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The Hide Bar - Newsletter

Number 23, January 2009

Belated (or, in the case of Beijing where I currently am, a premature) Happy New Year to all. Definitely belated newsletter, but then then you haven't wanted to think too much about drinking since the excesses of Christmas and New Year have you?

2009 is the Year of the Ox here. In particular the Earth Ox. The last time this particular one came around was 1948, but there have been Oxen every 12 years since, so if you were born then, or in '61, '73 or '85, you are deemed to be reliable, intelligent, quiet and methodical. A great leader, but sometimes a little stubborn. Think Barack Obama ('61). With this in mind, my footnotes this month are on the different star signs and what drinks might be a suitable match. We're not going to be checking your passport to see what drinks suit you, but maybe there will be a few interesting ideas in there for you to try next time you're in.

In drinks news, our vintage Armagnac has been very well received, with lots of you trying your birth years from our extensive collection. To give you a little more background, and a chance to taste some of the more interesting ones, our first Tuesday Tasting of the year will feature Armagnac and its uses - see below for more information.

2009 will be our third year of being open. Our 2nd anniversary is on the 2nd February, so we will put our heads together and think of a suitable birthday celebration. Perhaps a cocktail we can truly call our House Speciality. We'll get working on it. Unfortunately, 2009 is also likely to be a challenging year. The general economic downturn sees all of us with a little less in our pockets and a little more uncertainty. Most relevantly, alcohol duty has already gone up, and is likely to do so again. Our suppliers have been hit hard by the Euro exchange rate (wine prices to them are up by almost a third), but we are all trying to keep things reasonable, and we will continue with our excellent value specials on the chalk boards up around the bar. These change pretty regularly, so there'll always be something we think you'll like, at a price we think you'll like.

Cheers!

Paul

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EVENTS

Tuesday Tastings

Our Tuesday tastings are back on again from the 27th January. This year we will be holding them every other Tuesday, but we will be upping the ante a little, and subsequently they will mostly be priced at £10 a head.

Tastings start at 7.30pm and last around 2 hours. They are a mixture of tasting, talk from one of us, a winemaker, spirit producer or expert of some kind, general chat, plus a little bit of food to pair with the tastings. They are held in our back room, so we are limited to 25 participants on a first-come basis. We can take reservations for the tasting. Please let us know that your booking is for the tasting, and whether you would like a table in the bar afterwards as well.

Our first tasting is not until the 27th January, but should be a good one!

Tuesday 27th January 2009, 7pm
Armagnac: history and production, vintages vs. blends, cocktails and chocolate
Paolo will be leading this tasting, together with Andrew from Comte de Lauvia Armagnac. Try some of our substantial selection, see how Armagnac mixes and how it pairs with food.

We are planning our tastings a little further ahead this year, and they will shortly be listed on the website under the 'News' section. Tastings for the month ahead will be listed in the newsletter at the beginning of each month.

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LAST BIT - Chinese Zodiac years

There are 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac, given to each year (26th Jan to 25th Jan) on rotation. Each have a certain set of characteristics and quirks which you may or may not be able to see in yourself. Being a dragon myself, I obviously think that it's all very accurate and valuable (ish), but whether or not you have any interest in these things, I thought it might be fun to match some cocktails to the characters.

(images courtesy of bluebison.net)

Rat (1960, '72, '84) Hard-working and industrious perfectionists, rats are supposed to be sociable, charming and charismatic, though they can be manipulative and ruthless. Shakespeare, Washington and Scarlett Johansson are the rather diverse selection!
Drink: the Pisco Sour - a charming drink with a ruthless strength, it requires perfectionism to get the right mix of sweet and sour to balance the drink, plus a lot of hard work, first hard shaking without ice to whip the egg white, then a second shake over ice to chill the drink without too much dilution.

Ox (1961, '73, '85) Self-assured, patient and thoughtful, the Ox is born to lead and very loyal, but can have a fierce temper. Oxen benefit from an excellent memory and physical stamina. Aside from Obama, examples include Nixon, Napoleon and George Clooney. Strong as.
Drink: Old-Fashioned - a dependable order at the bar and the bartender's favourite, you need to be patient while we make it, and once finished, don't be rushed into drinking as it has a fierce side if not treated with respect.

Tiger (1962, '74, '86) Dynamic, unpredictable and passionate, they are commanding figures. Tigers are impulsive and generous, but also restless and can be impatient and quick-tempered. Marco Polo, Marilyn Monroe and Tom Cruise, endangered.
Drink: Mai Tai - almost never made the same way twice, this is an unpredictable drink. When made well (in my mind the original way, with the only fruit being lime and with serious rums), it commands respect for its strength and the ease with which it goes down which can surprise.

Rabbit (1963, '75, '87) Calm, gentle and loving, rabbits are good listeners and well trusted. They can be cautious or timid, and like to take the safe option. They remain calm and are good diplomats. Einstein, Frank Sinatra and David Beckham - all bunnies.
Drink: Mojito - when you're not sure what to order, the mojito is the safe option for those who are cautious. Always long, refreshing and dependable, everyone is happy with the outcome, though perhaps not inspired.

