THE COCKTAIL LOVERS
INGREDIENTS FOR MORE THAN GREAT DRINKS THE COCKTAIL LOVERS.COM SUMMER 2022
ISSUE 41
ISSN 12034567890
Putting sunshine in a glass
Meet the people who capture the rays in their bottles and signature serves PAGE 30
Great escapes
Holiday hotspots where the drinks are well worth travelling for PAGE 48
Twisted by the pool
Simple twists to make your summer cocktail recipes pop PAGE 42
Feeling HOT HOT HOT, it’s the…
SUM MER ISSUE
WELCOME
hello cocktail lover! Every summer we’re here to experience is a summer worth celebrating. That means slathering on the SPF, shedding the layers and getting your booty outdoors. It’s a time for conviviality, non-conformity, carefree dressing and smiles. It’s lightness, freshness, out of office on and indulging in those sunshine flavours. We can’t do anything about the weather or your mood but we’re sure as hell going to do our bit to assist on the drinks front. Starting with expert tips and essential advice on how and what to imbibe in the sun, all from registered nutritionist and fount of all knowledge on such things, Kerry Torrens BSc (Hons) PgCert MBANT (p. 28). Safety tips noted, it’s time to shine a light on some of the people who have made it their business to bring sunshine to our glasses (p. 30), before we round up the best kit for the season – whether you’re planning a gathering in the garden or pimping up your in-flight mini on the plane, we’ve got you covered (p. 24). Speaking of travels, we head to Oslo to check out its growing bar scene (p. 62) and if you’re off to one of the popular holiday destinations – hey Mykonos, Ibiza and Marbella – Tyler Zielinski points you in the direction of the best bars to have on your itinerary while you’re there (p. 48). Have a good one and in the words of Baz Luhrmann, wear sunscreen (if you know, you know!).
MS S
I must confess I’m not actually a particularly big fan of relentless sunshine and soaring temperatures. It’s not that I’m especially sensitive to either. It’s just that I generally prefer misty short days and long chilly evenings, with the clothes and cocktails that come with the seasons of autumn and winter. Having said that, I was born and brought up in Blighty, where we’re not generally over-blessed with decent summers. So when a day or two of sunshine does come our way I’ll grab it with both hands. And, at the same time, grab those unusual opportunities to enjoy wearing a linen suit for a fortnight, drink and dine outside whenever possible and revisit those cooling cocktails that only really make sense when the mercury is rising. So it’s a pleasure to welcome you to our summer issue. Not least because we have uncovered three delightful destinations for your alfresco drinking and dining pleasure (p. 60). We’re also showcasing six of our absolute favourite summer cocktail serves (with a selection of simple twists) in our photo feature (p. 42). And, for home entertaining, nothing beats serving the perfect punch (p. 58). Sit back, get your sunglasses on and join us in the joys of summer cocktail loving.
MR G 3 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 41
contents 08
Amuse bouche
News, views, reviews and how-tos, including a cool collab with bartender Maxwell Britten and American rapper T-Pain, recipes to create a stir each month and where they’re drinking in Rome
18
11 hot reasons to be a cocktail lover right now
Getting tiki with it, being totes fabulous, feeling the blues and more
40
Dark stars
42
Twisted by the pool
48
Great escapes
54
From soil to sip
58
Liquid intelligence
59
Take 3 ingredients
The latest new releases are deep, dark and delicious – try them and see for yourself
How to zhoosh up your cocktail-making repertoire with a few simple twists
Heading to one of the major holiday hotspots? These are the venues to have on your must-visit list
24 Drinks on the go
All the kit you need for your holiday drinking occasions
28
In the hotseat
How to drink responsibly and mindfully when the heat is on, with Kerry Torrens BSc (Hons) PgCert MBANT
30 Putting sunshine in a glass The people behind our favourite summertime bottles and serves
The savviest bar teams are partnering with local farms for the freshest, most delicious drinks menus around
Zoe Burgess tells us how to mix the perfect punch
With Stefanie Anderson, Head Bartender, Gleneagles Townhouse, Edinburgh
60 Mains & Martinis
36
Drinking and dining alfresco at The Garden at Corinthia London, The Nest at Treehouse London and The Churchill Bar & Terrace
Highballs are the future
Low abv, big on flavour and personality, just a few reasons why highballs are tipped for the top
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Princess Peach at Scarfes Bar
Issue 41 Summer 2022 Editors Sandrae Lawrence, Gary Sharpen Creative Director Scott Bentley - Bentley Creative Sub editor Laura Hill Cover photography Gary Smith Contributors Nate Brown, Zoe Burgess, Anna Sulan Masing, Jane Ryan, Tyler Zielinski Thanks to Chris Grøtvedt, Slavomir Kytka, Troels Knudsen, Kerry Torrens BSc PgCert MBANT
For all editorial and advertising enquiries, please contact:
(+44) 020 7242 2546 mail@thecocktaillovers.com
56
Find us:
TheCocktailLovers.com @cocktaillovers meet.thecocktaillovers @thecocktaillovers
The Cocktail Girl & Guy
She heads north to independent gem Little Mercies while he goes for five-star glamour in London’s West End
Reproduction in whole or part of any contents of The Cocktail Lovers Magazine without prior permission from the editors is strictly prohibited.
