As a journalist I‘m no stranger to the strange and bizarre, and I confess I heard the story many times over the years, but always put it down to urban myth, or the fanciful ravings of drunken bartenders. The fact that it persisted always intrigued me. So I started digging, more as a hobby at first, and many times I got excited only to have … Continue reading I Was There: The Night Someone Tipped
I’ve been asked many times what the similarities and differences are between New Zealand bartenders and their counterparts in the USA. And it is a very good question. The similarity is that both make drinks. The difference is that US bartenders subscribe to the theory that the customer is always right, whereas in New Zealand they’re rarely under that illusion. So in the spirit of fostering … Continue reading Bar Wars: USA Vs NZ
These days it seems every rapper feels an all-consuming need to associate themselves with an alcohol brand. From vodka, to tequila, rum and cognac there is literally no booze they won’t whore, I mean endorse. So, in no particular order here are seven reasons they should reconsider that desperate marketing urge. 1) Claiming responsibility for creating it This is about as believable as a … Continue reading 7 Reasons Why Rappers Shouldn’t Pimp Drinks Brands
1) Much like prison it’s far easier to get into than it is to leave. 2) No room service professional ever enters a room without expecting to see someone’s knob. 3) Nothing causes the cold hand of fear to grip your bowels like a phone ringing on your day off. 4) Management’s idea of career progression differs greatly from your own. As does their concept … Continue reading 21 Things you Only Know if You’ve Worked in Hotels
Some products are irretrievably, unapologetically romantic; a smokey, single malt Scotch, a cold glass of crisp Champagne, a golden brown Cognac warming in the palm of your hand. Just like champagne cries out for a toast, or Scotch an impromptu Robbie Burns reading, Cognac demands something from you too; a moments pause, a little stillness in your world, a little reflection as you stare into … Continue reading Liquid Sophistication – An ode to Cognac
As a bartender I am no stranger to giving advice. At last count there were at least eight weddings, three divorces, two children born out of wedlock, five children born in wedlock and four very happy same sex marriages as a direct result of advice from your’s truly. So when I saw eharmony’s article this week on reasons to date a bartender I was of … Continue reading 15 Reasons NOT to date a bartender
Society has zenith points; cultural high water marks which stand as testaments to our achievements as a species; the building of Notre Dame, the abolition of slavery, the filming of The Empire Strikes Back. Then there is the flip side, our dark underbelly of cultural shame; the fall of the Roman Empire, the Spanish inquisition, X Factor. This is just as true in the … Continue reading Blue drinks – why they must be stopped before it’s too late.
As a lifelong bartender I’m constantly asked for recommendations on where to drink in different situations; from mates over from Australia for the week, to upcoming Christmas parties. The question I am of course most often asked is; where to drink in London in the event of a major zombie apocalypse? And in fact, is it even possible to combine fine cocktails and ambience … Continue reading Where to drink in London in the event of a Zombie apocalypse?
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