INGREDIENTS FOR MORE THAN GREAT DRINKS THE COCKTAIL LOVERS.COM AUTUMN 2023
ISSUE 46
ISSN 2052-059X
The robots are coming!
But will they ever replace bartenders? PAGE 50
Inspect a gadget
Our pick of the latest kit to up your mixing game at home PAGE 24
Recipe for the future
Putting ChatGPT to the cocktail-creating test PAGE 40
THE
TECH ISSUE
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SERVE
How technology is shaping our new favourite cocktails
SLUG HERE
contents 08 Amuse bouche
science behind 42 The the serve
News, views, reviews and interviews, including four new London bars, three cocktails for autumn and onehelluva collaboration from the team at Himkok in Oslo
18 22
Photo story: Five seemingly simple serves elevated to new heights by clever bartenders using high-tech equipment
48 Bright sparks
In praise of the brands keeping ahead of the curve by embracing the latest technology in their production processes. By Clinton Cawood
10 high-tech reasons… To be a cocktail lover – including giving bottles the boot and playing it cool
54 The heart of the matter
In the hotseat
Simone Caporale and Marc Alvarez on old-fashioned hospitality vs new-wave tech
James Triffo, talking why everything’s coming up AI
24 Inspect a gadget
Our pick of the latest cocktail tech for the home
34
Drinking digital
She drops in at a London hotel bar looking to the future and he heads off on Eurostar to check out a Parisian bar inspired by a British pub
Clinton Cawood outlines the meanings behind the buzzwords and how they’re being applied in the drinks space
58 Take 3 ingredients
Diego Ignacio Villagrán Paredes, head of liquid research at Central and Kjolle restaurants in Lima shares a special recipe featuring Peruvian ingredients
Kristiane Sherry shines a light on three pioneers fusing science and drinks
38 Kit & caboodle
60
Have you ever wondered what goes on in the drinks labs? Stu Bale explains
40
Recipe for the future
Mains & Martinis
Putting ChatGPT to the cocktail-creating test. By Gary Sharpen
Three London restaurants with open-plan kitchens and killer cocktails
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PEXELS PAVEL DANILYUK
28
Tech talk in plain English
56 The cocktail girl & guy
Issue 46 Autumn 2023 Editors Sandrae Lawrence, Gary Sharpen Creative director Scott Bentley – Bentley Creative Copy editing Laura Hill Cover photography Michael Hedge Contributors Stu Bale, Priyanka Blah, Clinton Cawood, Laura Foster, ChatGPT, Kristiane Sherry Thanks to Dré Masso, James Triffo, Diego Ignacio Villagrán Paredes
For all editorial and advertising enquiries, please contact:
(+44) 020 7242 2546 mail@thecocktaillovers.com
Find us:
50 The robots are coming!
JW H OWA R D P H OTO GR A P H Y
But will they ever replace bartenders? Laura Foster finds out
62
66
Imbibing cocktails at India’s finest bars
Good vibrations!
The new Cymatics menu at Hacha brings music and cocktails together in a revolutionary way
Priyanka Blah selects five of the best
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TheCocktailLovers.com @cocktaillovers meet.thecocktaillovers @thecocktaillovers
Reproduction in whole or part of any contents of The Cocktail Lovers Magazine without prior permission from the editors is strictly prohibited. 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 © 2023. Published by The Cocktail Lovers Ltd. London, UK
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY
NEWS, VIEWS, REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS & HOW-TOS
The PLACE Lyaness
You don’t have to get how or even understand why the team at Lyaness do what they do; all you have to do is appreciate the fact that they do it. Beyond the calming blue walls and serene riverside views, there’s a whole lot of experimentation and cocktail wizardry going on, and for the past 10 years London’s bar scene has been all the better for it. Five ingredients – Thunder Mushroom, B + B, Death Bitters, Everything Vinegar and Tree Caramel – form the root of all 15 drinks on the current menu, which explores how food and drink has shaped our cultural outlook over generations. Confused? Don’t be. Go visit and be enlightened. lyaness.com
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APERITIVO
book club
Three books to unlock the ins and outs of cocktail geekery
COCKTAIL HACK #5
The Curious Bartender – Vol 1: The Artistry and Alchemy of Creating the Perfect Cocktail By Tristan Stephenson
In addition to giving the lowdown on the classics and showcasing his own, more modern versions, Stephenson explains the terminology and techniques, as well as giving tips and tricks on how to use them.
Drinks: Unravelling the Mysteries of Flavour and Aroma in Drink
Liquid Intelligence: The Art and Science of the Perfect Cocktail
As well as cocktail recipes – ingenious originals and reworked classics – Tony C’s beautifully designed book covers everything from equipment and techniques (including centrifuges, refractometers and induction heat) to formulas for tinctures, foams, liqueurs and syrups.
We make no apology for featuring Dave Arnold twice within a few pages (see p. 13) – his impact on bringing tech to the forefront in the advancement of cocktails deserves utmost respect. Be inspired by his years of rigorous research, failures and solutions and apply them to your drinks.
