I've covered before how I love using food and drink as a guide when I'm travelling. Often though, the ingredients themselves can be a source of revelation and fascination.

I was fortunate to be in Cuba representing the UK as part of a global bartending competition. The...

They say mud tends to stick, and tequila has had a hell of a lot of dirt thrown at it over the years. But I've been amazed, and very glad, to see how it continues to boom and shake off its tarnished reputation. There still seems to be a few...

Ordering in a bar is easy; you chat to your bartender or server, and exchange some money for your goods and services. So why am I writing about it? Well, for one, have any of you felt particularly underwhelmed by a bar experience a friend has raved about? Friends are...

I'm quite inclined to make myself a cocktail at the end of a long day, and I'll certainly put together a few if I have friends coming over, but sometimes you just need something simple and easy. It's the same with dinner; I love putting together a favourite meal, but...

I see nothing wrong with mixing your drinks. To be honest, the headache you're dealing with isn't because you've had wine then beer then whisky, it's because you've had wine and beer and whisky (with a couple of cheeky tequilas thrown in for good measure). It's excess, not the booze's...

There's no point if you're not enjoying it. I believe this is a good mantra applied to many things. With cocktails this can mean the act of consuming, or the participating in its creation. When I visit a bar, it is obvious to me when the bartender or the waitress...

My house is filled with booze. This could sound like a damning statement, but it's all very controlled. Some of it is from competitions (essentially trophies or mementos), others are beautiful editions that I have collected over the years. The remaining bottles fulfill a drinking role.

I actually don't...

Guys like whisky, right? And girls like champagne? But of course, and similarly, a female drinker wants a fruity, red drink whilst the male imbiber needs something strong on the rocks. With a side of lager.

Unfortunately, ridiculous and outdated notions persist in the drinks world. Of course, there...

If you're anything like me, the Christmas eating and drinking gets as much (if not more) attention as the present buying. We broke from the tradition of turkey and the like many years ago, so each year there is a surprise in what will be served - all...

Value is a funny thing. It all depends on perspective (but then, what doesn't?). Food and drink have always played a big part in my life so I was never really willing to compromise on them. Even when I was a student I'd prefer to buy cheaper constituent ingredients than...

They say we're becoming desensitized; sex in the media, ultra-violence on our TVs... even our language and tolerances have changed. I kind of think it's the inevitable creep of time. We're constantly seeking new titillation and something to grab our attention. Especially with the constant assault on our senses-it's hard...

I imagine most people who come to this blog are interested in food and drink, or maybe their wider social and cultural connotations. What I always wanted it to be was a means of condensing some of my experiences for those who shared my interests.

I think the internet...

We all know and love booze for the wonderful quirk that it is. It's been with us for millennia, and more aptly, it's been with us all personally - through the highs, and the lows. Alcohol has stood by us after a long day, it's been a not-so-friendly ally in...

There's something magic about a tall G&T to cool off a summer's day in the garden, or a Mojito to help you retire from the holiday sun. Longer drinks like these and other hi-balls (your spirit and mixer combinations such as the noted G&T, Whisky and Soda, Tequila and Ginger...

I'd hazard a guess that most people reading this let their drinks play a very poor second fiddle to their food. Sure, your drink choice isn't a necessity as much as your food is (well, hopefully it's not a necessity) but then again, much of the recent food movement has...