Welcome to this week’s roundup of interesting cocktail and spirits related articles plus a few fun bits of news just made for cocktail party conversation starters.
Cocktail Reading
Promoting Wellness in the Drinks Industry
(SevenFiftyDaily via Rocky Yeh’s Twitter feed)
Plenty of pros in the drinks industry are moving away from the “work hard, play hard” mentality and joining in the general trend towards prioritizing mental and physical health. And, bar owners and managers are supporting this by offering healthy and well being options to their staff. As much as we like a good drink around here, thinking a little healthier is always a good think. We support that!
The Legend of the Taos Tree Martini
(PUNCH)
How might a martini save you if you’re stranded on the slopes? And why is it better than white wine? And how does one become a member of the High Altitude Martini Skiers? PUNCH has the low down on this ice cold Taos cocktail legend.
When Banning a Food Makes it Sweeter
(Taste via David Lebovitz’s FB Feed)
Do tonka beans taste better because they’re illegal? And, just why are they illegal? Did you know Sichaun peppers were illegal for a time in the US – and incited gun carrying authorities to bust shops selling them? The cocktail scene is often chasing the latest hard to get ingredient so it’s an interesting topic to explore.
This Duo Wants to Turn Your Trash into a Cocktail
(SBS)
As regular readers know, we like to keep an eye on the upcoming eco-trends in the bar world, so this is a nice little find. After busy shifts at London bar Dandelyan, this duo would sip whisky and talk about how to max out sustainable efforts behind the bar. Eventually, Trash Tiki was born to collect leftovers from bars and give them a new lease on life in cocktail form. And they just want to clarify something: They’re not dumpster diving for your drinks.
Ryan Reynolds Now Owns Aviation Gin
(Fortune)
“I own nothing in this photo. Except that gin company” – Ryan Reynolds’ Instagram caption to announce his buying into Aviation gin, after having tried it for the first time about a year ago. [Only a year ago?! Deadpool’s kinda slow to the craft cocktail game 😉 ] Anyway, he joins the ranks of celebs as booze brand owners alongside other big names like Clooney and Diddy.
Cocktail Party Conversation Starters
Get all tongue tied around new people? Try this week’s cocktail party conversation starters next time you’re stuck for small talk…
Did you hear about…
That time KFC ran out of chicken?
The man who’s been living on cruise ships for 20 years?
The state of food writers’ spelling?
And, this week, when I’m not reading cocktail news or finding bizarre conversation starters, I’m reading: 4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster
