Newsdesk: and a new one just begun

A little later than usual, perhaps, but it's 2009 - a brave new world of almost exactly the same stuff as in 2008. Excited?

• Just around the corner from where I was helping customers celebrate the new year in the correct spirit (tequila, by the way), there was a bit of a street party planned. Went alright, by all accounts.
• Not everyone went out, of course. For those who would rather have the shouty drunk people in their houses, the Guardian had a selection of cocktail recipes to serve and a reminder not to neglect those who enjoy stronger stuff in their glasses.
• Apparently, you're better off not drinking at all, seeing as it could raise your chance of developing cancer by a fifth. and make you into a worse lover. I'm personally shocked by the news that drinking can in fact be bad for you. But if you have to, have some helpful tips for keeping things under control.
• As far as the future goes, the American Culinary Federation thinks that artisanal spirits, culinary cocktails and organic wine are going to be the hot trends of '09.
• Out in the blogosphere (I'd promised not to use that word. Crap. One resolution down already...), Erik at Underhill-Lounge ponders the differences between line cooking and bartending and James Hoffman suggests stepping out from behind the stick to improve customer service.
• And finally, got any leftover fizz from the party? A bit of patience could give you Prosecco & Campari sorbet.

(Edinburgh 2009 New Year Fireworks by Scala64. happy new year 2009 from lulugaia's Flickr photostream, displayed under a Creative Commons licence.)

Newsdesk: DIY

There's a growing number of notable mixologists who aren't professional bartenders. While I'm lucky enough to have access to a well-stocked, well-equipped cocktail bar at work, that isn't necessarily an option for the enthusiast. Handily, the internet has answers to the questions you haven't even asked yet.

• Jacob Grier has a concise and sensible two-part guide to setting up your own home bar. Part 1 covers equipment, part 2 covers stock. On a similar theme, the Pegu Blog has a whole category dedicated to basement bars (direct link to RSS feed), while both TraderTiki and Simon Difford have notable home bars.
• If you've got your bar in place, and booze on the shelves, The Wild Drink Blog has some helpful advice for getting started and Ben Reed's got all kinds of shiny video tips to pass on at webchats.tv.
• This was a triumph: the IT University of Copenhagen's Scrollbar celebrates Portal.
• The world is still getting used to the news that hangovers are - according to scientists - incurable. For one, the Guardian's Lucy Mangan swears by these seven hangover cures, while the Times delves into how the badness actually happens. Elsewhere in the broadsheets, James Meikle asks why Britain has fallen out of love with the humble pint and a proper doctor looks at the possible link between high IQ and developing alcohol problems which is good news for anyone annoyed by their friend's precociously talents children.

Newsdesk: the wrath of grapes

Hangovers are the nemesis of the committed drinker, and just ahead of Christmas, it gets worse.

• The Guardian reports that The British Medical Journal has concluded that hangovers are basically incurable. After reviewing eight randomised, double-blind control tests, they've decided that "no compelling evidence exists to suggest that any conventional or complementary intervention is effective for preventing or treating alcohol hangover." Could've just asked a student and saved a bunch of money.
• Featuring in little sister the Observer is news of the construction of the first major Scotch whisky distillery for 30 years. Diageo's Roseisle facility will be Scotland's first 'green' distillery, producing only 15% of the CO2 compared to a standard plant. Curiously, the press release detailing plans for the £40m project dates back to February. 2007. It's not true what they say about print media in the digital age. Regardless, the fantastic Food Monthly supplement brings tales of a life dedicated to apple brandy. And God, apparently.
• As much as we Brits like to claim we follow our own cultural agenda, we're clearly going to rob any decent looking fad. One of our most recent acquisitions - New York's trend for speakeasies over 'traditional' bars - has already made it into the Times and is therefore over. Given that going out is now only for idiotic wage slaves with no idea of relevance outside of the one fed to them by the overarching teat of the mainstream media or hipsters, the only thing to do is get wasted at home. Handily, the Times also provides a breakdown of the alcoholic content hidden in Christmas favourites, so you can get drink in front of the family without hiding a bottle of Scotch under the dining table.
• Staying in broadsheet-land, the Independent offers handy tips for navigating the financial minefield of post-crunch Britain, noting that the UK Government's 2.5% reduction in VAT outweighs its 8% increase in alcohol duty on wines over £8.80/bottle.
• Over the pond, the New York Times' new drinkblog The Pour has made a strong start, with posts on the age-old 'e' in whisky controversy, the question of whether a tweaked classic can ever be as good as its inspiration (apparently, no - because it's the same drink), and which cocktails fit which US cities best. If you believe the movies, surely it's a Volcano Bowl for LA?

• Bonus old-timey links: last minute Christmas gift for the cocktail geek in your life, and the UK Department of Health's handy guide to spotting the nine types of heavy drinker. Note to self: not a to-do list.

Linkdump: well hello, print media!

 

It seems a pity that print media's starting to get interested in bartending and cocktailmaking just as the medium dies. Then again, they've all got websites, and you know what they say about publicity...

• The economic crisis leads the Guardian to send Mark Fothergill to London's Lab to learn the trade - after all, what better way to save money in the downturn by replacing your £7 Cosmo with a £20 bottle of vodka, a £20 bottle of Cointreau and £75 worth of equipment? There's also a selection of winter cocktail recipes to try your hand at.
• New York Magazine reports on the latest area of society to achieve gender parity: alcoholism.
• The New York Times continues its recent blow-out of bar-related articles with a look at the emergent class of cocktail geeks - non-professional mixologists - and what it means for the cocktail renaissance (via Barbore).
• One man's quest for a Zeppelin shaker leads the LA Times into the murky netherworld of cocktail memorabilia.

It's the same hat.

Great article over at SFGate about cocktail competitions. Also notable for proving that there's really only one style of hat for the professional bartender.

Spirits: The cocktail arena - why so competitive?