The Mrs. Julius S. Walsh Appreciation Society

The first "cocktail party" ever thrown was allegedly by Mrs. Julius S. Walsh Jr. of St. Louis, Missouri, in May 1917. Mrs. Walsh invited 50 guests to her home at noon on a Sunday. The party lasted an hour, until lunch was served at 1 pm.
-Wikipedia

On the corner of HaYarkon and Trumpeldor in Tel Aviv is a very unassuming little hotel (The Imperial) which boasts one of the worlds top fifty cocktail bars. We managed to squeeze a table for an hour - or rather a happy hour - and I have to admit they were first class and very good value. I was prompted to research the history of said drink and am now going to open my own establishment which I am going to call Mrs. Walsh’s. It might just consist of me shakin’ and stirrin’ in our kitchen but everyone has to start somewhere.

My cocktails were smoky. I like ‘em like that.

Our main enterprise today - after a very slow start - was to hire  bikes, cycle up the beaches and then circumnavigate Yarkon Park, which is enormous. Great ride. Lovely weather. Tel Aviv was overrun in places by loud drunken Scots who were here for an Israel vs Scotland footie match in Haifa at 10.45 tonight. That was a bit surreal. Kilts on the beach and all that.

Another great day.