Litovel
(Czech
Republic) 
Comes
in either blue label (weak) or red label (stronger). It is alright but leaves a
funny, slightly stale aftertaste. A decent, run of the mill lager. You don’t
seem to find it often though. Raven’s Beer Rating: 6.1 Worth Czech-ing out.
(Czech – Get it?)
Tequila
Slammers Slovenian Style (Umm…Slovenia) 
Involves
a shot of tequila in a half pint glass topped up with a little bit of soda water
or lemonade. The Slovenian barman who patented the drink then bangs the glass on
the bar, so it all fizzes up and then you down it in one. An interesting
alternative to the old salt, shot and lime. Raven’s Beer Rating: Okay, not
strictly a beer, but gets you drunk nonetheless. 7.5
An
interesting concept: Tequila flavour beer. It is quite strong (about 6 percent I
think) and actually tastes quite like cider. It has character but the taste,
albeit different, is nothing special. Also, you never seem to find it cold
anywhere. It’s as if it refuses to chill. Raven’s Beer Rating: 4.5. Like
the name says, only drink it if you’re desperate. Especially at over 3 quid a
bottle.
Corona
(Mexico)
Okay,
so we’re all familiar with Corona. But I thought I’d mention it anyway. I
like Corona because it is nice to drink a bottled beer that doesn’t taste like
watered down crap. Actually quite crisp and refreshing if it is served in the
right way – Ice cold and with a wedge of lime in the neck. (Which I learned is
actually to keep out flies. Genius.) Still, more often than not it is served in
the WRONG way – too expensive, warm in a dusty bottle with no lime. Raven’s
Beer Rating: 7.0 Nice on a hot summer’s day. Goes down like an ethereal
elixir…or something.
Red
Stripe (Jamaica)
This
beer tastes like fosters that has passed it’s sell-by date, been pissed in,
and then been left on a hot window sill in Kingston for a week. Usually flatter
than Nelly Furtado’s chest, this is the kind of beer you would only buy if the
local offy had sold out of goat’s piss. Still, it is nice to see the Caribbean
represented on the great world map of beers, However I think that the Jamaicans
should stick to making rum. Raven’s Beer Rating: 2.5 (and I’m being
kind.) Anyone got a bargepole to avoid it with?
Utenos
(Lithuania)
This is one of my favourite beers. I was introduced to this by a Lithuanian bouncer named Arunas, and can only be bought at eastern European delicatessens. The good thing about it is that it comes in huge (plastic) bottles. This beer was actually voted the best beer in the world two years running, and it’s easy to see why. A prime example to the rest of the world. Thank you Lithuania!! Raven’s Beer Rating: 9.5 – this is the Rolls Royce of lagers. If I was dying I’d probably give my right bollock for a bottle of Utenos.
The Raven Effect
Okay, this is my own signature cocktail. Start off with Crushed Ice, (in a glass, preferably!) and you need:
2 Shots of Tequila
2 Shots of Malibu
Mix it around and then top up with an Orange and Passionfruit Reef
Finish with a shot of Creme de Menthe all around the top. The Creme de Menthe should sit on top of the rest of the drink and float down a bit so it looks really cool. Garnish with a slice of lemon or lime, some sugar around the rim of the glass and a couple of straws. DO NOT MIX OR STIR.
The British Bulldog
There is a little tale behind this drink. A few months ago i was at a party where i met a guy named Nick. Nick was an american and a huge one at that, standing just under seven feet tall. He was some relation of my uncle's, maybe his nephew so i guess that would make us second cousins or something like that. Anyway, we were talking and the subject of drinking came up, and particualrly cocktails. I mentioned that i had never actually had a long island iced tea, and asked him what the ingredients were. I can't remember exactly, but i know it contained more spirits than the haunted house at Alton Towers. We worked out that we thought it contained vodka, rum, gin and tequila, triple sec and coke. We decided to try and make one, substituting anything we didn't have for something similar. The only thing we were missing was triple sec, which i thought had a lemony type flavour. So, we decided to use lemon juice. It was fucking nice!! VERY strong but actually a nice taste too. After we had finished drinking it Nick made a statement something about the americans leading the world when it came to drink - i decided i wasn't going to stand for this!! I told him to wait there and I was going to make him a cocktail to beat the previous one. I ran to the back cupboard where all the drinks were kept - i thought "Right. I need to make something good here...and something very british." The first thing i saw was a bottle of Gin. I thought - that's a good start, you can't get much more British than that. I poured a double gin over crushed ice in each glass. Then, after a further search i was beginning to think that Nick was right - all the rest of the drinks seemed to be from abroad. Until i came across a bottle that I thought was being kept hidden from the rest...a bottle of Mickey Finn's Moonshine - a brand of shooter liquor. Lethal stuff. This particular one was Butterscotch flavour and a quick taste confirmed that it was perfect. So i poured in quite a lot of that...and just to give it a bit of a kick i put in a single shot of Tequila. (okay, not strictly British but Nick didn't have to know...) Finished up with a good old dash of Coke and a lemon slice, the only thing missing was a British name. I walked into the living room and wrestling was on telly...and so the first thing that came to my head was British Bulldog...and thus, the masterpiece was born. RULE BRITANNIA!!!
2 shots of Gin
2 shots of Butterscotch Schnapps
1 shot of Tequila
Top up with Cola and a hint of lemon / lime juice, garnish and serve.
The After Eight
Some of you may have heard of this before. This is the drink I used to make for girls when i worked at the hayfield in an attempt to impress them. It's basically halfway between a shot and an actual drink. Meant to be enjoyed slowly...
Ice. Lots of it.
A double Baileys.
A shot of Creme de Menthe.
A little dash of milk. Just a little dash.
Tastes like an after eight mint, looks like the colour of liquor from the pie and mash shop, gets you drunk. What more could you want.
The Reflection of Perfection
Another from my Hayfield days.
Ice. The essential ingredient in any cocktail.
1 shot of Apple Sourz
1 shot of Bols Blue
1 bottle of Blue WKD
Dash of Lemonade
This drink is very much like myself - cool, attractive and usually has a hot girl sucking away on it. Thus, i named it the Reflection of Perfection.
Flatliner (Stepney Green Style)
OK. This drink is absolutely LETHAL. Just ask Dean!! and, this is absolutely true, but this drink does have the power to erase your memory. Every time we drink it, we have a great night, then wake up the next morning not knowing what we did the night before. And then, when we return to the pub or bar we drunk them in, we get some funny looks...! Observe...
1 shot Tequila
1 shot Zambuca
Alright. A traditional Flatliner is supposed to have Tabasco Sauce in it, but since they don't have any at the Hayfield, we improvise to make a more lethal version - combining tomato ketchup, vinegar and mustard and mixing it vigorously. Down this in one and see how devastating the effects can be!!
