City Weekend interviews cocktail master Bob Louison

City Weekend caught up with Bob Louison to talk about his upcoming cocktail lessons. Tonight will be the fourth lesson, the third one for Grace and I to attend. Can't wait to try the chocolate Martini and the tanghulu (hawthorne berry) cocktail!

Interview: Cocktail Master Bob Louison Talks About His Dessert Cocktail Class This Saturday

BBC Global Marketplaces: Sanyuanli market

Although I'd caution anyone to take this article as anything more than anecdotal evidence of the state of consumer finances in China, it is interesting nonetheless.

In the video clip, Café Europa owner Chen Li, takes us on a tour of Beijing's Sanyuanli produce market and explains her views on how the economic climate is affecting consumer food purchases.

Global marketplaces feel the downturn: Beijing

This quote from Chen Li stood out:

Chen Li, who runs a restaurant in Beijing called Café Europa, said she is ordering 20-40% less food from the market. "Usually European customers would have a glass of wine with their lunch. Now they do without," she said.

Beijing Gourmand is no enemy of decadence, but perhaps regularly ordering wine with what one presumes is a working day lunch for the Jianwai SOHO crowd is a cause of poor financial performance rather than a symptom.