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64
Northern lights
Parting shot
Dial down the heat with a Sbagliato: ice-cream + fizz = 100% deliciousness
Destination Oslo for five very different but exceptional bars
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All details of bars featured in this issue were correct at time of going to press. Please see individual websites for up-to-date information. The Cocktail Lovers Magazine is printed in the UK by Stephens & George.
The Cocktail Lovers ISSN 2052-059X © 2022. Published by The Cocktail Lovers Ltd. London, UK
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY
NEWS, VIEWS, REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS & HOW-TOS
We’re loving… Flowerhouse, a London pub with a definite female focus. Sure, men are welcome, but really owner Jo Jackson has created the place with women in mind. That goes for everything from providing an elegant yet welcoming space where women feel comfy drinking alone to offering apprenticeships
and flexible working hours to encourage mothers returning to work. The look and feel is undeniably feminine without being twee – think bold floral wallpaper, plenty of plantings and subtly blushed walls. On the menu? Cocktails run from Flowerhouse Spritz and Rum Tiki to G&Ts paired with specialist tonics, and of course, there are plenty of wines and craft beers. flowerhouse.pub
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APERITIVO
The PEOPLE Ian Burrell
When we think sunshine and drinks, we think rum. And when we think rum, we think Ian Burrell. With good reason – he’s the man who travels the globe sharing the rum love. Renowned for his unique brand of ‘edu-tainment’ where he brings the fun to seminars, masterclasses and bar trainings, he’s also responsible for creating UK RumFest and the world’s first rum university, and as one of the founders of Equiano, the multi-awardwinning African Caribbean rum. For more people who bring sun into drinks, see page 30.
MENU MATTERS
Three new, creative and very inspiring cocktail menus to have on your radar
COCKTAIL HACK #2 From Remy Savage, owner of A Bar With Shapes For A Name, London:
“USE A THERMOMETER TO STIR YOUR COCKTAILS. WHEN YOU REACH -2, -3 DEGREES, YOUR DRINK IS READY. ” For more cocktail hacks from industry experts, tune into The Cocktail Lovers podcast
DUALITY
IN GOOD SPIRITS
WHERE: Artesian, London WHAT’S THE STORY? Giulia Cuccurullo and the team showcase seven pairs of cocktails, each representing two sides of the same coin. The dynamic duos include Past & Future, Good & Evil and Right & Wrong, each linked by a common element such as an ingredient, drink style or technique.
WHERE: Trick Dog, San Francisco WHAT’S THE STORY? Poet Katharine Ogle joins forces with Trick Dog for a drinking experience they describe as ‘one part anthology, two parts cocktail menu’. As well as ‘couplets’ (Highballs) and ‘slam poetry’ (shots), it contains works from 16 poets, each with a corresponding cocktail.
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PASSPORT
WHERE: Hanky Panky, Mexico City WHAT’S THE STORY: Inspired by the friendships made and cemented during lockdown, this new menu is influenced by the team’s travels in 2021, with ingredients and references relating to their guest shifts in Rome, Barcelona, London, Milan, Madrid, India, Oslo and Saint Petersburg.
