TheDieline

The Dieline recently posted a small piece on Babicka:

"The sleek design of the Babicka bottle is a contemporary interpretation of the medicine bottles of old. Harking back to the babicas with their bottled tonics and tinctures, our design features a wooden stopper and a simple "handwrittten" black on white labeling.

The overall design of the bottle is long and lean. Clean lines and cool frosted glass echo the purity and smoothness of the vodka showcased within. A green 'thujone-ometer' down one side of the neck marks the amount of thujone allowed by law in each bottle, 10 ml per liter or a perfect 30ml shot."

via: http://www.thedieline.com/blog/

Pocket Bar.

A great new bar in Darlinghurst has opened, this is one of many bars opening up around Sydney due to the new liquor laws. Sydney City Council has finally seen the error of there ways, they are trying to allow a slice of Melbourne's bar scene atmosphere in Sydney, it will be a while till Sydney is anywhere near as cool as Melbourne's bar scene. Pocket bar is a good start though. The only problem with Pocket Bar is it doesn't stock Babicka.... aside from that it's a great Bar.
Pocket Bar
13 Burton St.
Darlinghurst 2010

TOKO - Sydney.

TOKO Restaurant + Bar Surry Hills has become renowned for its boutique bar which is a huge hit among prominent bar hopers who appreciate stunning surroundings and premium drinks. The drinks menu, created by TOKO’s bar manager and one of Australia’s first Sake Sommeliers Paul Birtwistle, includes an extensive list of sake, schochu tonics for a pre-dinner cleanse and an extensive list of irresistible and inspiring cocktails. TOKO’s bar menu is also the perfect compliment to an after work drink, with the food prepared in the restaurant’s kitchen, which guarantees delicious and high quality bites.

Whilst there ask Adam for a Babicka special & he will make you the most amazing Babicka cocktail from scratch every time its different and always better than the last.

Drunken Sailor Gets the Heave Ho From History

LONDON—A government-funded agency in the UK has changed the title of the classic 19th century sea shanty “What to Do With a Drunken Sailor” to “What to Do With A Grumpy Pirate.” Libraries throughout the UK recently received the update in books for toddlers.
Other alcohol-related lines, such as “Keelhaul him and pass the bottle” and “Round with the rum and scotch and whiskey” were changed to “Do a little jig and make him smile” and “Tickle him till he starts to giggle.”
The agency, in its overweening political correctness, decided that rather than having a bit of fun with the hard-drinking seamen who defended England, they should instead encourage children to attempt to tickle a bloodthirsty outlaw who would undoubtedly run them through with his cutlass.
Parents protested the changes, rightfully deriding the agency for attempting to rewrite and sanitize England’s history and tradition.
via: moderndrunkardmagazine.com

CITY OF SYDNEY HOSTS INAUGURAL SMALL BAR SEMINAR

The City of Sydney this week hosted the first of three free seminars designed to assist people wanting to open a small bar in NSW.

Changes to the legislation on July 1 last year simplified the application process of opening up a licensed venue in the state and significantly lowering the cost of obtaining a liquor license for venues with floor areas of less than 200sq-m.

Offering information about liquor licences and some of the issues and benefits of small bars, speakers included City of Sydney councillor John McInerney, NSW Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing's senior project officer, Ross McCulloch, and the owners of the first bar to open under the new laws, Luke Herd and Chris Lane.

The City of Sydney's laneways business development co-ordinator Richard Roberts described the first seminar as a “huge success".

“Feedback from the seminar was positive and encouraging,” he said. “Attendees receiv(ed) expert advice from Melbourne's small bar pioneer Craig Allchin, City Planners, the Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing and successful small bar operators," he said.

“There's no shortage of creative people looking to open up small bars and laneway businesses within Sydney.”

The next session to be held on July 28 is fully booked, however places are still available in the third session on November 5.

Via:theshout.com.au By Rebecca Harris

Scientifically Proven Hangover Cure: Bacon Sandwich.

Researchers claim food also speeds up the metabolism helping the body get rid of the booze more quickly. Elin Roberts, of Newcastle University's Centre for Life said: "Food doesn't soak up the alcohol but it does increase your metabolism helping you deal with the after-effects of over indulgence. So food will often help you feel better.

"Bread is high in carbohydrates and bacon is full of protein, which breaks down into amino acids. Your body needs these amino acids, so eating them will make you feel good."

Ms Roberts told The Mirror: "Bingeing on alcohol depletes neurotransmitters too, but bacon contains a high level of aminos which tops these up, giving you a clearer head."

Researchers also found a complex chemical interaction in the cooking of bacon produces the winning combination of taste and smell which is almost irresistible.

