I was really taken by the fact that these bigger guys I was working with weren't going to introduce something new."

Taking cues from the biggest trends in food - an endless parade of fresh, organic, and traceably sourced ingredients - Reum and his brother turned their Wall Street haul into the launch of Veev a little over a year ago.

"My brother and I felt like, 'Why don't we get out in front of it?'" Reum said.

For now, the brothers are taking a low-key approach to marketing their new drink, sticking to hotspots around New York and Los Angeles.

"I'm not trying to be Dark Knight at the box office," Reum says. "More like trying to have the highest per-screen average."

Because it's a privately held company, sales figures weren't available - but Reum says his is the best-selling independent brand in Southern California, "and we're doing in the thousands of cases a year."

Getting there wouldn't be so easy. Acai (pronounced ah-sah-YEE') is finicky stuff, prone to spoiling after its thin layer of juice and pulp is removed from the berry's hard center. Already in high demand in Belem (once the place where its juice was more popular than any other beverage) acai quickly became coveted the world over when producers figured out how to freeze the pulp. Soon it wound up in juices, energy drinks and beauty products in the U.S.

But Reum says acai is renewable in that it grows like a weed, and his company has taken pains to be an impeccably responsible exporter, including a $1 donation per bottle sold to rainforest preservation.

The 80-proof liquor defies categorization. A clear elixir, it smells a little like very ripe grapefruit, is smoother than most tequilas and mixes beautifully with anything rum does, from odd fresh fruit juices - including watermelon, mango and pomegranate, or any combination thereof - to guarana soda, a favorite in Brazil.

But it also dances deftly on the rocks with a squeeze of lemon, something that can't be said for some of the best white spirits that have been on the market for generations.

If there's a catch - and there has to be a catch, right? - it's that Veev is not actually distilled from the berries it puts forth as its calling card. Instead, the frozen pulp is shipped to a distillery in eastern Idaho, where it's infused into a neutral, winter-wheat based grain alcohol.

And there's a reason for that.

"When you harvest them in the rainforest, within 24 hours you have to do something with it, or it starts to go bad," Reum said.

Unfortunately for those of us who don't take regular surfing trips to Rio, "you will never see an acai berry at the market."

Nor, after thousands of years of trial-and-error fermentation and subsequent market research, will you probably ever see any truly new liquor under the sun.

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RAINFOREST ON THE ROCKS

To make watermelon juice, puree about 1 cup of cut watermelon in a blender, then pour the puree through a mesh strainer. Use the back of a spoon to press the pulp to extract all the juice. This recipe was made with a yellow watermelon variety, producing a beautiful, sunny cocktail, but any color or variety would work.

Start to finish: 10 minutes

Servings: 1

Ice cubes

2 ounces Veev liqueur

1 1/2 ounces watermelon juice

4 sprigs fresh mint

Club soda

Fill a tall glass with ice cubes.

In a cocktail shaker, combine the liqueur, watermelon juice and mint. Shake, then strain into the glass. Top the glass with club soda. If desired, garnish the glass with additional mint sprigs.

(Recipe from http://www.veevlife.com)

http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/food/story/3455885/

Amazon Berry Called Super-Food Is A Super Hit!

Want to reverse the aging process, prevent disease and save the rain forest? Big claims come from a small berry that grows only in the Amazon rainforest. The berry is called Acai, and is called a super-food because of its anti-oxidants and nutrients. It even has Oprah's endorsement!Café 976 in Pacific Beach is thousands of miles away from the Brazilian rainforest, but its lush overgrown garden gives the outdoor restaurant a tropical feel, and a little purple berry grown on palm trees in the Amazon is one of the most requested items on the menu.According to the café's general manager Lauren Passero, the imported fruit is good for business."It's actually one of our best sellers. We sell tons of acai on a daily basis," Passero said.The small berry-like fruit is a hit."We serve it in a bowl, we call it the acai bowl, with granola fruit on top, strawberries, blueberries and bananas with granola on the side," Passero explained.The fact that Oprah called the South American berry a super-food increased its credibility and demand.Café customer Jamie-Lynn says she loves the chocolate-berry taste."I tried it, and been coming here for two years," she said.When Phillip Warren opened Café Joie on Mission Boulevard, he wanted healthy food on the menu. He says acai filled that order."It's got 16 more times anti-oxidants than any known fruit on the market at the moment," Warren said.There are claims acai improves sleep, improves hair, skin and nails, increases energy levels and is anti-aging."The main health benefit that I know about is the fact that it makes your skin a lot smoother, helps get rid of wrinkles," Warren said.Anika Contos drinks her acai straight from an aluminum can."It gives you energy, but you don't feel like you're going crash off it or anything like that," she said.Janice Baker, a San Diego registered dietitian for 25 years, has seen food fads come and go. She says the largest health risk with the Amazon berry is thinking it's a panacea."You have to look at the big picture, and if you're not exercising, the rest of your diet is not healthy, nothing is a cure for that," she said.You can find acai products in health food stores and make your own smoothies and breakfast bowls.

Source:http://www.cbs8.com/features/healthcast/story.php?id=138585

Move Over Acai - Aronia Surges to the Top of the Superfood List

PHOENIX, Aug 25, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- There's a new superfood in town. Superfoods have been making news around the world, recommended by doctors and nutritionists as important additions to a healthy diet. Acai is a berry that has been in the headlines, but research reveals that it takes a backseat to a berry called aronia. Available in the Oki superfood beverage, http:/www.orendainternational.com, and in certain health store products, aronia is making a name for itself as the little berry that could.

Each tiny berry of Aronia melanocarpa contains a powerhouse of antioxidants. Studies done in the US and around the world indicate that the aronia berry can benefit cardiovascular health, the digestive system, liver health, and muscle recovery after workouts. With this laundry list of benefits, you might expect that people would be eating aronia by the bowlful.

Aronia is a small dark berry native to North America. It can be found growing wild across the US and Canada, and it's being cultivated on farms in the heartland and the Northwest. In fact, many people who have never heard of aronia may recognize the trees and bushes as the "chokeberry." The name "chokeberry" provides a hint as to why aronia isn't being baked into muffins and added to breakfast cereals like blueberries and other healthy fruits.

The "chokeberry" label is well deserved. The proanthocyanidins that give aronia much of its antioxidant kick also give it a bitter flavor. This has led most Americans to overlook the berry completely. In Europe, though, the aronia berry has been gaining in popularity, and with the current focus on superfoods, scientists started to take a closer look at the aronia berry. What researchers found is a berry that knocks acai from its pedestal. Aronia has an intense concentration of anthocyanins, a natural compound that not only gives the fruit its dark color, but also many of its health benefits.

In the raw state, this berry is an impressive addition to the superfood ranks. Most people, however, don't eat aronia or acai raw. Thousands of consumers find superfood beverages the easiest way to get their hands on these berries. With all of its recent press, acai is popping up in a multitude of new products, but aronia, as a relative newcomer, is at its best in one beverage, Oki, by Orenda International. Oki blends aronia with other fruits and botanicals to create a drink that not only harnesses the power of aronia, it makes the "chokeberry" nickname a thing of the past.
With the research behind the power of the aronia berry and the current push toward healthier diets, you can bet that you'll be hearing more about the aronia berry.
For further information, please contact Alaine Sepulveda 480.889.9116
SOURCE Orenda International http://www.orendainternational.com

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/move-over-acai---aronia/story.aspx?guid=%7BEC0E9D5A-F2AC-4483-92E8-E25F19C2C285%7D&dist=hppr

Argo Tea

Argo TeaTea drinks from Argo Tea.
As co-founders of Argo Tea, Arsen Avakian and Simon Simonian are putting premium tea on the table, much like Starbucks did with high-end coffee. In five years, the Chicago-based tea café has evolved into a chain of 10 company-owned stores, all in the Windy City. In the coming months, the company plans to branch out to the East Coast with the opening of five new corporate stores.
Avakian, who grew up drinking coffee and tea in his native Armenia, never envisioned a future in foodservice. After immigrating to Chicago and earning a Master of Business Administration, he worked in information technology and private equity. His boyhood friend, Simonian, followed a similar path to America, ending up as a computer scientist. Looking for a new business opportunity, the 30-somethings saw potential in developing a tea café with a modern American sensibility and broad appeal.

“People don’t realize this is the second most-consumed beverage in the world after water,” Avakian says. “There’s a reason everyone wants the beverage. We decided to start our business by refreshing in consumers minds what that product is.”

To introduce people to Argo’s one-of-a-kind drinks, employees routinely provide samples to passersby outside Argo cafés. The cafés serve up “teappuccinos,” green tea ginger twists, yerba mate lattes, and other proprietary blends. The menu features more than 30 hot and chilled beverages. While uniquely flavored tea drinks distinguish the company, purists can also order a cup of unsweetened loose-leaf tea in traditional flavors. The average check ranges from $4 to $5.
“It’s an affordable luxury,” Avakian says.

In addition to year-round favorites, Argo Tea offers a rotating selection of seasonal beverages. For instance, the White Tea Açaí Squeeze is popular in the summer. The limited-time offer beverage is a blend of açaí berries from Brazil, white tea from China, and freshly squeezed lemonade.

Retail sales are seasonal, too. Customers shopping for gifts buy more packaged tea blends and teapots in December, bumping up the average check to $10–$15, Avakian says. But brewed beverages generate the majority of sales.

The company imports tea from growers around the world and brews its teas at a central brewery in downtown Chicago. That process allows baristas at the cafés to quickly finish the drinks by adding milk or water to the tea concentrates.

The cafés do not look like the stereotypical tea houses of past centuries. Located in Chicago’s hippest neighborhoods, the sleekly designed shops have a modern and inviting look. They’re decorated in shades of green and dark wood. The shops offer customers free wireless Internet service. Cafés range in size from 1,000 to 2,000 square feet, with dining areas that can seat 40 to 100 people. Most shops also have outdoor seating. Argo operates two kiosks, which take up 150 to 200 square feet. The company will introduce the concept to travelers at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport with a kiosk expected to open later this year, Avakian says.

Argo Tea also offers freshly brewed organic fair trade coffee, as well as croissants, quiches, macaroons, brownies, and lunch items. Customers can also choose from among 40 varieties of packaged loose-leaf tea blends.

The cafés appeal to customers who are concerned about their health and diet. On the Argo Tea Web site, consumers can get a summary of calories, cholesterol, carbs, and other nutritional information for beverages. The cafés also offer vegan and sugar-free foods and beverages, including caffeine-free teas.

When he talks about his business, Avakian emphasizes the healthy nature of Argo’s products and their modern appeal.

“We never were and never will be a traditional teahouse,” he says. Argo’s focus on one-of-a-kind beverages, combining healthy attributes with appealing flavors, sets the company apart from other beverage chains, he says.

In a nod to the green movement, the company follows environmentally friendly practices. For example, Argo encourages customers to use ceramic mugs, plates, and silverware when they dine in the stores. The cafés sell reusable branded tea tumblers and provide discounted pricing for customers who bring their tumblers in for another drink.

Since it opened, Argo mostly has attracted health-conscious females to its cafés, but that’s changing. While women still outnumber men, the cafés are beginning to attract more males, as well as teenagers. Teens favor drinks like bubble tea, a milky iced tea flavored with “nata de coco,” chewy gels made from coconut.

http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/ones_to_watch/119/argo-1.phtml

New University of Florida Study Finds Acai Wild Berry Actually Destroyed Cultured Leukemia Cells

In alternative health, açaí is all the rage. While relatively new to the American consciousness, açaí has been around for centuries and has helped many people with its healthful qualities. In order to benefit completely from açaí, however, one must truly understand what it is and what it does.

Ft Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) August 21, 2008 -- Published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the study showed extracts from acai (ah-SAH'-ee) berries triggered a self-destruct response in up to 86 percent of leukemia cells tested, said Stephen Talcott, an assistant professor with UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Açaí is a distinct purple berry indigenous to the Amazon rainforest. The açaí fruit may be found in some of the large palm trees that grow in the thick forest; these trees can reach as high as 82 feet! Unlike cherries, which grow individually in trees, the açaí berry grows in bunches, more like bananas. On average, each palm tree can yield anywhere from three to eight bunches.