APERITIVO
SIX WAYS WITH
LEMON PEEL Coasters
Salt Zest lemons with a
At Paradiso in Barcelona, they save all the peels collected in the bar and transform them into sustainable coasters.
Microplane grater, add an equal quantity of coarse salt, then mix together with your fingertips until all of the zest is coated in salt. Leave to dry in the open air, then store in a covered container. Use to rim Margarita glasses.
Edible garnish Dehydrate them by placing in the oven on the lowest setting, on a lined baking tray, for 30 minutes to an hour – then use to top your glass.
Lemon vodka
Take the peels of two unwaxed lemons and place in a sterilised jar. Pour in vodka. Close tightly and place in a cool, dark place for one to three weeks, depending on your liking. Use in Lemon Vodka Tonic and as a base for cocktails.
Cordial
Scrub and zest four lemons. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add the peeled lemons and leave for one minute then remove. Reserve the water and juice the lemons. Put the zest, 500ml lemon-infused water and 650g of sugar into a saucepan. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar, then bring to the boil. Add 500ml lemon juice and bring just to boiling point. Remove from the heat, strain through a sieve into a jug, then pour into sterilised bottles and seal immediately with sterilised screw caps, corks or swing-top lids. Leave to cool, then store in a cool, dry place or in the fridge for up to 4 months. To use, mix one part syrup with four parts water.
Wash four unwaxed lemons, peel into thick ribbons and place in a Kilner jar. Add 150g caster sugar, then muddle before sealing, shaking and leaving overnight for the sugar to extract the oil from the peels. Use the oil in punch recipes and to max the flavour of lemonade.
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S H U T TE R STOC K
Oleo-saccharum (aka sugar oil)
APERITIVO
The PLACE
Chileno Bay Auberge Resort Remember when going on holiday meant succumbing to comedy cocktails made with inferior ingredients, all dressed up like they were off to a party? No more, my friends. These days you can find quality drinks even in the most popular holiday hotspots. Chileno Bay Auberge Resort in Los Cabos is a case in point. Trust us, you won’t find a more picturesque setting, but the drinks programme overseen by Osvaldo Vazquez is more than a match for the luxe, five-star getaway. For more summer vacays with quality drinks, see page 48.
KEEP YOUR COOL
DID YOU KNOW? Half of 1,000 consumers surveyed said they care more about the health attributes of drinks now than they did 12 months ago.
Make like a movie star by taking a tip from Hollywood actor and co-owner of Aviation Gin, Ryan Reynolds. He’s not daft, his suggestion is to take the heat off with an Aviation Hipster Harvey.
Source: Footprint Intelligence
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Here’s how: 40ml Aviation American Gin 60ml orange juice 15ml vanilla liqueur Orange slice to garnish Method: Combine first two ingredients in a flute glass. Top with vanilla liqueur and garnish with an orange slice.
Drinking pink Rosé isn’t just about the vino folks. There are some cracking drinks categories in the pink party, including…
eleven 01 HOT reasons …to be a cocktail lover right now
Tequila Inspiro Tequila Rosa Reposado is the first blue agave tequila aged in rosé wine oak casks and finished in pinot noir wine barrels. That’s the good news. The bad news is, it’s only available in the US. For something super sippable and more readily available, try Código 1530 Rosa Tequila. codigo1530.com
TWO
Vodka Made in Provence from French winter wheat, organic rosé wine and all of the finesse and know-how of the perfume-makers in the region; say bonjour to 06 Vodka Rosé, the world’s first 100% French Vodka Rosé. 06vodka.com
3 Cider
Cider gets the sexy treatment. Think fabulously fresh, deliciously crisp, rare, red-fleshed apples (Pommes à Chair Rouge, seeing as you’re asking), fermented real s-l-o-w for an oh-so refreshing summery taste and you’ve got Galipette Cidré Rosé. galipettecidre.com
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APERITIVO
4
Having our cake
…and eating it. How’s this for a true taste of summer? A delicious Piña Colada – in a cheesecake! Served with pineapple rum jam and coconut ice cream, find it on the current menu (alongside the always fabulous drinks) at Tayēr + Elementary. tayer-elementary.com
FIVE
Heading north …to Jupiter Artland, Edinburgh. More than a sculpture park filled with delights by Tracey Emin, Antony Gormley and Anish Kapoor, it’s home to the X MUSE temple, an immersive new Scottish vodka tasting experience created by Formafantasma. jupiterartland.org