By Tony Conigliaro
By Dave Arnold
THINGS WE LOVE Cocktails, couture – fabulous on their own but put them together and you’ve got our definition of proper mixology: collaborative creativity at its absolute finest. Case in point is the latest project from those clever chaps at Himkok in Oslo. Always pushing the boundaries when it comes to their new cocktail menus, they’ve teamed up with Norwegian designer Eline Dragesund, tasking her with capturing the mood of their 13 new drinks in a capsule clothing collection. And by Jove, she’s done it. Each piece, whether light and floaty or bold and structured, is her interpretation of the taste, texture and hero ingredient featured in the cocktails, including Parsnip, Apple and Sea Buckthorn. himkok.no 9 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 46
Christine Wiseman, Global Beverage Director, Bar Lab Hospitality & US Bartender of the Year, Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards 2023
“Make a shrub or drinking vinegar by combining equal parts vinegar, sugar and water then add anything that's past its best in your fridge, like berries, melons and herbs, and throw in some spices. You can keep it chilled for two to three months.”
10 Hi-tech reasons
GIVING BOTTLES THE BOOT
…to be a cocktail lover right now
Embrace lesspolluting paper alternatives instead – as seen at Johnnie Walker, Absolut, Avallen and many more.
Making like the jet set
You can enjoy the military precision of the Martini Maker in the British Airways Concorde Room in London’s Heathrow Airport or, if you’ve got £2,995 to spare, you can bagsy one for home. Created by luxury design studio Callum, Bremont Watches, British Airways and Ryan Chetiyawardana, it’s expertly engineered to create a first-class experience for high-flying Martini lovers everywhere. callumdesigns.com
THREE
Twisting things up No shaker? No problem. The Glenlivet Twist & Mix Cocktails call on innovative tech that allows you to simply twist the cap to release a burst of cocktail mix into the whisky bottle below. Nifty! theglenlivet.com
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APERITIVO
FOUR
Putting honesty to the test Have you heard the one about the world’s first lie detector can? For its Keep It Real campaign, Simply Spiked created cans with builtin heart rate and galvanic skin response sensors and used pulse rate electrodes to measure heart responses. True story. simplyspiked.ca
Playing it cool
Say goodbye to forgotten beer bottles shattering in the freezer: Coors Light have devised cold-activated labels that change colour when your beer is at risk of exploding. That’s what we call pretty darned cool. coorslight.com
SEVEN
Letting labels do the talking Not cottoned on to the stories behind your drinks labels yet? Get with the programme and tune into savvy wine and spirits brands using augmented reality to bring their businesses to life. Like the very clever 19 Crimes. 19crimes.com
Scoring style goals
Whisky-loving fans of the beautiful game, take note: Chivas have teamed up with luxury knitwear label AGR to produce a limited-edition football kit. Made using upcycled deadstock fabric from vintage football jerseys, it’s a big win with us. agrknit.co.uk
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Inspect a gadget Our pick of the coolest tech to up your drinks-making game at home
1. Best for theatre and fun
Add a shot of drama, flavour and a whole lot of fun to your drinks with edible bubbles, clouds and mists. Flavour Blaster Cocktail Kit, from £239.94, flavourblaster.com
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4. Best for ice warriors
Give your ice the respect it deserves with a countertop device that makes three types of ice in under 10 minutes. NewAir Countertop Ice Maker, $329.99, newair.com
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2. Best for fuss-free drinks
Select a recipe from the app, place your glass on the base and let the coaster tell you when and what to pour. Barsys Coaster, £51, thebarsys.com
3. Best for a smoky flourish
Elevate the look and enhance the taste of even the simplest cocktail by serving in a puff of smoke. Sage Smoking Gun, £79, sousvidetools.com
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MART IN H UDAK AT MAYBE SAMMY
APERITIVO
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5. Best for the personal touch Customise foam-topped cocktails and coffees with logos, selfies and your own unique designs. Ripple Maker, from £1,800, store.drinkripples.com
6. Best for not-so green fingers
Enjoy deliciously fresh garnishes, grown at home, any time of the year. Veritable Indoor Garden Smart Edition 4 Slot Herb & Plant Holder, £199.90, johnlewis.com
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7. Best for style and substance
The latest addition to the Barsys family uses AI to learn your preferences and cater to your taste. Barsys 360, £379 (available from October), thebarsys.com
8. Best for bringing on the fizz
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Streamlined and sexy, this Scandi-chic model delivers perfectly carbonated water every time.Carbonator 3, £179, aarke.com
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PHOTO STORY
How tech is shaping our new favourite cocktails Photography Michael Hedge Drinks styling Dré Masso
T
here was a time when the only equipment needed to make a cocktail was limited to a few basic items that had hardly changed over a century or two. A shaker or mixing glass were pretty much all that were required to elegantly combine a few ingredients, along with some ice, to serve up something that would delight the guest. Simple. Today, while the drinks we’re served may look straightforward, pared back even, there’s an increasing chance that there’s been some incredibly clever things going on behind the scenes. It’s not unusual for contemporary bars to have elaborate prep kitchens or even labs. And within them a bewildering array of high-tech equipment. Here, five bartenders share a serve they’ve created and explain the role of an essential piece of kit.
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THE SERVE
THE SCIENCE
Line’s pomegranate eau-de-vie, pineapple cordial, pomegranate whyin molasses and a tonka dust garnish
“The meter delivers exceptional accuracy for measuring sweetness when we create our sugar syrups, cordials and fermenting products. This means we can get the perfect balance of flavour we’re looking for as well as ensuring that we have consistency in all the drinks we serve, such as in the pomegranate whyin molasses we create for our version of a Mary Pickford.”
Digital brix meter
Mary Pickford
Vasilis Kyritsis, Co-owner, Line, Athens lineathens.gr
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