Want to try 300 drinks from 5 different continents?

by Jessica Festa on

On December 1, 2011, ZaZa Bazaar will unveil its Wunder Bar. You will basically be able to go on a cocktail tour around the world without leaving Bristol, United Kingdom, as the bar will feature 300 drinks from five different continents.

Bar manager, Les Richards, and bar consultant, Ro Santus, have spent hours upon hours coming up with innovative and worldly drinks for all tastes and budgets. There will be 35 cocktails with European, Asian, American, and Arctic flare, as well as an extensive selection of spirits, wines, and champagnes. Beers will come from 10 different countries, some of which include China, Portugal, India, and Brazil. No matter what drink you choose, know that you are getting a high quality product that you can feel good about.

“We’ll use the freshest ingredients. Even the syrups and purees will have been made that day. All fruit and vegetables used in the bar will be sourced locally,” says Richards.

And, it’s not just drinks that will be international. There will also be an array of unique menus from around the globe, some of which include curries, sushi, Italian pasta, BBQ, Far East, Chinese, Indian, pizza, burgers, dosa, nacho bar, tex mex, and more.

For more information, visit their website.

Four United Kingdom cities show what rudeness is, Manchester meanest

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Sometimes, it can be pretty hard to face facts. Nobody wants to be called rude, and many destinations make great efforts to be perceived as welcoming. Well, forget what you see in the brochures and pretty PR pictures – some places are just tough.

Like the United Kingdom.

Now, I’ve hit London and several cities in Scotland. I had no problems at all. Then again, I’m from New York and grew up in Boston, two towns with reputations for rudeness over here. So, there’s a shot I just missed it. Thankfully, The Sun picks up the trail and shows us just how rude the people of Manchester, London, Glasgow and Bristol can be.

Why is The Sun picking on these three cities? Well, it’s pretty sad, really. A 77-year-old man lay unconscious on the street for close to five hours in freezing weather. Hundreds of people walked by and gave not a damn.

Of course, this could have happened in any major city, but The Sun decided to operate in its own back yard. Let’s take a look at what the newspaper learned by leaving a reporter out on the ground in below-freezing conditions:1. Manchester: The most sympathy the reporter got here was from one woman: “I thought you were dead. Your face didn’t look good.” Meanwhile, 15 people ignored him in 13 minutes. A builder asked his friend, “Is he homeless or p***ed?” but did nothing and several shoppers stared.

2. Glasgow: At the freezing mark, a philosophy student checked to see if the reporter was breathing. Was he rude? Not at all! In fact, Marc Deane, the concerned citizen who stopped, told The Sun, “”Some people don’t want to get involved in anything out of their routine. But it’s a small price to pay if somebody’s life is at stake.”

3. London: It took six people for someone to care to roll up and say something. The rest, according to The Sun, were severe: “One man gave barely a second glance and a grunt before walking on, still chatting on his mobile. Others just looked straight through our reporter.”

4. Bristol: Like Glasgow, Bristol knows how to treat a cold-weather victim. The reporter was “picked up off the ground almost as soon as he hit.” Bravo, Bristol![pho

[photo by Lara604 via Flickr]

Five great Fourth of July destinations

by Alex Robertson Textor on

Arguably the most American holiday of all (sorry, Thanksgiving!) the Fourth of July occupies an undeniably special place in the hearts of millions. Remarkably, the enthusiasm of so many for the holiday seemingly floats independently of patriotism. It’s a family holiday, a time for picnics and fireworks and the sheer enjoyment of hot summer temperatures. The following are a few places where the Fourth of July can be celebrated with some attention to history, or, if you prefer, hot dogs and fireworks.

1. Bristol, RI. Bristol Fourth of July Celebration.

Since 1785, Bristol, Rhode Island has continuously held a Fourth of July Parade, the nation’s longest-running. Bristol does it up for several days around July 4, with a visit by the USS Squall, concerts, a drum corps show, a parade, a fireworks display, and a ball. This is the Fourth of July at its New England best, small-scale and dripping with historical significance.

2. Philadelphia, PA. Wawa Welcome America! Festival.

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted in Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love has pride of place in the history of the emergence of the United States as an independent nation. The Welcome America! Festival is one of the country’s biggest, an 11-day celebration featuring a food festival, a photography exhibit, a block party, fireworks, a parade, and a Bell Tapping Ceremony, in which descendants of signers of the Declaration of Independence ceremonially tap the Liberty Bell.

3. Brooklyn, NY. Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest.

The Fourth of July and hot dogs are inextricably linked, and Nathan’s hot dog eating contest on Coney Island in Brooklyn, held on the Fourth of July, only intensifies the association. The event’s nexus of competition and gluttony is enjoyable and mind-blowing to watch. For those who cannot make it to Brooklyn, don’t fear. ESPN will broadcast the competition.

4. South Lake Tahoe, CA. Star Spangled Fourth – Lights on the Lake.

The largest synchronized fireworks display west of the Mississippi River is held on the south shore of Lake Tahoe on the evening of July 4. The size of the Lights on the Lake fireworks display itself is a big deal, and the lake’s enormous reflective surface adds significantly to the effect. Fireworks are set off from a small island located in the center of Lake Tahoe. Local radio stations KRLT and KOWL even soundtrack the fireworks display.

5. Washington, DC. General Pageantry in the Nation’s Capital.

The nation’s capital may be the most obvious choice for an Independence Day getaway, but it is indeed a great place to celebrate the holiday. In addition to a parade, fireworks, and concerts at the US Capitol and Washington Monument, there are special events scheduled at the National Archives and the White House Visitor Center.

(Image: Flickr/Ed Yourdon)

Nation’s oldest amusement park to give ‘deserving’ family private access

by Leigh Caldwell on

To celebrate its 165th anniversary, Lake Compounce is “giving away the keys” to the amusement park to one family for 165 minutes.

Nominate a “deserving” family online by April 20 to enter the Win the Keys to Lake Compounce contest. Park officials say economic troubles, personal hardships and sacrificing yourself to serve others are examples of things they would consider deserving. You can nominate your own family if you would like.

Lake Compounce officials will judge the merits of each entry and announce a winner on the park’s 2010 opening day, May 15.

The prize will be awarded on the evening of May 28, when the winning family will receive a behind-the-scenes tour of the amusement park, private access to the park’s rides and attractions and an overnight stay at a nearby Clarion Hotel in Bristol, Conn. The winners will also be given $100 to spend on souvenirs at Lake Compounce.

Man hit by falling ice from plane

by Sean McLachlan on

There have got to be better ways to get in the news.

David Gammon was relaxing in his garden near Bristol International Airport in England earlier this week when a plane flew overhead. The 76 year-old pensioner heard a whistling sound and got smacked in the thigh by a piece of ice the size of a grapefruit. He suffered a serious bruise that you can see on this video.

Authorities are investigating but the airport was quick to point out that there was no proof the ice fell off a plane using Bristol International. Afraid of getting sued, are we? They claim that ice falling from high-flying planes can land up to five miles away from the aircraft, meaning a plane going to Heathrow or a flight passing by to another destination could have been the culprit.

Assuming this little factoid is true, paranoids now having something new to worry about. With so many flight paths crisscrossing the sky, almost nobody is safe.

Tough luck, Mr. Gammon. Good thing it didn’t hit your head.