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Inventory for July 31st, 2016

A bit of Berlin in Hong Kong, the new Ballantine’s Hard Fired and a bar show in Copenhagen. Welcome back to this week’s inventory.

 

If you’re in Copenhagen next month, we’ve got quite the ticket for you. The inaugural Copenhagen By The Glass show will be held on August 19th-21st, organized by the ever-charismatic Geoffrey Canilao of Balderdash Bar. Many of the city’s top bars will be taking part and you can expect some top-notch talks and panels to boot. Anything you shouldn’t miss? Bar superstars Alex Kratena and Monica Berg discussing ‘what the Amazonian jungle has in common with modern bartending’ – no doubt, more than you think…

Berlin’s Dóttir goes to Hong Kong

The popup craze – if it’s still a “craze” that is, it’s been going on for so long – continues apace. With a two week Thai pop-up still ongoing in their home restaurant in Berlin, acclaimed Scandinavian fine dining restaurant Dóttir have held a four night pop up event in Hong Kong this past weekend.

In a collaboration with Test Kitchen (a company which brings many overseas chefs to the city), Dóttir hosted a seven-course dinner every night from the 28th to the 31st July. The menu paid homage to Danish born chef Victoria Eliasdóttir, who then grew up in Iceland and was the daughter – note, Dóttir is Icelandic for daughter – of a fisherman. Lots of fresh fish and from-the-sea flavours await, just like in Dóttir – the slow-cooked fish with smoked buttermilk course looks especially tempting.

Ballantine’s Hard Fired launches

Ballantine’s have launched a new product and it’s one that comes layered with masculine bravado. Meet Ballantine’s Hard Fired. In the “bespoke process”, American oak barrels are selected and are then charred at the cooperage for a second time – which is where “Hard Fired” moniker comes from. Master Blender Sandy Hyslop then noses each barrel before selecting the best ones to be filled with the Ballantine’s blend for resting.

Expect flavours of natural vanilla, sweet honey, red apple and a hint of spicy liquorice in the final product. Oh, and a “unique smoky flavor”. Considering the process, that’s no surprise. From August 2016 it will be available exclusively at Amazon Germany, in 0.7l bottles at 40% ABV, adorned with a black and red label saying “Created by Fire”.

New study claims alcohol is carcinogenic

The relationship between alcohol and health has always been controversial, and now there’s a new development. A new study, published in the U.K. by the scientific journal Addiction, has claimed that alcohol can cause seven forms of cancer.

“There is strong evidence that alcohol causes cancer at seven sites in the body and probably others,” said Jennie Connor, of the preventive and social medicine department at Otago University in New Zealand. The seven sites? The oropharynx, larynx, oesophagus, liver, colon, rectum and breast. She came to this conclusion after 10 years of studying research by the World Cancer Research Fund, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the World Health Organisation’s cancer body, and many other organizations. As you would expect, heavy drinkers are most at risk – but the clutch is that also low to moderate drinkers are also at some risk. Conner claims that “for all these (types of cancer) there is a dose-response relationship.” – i.e drink more, more risk.

Health experts have recommended that regular drinkers should take alcohol-free days, whilst alcohol packaging – a’la cigarettes – should carry warning labels. Smoking and drinking together – a risk for throat and mouth cancer – is discouraged. Also suggested are government-run education campaigns, with Dr Jana Witt, Cancer Research UK’s health information officer, commenting: “we know that nine in 10 people aren’t aware of the link between alcohol and cancer.”

What do we say? Drink less, but better. Savour your drink. Perhaps even switch to a non-alcoholic beverage – the fast-growing Seedlip perhaps? – sometimes. It’s been clear for years, even prior to this report, that excessive alcohol drinking isn’t good for the health. And when you get down to it – what’s more important than our health?

Credits

Foto: couple via shutterstock.

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