SIX 7 Getting tiki with it Hello summer, so nice to see you! We’ll be making like we’re in Hawaii even though we’re at home – tiki mood equals good sunshine vibes. Aloha! Mug, harveynichols.com; top, hawaiian-shirt-shop.co.uk 19 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 41
…and to keep the tiki theme going, even at rest, there’s this. Dottie and Caro Tiki Drinks Duvet Set and Island Tiki Tan Square Pillow Cover by Heather Dutton, spoonflower.com
Putting
SUN SHINE in a
GLASS
Jane Ryan singles out the people behind our favourite sunshine spirits and serves
S
unshine isn’t a flavour. It isn’t a word you’ll find on the back of booze bottles under the tasting notes or one that will score you points on a wine and spirits exam. But it is a word we can associate with taste because it evokes a feeling, a mix of all our senses that comes out as bubbly, fresh, bright, ripe and happy. Sunshine is good-time drinking. It’s holiday vibes even when the rain is pounding on the bar roof and Ubers are surging. If you’re sipping on a Piña Colada, chances are the rain just looks like something fun to get caught in anyway, and that’s what we mean about sunshine in a glass. So, here’s a rundown of our favourite luminous people and the holiday they deliver in drinks, spirits and attitude.
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PEOPLE
Sunshine is good-time drinking. It’s holiday vibes even when the rain is pounding on the bar roof and Ubers are surging. If you’re sipping on a Piña Colada, chances are the rain just looks like something fun to get caught in anyway, and that’s what we mean about sunshine in a glass. So, here’s a rundown of our favourite luminous people and the holiday they deliver in drinks, spirits and attitude.
Megs Miller Anything agave
Jackie Summers Sorel Liqueur Jackie Summers, a man who possibly has the best name for this article of anyone we’ve met, is the type of person you can’t help but smile with. His personality is matched by his brand Sorel, which is a joyous hibiscus liqueur that’s inspired by a traditional Caribbean drink of the same name, enjoyed for generations among children as a tea and adults with added rum to kick-start any party. “Flowers ‘eat’ sunshine through photosynthesis. Sorel is made from Moroccan hibiscus flowers. When you drink Sorel you’re imbibing the sunshine the flowers ate (along with the nutrients absorbed from the soil). Sorel is literally sunshine in a bottle,” says Jackie. He’s been making a version of Sorel for years, based on recipes his grandparents brought with them from Barbados to America, but he had no plans to turn it into something bigger until a health scare pushed him in the direction of his true passion. Creating something you love sounds corny but it might just be an essential ingredient when we talk about tasting a joy or an energy in a liquid. Jackie now runs Jack From Brooklyn micro-distillery and you’ll catch him spreading sunshine around in both written and spoken words across the drinks industry.
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Megs Miller has worked all over the world, including stints in rainy London and her cold home province of Alberta in Canada, but this is a bartender born for sunshine. She’s now in Mexico, driving us all wild with envy as she tours agave fields and distilleries across the country, tasting spirits and liqueurs made by passionate distillers and agave farmers. Megs also co-owns CATA Agave Bar in Costa Rica, a venue that even has ‘sunshine in a glass’ in its description on social media – there’s no way we could leave it off this list. Sitting at that bar sipping on tequila with the beach below, and sunsets displaying incredible colours across the sky, is nothing short of mesmerising. If we had to pick one drink Megs is best known for, however, it would be the Mex Martini. Now a Martini isn’t a cocktail you’d think of as drenched in summer sunshine but this is an agave Martini with bianco vermouth, so there’s plenty of verdant fresh flavours, and depending on your tequila choice, fruit and spice in abundance too. Try it ice-cold at sunset and tell us we’re wrong.
HIGHBALLS ARE THE FUTURE Long drinks are big news, not just for summer but the whole year round Writer Photography
Nate Brown Milly Fletcher
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DRINKS TRENDS
Drinks on the menu at Soda & Friends include the House Highball (far left), Champagne Paloma (left) and Blackberry (below)
Tonic is, after all, a highball. At my bar, Soda & Friends, product knowledge is a major pillar of the team’s training. Like a sensory fingerprint, each product on our shelves has a unique profile. Understanding the production process (and being able to filter out the bullshit) is a key aid to unlocking its flavour nuances. Once armed with this understanding, the team can readily deconstruct and decode any spirit in the eyes of the guest.
