iCocktails in your pocket

Licensees and bartenders have been given the chance to access a free database of cocktail recipes and training through their iPods.

Ashley Carpenter, through his company Podsynergy, has developed a new website with a database of thousands of cocktails which can be downloaded onto iPods. There is no charge to access the information.

Brand owners have to pay an annual charge of £50 per cocktail for their brand to be featured on the site.

One company to get involved is Hi-Spirits. It has filmed 22 training podcasts involving mixologist and Bar Academy consultant Jamie Stephenson, which are now also available to download from the Podsynergy website.

Carpenter said the target market for iPods was the same market that is getting really interested in cocktails. "The three things an 18 to 30-year-old will have in their pocket are wallet, mobile phone and iPod. There are more than 100 million of them incirculation so this idea of downloadable recipes and training works really well," he said.

Jeremy Hill, managing director of Hi-Spirits, said: "We made the podcasts for our Volare brand but didn't have the technology to put them onto iPods. We met Ashley and he has the technological know-how.

"Honestly, after downloading a couple of recipes and demonstrations, even I can make good cocktails - I make the best espresso martini in the world now!"To access the content you need to log into www.cocktailsonpod.com and then download the content onto your iPod.

"Once it's on there you can go home and practice making it as many times as you like before creating the cocktail at work," added Carpenter.