Dragon (1964, '76, '88) Enthusiastic and confident, dragons are popular and inspire confidence with their honesty & quick wit. They can be arrogant & demanding though, but have a soft and sensitive side. Bruce Lee, Putin and Shakira all hate St George.
Drink: Daiquiri - a straight natural daiquiri is a bold and focussed drink, showing all the qualities of the rum in an easy-going and honest style. However, depending on the rum, you can get something light and soft, or something big and demanding. There's a daiquiri for everyone, so always popular, you just have to discover which is yours.

Snake (1965, '77, '89) Snakes are wise and deep-thinking, but quiet and unassuming on the surface. They rely on themselves and make decisions based on their own feelings and intuition. J.K Rowling, James Joyce and Audrey Hepburn - legless.
Drink: Sidecar - placid and shy on the surface, without the flamboyance of a garnish aside from a small sugared rim, the sidecar hides its complexity. Think deeply about which Cognac to go for, or even whether an Armagnac might be better. Then Grand Marnier or Cointreau? Perhaps good Triple Sec? Are the lemons sweet or tart. Only your own intuition can get it right.

Horse (1966, '78, '90) Very friendly and good in crowds, horses love company and adventure. They are graceful and elegant & enjoy attention which makes them great entertainers. Katie Price, Halle Berry & James Dean, along with loads of other actors!
Drink: Bellini - the party drink that loves everyone. Gracefully served in a flute and with endless possibilities for an adventurous garnish, they keep everyone amused, although perhaps lack a little depth in the long run.

Sheep (1955, '67, '79) Creative types, sheep are artistic & sensitive. Kind & sweet, they can be insecure & disorganised. They tend to surround themselves with beautiful things & love nature. Katherine Hepburn, Heath Ledger, Robert de Niro - woolly
Drink: Margarita - with a wealth of options, you can really fashion your own margarita. Straight up, rocks or frozen; blanco or reposado, Triple Sec or agave syrup; salt rim, sugar rim - even add fruit if you must. So many choices it's almost disorganised, but such a beautiful drink!

Monkey (1956, '68, '80) A quick-witted problem solver, the monkey is a charming intellectual and very lucky. Naturally very successful and have magnetic personalities, but can be vain and egotistical. Daniel Craig, Leonardo da Vinci and Kylie Minogue - I wanna do like you do.
Drink: Martini - Solves the problem of what to drink. Successful for the last two hundred years in different guises, it draws you in at the start of the night. Whilst charming, the martini is egotistical, demanding that you upgrade your gin and give all the little details - wet or dry, dirty, filthy, twist, Gibson or olive, before it repays you with a sip.

Rooster (1957, '69, '81) Meticulous and organised, decisive and conservative, roosters will fiercely defend their opinions as they always think they're right. They are naturally ambitious & optimistic. Roman Polanski, Beyonce & Sienna Miller - just doodle doo it.
Drink: Negroni - meticulous with equal measures of gin, sweet vermouth and Campari stirred over ice, the Negroni is a decisive start to the night. Not too flamboyant, it's an ambitious start for the optimist setting out on the town.

Dog (1958, '70, '82) Honest, friendly & dependable, dogs like to do the right thing and are good at spotting the truth and understanding human nature. They are also natural worriers & are often quite anxious, like Churchill, Mother Teresa & Elvis - woof.
Drink: Manhattan - another of those drinks that is dependably on the list at any bar, it can be easily ruined, so there's an anxious moment while you wait for the finished article. Once you're certain of a good result though, it's honestly worth varying to explore the possibilities - from sweet to dry, Bourbon to Rye, twist to cherry. A great drink to discuss the vagaries of human nature over.

Pig (1959, '71, '83) Chivalrous and honest, the pig can be naive or optimistic in thinking that everyone is as good-natured. Determined and unwavering, they are very trustworthy & sensible. Ewan McGregor, Ernest Hemingway and Dido - good bacon.
Drink: Cuba Libre - an honest, good-natured and unwavering drink. An eminently sensible choice that you can trust any bartender to make, and one that you can trust yourself with for the night without any surprises.

pm.

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OTHER STUFF

Our back room is available for hire, and we’d love to hold tailored wine tastings or cocktail classes for you. Just get in touch and let us know what you’d like to do. We have a price list of some of our more popular tastings, available from the website at www.thehidebar.com/parties.htm.

Likewise please get in touch if you have any comments and suggestions, please email everyone@thehidebar.com. You can also sign up to keep in touch at ‘people who like to drink at The Hide Bar’ on Facebook.

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The Hide
39-45 Bermondsey Street , London . SE1 3XF
t: 0207 403 6655; f: 0207 117 4173
www.thehidebar.com; everyone@thehidebar.com

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