BAR Talk has been sampling some of the clear stuff this week at York's only vodka bar. Rumours, on Micklegate, has turned its front bar into a celebration of the Russian drink. The finishing touches were completed this week.

A couple of years ago, there was talk of two dedicated vodka bars opening in York but nothing came of it.

The idea behind Rumours' vodka bar came from GBL, the company behind VK Vodka Kick and other spirit ranges.

Arthur Swaine, one of the partners behind Rumours, said it was going a storm, particularly with younger drinkers who love the special offers.

The range is formidable. The VK Vodka Kick 275ml bottles (ABV four per cent) come in all colours, including lime, blackcurrant and pineapple - now there's a more interesting way to consume your five daily portions of fruit.

Then there's the Corky's range of vodka shots (ABV 20 per cent). These flavours are enough to make your teeth sing: liquorice, toffee, choc mint and lime and chilli, to name a few.

And Rumours took delivery of two new drinks this week: Lemon, Passion and Orange Carvellas, "a sparkling blend of wine and juice" (5.5 per cent).

"The students come in and have a treble vodka with a dash of Corky's and a dash of coke, for £3.50," said Arthur.

They must be falling over themselves to get to the bar...

"We have had very few problems with anybody," he said. "Everybody's been well behaved."

Landlord Chris Fall believes vodka is fashionable because "you can give it what taste you want".

Some non-vodka drinks are still available in the front bar, including the new Carling Extra Cold. There is a fuller range of booze in the bar at the back.

Arthur said that since Rumours opened as an Eighties theme bar last year, it has established itself as a fun place to be by word-of-mouth. Weekends are particularly brisk.

And he agreed with Alan Welch at The Micklegate, featured in last week's Bar Talk, that the street is enjoying a resurgence in popularity after trade was drawn away to the new city centre bars.

The diversity of pubs, and the cheaper prices, were bringing people back to Micklegate, he said.

Next on Rumours' agenda is a refurbished beer garden. The pub's outside seating area is on two levels and will boast new canopies and heaters in time for the longer nights at Easter.

u FORMER hospital worker Danny Cussons is now administering proper medicine as new landlord of the Fox Pub, in Holgate Road - a smooth pint of Tetley Bitter.

The 28-year-old, who recently took over the reins with his partner Angie Machen, plans to serve up honest pub grub from next month.

He has already introduced race nights, fancy dress parties and a pop quiz to the award-winning boozer.

"We've been very well received by the regulars," he said.

"I want to preserve the traditional nature of the pub as well as make it more family-friendly. People come from all over for a pint of Tetley."

Danny hopes to install an adventure playground in the beer garden during the summer. But what are you putting on for the kids, Dan?

u FANCY an e-beer? Award-winning Cropton Brewery is now selling its delicious range of ales on the Internet.

Wherever you are, you can order bottles from the brewery's base at the New Inn in Cropton, on the southern edge of the North York Moors National Park. All that pleasure is just a click again.

"We have only been 'live' for a few days and already orders and inquiries are being received from all over Britain and abroad," said the brewery's Phil Lee.

Visitors to www.croptonbrewery.co.uk can order cases of 12 x 500ml bottles from a choice of nine traditionally brewed beers - or mixed cases giving the opportunity to sample the full range. The choice includes Monkmans Slaughter, Two Pints and the latest addition Endeavour.

Endeavour is described as a light refreshing beer of 3.6 per cent ABV brewed with Hersbrucker & Saaz hops to give a delicate, fruity aftertaste.

"We brew monthly specials," Phil said, "and last summer when the replica of Captain Cook's Ship HM Bark Endeavour visited Whitby, we decided to produce a special beer and dedicate it to the life of Captain James Cook and his famous ship.

"It proved to be so popular we have now added it to our standard range."

u EAGER drinkers piled into the Wonky Donky in High Petergate for a Fullers tutored beer tasting fest courtesy of those lovely people at the Chiswick brewery.

The South Londoners piled a couple of crates of their best products in the back of their white BMW convertible - sorry, brewery van - and ventured up to York for a meeting of their Fine Ale Club.

Even the PR people for the 2003 Good Pub Guide brewer of the year admitted that few barrels of any Fullers product other than London Pride ever make it further north than Watford.

But their range of three cask ales and five bottled beers drew a sizeable crowd to the Three-Legged Mare on High Petergate, lighting up the face of landlord James Butler like a small child on Christmas morning.

So, with due diligence, Bar Talk piled in too, sinking pints of Chiswick Bitter, London Pride and the hefty ESB.

Bottles of London Porter and the commemorative 1845 beers also passed our lips, as well as two novelty vintage ales, which are aged for up to three years and weigh in at a hefty 8.5 per cent ABV.

Chilled bottles of light and refreshing Organic Honey Dew and its fruity variation, Cranberry Honey Dew, were our choice of "palate cleansers" for the tasting session.

The Fullers club offers a free magazine and invitations to events such as this all over the UK. To join send your details to finealeclub@fullers.co.uk

Updated: 16:26 Friday, February 28, 2003