The Hendrick’s School for Scoundrels and the Ladies School of Nuptial Conquest are now open for registration, touring our green and pleasant land! Our esteemed professors from the Hendrick’s Curiositorium are on hand to offer advice on this most unusual leap year. So go forth and reserve your place for this most delightful activity by simply placing a click here!

After a three-year international series of tea and ginneous gatherings, the Afternoon Tea with Legends of Adventure has reached its victorious end.

The humble tea leaf has long been synonymous with adventure. Columbus, Magellan, Cooke, Heyerdahl, Mallory . . . they all loved a good cup of tea as they pored over maps and plotted their next discoveries. And The Adventurists’ Afternoon Tea with Legends of Adventure was created in homage to this noble partnership.

In 2009, a certain Colonel Blashford-Snell kicked off the revolution with talk of bullet dodging on the Nile and ingenious ways to cook tinned sardines. Mr. Benedict Allen was the second legend of choice and enthralled all with his anecdotes of murdering dogs, harrowing “crocodile” male initiation ceremonies, and tackling of the Bering Straits during the coldest Siberian winter in 40 years.

In 2010, the tea revolution stormed on with the likes of motorbike adventurers Loise Pryce and Bernardo Galvan, overland travel writer Peter Moore, and human power circumnavigator Jason Lewis.

Fascinated with all things peculiar, we here at Hendrick’s Gin took a fancy to these adventurous antics.. And to that end, Hendrick’s Gin and The Adventurists banded together, and in 2011 the Afternoon Tea went worldwide with events in London, Edinburgh, Madrid, Philadelphia, and Sydney. On each occasion, the vital ingredients were brought together: tea flown in from the far corners of the globe, the finest homemade cakes, music and performers, splendidly salubrious surroundings, and, of course, no Afternoon Tea was complete without lashings of Hendrick’s Gin.

2011 sailed full steam ahead with anecdotal delights from Sir Chay Blyth, the first chap to sail single-handed the wrong way around the world. We flew the extraordinary explorer Mr. Charles Brewer-Carias to Philadelphia to speak for the first time outside Venezuela. Jesús “The Jackal” García Barcala was our Legend in Madrid and is also an Adventurists veteran, having done the Mongol Rally and Rickshaw Run. Tim Fitzhigham amused all with his copper-bath English Channel escapades, and Australia’s greatest living adventurer, Jon Muir, came out of hiding to finish the series down-under.

With a great victory declared on behalf of the Afternoon Tea Revolution, we must ponder, what is on the horizon? Will this love affair between Hendrick’s and the fine chaps of The Adventurists end? You’d be a fool to think so…  To  keep a beady eye on plans evolving from the map room, stay tuned to the Hendrick’s Curiositorium and The Adventurists’ Jibber Mailout!

But before you dash off, why not take one last look at some of our favorite round ups from the Afternoon Teas: Jon Muir in Sydney, Tim FitzHigham in Edinburgh, and Charles Brewer-Carias in Philadelphia!

Each leap year on the 29th of February, the normal rules of courtship are reversed, and a lady may freely propose to a gentlemen!

Public knowledge of advanced courtship techniques and the means of their rebuffal are at a perilously low level. Far too many young women run the risk of horrendous disappointment – and too many men may succumb to dread ‘commitment.’

Fear not! Hendrick’s is here to furnish you with the knowledge and skills you need to trap your man, or retain your liberty, during this month of Reverse Courtship. Hendrick’s School for Scoundrels & Ladies’ School of Nuptial Conquest will shortly appear at leading drinking establishments across our green and pleasant land.

Gentlemen! You will learn how not to be a gentleman . . . while still appearing to be one. Ladies! All the wily seductive cunning of your femininity will be concentrated on one object.

To begin your education and enroll at a Hendrick’s School near you, proceed without delay and place a click HERE.

Good afternoon, Ms. Ryan! Would you mind first telling us more about who you are and what you do?

My name is Catherine Ryan. I am an artist living in Oakland, CA, and I make paintings and drawings.

What did you have for dinner last night? Did you enjoy it?

I had vegetable tempura and poki tuna salad. I enjoyed it very much.

I wonder, how did you first discover your ability as an artist? What attracted you to painting and drawling?

I’m not sure when I first discovered my artistic ability, but I’ve been making art for as long as I can remember. Initially, I loved book illustrations and trying to duplicate the worlds that I saw in my favorite books. As an adult, I love being able to tell my own stories through imagery.

Do you excel in any other art form? Do you play the ukulele?

Unfortunately, no. Though I do really wish I had musical skills.