Highball perfection
I
magine a linear colour spectrum: at one end is white, becoming yellow, down through green, blues, reds, purples and into black. Now imagine you scrunch up that bar into a single dot. What colour do you imagine you’d see? This is how I think of flavour in a neat spirit. Essentially, spirits are jam-packed with exciting flavour, but at bottle strength they’re pretty hard to find beneath the intensity of the alcohol. They’re trapped in concentration – a dark splodge of indiscernible nuance. Now what would happen if we could stretch the canvas, elongating the dot into a long spectrum. Suddenly you could identify yellow, and where it softly turns into green, or perhaps from blackcurrant into blackberry. Similarly, by lengthening a spirit with something neutral, you’re literally opening it up, and the nuances are set free, loud and proud. Enter the glorious highball: spirit and lengthener, stretching the canvas, releasing the colours – like light entering a prism, refracted into a rainbow. This simple premise is a powerful one, thanks to confirmation bias. If a
For me, the perfect highball is a complex spirit and complementary mixer, with the flavours extrapolated, celebrated and enjoyed in an approachable, effortless, quietly confident way. This is the overall premise of Soda & Friends. This paring back of the noise is not unique to us. Aesop, the skincare brand, have the most beautiful retail units in the world. They have a design philosophy that pairs ‘the removal of visual excess’ with the ‘concept of visual abundance’. At Soda & Friends, we take this same quiet approach to our highballs. We’ve created a bar that aims for the same magic that a highball offers.
The glorious highball: spirit and lengthener, stretching the canvas, releasing the colours – like light entering a prism bartender can tell a guest that Redbreast whiskey has a flavour of raisins and wood spice, and then serves a simple Redbreast & Soda, that opens up the spirit and the guest does indeed taste raisins and wood spice. The guest’s brain lights up like a Christmas tree. The feeling of ‘oh yeah, I get it!’ is palpable. I’d suggest this mechanism was a key driver in the gin boom. Hear cucumber, see cucumber, taste cucumber. The Gin &
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It’s a stripped-back, fairly minimalist, super-comfortable and affordable neighbourhood bar. Our space is not busy, it’s effortless. The bar seats took a hell of a lot of shopping, and the result is comfy, generous and unbecoming. You feel attached to the bar, but not trapped; woven into the fabric of the space, but where you can be you. The bar counter is made from recycled plastics and glass, bringing a warmth to the space. In situ, it looks like a single piece of material: the removal of visual excess. All of our touchpoints reflect the same approach as our drinks. We have a small, carefully curated selection of spirits. Nothing so pricey that it’s unapproachable, nothing chosen for the listing fee. Our highballs section takes these spirits and simply celebrates the flavours within. Take our Blackberry highball for example. We’re big fans of Port Charlotte malt. We felt it had a sense of terroir – but terroir as a concept isn’t exoteric.
SLUG HERE
Whether you’re lounging poolside, firing up the barbecue or just catching some rays wherever you can, we’ve got six classic cocktails to help you keep your cool – with some little twists we think you’ll love
On The Cover
Sangria Red wine, brandy, orange juice, soda water Simple twist Try adding summer fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries
Gary Smith Troels Knudsen
When the temperature’s rising and the sun’s shining, there are few things as appealing as sipping on something super cold and totally tasty. Served elegantly straight up, just on the rocks or enticingly long with a dash of something fizzy; featuring a touch of tequila, a little measure or two of rum or simply some smooth bourbon; uncorking a favourite red wine, finishing with a splash of beer or chilling with some delicious nonalcoholic iced black tea; keeping it citrussy or going heavy on the berries… We’re showcasing six of our favourite summer serves – each with a simple suggestion for a new direction. We’ve got you covered for when you’re not covering up.
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G U T T ER C R ED I TS
Photography Drinks stylist
PHOTOSTORY
Margarita Tequila reposado, lime juice, triple sec Simple twist Add a small spoon of agave syrup into the mix for extra depth
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