Bloggery

Wednesday 16th Nov 2011

Becky Milford

A bookshop thinking outside the box - and into the bar

Isn’t it nice that, as you get older, you find yourself enjoying the little pleasures in life all the more? Ok, so if you analysed it then you could legitimately argue that this is because time constraints and the stresses of day to day life make the ‘little things’ a much rarer occurrence – but having such a half-empty glass never got anyone anywhere. The recipe for making me smile requires very few ingredients – less Michel Roux and more Nigella (did anyone ever see the time she made Marmite pasta for her kids? Genius.)

            And I’m sure many of you will nod sagely at three of the things that light up my life – 1) a good book 2) time to relax and 3) a nice drink, preferably served in a martini glass or containing that three letter word beginning in G and ending in N. Now, here at Mr B’s it’s pretty conclusive that we’ve got the first two sewn up. Very rarely do you guys rush in, grab a book from the shelves, and hot-foot it out again. And if you do, it’s always accompanied by a garbled apology that you’ll be back soon for a proper visit. That’s what’s so lovely about the shop. People wander in, perhaps intending to browse for twenty minutes – and then an hour and a half later they’re still here, either ensconced in one of our comfy armchairs, or chatting merrily away at the counter, telling us all about their recent reading habits or just having a good old gossip. Because, at the end of the day, reading a book is great fun but it’s the talking about it afterwards that really adds to the pleasure. Hence the reasons our events and book groups are always so packed – it gives everyone a chance to meet up over a common love of literature and discuss how novels touched them individually.

            That could be one of the reasons our Book Spas are so popular. You must have heard of our famous Spas – if you haven’t click here or on our bath-tub icon at the top of the page. It gives people an unashamed excuse to sit and talk books, books and purely books for a golden hour or two of their day, while munching on delectable cake and sipping a hot drink. And on top of that they walk away with several new titles they might otherwise have missed, even if they’re the most avid readers you can think of! In fact, sometimes these are the people who benefit most – they can be instructed to whole new realms of undiscovered literature they may otherwise have missed.

            Why the digression onto spas? Well, despite the fact that we’ve been inundated with requests for them (Christmas is certainly coming!), an online article caught my eye. Like I say, we seem to have the first two points sorted, but so far we’re keeping off the hard stuff and offer the revitalising choice of tea and coffee for thirsty patrons. But today Williams and Graham booksellers open in Denver, and they’ve taken themed bookselling to a new level. They’ve decided to specialise in cocktail books and works by authors famed for enjoying the odd tipple – think Hemingway and Chandler if you want to be in good company. They also serve bar tools so you can become a dab hand at mixing your own Gin Rickey (apparently one of Fitzgerald’s favourites). But the real attraction of this independent bookshop is yet to come.  Pull the hidden handle on one of the bookcases and it opens out into a hallway that leads to a hidden, Prohibition-Speakeasy 1920’s style bar! In a bookshop!! Jack London would no doubt have been a fan – he used to have Martinis prepared in bulk by a bartender and then shipped to his home. Well, if he came here for a relaxing read then there’d be no need!

            The menu has a selection of fresh and classic cocktails, and includes anecdotes from prolific bartenders around the country. I almost want to swan over to the states just so I can find the hidden room, sashay my way to the bar and demand a Gimlet, Philip Marlowe style (“A real Gimlet is half gin and half Rose’s Lime juice and nothing else. It beats Martinis hollow,” he states in The Long Good-bye.) This would be preferable to Oscar Wilde’s taste for absinthe, anyway. But since I’m not planning any trips to the states any time soon then I may have to nip this idea in the bud. Although, who knows? Perhaps for the next season of events we can transform the Bath Bar (see what I did there?) so that, as well as a lovely selection of wine, we can also treat ourselves to themed cocktails? We’ve got some gorgeous books on the shelves that would be any wannabe-bartender’s best friend.

            There’s practical advice mixed with swoon-some illustrations in The Cocktail – 200 Fabulous Drinks, which boasts the exotic delights of a Velvet Underground (including honey-infused vodka and apple liqueur), and a recipe for a Ginger and Lemongrass Martini – a girls new best friend when mixing drinks, and just the right size for a stocking. Then again, the famous Mr. Boston has just reissued his Official Bartenders guide – a proper, no nonsense list of every cocktail under the sun (or under the bar, rather) and a must for any aficionado. Or why not go for some witty anecdotes and glitzy history in either Fitzgerald’s On Booze or the decadently named I am Drinking Stars! – a book dedicated to champagne. Then again, for the busy mum/dad on the run, what better gift than the delightfully tongue-in-cheek guide that had us all giggling – Baby, Mix Me a Drink. With so many amazing cocktail books out there and party season upon us, surely we’d be mad not to get involved and invent our own Mr B’s daiquiri?

            Well, we’ll see. Who knows – maybe one day you’ll idly pull one of the lesser-known tomes from one of our shelves in the basement, only to find a secret passage creaking open, the sound of laughter and jazz filtering along a velvet-lined corridor, and the smell of Mint Juleps on the air…