At least we’re not in Wales

According to a new study, Edinburgh is “the least cheerful” place in Britain – strange how quickly things change. I will now undertake to skip gaily to work. Everyday.

Perfect 10?

I am nothing if not a dedicated following of the whole drink-blogging fraternity and, over at Kaiser Penguin, they’ve birthed a bouncing baby meme that I am, of course going to jump right on board. So – what would I have if I could only have ten bottles of alcohol for the rest of my life?

On mixology

I’ve never been a huge fan of the term mixology, and today I got around to working out why.

Calling the creation of cocktails and the attendant skills mixology suggests a degree of scientific process. For me, these processes and skills are artisanal than scientific and that is, I guess, the root of my discomfort.

It is, I believe, possible to apply scientific principles to cocktail making and creation and those who do are certainly more deserving of the title mixologist than someone who can put a twist on Cosmopolitan. And me? I’m a creative bartender.

I think I threw up in my mouth a little.

“I’m playing tonight…”

Learn how to hack at 5min.com

The British are coming!*

* Not really.

Interesting stuff in the latest batch of videos posted at the Small Screen Network – Hendrick’s Gin brand champion (now that’s a job title) Charlotte Voisey on a hypothetical British invasion of the American cocktail hour.

Using tea and jam in cocktails isn’t particularly new to me – but some of the local bartending legends operate near the bleeding edge of mixology. At any rate, there’s a bunch on interesting information here and the revelation that a good proportion of TotC attendees wear stupid hats.

If these walls could talk…

The walls have…language?

Originally uploaded by Jonny Ho

Found around the back of the National Museum of Scotland.