How did you come up with the idea for your Hendrick’s box?

I wanted to combine some of the elements of my work with the utilitarian design of the box. So I approached the design as if it were a 1970s lunchbox. I based it off of things I remember my older brothers having when I was little.

Not to put you on the spot too much, Ms. Ryan, but could you name a few of your favorite artists at the moment and what you admire about their work?

Right now I’m really loving the work of Mamma Andersson and Echo Eggebrecht. Both artists have an amazing eye for color and there is a really strong sense of mystery and ambiguity in both of their work, which I find intriguing.

Do you consider yourself curious? How does that inform your work?

Definitely. I think all of my work stems from my curiosity about the world and serves as a method for me to try to understand the things around me.

If you could get a drink with any historical figure, who would you choose and why?

Phil Hartman. I don’t know if he counts as a historical figure, but he was one of my favorite comedians and was also a pretty cool artist. He just seemed like he would’ve have been really interesting to talk to.

What do you wish the gentlelady or gentleman who wins this box stores inside of it?

Their lunch?

Place a click here to enter to win this marvelous Catherine Ryan Artist Box!

Might you begin by explaining who you are and what you do?

My name is Beth Beverly, and I’m a licensed taxidermist living and working in Philadelphia, USA. My company is called Diamond Tooth Taxidermy, and while I do trophy mounts for hunters, I consider myself a rogue taxidermist, meaning that I specialize in the more bizarre and alternative aspects of the craft.

My passion is creating wearable “fashion taxidermy:” headpieces, hats, and fascinators for the discriminating and formidable woman. I went to Bill Allen’s Pocono Institute, after dabbling in taxidermy for almost ten years as an amateur. My interest was sparked by the despair I experienced, seeing birds who’d perished after crashing into windows and then left on the city’s sidewalks to rot. What a waste of beauty! It seemed so disrespectful and undignified, so I bought a book on basic taxidermy and taught myself. My work then was so crude; I cringe to look at it, but it does serve as a marker for where I was in my skill set and how far I’ve come.

I like to stress to folks who aren’t familiar with me, or my work, that I do everything in my power to source specimen ethically and within my personal moral boundaries. I’ve written about it extensively here, but the brass tacks are: I only use roadkill (when legal and fresh,) domestic creatures who have expired naturally, or game that will also serve as nourishment for either myself or my pets.  Hunters may bring me critters they’ve dispatched with no interest in using the meat inside, but fret not — it never goes to waste.

Animals, feathered, furred, and scaled, alike, have been a lifelong well of inspiration for me, and along with a healthy fascination with death, continue to be the main thrust behind all I do creatively. When I was in college for jewelry design, I was constantly incorporating natural fibers such as fur, feathers, hair, etc. During my 8 year stint as a window dresser in Center City (at both Daffy’s and Boyd’s,) I often incorporated animal themes in my displays. Along with my website, I keep a blog that is regularly updated with whatever my latest adventure in the world of rogue taxidermy happens to be. Please, check it out: Skinned Deep.

If you weren’t doing that, what other occupation would you pursue?

Along with my taxidermy art, I perform as an aerialist/entertainer at events, work on cruise ships as a warranty technician, and dress the occasional shop window, so I would say my occupatory life is quite saturated at this point.

What are some of your favorite blogs?

I read Geekologie every day, but aside from that I really don’t have a blog roster.

At the risk of pandering, I will say that I do love the Unusual Times blog — it’s among the sites I’ve found while falling down the rabbit hole of friend recommendations every now and again. Honestly though, I have no regular go-tos, blog wise.

I am however, a raging podcast hound. My top five are: Professor Blastoff , the Todd Glass Show, the Lavender Hour, WTF, Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast, and Comedy Bang Bang.

What’s the last book you read? What’s your favorite book of all time?

The book I’ve been reading for the last two months is Moon, the biography of Keith Moon, by Tony Fletcher. His story inspired my fiberoptic light up chicken that took third place in the annual M.A.R.T. competition, in December.

My favorite book of all time would be Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut. It blew my brain wide open and laid the mental foundation for the way I would come to see everything as a young adult.

What’s the last meal you ate? Did you enjoy it?

A handful of chocolate covered espresso beans from the dispenser at Fantes.  It was OK. I have an ambivalent relationship with food and dread feeding myself. I’d prefer to exist off pastries and champagne, but that never works out for long. Thankfully I’ve exposed myself to more balanced meals through my taxidermy, as I try and make meals out of what I skin to stay within the moral boundaries I’ve set for myself. Next week I’ll be trying fox and raccoon, if the hunting gods are smiling on me.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?