You might say açaí is fast becoming known as a wonder food for its versatility. Açaí has nutrient properties and is naturally rich in:
• Omega fats (the good kind, unlike the saturated fats found in fast food)
• amino acids
• electrolytes
• antioxidants
• protein
• vitamins A, B1 and E
The people of the Amazon rainforest use açaí in many different dishes - from drinks and shakes to breakfasts and bars. Brazilians use açaí to flavor meat and fish entrees, too, topping dishes with a pulpy, curd-like substance made from the fruit.

Not only does açaí provide a delicious taste to complement food, it is known around the Amazon for amazing health benefits. Açaí is known to be used for treatment of digestive problems, skin irritation, sexual dysfunction, and even insomnia. The açaí berry is naturally low in sugar, too.

Only in recent years have people in North America discovered how açaí makes them feel energetic and healthy. Take a trip to your favorite smoothie place and you might find açaí as one of the add-in ingredients available to you. Not only are consumers finding the benefits of açaí to their interest, but researchers and the media are amazed by the power of this small berry. NBC's Today did a feature story on açaí in 2004, and more recently researchers at the University of Florida tested the attributes of açaí to discover it actually destroyed cultured leukemia cells.

Will açaí cure cancer?

We can't say for certain. All we know is that açaí possesses some very strong health properties that may benefit people in the long run.

Can you eat the berries that make açaí directly?

Strangely enough, no. It is not recommended that one just pluck the berries from the tree and start snacking. The berries are harvested and processed, and the açaí is extracted from the pulp of the berry and sold in stores all over South America. It is said that beverages containing açaí are more popular than milk in the southern hemisphere. That's because South Americans know they are getting a pure, healthy drink that benefits their alertness and well-being, and it gets them through the day.

Where do you get açaí?

Enter açaí into Internet search and you are bound to find hundreds of online shops selling açaí in various forms - drinks, powders, and capsules. This wonder supplement is in very high demand, but when you shop for açaí it is important to know whether or not you are getting the purest extracts of açaí available, directly from the Amazon Rainforest. Check the labels!

Does açaí cause any side effects?

Current research indicates no known side effects to taking açaí in any form. Though açaí has been around for ages, it is still quite new to the United States, and no doubt is still being observed by health professionals. However, the testimony of the overall health of the Amazonian people speaks well for this little fruit with big potential.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/prweb/20080821/bs_prweb/prweb1226214_2

Mona Vie enthusiasts drink to the health benefits of acai berry

Mona Vie enthusiasts drink to the health benefits of acai berry
by Fran Henry

Marci Marg, trim and blond, unblushingly calls herself a drinker, but then again, so does her husband, Ken. Their 20-year-old son, whom they call health-conscious, drinks, too. And their daughters, 18 and 14, soon will. That's a lot of Mona Vie, a nonalcoholic juice elixir packaged in a sleek bottle. The product contains 18 fruit juices, most importantly the juice of a grape-sized deep purple acai (pronounced a-sah'-ee) berry -- the latest in the parade of exotic fruits vying for health food stardom.

The berry, a rich source of anti-oxidants -- compounds that prevent cell damage that accelerates the aging process and can lead to illness, including cancer -- is extolled as "the world's No. 1 superfood" by talk show darling Dr. Nicholas Perricone, author of three New York Times best sellers on health, beauty and longevity. And the dermatologist's endorsement has gained traction on Oprah Winfrey's Web site.

Its superlative nutritional qualities don't come cheap. Mona Vie retails for $40 to $45 for one person's weekly supply, but the Margs of Pepper Pike get it wholesale, about $20, because they're distributors.

Less expensive acai-berry juice products are available, including Sambazon brand fruit drinks at East Side Giant Eagle stores and Whole Foods Markets, but none have made Mona Vie's splash in the health-food marketplace.

"Everyone is jumping on the acai-berry bandwagon," said Mona Vie spokeswoman Julie Jenkins. "Tropicana is going to put it in something." Like being a memberof a wholesale club
Despite rumblings otherwise, Mona Vie's sales vehicle isn't an illegal pyramid, or Ponzi scheme, said Amy Robinson, vice president for communications of the Direct Selling Association, a trade group for multilevel marketing companies.

"With a pyramid you pay a high upfront fee to begin, and you get paid for recruiting distributors, not selling," she said. "Mona Vie seems to follow what one would expect for a multilevel marketing plan."

The Utah-based Mona Vie operates not unlike Tupperware or Avon, in which distributors' earnings are based on sales. Distributors pay $39 a year for membership, and many sign up only to buy the product for themselves at wholesale prices. "It's like being a member of Sam's Club or Costco," Robinson said. Federal Trade Commission spokeswoman Claudia Farrell said the agency has taken no law enforcement action against Mona Vie. Marci Marg began selling Mona Vie out of appreciation for the product. "I wanted everyone I love to drink this juice," she said. "The passion evolved. I never intended it to be a business. I don't look at it as selling."

Her enthusiasm grew as she drank two ounces twice a day for six months. She said it alleviated the chronic joint and neck pain, migraines and low-energy level that had plagued her since she was in a severe auto accident at 21.

"I lived on Advil for a long time." she said. Ken Marg, 54, started sipping the syrupy drink when he observed that his wife was getting up at 7 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. "My father asked me, 'How can it help one person sleep and give another energy,' " said Marci Marg, 49. " I said it just gives the body what it needs."

Just anothergood berry?
To the American Dietetic Association, the acai is just another terrific berry, a good source of anti-oxidants, but not necessarily magic. "It's the 'newest, latest, greatest anti-oxidant,'" said national spokeswoman Amy Jamieson-Petonic, a registered dietitian. "But there's not enough peer-reviewed research to support it." Other fruits, including blueberries, grapes, guavas, mangos, raspberries and pomegranates, are also excellent sources of anti-oxidants.

The tantalizing possibility that the berry might live up to the hype emerged in the January 2006 issue of the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. University of Florida researchers reported that four out of six acai-berry extracts killed 35 percent to 86 percent of leukemia cells when applied for 24 hours. The primary investigator, Stephen Talcott, now an assistant professor at Texas A&M University, declined to discuss the study or name its sponsor.
The study falls short for the Dietetic Association and Jamieson-Petonic.

"Being the scientist I am, I need a double-blind placebo-based trial to guide my path," she said.
But Joshua Bomser, an Ohio State University assistant professor and berry researcher, said Talcott's study demonstrated the value of studying foods not commonly eaten in this country. Bomser has studied the bilberry, lingonberry and blueberry and found that bilberry extracts reduced the incidence of skin tumors in mice.

He cautioned that consumers shouldn't expect any one food to be a nutritional magic bullet.
"A balanced, moderate diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables is your best bet," he said. "Increased fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with a reduced risk for a number of chronic diseases," although the specific components responsible for these health benefits are not well established.

Mona Vie doesn't claim it is anything but a rich source of phytochemicals and anti-oxidants. In fact,the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Mona Vie acted quickly to stop a distributor's Web site from suggesting that the berry has therapeutic qualities.
"We call it food," said Jenkins, the Mona Vie spokeswoman.
And the Margs call it delicious.

Source:http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2008/08/mona_vie_enthusiasts_drink_to.html

New flavor coming

FAIRFIELD - Honey, Sublime Chili Lime, Thai Iced Tea, Mojito or Acai Berry could soon join the ranks of Jelly Belly Candy Co. flavors, and the final decision is now in the hands of the public.

After narrowing the field from 200,000 to five, the company has left it up to customers to pick the newest flavor. They can vote by visiting www.DreamBeanContest.com, a site that includes descriptions of the nominated flavors.

"We had many enticing ideas and it wasn't easy for our selection committee," said Jelly Belly's director of marketing, Rob Swaigen. "The trend seems to be exotic, fusion flavors and concepts based on ethnic foods."

The deadline to vote is Aug. 31. Only one vote per person is allowed per day.

The creator of the winning flavor will win $10,000 and the chance to be present when the bean is created.

http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_10253961?source=rss