If you can’t find agave syrup (it’s not all that easy to find in the UK either, but Waitrose sells it) then you can use plain old sugar syrup to get the balancing act down – and making it yourself is real easy with some sugar and water in a saucepan. But agave syrup does have the neat party trick of tasting like tequila, or more accurately the cactus it’s made from.

Them’s some choice quotes, man.
Particularly like the “watery grave.” Classic!

Yes the ‘lime juice’ they sell in bottles isn’t worth bothering with. The Playboy Bartender’s Guide by Thomas Mario says “The bottled juice, whether in glass or plastic containers, never equals the freshly-squeezed variety and should be kept on hand for emergencies only”.

Some other quotes – it’s a good book, not just the usual list of cocktails:

“Ice should always go into the shaker first, alcohol last. By giving the ice first place, all the ingredients that follow will be cooled on their way down. Furthermore, once you acquire the habit of adding the alcohol last, you’re unlikely to inadvertently double the spirits or, worse still, forget them altogether, both possible errors for hosts taking a wee snifter along with their guests”.

“Never fill a shaker to the brim; allow enough room for all ingredients to be tossed back and forth – to set up the clear, pleasant rattle of ice”.

“When the drinks have been shaken, pour them at once; don’t let the cocktail shaker become a watery grave”.

“Never pour drinks higher than 6mm from the rim of the glass”.

“When pouring more than one mixed drink, line up the glasses rim to rim, fill them half full, then pour again to the same height in each glass”.

“Though cocktails must be icy cold (proper dilution is part of the art), they shouldn’t be watery. Anyone can start shaking cocktails. It’s the artist who knows when to stop. Normally, 60-70 ml poured into a cocktail shaker will grow to approximately 125 ml after being given a proper shaking”.

The Taverna is definitely a pat your belly and go “Aaaah” after the meal kinda place.
Parfait had the Grande Espetada. It was *very* Grande.

Dias Tavern. I remember it well. *happy, well-fed type sigh*