The reaction between amino acids in the bacon and reducing sugars in the fat is what provides the sandwich with its appeal.
Ms Roberts said: "The smell of sizzling bacon in a pan is enough to tempt even the staunchest of vegetarians. There's something deeper going on inside. It's not just the idea of a tasty snack. There is some complex chemistry going on.

"Meat is made of mostly protein and water. Inside the protein, it's made up of building blocks we call amino acids. But also, you need some fat. Anyone who's been on a diet knows if you take all the fat from the meat, it just doesn't taste the same. We need some of the fat to give it the flavour."

She explained that the reaction released hundreds of smells and flavours but it is the smell which reels in the eater. "Smell and taste are really closely linked," she said. "If we couldn't smell then taste wouldn't be the same."
via: telegraph.co.uk

Other uses for Vodka.

1. To remove a bandage painlessly, saturate the bandage with vodka. The Solvent dissolves adhesive.
2. To clean the caulking around bathtubs and showers, fill a Trigger-spray bottle with vodka, spray the caulking, let set five Minutes and wash clean. The alcohol in the vodka kills mold and mildew.
3. To clean your eyeglasses, simply wipe the lenses with a soft, clean cloth dampened with vodka. The alcohol in the vodka cleans the glass and kills germs.
4. Prolong the life of razors by filling a cup with vodka and letting Your safety razor blade soak in the alcohol after shaving. The vodka disinfectsthe blade and prevents rusting.
5. Spray vodka on vomit stains, scrub with a brush, and then blot dry.
6 Using a cotton ball, apply vodka to your face as an astringent to cleanse the skin and tighten pores.
7. Add a jigger of vodka to a 12-ounce bottle of shampoo. The alcohol cleanses the scalp, removes toxins from hair, and stimulates the growth of healthy hair.
8. Fill a sixteen-ounce trigger-spray bottle and spray bees or wasps to kill them.
9. Pour one-half cup vodka and one-half cup water in a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze for a slushy, refreshable ice pack for aches, pain or black eyes.
10. Fill a clean, used mayonnaise jar with freshly packed lavender flowers, fill the jar with vodka, seal t he lid tightly and set in the Sun for three days. Strain liquid through a coffee filter, then apply the tincture to aches and pains.
11. To relieve a fever, use a washcloth to rub vodka on your chest and back as a liniment.
12. To cure foot odor, wash your feet with vodka.
13. Vodka will disinfect and alleviate a jellyfish sting.
14. Pour vodka over an area affected with poison ivy to remove the Urushiol oil from your skin.
15. Swish a shot of vodka over an aching tooth Allow your gums to absorb some of the alcohol to numb the pain.
via: drinkoftheweek.com

Fliptop Cocktail Shaker

Metrokane's Fliptop Cocktail Shaker is simply the only cocktail shaker you will ever need. You push the fliptop shut which stays completely sealed, shake it, push the fliptop open, and your drink is ready to pour. There's no seperate strainer or lid to mess with because everything is built in.
Via:aquiremag.com

Raspberry.

Raspberry syrup On summer’s first really hot day (and that day will come, unlikely as it seems), when fresh berries turn to pulp before you can eat them, do this: Boil 3/4 cup of sugar in 3/4 cup of water until dissolved, and let cool slightly. Purée a cup of raspberries with the warm sugar syrup in a blender, then strain and let cool completely. Keep in a clean jar and use the raspberry syrup in place of sugar or simple syrup in any cocktail recipe, particularly those with lemon. Or stir 2 ounces of syrup into 6 ounces of seltzer for a lovely, if expensive, soft drink.

Via: nytimes.com c/o: Pete Wells

Ginger.

Ginger ale never went away as a mixer — a spigot with a button marked “G” is standard equipment in most bars — but it lost its fizz, not to mention its zing. Bartenders are restoring both. At the easiest level, this means buying high-quality ginger ale or ginger beer, the kind that burns a little as it goes down. Poured into a tall glass over ice and vodka, with a teaspoon of lime, it makes a Moscow Mule. With dark rum and lime, you have a Dark and Stormy. But there are other ways to drink your ginger. You can throw in thin slices of ginger root when making SIMPLE SYRUP for a ginger syrup that combines sugar and spice. Or get your hands on ginger juice. You can make it if you own a juicer, or you can buy it at juice bars, health food stores and Whole Foods, among other places. Dissolve an equal amount of sugar into it and you have a much more energetic ginger syrup. One last tip: in a pinch, you can grate ginger and squeeze it. You won’t open a ginger ale factory this way, but you can extract enough juice for drinks.
via: nytimes.com c/o: Pete Wells

The Merchant Hotel Bar Book Volume 2