What I learned on my holidays, 1.

What a great holiday. I trust you've all enjoyed my absence.

Amongst my holiday reading was the new Anthony Burgess biography: mentioned is Burgess's enthusiasm for inventing what he called "life-threatening cocktails," and a recipe for one such is included -- with time available and the ingredients to hand, a number of our party felt compelled to try it out. Here, according to Burgess's biographer Andrew Biswell is how to make a pint of Hangman's Blood:

Into a pint glass, doubles of the following are poured: gin, whisky, rum, port and brandy. A small bottle of stout is added and the whole topped up with Champagne....It tastes very smooth, induces a somewhat metaphysical elation, and rarely leaves a hangover.

Rather like a Black Velvet with a depth charge then. And happily, I can report that both promises were fulfilled. The hangovers were all achieved by other means.