and in our online shop. Okay. We have a few good reasons why this second volume took so long to produce.

The first one will give you a hint:

Did you know that the word "cocktail" first appeared in the English language in a London newspaper dating from 1798? And did you know that the cocktail was "vulgarly called 'ginger'" back in those days?

The second reason is that we now know more about Harry "The Dean" Johnson than we ever thought possible, including the day he was born, the day he died, and the fact that he never called himself a bartender or a mixologist, but a publican. Well. The rest you'll have to find out by reading Spirituous Journey: A History of Drink, Book Two.


One of our favourite guys in the biz, gaz regan, is also coming out with a new tome in June. The Cocktailian Chronicles: Life with The Professor, Volume 1 is a compilation of re-edited, annotated columns, written by gaz regan, that first appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle in 2003, 2004, and a wee bit of 2005.  The book is illustrated by Stuffy Shmitt, a great friend of gaz’s, who is a rock 'n' roll musician, singer, and songwriter extraordinaire.

The columns feature The Professor, a fictitious bartender who holds forth from behind the stick in a neighborhood bar somewhere in San Francisco. In each column he highlights specific cocktails while dealing with people such as his boss, a man who is constantly irritated, especially when The Professor gets the better of him (just about all the time), and Regina, the raunchy waitress who dresses inappropriately, flirts shamelessly with customers, and teases The Professor mercilessly.

The Professor also deals with a huge variety of customers. Many of them were based on people who have played a part in gaz regan’s life. Each episode is followed by "A Word at the End of the Bar" in which regan lets us in on who these people were, and how come they made their way into his stories.  In some instances regan also provides new cocktail recipes, and discusses all manner of cocktailian palaver.

The Cocktailian Chronicles: Life with The Professor, Volume 1 is a fun read, bringing wit and wisdom together in a very casual manner. It’s a must-have for anyone remotely interested in the cocktail culture of the twenty-first century.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

As we mentioned earlier, we'll be at IMBIBE 2010 on 13 July 2010, showing off ours and other folks "green" drink creations in a lively session that proves why now is a better time than ever to get growing your own ingredients, thinking more about seasonality, sustainability, and local sourcing.


Also in July, we'll be flying over the "pond" to take part in this year's edition of Tales of the Cocktail, 21-25 July 2020. This time we're honing our sights on French cocktails from the 1890s and Juleps from medieval times to modern day. We're also signing copies of Spirituous Journey: A History of Drink, Books One and Two at the Tales bookstore.

PERNOD RICARD UK LAUNCHES DRINKOLOGY 
WITH BACKING FROM TOP SPIRIT GURUS

Having identified the need for a single-source online networking and knowledge-sharing community dedicated to bartenders in the UK on-trade, Pernod Ricard UK is launching Drinkology in collaboration with some of the industry’s most renowned and respected drinks experts.

The brainchild of Illy Jaffar, Pernod Ricard UK’s Head of Brand Advocacy, Drinkology is aimed at bartenders, bar owners, bar managers and bar backs looking for somewhere to network with their peers, ask specific questions, source knowledge content, partake in discussions and keep up to date with topical industry issues and information.

Henry Besant of the Worldwide Cocktail Club supported the direction and development of the site and will manage its content on an ongoing basis. Other names involved in the initiative include: Ian Wisniewski (vodka and malt whiskies), Geraldine Coates (gin), Dave Broom (rum and blended whiskies), Nicholas Faith (Cognac and brandy), Mark Ridgwell (bourbon/American Whiskey), Thomas Estes (agave spirits), Ago Perrone (vermouth and bitters), Gary Regan (legendary bars and bartenders), Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller (classic cocktails and ingredients).

These recognised names will be affectionately known as ‘gurus’ on the site, reflecting their oracle-like status in their respective areas of expertise. Each will drive the knowledge content for their categories in the form of discussion forums and editorial focusing on the history and production of spirits, category styles and other relevant category issues. The online community/knowledge portal also boasts social networking functionality, user-generated content, educational videos, a cocktail database, searchable vintage cocktail books, a bar menu library, job opportunities and guides to legendary bars, barmen and cocktails, amongst other content.

“Drinkology has garnered astounding support from some of the drinks industry’s biggest hitters, who appreciate the site’s category-focused, knowledge-sharing stance,” said Illy Jaffar, Head of Brand Advocacy at Pernod Ricard UK.

“Unlike the United States, the UK doesn’t currently have a single dedicated online community for bartenders that serves as both networking and knowledge portal,” said Henry Besant of the Worldwide Cocktail Club. “We’re fixing that with Drinkology - a place where bartenders can get quality and credible information, gain direct access to experts they may otherwise not, share their views and learn from each other in an informal, non-branded environment.”

Members of the trade can join the Drinkology community at www.drinkology.com.

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