My cat, Frankie, because he is the most well treated feline in the entire world. I want to know what it’s like to juggle my naps with frequent full body massages, punctuated with twice daily feedings of homemade fresh cat food. Not to mention the physical aspect of having a tail, being able to jump four times my own height in the air (with grace and panache!), the hyper olfactory senses, night vision, AND the sensation of purring! It would also be a riot to see what my cat would do while inhabiting my body.

Where and when would you go, if you could travel in time?

At the risk of sounding like a fifth grader, I’d really like to go see dinosaurs in the Cretaceous period with my own eyes. I want to smell them, hear them, examine their colors, horns, the way they move, all of it. That’s also apparently when the first butterflies came about, and I’m imagining the most intense, rich, lush colors that have only become diluted over time.

What do you do to unwind?

I don’t.

What excites you most?

Drag queens. Anything that sparkles: hoop skirts, tiaras, tassels. The sound of hands clapping and bell choirs.

What do you hope you’re doing on this day in 5 years?

Celebrating my birthday with a vast champagne cocktail fixings bar, having garnered enough success in my career to pay off all my current debts, thus making room for the future ones. I believe that 2017 is a rabbit year in the Chinese calendar, and for myself, a snake person, it should be a little less action packed. Perhaps I’ll give that “unwinding” thing, of which you speak, a try.

It’s a mark of an artist — one with a great, unyielding imagination — to be able to so easily take what is regularly around us and transform it into something we’ve yet to see. And without being too blunt, I think it’s safe to assume that we all use our fair share of bathroom tissue, but only one Ms. Anastassia Elias could see what was yet to be sculpted from it’s interior.

Today we salute such innovative minds, as without them, we surely wouldn’t have a cucumber and rose infused gin… Cheers, my friends!

Preparation:
Shake all ingredients together and finely strain. Serve in a teacup, or suitable glass drinking vessel with ice. Garnish with a cucumber wheel. 
 

To help celebrate Australia Day, Hendrick’s Gin Ambassador, Jamie Terrell, has created the “Gold Rush Tea” tipple. Drawing inspiration  from the fresh mangoes of Queensland and Australia’s gold fields in the 19th century, the concoction looks absolutely golden… Happy Australia Day, mates!

Today, we are delighted to announce our next Curate-A-Box artist and reveal her one-of-a-kind creation. In fact, this is the ninth in our series of inspired artist’s box collaborations, which seeks to employ the talents of some rather innovative individuals, putting their genius into your hands — and in the form of a box, no less!

This time around we enlisted the help of the ever so talented Ms. Catherine Ryan, a painter and drawer from the San Fransisco bay area who was kind enough to also offer up three of her own outstanding prints to the box’s winner… Huzzah, indeed, my friends! Wait no longer, enter to win below…

ENTER TO WIN THE CATHERINE RYAN ARTIST BOX:

Please forgive us if you live elsewhere, but unfortunately, this contest is only open to residence of the United States. We love you all equally, and we wish it could be another way, but, at this time, it can not. Thank you for understanding.

The Unusual Times “Catherine Ryan Artist Box Giveaway” rules and regulations.

MUST BE 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER TO ENTER. VOID IN CALIFORNIA, TENNESSEE, AND WHEREVER TAXED, PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR CLAIM PRIZE.

1. To Enter: This Catherine Ryan Box Giveaway (the “Promotion”) begins at 12:01 a.m. (EST) on JANUARY 23th, 2012, and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. (EST) on FEBRUARY 19th, 2012. Participants can enter online at www.theunusualtimes.net by filling out the Promotion entry form, or by mailing their name and mailing address to Hieronymus Stone, 114-120 South 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107. All entries must be sent by FEBRUARY 15th, 2012 and received by FEBRUARY 20th, 2012. One entry per person.

2. Prizes: One (1) prize will be awarded. The prize consists of one (1) custom artists box created by Catherine Ryan Artist Box Giveaway. Approximate retail value of prize package is $25.

3. Determination of Winner: Winner will be determined by random drawing on or about FEBRUARY 20th, 2012 and will be contacted by Quaker City Mercantile, an independent organization whose decisions will be final in all matters relating to the Promotion. Odds of winning will be determined by the total number of eligible entries timely received. The potential winners will be notified by e-mail on or about FEBRUARY 20th, 2012. If a potential winner cannot be located via e-mail or telephone within 2 days of the first attempted notification, prize may, at the sole discretion of the Sponsor, automatically be forfeited and another winner selected. Winners will be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility, a liability release and, where legal, a publicity release, within 7 days of notification or prize may, at the sole discretion of the Sponsor, automatically be forfeited and awarded to another winner. Except where prohibited, participation in the Promotion and/or acceptance of a prize constitutes winners’ consent to use of their name, likeness, photograph, voice and biographical data for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation.

4. Eligibility: The Promotion is open only to legal residents of the United States who are 21 years of age or older at the time of entry. Due to state law restrictions, California and Tennessee residents may not participate. Void wherever taxed, prohibited or otherwise restricted by law. Employees of William Grant & Sons, Inc., its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, agents, assignees, printers, advertising, public relations, promotion and other agencies, alcohol beverage suppliers, importers, wholesalers, distributors or retailers, as well as any member of the immediate families or households of any of the foregoing, are not eligible. All federal, state and local laws apply.

5. General Conditions: No substitution of prize for cash except at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Cash substitution may be less than approximate retail value of prize. Prize is non-transferable except at the sole discretion of Sponsor. All federal, state and local taxes on the prize are winner’s sole responsibility. By participating in this Promotion the winner, for and on behalf of himself or herself and all of his or her heirs, personal representatives and assigns, voluntarily accepts and assumes all risk associated with participating in this Promotion and accepting, using or misusing any prize, and further agrees to completely and forever defend, indemnify and hold Sponsor and its parents, subsidiaries, officers, directors, employees, agents, and agencies harmless from and against any and all claims, costs, expenses, actions, demands, causes of action or other liabilities, known or unknown, absolute or contingent, fixed or otherwise, arising or resulting in any manner from and/or by reason of the winner’s participation in the Promotion and/or his or her receipt, acceptance, use and/or misuse of any prize.

Sponsor shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to abbreviate, modify, suspend, cancel or terminate the Promotion in whole or in part without notice or further obligation.

6. Electronic Entries: In the event of a dispute, online entries will be deemed made by the authorized account holder, as of the date of entry, of the e-mail address from which entry was submitted. The authorized account holder is the natural person who is assigned to the e-mail address by an internet access provider, online service, or other organization responsible for assigning e-mail addresses. Sponsor and its agencies are not responsible for lost, late, damaged, illegible, misdirected, incomplete or postage–due entries, or for online entries not received due to lost, failed, delayed or interrupted connections or miscommunications, or to other electronic malfunctions, delays, or errors of any kind. Sponsor is not responsible for incorrect or inaccurate entry information, whether caused by website visitors or by any human or technical error. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend all or a portion of the Promotion, should viruses, bugs or other causes beyond control of the Sponsor corrupt the administration, security or proper operation of the Promotion.

ANY PERSON WHO ATTEMPTS, SUCCESSFULLY OR OTHERWISE, TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY SPONSOR OR PROMOTION-RELATED WEBSITE, OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS PROMOTION, IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAW AND SPONSOR WILL SEEK THE PROSECUTION OF, AND DAMAGES FROM, ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

7. Winner’s List: For a list of winners, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Hieronymus Stone, Quaker City Mercantile, 114-120 South 13th St., Philadelphia, PA, 19107. All requests for the winner’s list must be postmarked by FEBRUARY 15th, 2012 and received by FEBRUARY 20th, 2012.

Sponsor: William Grant & Sons, Inc., New York, NY

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY.
©2012 William Grant & Sons, Inc.

There was once a time, in the late 19th century, when it was seen that Thomas Edison could do just about anything — and to a certain extent, it was largely true. In fact, at the time the above news clippings were printed in 1879, Mr. Edison, who was just 32, had already invented the electric light bulb and the phonograph, not to mention dozens of patents for things like the automatic telegraph, the voice engine, the speaking telephone, and an electrical mishmash of other useful and revolutionary things (not the least of which were certain essential improvements in the telephone that made the Bell instrument more commercially practicable on a mass scale.)

Nevertheless, Mr. Edison’s anti-gravitation under-clothing, which envisioned canines carting levitating infants around by leashes, ought to have been taken with a grain of salt — even at this time of great achievement for a man of so many inventions. Still, it seem fun to imagine such a world.

It does leave me with one final thought, however. Would citizens of this new suspended society be advised to not drink and put on their under-clothing?

Ingredients:
1 1/2oz (40ml) Hendrick’s Gin
1/2oz (15ml) Green Chartreuse
Fresh branch of rosemary

Preparation:
Infuse rosemary in Hendrick’s Gin and Green Chartreuse. Flame, Jerry Thomas style. Serve in a tea cup!