h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Some ten years ago Duncan Jones and his younger brother and I travelled round China for six weeks on the cheap. It was VERY hot and so we needed a continual supply of cold drinks. Younger brat able to drink sugary fizz. Dunx and I sampled the local beers. We tried everything from the overpriced Tsingdau to the incredibly cheap REEB and have an impressive collection of beer bottle labels to prove it. Not one of them was worth a second go. We were tempted by Panda which we bought in Shanghai but rued the decision to have the second - spectacular headache after two pints.

The Tsingdao is much improved (if my memory of how it was is reliable) and the Yangshou local beer (Li Qi, i think) is reported to be OK. You need a bit of caution as the Tsingdao is about 8% and the bottles are a massive 640ml - so two of them on a hot evening and I was reeling around like a rubber monkey

Still - the local G&T is very good, as they don't seem to have much idea of measures...we reckon they were giving us about 33% gin in the glass! At the Hard Seat Cafe they nearly gave us a brandy glass full of gin for 40Yuan.

Duncan, is there somewhere you havn't been drunk?

I have recently formed the opinion that what is wrong with the world is that there are far too many parts of it in which I have not been drunk .

Oh no. I spend half my waking hours subbing yarns about where you have already been drunk.

If you visit NZ look me up. My home town is surrounded by vineyards. The "wine trail" is not be missed. Finding a sober driver is a bit tough though

Christmas is coming....which means more drinking articles

Do you think a guide to the pubs of County Sligo, specifically Ballina might get accepted or are we going by the Bord Failté idea that there is nothing outside of Dublin of interest to hitch hikers?

There can never be too many articles on drinking establishments. I have been working on some NZ ones. There's this nifty little Irish pub in Napier, O'Flanagans....

I'm having awful trouble finding a Ceili for this new years eve...but I think Napier is a bit of a trek at such short notice. Perhaps (Guide entry permitting) I can try and get over for 2002 (which even the pedants won't be celebrating as a "millennium" - will they?)

2002, sounds good. I will start looking for a sober driver. Knowing my mates, someone recovering from a liver transplant is sure to be available. As for the pedants, all their bullshit goes over my (prone) head.

This is brought back so that Duncan can get his ars* in gear in time for New year's Eve

Given Ethiopia, Hong Kong and probable unemployment next year I think this might have to be put on the long finger.