A restaurant & bar / coffee shop / live music space in Beijing, China.
Next Performance: Thursday 1st April 2009 – 9:30pm (Free Entry)
Scotsman, James Brodie, writes comedic schizo-folk songs drawn from his time living as an expat in China. Brodie is a madman on a soapbox whose songs string together truths as they come to him, singing in Chinese, French, English, and Chinglish. His wild performing style and hilarious lyrics always have the audience in stitches.
Those of you who happened to be at Ginkgo this Friday night will be thrilled that Scots folk rockers SKERRYVORE will be live at Ginkgo again this Saturday night. The somewhat impromptu gig last night has driven us to book them again tonight. The band, who are making a huge name for themselves across the UK and EUROPE, will be live at Ginkgo this Saturday night for another storming night of live Scottish folk rock. Seriously if you missed them last night – BE HERE! They are awesome fun and are only in town for the next few days. It may be the last time to see them before fame beckons! They are anything but another Beijing import – read on….
A driving sound of bagpipes, accordions and fiddle, fused brilliantly with kicking rhythms of guitar, bass and drums, Skerryvore are a young band blasting their exciting sound to audiences from the Western Isles of Scotland, to the thousands at Celtica in Italy! The roots of the band come from the West Coast of Scotland and in particular the tiny Island of Tiree, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.
Their debut album, ‘West Coast Life’ was awarded album of the month on BBC Radio Scotland’s Celtic Connections program in August 2005. Their 2nd album, titled ‘On the Road’, was released in July 2007 and went to re-press within a week of its release. With album sales now approaching 10′000, Skerryvore are a band capturing the hearts of audiences of all ages, at home and abroad.
Over the past 3 years, Skerryvore’s transforming, explosive sound has seen them touring and performing at festivals world-wide including Celtic Connections, Hebridean Celtic Festival, MOK Festival, MagiaCeltica & Celtica Festivals in Italy and the Netherlands. Throughout their travels they have appeared alongside the likes of the Peatbog Fairies, Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Lingalad, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, and also performing with Donnie Munro (formally Runrig) and Wolfstone at the Rock Celtic festival held at Glamis Castle in September this year. Skerryvore make their debut in the USA in 2008 by accompanying Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond for performances at the Ryder Cup in Louisville, Kentucky, before blasting their sound to crowds in Chicago.
Skerryvore’s highly anticipated 3rd album is due for release in 2009, and will see their tour expand for debut performances in Canada, Portugal and Spain.
Don’t miss them at Ginkgo this Saturday from 10:30pm…. FREE ENTRY B4 9:30pm. 20 RMB After.
Gin is distilled grain alcohol flavoured with different herbs and spices known as botanicals. The main flavour ingredient in gin is juniper berries, which gives gin its distinctive dry taste and aroma. Other botanicals can include coriander, angelica root, citrus peels and liquorice.
Hendricks Gin is handcrafted in small batches in small batches in Ayrshire, Scotland using a 19th century pot still. Instead of boiling the ingredients like many other gins, the still “bathes” them in vapours at a leisurely pace – the more leisurely the disillation process, the more intense the flavour of the finished gin. The recipe for Hendricks Gin includes traditional botanicals such as juniper, coriander and citrus peels and an unexpected infusion of cucumber and rose petals which gives Hendricks Gin its truly unique and unusual flavour.
The first thing you’ll notice is that the bottle is squat and brown and distinctive – almost a nod to gin’s medicinal roots, because it looks like something you’d buy from an apothecary. The second thing is that instead of crowing about how their gin is the greatest thing since the polio vaccination, the little pamphlet that comes with the bottle almost dares you to try it. With slogans like “It is not for everybody” and “Preferred by 1 out of 1000 gin drinkers,” Hendrick’s definitely stays away from typical marketing techniques, though it does say Hendrick’s is “loved by a tiny handful of people all over the world.” But the question is whether the gin itself lives up to the quirky claims and dry humor?
The answer is unequivocally “Yes.” As soon as you pop the cork out of the bottle, there is definitely a juniper smell, but instead of the industrial tang found so often found in other gins, the odor is pleasant and mixed with a light citrusy smell. Just by taking that first whiff you know you are in the presence of something special. As for the taste, the only adjective we can come up with is “velvety.” There are the typical juniper/evergreen tastes, combined with citrus and even a mint undertone.
If you’re a gin drinker, someone who typically sticks to a Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray, we highly recommend giving Hendrick’s a try on your next visit to Ginkgo. The best way to enjoy it is with tonic, served, not altogether surprisingly, with a slice of cucumber. You’ll be glad you did. Don’t just drink it – savor it, sip it, enjoy it.
More About Hendrick’s Gin can be found on their website: www.hendricksgin.com
