Books & Brews: A "secret" bar and some expert readers' advisory

One of our traveling companions had heard about an Edinburgh bar with a variety of unique drinks. Our last night together, we set out to visit Panda & Sons (a bar disguised as a barber shop, complete with a secret door). Joyfully, Ryan had joined our merry band by this point.

Group shot in front of the Panda & Sons inside door. I totally want one for my house!

As a librarian, I also loved Panda & Sons' book-themed menus (with chapters detailing different "genres" of cocktails. Hee-hee.)

Presenting The Birdcage.

Meghan was the most adventurous, choosing the legendary Birdcage for her first drink and the Tiki Takeaway for her second. I had a slightly more traditional version of a margarita, an Amor Joven, which was rimmed with smoked paprika, followed by a Raisin the Stakes.

With our second round of cocktails (and a boring beer for Ryan).

Perusing the menu "chapters". 

In other (book) shop talk, I'm coming home with three recommendations for British crime series thanks to our tour driver Lindsay (a retired Glaswegian police officer).

• DCI Lorimer series by Alex Gray (set in Glasgow) 
• Bob Skinner series by Quintin Jardine (set in Edinburgh) 
• Roy Grace series by Peter James (set in Sussex, England) 

Digital story: The city that reads

You see readers everywhere in London. My digital story looks at how prevalent books are in London culture.

References

Bowker. (2010, April 14). Bowker reports traditional U.S. book production flat in 2009. Bowker.com. Retrieved July 26, 2011, from http://www.bowker.com/index.php/press-releases-2010/616-bowker-reports-traditional-us-book-production-flat-in-2009

Brown, M. (2009, September 19). Charles Dickens bust at Mary Ward House. Flickr. Retrieved July 26, 2011, from http://www.flickr.com/photos/londonmatt/3934121575/

Central Intelligence Agency. (2011, July 5). United Kingdom. CIA World Factbook. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uk.html

Central Intelligence Agency. (2011, July 12). United States. CIA World Factbook. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html

Jones, D. (2011, January 28). Site of bookshop where George Orwell used to work, Hampstead. Flickr. Retrieved July 26, 2011, from http://www.flickr.com/photos/dgjones/376403748/

Nielsen Company. (2010, January 26). Even more books published in 2009. Nielsen Book. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from
http://www.nielsenbook.co.uk/uploads/press/NielsenBook_BookProductionFigures3_Jan2010.pdf

Palisade Dance [Recorded by Sid Phillips & His Orchestra]. (1937). On Palisade dance. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from http://www.archive.org/details/SidPhillipsOrchestra-01-03

Robinson, L. (2007, March 24). Masses of humanity, Embankment. Flickr. Retrieved July 27, 2011, from http://www.flickr.com/photos/mortalcoil/432564517/

Transport facts. (n.d.). London Councils. Retrieved July 26, 2011, from http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/londonfacts/keyfacts/transportfacts.htm

Literary London

London is clearly a city that reads. I don't know if it's because so many publishing houses are based here or the reliance on public transportation, but every Tube stop seems to have multiple books advertised in a fashion usually reserved for movies back in the States (and London does do some pretty big movie ads, too). But the promotion of the books was so impressive that I decided to start snapping photos: