The Cocktail Lovers Magazine Issue 47 Winter 2023

INGREDIENTS FOR MORE THAN GREAT DRINKS THE COCKTAIL LOVERS.COM WINTER 2023

ISSUE 47

ISSN 2052-059X

Cocktails & couture

Fix up, look sharp

The flavours of fashion

PAGE 28

PAGE 36

PAGE 58

How 13 unique cocktails inspired an entire catwalk collection

The bars injecting fun and functionality into their uniforms

Twist up your drinks using natural ingredients found in fabric

BESTDRESSED BOTTLES

Beautiful vessels, specially tailored to showcase the spirits within

WELCOME

hello cocktail lover!

Once upon a time, let’s call it life BC (before cocktails), I used to work in fashion, writing about the latest trends and the people behind them for newspapers and magazines. I loved the clothes, still do, but the industry itself never felt like a comfortable fit.

I found my happy place behind the bar.

Not as a bartender but as an observer, watching, admiring and being blown away by the creativity that goes into crafting the perfect drink. I found the entire process, from ideation to service, absolutely captivating.

Little wonder really. Cocktails and fashion are cut from a similar cloth – trends come and go, there are leaders, there are imitators and like the big catwalk shows, there are the hours of prep that go into the unveiling of the eagerly awaited new menus.

Colours, textures, embellishments all come into play both in the atelier and in the bar. As for the actual crafting of the creations, even more synergy comes into play with ready-to-wear collections and ready-to-drink cocktails. Then there at the top end, there’s the made-to-measure, the care and attention that goes into tailoring garments or the contents in your glass to appease your personal palate.

All of which is a very long-winded way of explaining the rationale behind this issue.

It’s a celebration of those doing things in their own imitable style, tailor-made to perfection.

I hope you enjoy the read.

MS S

We live in a world where off-the-shelf is the norm.

What we eat, read, wear, watch… It feels as though almost everything, in one way or another, has been pre-packaged to be simple, undemanding and especially cost-effective. Understandable, of course. But lacking soul. It makes me yearn, on the odd occasion when possible, for experiences that are just a little more personal.

I have indulged once or twice in the extreme pleasure of having a suit made to my specification.

Choosing the fabric, deciding on the style, and discussing every little detail from the width of the lapels to the type of buttons with a skilled craftsman. Then finally the sublime feeling of slipping it on and knowing it’s mine. There is no other quite like it.

Cocktails can be rather like this, especially my drink of choice, the Dry Martini. When at home I know exactly how I’ll mix it. While ordering it in a favourite bar invariably leads to a delightful conversation with the bartender around the selection of gins available, followed by a description of my preference for it being mixed very dry and garnished with a large lemon twist.

Whether a perfect suit or the perfect Dry Martini, that moment, that experience is all mine. It is tailor-made.

So it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to a cocktail world, of people, places, experiences and serves, where everything has a sense of the personal, individual and unique. Welcome to our tailor-made issue.

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contents 08 News, views, reviews and interviews, including designer bars, tailor-made drinks experiences, clever ways to refashion your favourite bottles and three books for style-conscious drinkers

40 Work in progress

Atelier by name, atelier by nature: introducing the latest addition from the team at Coupette

42 Best-dressed bottles

Photo story: Five distinct bottles, specially tailored to showcase the beautiful spirits within.

Photography by Gary Smith

18 11 reasons to talk shop in bars You’ve enjoyed the drinks, now buy the merch! Our pick of the best specially made collections available from our favourite bars

22

48 The designer touch

Claire Dodd checks out the forward-thinking drinks brands breathing new life into their bottles by partnering up with fashion designers

In the hotseat

Sam Millin and Alex Ruas on creating bespoke bar stations

50 Tayēr made

How a perfumer, product designer and calligrapher inspired a new, limitededition range of bottled cocktails, the first in a series for Tayēr Studios

54 Fashioning hospitality 24 This time, it’s personal 10 customised gifts for the cocktail lover in your life

28 Cocktails & couture

Johanna Derry Hall talks to designer Eline Dragesund about capturing the taste, texture and distinct characteristics of 13 drinks in clothing form for the latest cocktail menu at Himkok

30

56 The Cocktail Girl & Guy

She gets a taste of Latin America in London, while he samples aperitivo in southern Italy

58 Liquid intelligence

Jack Sotti sips the flavours of fashion

59 Take 3 ingredients

A deliciously long, carbonated drink showcasing the beauty and nuances of pear, created by Bart Miedeksza and the team at Crossroads Bar

Bars to dress up for

Looking for venues worthy of your finest garms? Kate Malczewski dons her posh frock and shares her favourites

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L AT E EF P H OTOG R A P H Y

Margarita Sader is the go-to when it comes to creating bright, bold and brilliant work attire. By Priyanka Blah

Issue 47 Winter 2023 Editors Sandrae Lawrence Gary Sharpen Creative director Scott Bentley – Bentley Creative Copy editing Laura Hill Cover photography Gary Smith Contributors Priyanka Blah, Claire Dodd, Johanna Derry Hall, Kate Malczewski, Millie Milliken, Jack Sotti, Leah van Deventer Thanks to A Bar with Shapes for a Name; Dugdale Bros. & Co, London; Dré Masso

For all editorial and advertising enquiries, please contact:

(+44) 020 7242 2546 mail@thecocktaillovers.com

36 Fix up, look sharp

Conformity is out, functionality is in – how and why bars are switching things up on the uniform front.

By Millie Milliken

60 Mains & Martinis Celebrate the festive season in style at three top spots for seafood and Martinis

to drink 62 Where at the tip of Africa

66 Colour theory

Leah van Deventer picks out seven bars in Cape Town and Johannesburg to have on your radar

Highlighting Building Blocks, the new menu at Silverleaf, tailored with minimalism and colour in mind

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Find us:

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

CONTRIBUTORS

CLAIRE DODD

KATE MALCZEWSKI

The designer touch: page 48

Bars to dress up for: page 30

Recently awarded the International Spirit Competition (IWSC) Emerging Talent in Spirits Communication trophy, Kate is an Ohio-born, London-based freelance editor. Previously the editor at BarChick and digital editor of The Spirits Business, her work has appeared in numerous publications across the drinks industry. She also undertakes copywriting projects.

Claire is an award-winning freelance drinks writer, having started out at The Publican magazine 17 years ago. She also frequently writes about travel. Her work across both fields has appeared in The Spirits Business, Club Oenologique, The Independent, Elle, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, Good Housekeeping, National Geographic, Red, The i, The Times, Lonely Planet, Tonic, Men’s Health, Delish, The Guardian, and more.

In this issue: Kate gives her fancy frocks an airing, putting them to the style test in the best bars to get dressed up for in London and beyond.

In this issue: Claire looks at the savvy drinks brands who are partnering up with fashion designers to reimagine the look of their bottles.

LEAH VAN DEVENTER

JOHANNA DERRY HALL

A freelance drinks writer based in Cape Town, Leah’s many bylines in South Africa and beyond include Drinks International, Rumporter, Tales of the Cocktail and The World’s 50 Best Bars, where she’s also an Academy Chair.

Additionally, she’s a WSET educator and spirits judge, sitting on panels such as the IWSC and San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Johanna Derry Hall is a journalist with over a decade’s worth of experience. Her work has appeared in newspapers such as The Guardian, Financial Times and The Daily Telegraph and consumer titles including Condé Nast Traveller, Red, Foodism and Stylist. She also writes for an array of contract publications, among them the likes of Mr Porter, MO for Mandarin Oriental and Sainsbury’s Magazine.

In this issue: Leah introduces us to the variety of the best bars in South Africa – with an emphasis on Cape Town and Johannesburg.

In this issue: Johanna checks in with fashion designer Eline Dragesund to hear how she created a catwalk collection inspired by drinks.

Where to drink at the tip of Africa: page 62

Cocktails & couture: page 28

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APERItiVO

Opening up the palate for the spirited stories ahead…

PAG E 9

PAG E 1 4

PAG E 1 8

PAG E 2 4

WELL-DRESSED BARS

THREE NUTMEGDUSTED COCKTAILS

11 REASONS TO TALK SHOP IN BARS

THIS TIME, IT'S PERSONAL

The best designer bars to strike a pose and sip stylish cocktails in the fashion capitals around the world

There’s so much more to bars than drinks – check out their tailor-made merch

Take the chill off winter and hunker down with these three indulgent cocktails

Gifts including customised sweatshirts to one-of-a-kind cocktail experiences

PAG E 1 4

THINGS WE LOVE…

Drinks meets fashion in Together: A Collection for The Macallan by Stella and Mary McCartney

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TH OM AS A LE X A ND ER P H OTO G R AP H Y

NEWS, VIEWS, REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS & HOW-TOS

The bottle Louis XIII x T.T. Trunks

Tailor-made, you say? Try the Louis XIII x T.T. Trunks partnership out for size: a set of four grained-leather cognac cases housing tools of the good life, including facetted candle holders, cigar accessories, eight Saint-Louis crystal glasses and a humidor in Spanish cedar wood, all crowned with a Louis XIII jeroboam.

Made to order within 20-24 weeks, yours for €96,000. tttrunks.com

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APERITIVO

SEE AND BE SEEN AT THESE FIVE DESIGNER DESTINATIONS

Well-dresseD BARS GUCCI GIARDINO 25, FLORENCE Whether you’re savouring aperitifs and dainty dishes on the terrace or playing it cool inside the all-day café and bar, you’re guaranteed equal parts style and substance when it comes to the cocktails created by Gucci-clad Martina Bonci and her team. guccipalazzo.gucci.com

CAFÉ TRUSSARDI, MILAN Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of central Milan, and capped by a suspended vertical garden, this sleek glass-fronted destination overlooking Teatro alla Scala is a great spot for early evening cocktails and cigars. trussardi.com

NOLITA SOCIAL, LONDON For the all-day hang, there’s Bulgari Lounge, but when it comes to partying with the beautiful people, there’s Nolita Social – which is every inch as glitzy as the accessories this fashion house is famous for.

Get your voguing on to the live music and DJ sets and partake in the cocktails and light bites. bulgarihotels.com

BAMBOO BAR AT THE ARMANI HOTEL, MILAN

POLO BAR, NEW YORK

Giorgio Armani is renowned for clean lines and quietly luxurious tailoring and the Bamboo Bar at the Armani Hotel is fittingly elegant and minimalistic. Located on the seventh floor, it oozes sophistication with its chic beige–greige palette, soaring ceilings and onyx bar. Perfect for showing off those fashionable black outfits. armanihotels.com

Ralph Lauren really gets the artistry of cocktails. Not only do his restaurants in New York, Paris and Chicago all include serious drinks menus, his designs extend to an exquisite, high-end range of barware.

The New York location gets a special shout out for its seven-strong Martini menu. ralphlauren.com

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APERITIVO SE VEN WAYS WITH

Empty glass bottles

Tumblers Invest in a Glass Bottle Cutter Kit (available from amazon.co.uk) and get busy making all of the glassware you want. Boom!

Moody lighting

Get creative with your empty drinks bottles by repurposing them in the following ways

Candles

Create a cosy glow by popping a string of battery-operated LED fairy lights into your empty bottles. Works a treat for festive soirées.

You’ll need: Bottle cutter kit Soy wax flakes Large saucepan Silicone spatula Essential oils (optional) Candle wick

Lampshade base

Single-bud vases Simply add a stem to the bottle. For the best effect, arrange in a group of different-sized bottles with blooms of varying heights.

You’ll need: Drill and 10mm diamond drill bit Protective goggles and gloves Lamp kit (available from lampspares.co.uk) Lampshade Method: Use a diamond drill bit to drill a hole on the back side of the bottle, close to the base – wear protective goggles and leather gloves, and wet the drill bit to keep it cool. Install the lamp kit into the bottle, following the kit instructions, then attach a lampshade.

Soap dispenser Fill with your chosen liquid soap, then add some burlap around the neck of the bottle, attach a pump top with wire, et voilà! A funky new addition to the bathroom.

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…or simply reuse Fill with water for the table, or refill with your favourite spirit.

At East London Liquor Company, their Project Refill programme means you can rock up with an empty bottle, whatever the brand, and have it refilled with their rum, whisky or gin. eastlondonliquorcompany.com

S H U T T ER STOC K

Method: Cut the bottle to the required size using the bottle cutter kit, then clean and dry it. Fill the bottle with wax flakes, to gauge how many you need, then pour the flakes into the pan and add the same amount again. Melt the wax over a medium heat, stirring with the spatula. If using essential oils, add to the wax now. Next, attach a wick to the bottom of the bottle by dipping the metal base in the molten wax, then holding it in place at the bottom of the bottle. Secure the wick firmly at the top until the wax has hardened. Pour the molten wax carefully into the bottle, then leave to harden.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SERVE

INGREDIENTS FOR MORE THAN GREAT DRINKS

How technology is shaping our new favourite cocktails

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

In Print. on digital.

Recipe for the future

Putting ChatGPT to the cocktail-creating test PAGE 40

THE

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ISSUE

Packed with features, food, fashion, travel, interviews, news, recipes and more, The Cocktail Lovers magazine is published four times a year. Get it in glorious print delivered direct to your door, on your favourite digital device or sign up for both!

For details of how to subscribe, set up gift subscriptions and get back issues visit our website or scan the QR code thecocktaillovers.com/ magazine

APERITIVO

TAILOR-MADE DRINKS EXPERIENCES

THE SOUND OF—

Make your own gin Jake Burger knows his gin and he’s making it his business to ensure that others do, too. At his Ginstitute, you’ll get all the know-how before putting it into practice by creating your own blend. Your recipe is kept on file for future bottles. the-distillery.london Blend a bespoke whisky or rum Gin not your thing? Then try your hand at creating your own whisky. Or rum. The two-hour classes include a cocktail-making session, history lesson and sampling of the spirit in question before making your 50cl bottle to take home. londondistilleryschool.com

Build a personal drinks collection Looking to curate a fine wine and/or spirits collection? Call in Berry Bros. & Rudd. As one of the world’s most famous independent bottlers, with over three centuries in the

business, they have all the expertise you need to get you started in fine style. bbr.com Commission a dream bar Whatever your space, whatever your budget, make 2024 the year you give your precious bottles the love they deserve with a dedicated, well-designed home. quenchhomebars.com Tour a French wine region Looking for holiday ideas for 2024? Book a customised tour of Saint-Émilion, Médoc and Pessac-Léognan and discover wines of the region – all from the back of a London cab. wine-cab.com

The people Sastrería is Spanish for tailoring or tailoring shop. Which explains all you need to know about the aesthetics at Sastrería Martinez in Lima, Peru, and the inspiration behind its nattily garnished drinks. The team, led by owner Diego Macedo (right), take their cues from the theme too – all of them kitted out in fine style by local tailor Sastrería Firenze. sastreriamartinez.com

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Sipping a cocktail in total silence is one thing, adding a specially curated soundtrack into the mix makes for a different experience entirely. Music To Drink Martinis To sees Fords Gin team up with Nathaniel Merriweather (aka Dan The Automator) and Chest Rockwell (aka DJ Prince Paul) for a specially commissioned, one-of-a-kind seven-track album inspired by the Martini cocktail.

Meanwhile, at Mimi Kakushi in Dubai, its Kikuchi menu is presented in a handsome wooden box housing 13 vinyl singles, each representing a different mood. fordsgin.com, mimikakushi.ae

CREATE A STIR!

Rich, warming, nutmeg-dusted drinks for the festive season Eggnog (serves 20)

6 eggs, separated 225g caster sugar 480ml cream 960ml whole milk 60ml Frangelico 120ml Chivas 12 Year Old Whisky 180ml Michter’s Bourbon 180ml Martell Cognac 180ml Havana Club Selección de Maestros Rum 1 whole nutmeg

THINGS WE LOVE The Macallan doesn’t really need to do more than continue producing its award-winning whiskies to keep die-hard fans happy. But that doesn’t stop the distillery from coming up with genius partnerships. The Macallan Together Collection sees it collaborating with fashion supremos Stella and Mary McCartney for a limited-edition set of 11 beautifully designed pieces for the home – all inspired by the Scottish countryside and brought to life by master artisans. themacallan.com

DID YOU KNOW? DESTINATION NEW YORK With Moe Aljaff and Juliette Larrouy’s brand-new and exciting venture Schmuck, and Steve Schneider and Shingo Gokan’s long-awaited Sip & Guzzle finally set to open, all eyes are on New York for 2024. We can’t bloody wait. Keep up to date at @schmuckordie and @sipandguzzlenyc

Searches for ‘nonalcoholic drink’ are up 60% in five years and the trend is expected to continue in 2024.

Source: IWSC

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Method: Place the egg whites in one large mixing bowl and the egg yolks in another.

Add 170g of the sugar to the yolks, then whisk until pale yellow and thickened. Whisk in the cream, followed by the milk, Frangelico, whisky, bourbon, cognac and rum. Grate the nutmeg to taste over the top and whisk until combined. Add the remaining 55g sugar to the egg whites and whisk until stiff peaks form, then slowly whisk in the yolk/spirits mixture.

Keep in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, pour a serving into a rocks glass and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

Recipe by Leo Robitschek, NoMad Bars

Irish Coffee (serves 1)

40ml Irish whiskey 75ml demerara-sweetened filtered coffee Hand-whipped double cream, to taste Freshly grated nutmeg, to garnish Method: Combine the whiskey and sweetened coffee in a pan and heat gently. Pour into a heat-proof glass. Slowly pour the cream over a bar spoon and onto the coffee, making sure the cream floats on top. Garnish with the nutmeg.

Recipe by Swift Bars

Brandy Flip (serves 1)

60ml brandy 15ml sugar syrup (1:1) 1 egg Freshly grated nutmeg, to garnish Method: Dry-shake the first three ingredients in a cocktail shaker to emulsify the egg. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass and dust with the nutmeg.

www.seventyonegin.com

APERITIVO

Six Harry’s Bar facts from…

Franz-Arthur McElhone A New York bar; deconstructed, shipped, then reassembled – in Paris. Over 100 years later, legendary bartender Harry MacElhone’s greatgrandson, and current owner, shares the story.

One

The original bar was actually shipped over from New York in 1910 then reassembled the following year in Paris.

The owner at that time was Tod Sloan and he’d bought the mahogany counter and the various wooden pieces from one of his pals called Clancy, who was in the liquor business in upstate New York.

Two

At that time, it was simply called the New York Bar. My great-grandfather, Harry MacElhone, was the head bartender back then having travelled to continental Europe to try his luck bartending. During those early years he became a very well-known and recognisable figure behind the counter, so people were already talking about Harry’s New York Bar.

Three

The name officially changed in 1923, although guests had been calling it Harry’s since around 1915. We have loads of articles from the time about Harry’s New York Bar because there was a lot of talk about Harry MacElhone himself.

There’s a legend about him buying the bar with money he received after being demobbed from the British Army following the First World War – but this isn’t true! We’ve actually found evidence of loans from the bank. So 1923 was the year when Harry actually took over the place and added his name.

Four

My granddad took over running the bar just after the Second World War, but my great-granddad Harry was always around the place. It was obviously his baby. In fact, he basically died in the place! My father eventually took the helm and today I’m the fourth generation to own the bar since I took over four years ago.

Five

Today, the ground-floor bar that you see is in the same shape and the same form as it was over a 100 years ago. It’s a huge responsibility looking after it. When we serve our guests we’re literally serving the history of the place and serving the continuity of Harry.

Six

We have very tangible evidence of the Bloody Mary having been created at Harry’s Bar. Then there’s the Blue Lagoon, French 75, White Lady, Boulevardier… the list goes on. And the same thing goes for the Sidecar. We did our homework and a lot of research for the fact that this great cocktail was actually born and raised at Harry’s!

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APERITIVO

The PLACE

The Cloakroom

Made-to-measure suits, made-to-order drinks, that’s what’s on the menu at The Cloakroom in Melbourne. By day, there’s a tailor on hand for consultations and fittings; by night, the panoramic views and high-sheen setting make way for bespoke cocktails in the handsome bar. thecloakroom.com.au

Notable Nibbles

No off-the-shelf, run-of-the-mill nibbles here my friends, tailor-made cocktail experiences deserve tailor-made snacks. Whether you’re hosting a full-on cocktail party or just entertaining a few friends, we guarantee that these cheesy bitesized buns of deliciousness will go down a treat.

book club

Dressed to Swill: Runway-Ready Cocktails Inspired

by Fashion Icons

By Jennifer Croll This smart, cleverly titled book contains drinks inspired by style icons past and present.

From Audrey Hepburn to Vivienne Westwood, Anna Wintour to Yohji Yamamoto, the 60 recipes are accompanied by biographies, illustrations and fun facts about the person in question.

The Fashionable Cocktail: 200 Fabulous Drinks for the Fashion Set

By Jane Rocca By contrast, each chapter of Jane Rocca’s book zones in on a personality type, such as The Vintage Girl or The Fashionista and suggests the perfect, drinks for their palates – all beautifully illustrated by Neryl Walker. Good fun for theming drinks for parties, particularly Hens and during Fashion Weeks.

Gougères (makes 20)

75g unsalted butter 1 tsp salt 100g plain flour, sifted 4 eggs 150g gruyère or parmesan, grated ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Glamorous Cocktails: Fashionable Mixes from Iconic London Bars

By William Yeoward Renowned for his flair, vision and design of beautiful products for beautiful homes, the late William Yeoward’s book focuses on the recipes, presentation and style of five of London’s most glamorous bars, including The Connaught and American Bar.

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Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Pour 250ml water into a medium-sized pan, add the butter and salt and bring to the boil.

When the mixture is just simmering, remove from the heat, tip in the flour and whisk together until the mix is coming away from the sides of the pan and forming a ball.

2. Leave to cool for 3 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the cheese, cayenne pepper and some freshly ground black pepper and whisk to combine. Place walnut-sized spoonfuls of the mixture, spaced well apart, onto a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper. Dip your finger in cold water and press each bun lightly to smooth out any rough edges.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until puffy and golden brown, then remove from the oven and cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve warm.

ELEVEN reasons

RELIVING MARTINI MOMENTS Recreate the fancy feels of sipping an ice-cold Martini at Singapore bar Atlas with their Art Deco crystal coupes.

Atlas Waterford Martini Glasses, shopatlasbar.sg

…to talk shop in bars

TEAS-ING OUT FLAVOUR

New York’s Death & Co have one of the best stocked stores in the biz. New to their range is the exclusive Death & Co x Art of Tea Fleur Noire loose-leaf blend, created with cocktails in mind. deathandcompanymarket.com

THREE Carrying favour

You can never have too many totes, just make sure they’re stylish – like this ‘Live by the Sun/Love by the Moon’ design by David Rager for Paris bar Candelaria. Sun/Moon Tote, shop.quixotic-projects.com

FOUR

FLYING HIGH For all the kit you need to travel in comfort and style, there’s the Tayēr x Sips Airlines collection, designed by the teams at Tayēr + Elementary in London and Sips in Barcelona. tayer-elementary.com

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APERITIVO

Feeling Tiki

Get your Tiki on with this set of four handmade ceramic shot mugs, designed for the world’s favourite rum bar. Baba Au Rum Tiki Shots, babaaurum.com

six

Wearing your cocktails with pride They loved the 2020 cocktail menu at Edinburgh bar Bramble so much, they made it into a neon T-shirt!

Bramble Neon T-shirt. mothershipscotland.com

MAKING SCENTS

Whiskey, mahogany and sawdust are the prevailing aromas at The Dead Rabbit New York – and all three are cleverly captured in the limited-edition FieldDay Sawdust Candle. thedeadrabbit.com

eight

Styling up the takeouts There’s no shortage of bottled cocktails out there but this collection tastes every bit as good as it looks. Maybe Sammy Trio. maybesammycocktails.com 19 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 47

APERITIVO

NINE

SAVING FACE

Keep pesky germs at bay with this natty, custom-made, multi-layered satin face mask. Chicken Face Mask, doublechickenplease.com

Keeping a cool head The coveted Present Company LPL Subway Design is available in tees, sweats and this cool Embroidered Bucket Hat, all made to order. presentcompany.bar

eleven

Chewing your drinks Who says you can only drink your cocktails? Try eating them instead. These tasty jellies are made with premium spirits, fresh fruit and herbs and pack 5% ABV. Dutch Courage Cocktail Candies, flyingdutchmencocktails.shop 20 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 47

DIAL UP YOUR SERVES WITH

A PERFECT ALCOHOL-FREE OPTION OR A SWITCH UP TO YOUR CLASSIC COCKTAIL MIXERS A M O L A P D B C E N U T IN a or your

Pour 35ml of tequilaernative favourite alcohol altr ice. Add a into a tall glass ove pefruit, top squeeze of fresh grafruit & Mint. with INTUNE Grape

Behind Bars streamlined work at Soma, London

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ASKAPERITIVO THE EXPERTS

IN THE

H TSEAT

Sam Millin (left) and Alex Ruas (right) of Oslo-based bespoke bar design and manufacturing company Behind Bars

Describe Behind Bars in three words.

Collaboration, quality, innovation.

When did you set up the company?

Behind Bars was born in 2015 as a broader consultancy but really began focusing on bar design in 2017.

What prompted you to focus on bar design?

We were becoming increasingly frustrated that this really important aspect of the venue, designing great workstations, was often being overlooked or sabotaged by people who had no real knowledge of what a modern bar station needed – including kitchen consultants, architects, interior designers and venue owners. This is not on purpose, just an expertise blind spot as to the importance and impact a welldesigned station can have on all facets of the business. We’re on a mission to change this.

What is your USP? Our USP is that our design process provides a collaborative customer experience, resulting in bar stations with better workflow, ergonomics and robust, built-to-last quality. We’re constantly trying to push the boundaries of what bars can do and be. Our best projects are when we collaborate directly with our clients and focus on understanding the needs of the operations teams.

We dive into details early and ensure we’re fully connected with all parties involved – contractors, installers, architects etc. Projects are complex, often with many moving parts. We want our clients to feel confident that after the station is designed, the entire project will also run smoothly.

How does a consultation with you and your designers go?

We pride ourselves on our process and we really want to ensure we’re across all the fine details of a project. A first consultation is about discovery of constraints (time, space, budget) and opportunities (ambition, volume, concept). After this, we usually have a good idea if the project is a good fit for the client and ourselves.

What are the various stages involved in creating a bespoke bar?

We begin with the creative phase through workshopping and discovery.

Here we try to get the direction and focus of what the design will be.

We explore different theories and ideas within our 3D designs, often testing these iterations in VR. Numerous design iterations and reviews with our clients and their stakeholders are critical to this process. Only when all parties involved are satisfied, do we move to engineering, manufacture, delivery and follow-up.

What are the benefits of having a tailor-made bar?

As with anything that is bespoke, it is a piece of equipment that has been created to perform a specific task. We also try to make sure that the station is flexible enough to be able to adapt to changes in operations as the venue matures. The process brings a uniqueness to the individual project and this impacts every aspect of the venue, from the operational flow and the guest experience to the capacity output of the station.

Are there any projects that you wouldn’t take on? If so, why?

Our goal is always to give the client the best station possible. Sometimes that means saying no. If we don’t feel we can deliver a great station because of time,

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budget or some other reason, we won’t take a project on.

Who was your first major client?

Our first major project was Himkok in Oslo, although this was as a consultancy.

The first major international client was Tayēr + Elementary (p. 50); this really laid the blueprint for our collaborative approach to our projects. We’ve now worked with clients in 32 countries around the world, across approximately 500 projects, and we work with all types of clients – from some of the world’s best bars and restaurants and independent venues to large hotels and resorts.

What are the most important lessons that you’ve learned from designing bars in the years that you’ve been in the business?

Collaboration is key. Bartenders and people who understand operations have such an important, yet overlooked, perspective when it comes to functional design. Kill bad ideas early but fight for great ideas all day. Dedicate time to product development, the devil is absolutely in the details.

What are the top three things every bar station needs?

Motivated and inspired bartenders; a well-thought-out and concept-specific workflow; and a good understanding of how the bar station functions together with the rest of the house to create the guest experience.

Any tips for creating a bar at home?

That’s a tricky one and depends on what it’s used for, but just like a regular bar, access to glassware, ice, liquor, tools and garnishes is essential for making consistently great drinks. Drainage is an amazing luxury if you can get it! behindbars.agency

This time, it’s personal Tailor-made gifts for the cocktail lover in your life

1. For recipe creators and collectors

1

Keep recipe developments under wraps in a dedicated book which includes specs for classics and a whole lot more.

Stone x Bookblock Cocktail Notebook, bookblock.com

2. For gin connoisseurs

4

The ultimate gift for that special someone (or yourself), a consultation and bespoke gin recipe tailored to their specific tastes.

Gin Tailoring Experience, cambridgedistillery. co.uk

4. For Espresso Martini devotees

Gift them a personal cocktail ‘prescription’, inscribed with their name and dosage as authorised by you. Personalised Prescription Design Espresso Martini, mixpixie.com

5. For the person who has everything How about a truly special one-of-a-kind cocktail, made after a consultation and tasting with awardwinning bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana? mrlyan.com

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3. For clothes that do the talking Pick a sweatshirt, then customise it with details of their favourite drink. rockonruby.co.uk

APERITIVO

6. For the last word in bespoke glassware

Have their face immortalised in fun and fabulous 3D. As seen in the Evoke menu at the Donovan Bar, London. Personalised 3D Printed Glassware, @3d_vault

7. For disco divas

Perfect for keys, lipstick and party essentials, this handmade embroidered purse is just the ticket. Cocktail Chick Purse, simonseabright.co.uk

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8. For arty types

Treat them to a print of their signature cocktail, customised with a hand-lettered message of your choice. rebeccaleawilliams.com

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9. For winning stocking fillers

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Inexpensive, thoughtful and downright practical, a personalised tea towel with recipes – boom! Rum Cocktail Recipe Tea Towel, studiohop.co.uk

10. For home bodies

Light up their lives (and walls) with a neon sign of their favourite cocktail.

Custom Neon Signs, happyneon.uk

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TELLING TALES

Sharing the story of an iconic brand and building a personal brand should go hand in hand. Daniyel Jones, Angostura Global Brand Ambassador, and Raymond Edwards, Angostura Chief Brand Educator, explain how And do your personal experiences influence the brand stories you share?

This is so important. I see building the Angostura brand and my personal brand as one thing. I could tell you lots of facts about the brand, but it’s not going to move you. It has to be personal, that’s what people remember.

Daniyel’s story Could you take us back to the beginning of your personal story?

To support myself while studying for my degree, I started working in a bar and suddenly I discovered craft cocktails and molecular mixology. I was amazed! But it wasn’t just about making drinks… I loved talking to my guests, making them smile.

What came next?

Over the years I created my own hospitality company and I was also winning a lot of cocktail competitions.

But part of my vision was always to improve. Then came the turning point – I won the Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge.

Was storytelling part of that success?

Absolutely. When I competed in the global final I didn’t want to be just

another person making a version of rum punch. Instead I learned about the judges and wove their interests into the drinks I created and the stories I shared around them. Part of the prize was a year

Can you give us an example?

On our rums you see an image of a beautiful butterfly. I could just explain this as a simple fact, but I don’t. Instead, I talk about how I grew up in the countryside in the home of Angostura.

My brothers and I used to grab the sugar cane that was growing and suck it.

Sometimes it wasn’t sweet, so we’d throw it away and try another. We always wondered how the farmers knew exactly when it was at its sweetest for harvest.

You know what? They watched the butterflies. When they settled on the sugar cane and began feeding, the farmers knew that it was ready. This is my personal way of illustrating the

“Have a vision. That is your story.

You are an individual. Only you can write it” working with Angostura. I totally immersed myself in the history of the brand and 10 years on I’m stilling writing that story!

Over that time have you discovered any surprising brand stories?

I discovered the story behind the oversized label on the ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters bottle. There was a miscommunication between the two brothers. But they turned a problem into an advantage. Now the bottle is iconic.

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quality of the molasses that we use in our rums.

That’s a very evocative image That’s the point. People remember my story and the brand story – it’s personal.

What advice would you give people wanting to build their own brand?

Have a vision. Because if you don’t know where you want to go, you won’t get there. That is your story. You are an individual. Only you can write it.

TCL PARTNER

Queen’s Park Swizzle

Raymond’s story

50ml Angostura® 7 Year Old Rum 25ml demerara simple syrup 25ml fresh lime juice 12-14 mint leaves 6-8 dashes of ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters Mint sprig, to garnish

Is storytelling important to you?

Being from the Caribbean, storytelling is in our DNA. Growing up we didn’t have the luxury of modern communication such as television. A story was a tool.

It helped build determination, remove fear, build awareness. It was an appreciation for one’s culture. My grandparents and parents shared stories, and I share them with my son.

Method: Muddle the mint leaves, lime juice and simple syrup in a highball glass. Fill it with crushed ice, add the Angostura® 7 Year Old Rum and swizzle well until the glass is ice-cold and frosted. Pack it with more crushed ice, top with ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters and then garnish with the mint sprig. angostura.com

Please enjoy Angostura products responsibly

Does this play a part in your work with Angostura?

When I joined the House of Angostura, I stopped drinking rum!

What I started to drink and enjoy was Angostura rum. Because, to me, it’s the story of Angostura that’s important. It’s a symbol of excellence and perfection.

You mentioned storytelling can be a tool – does this apply in your work?

In the early days we were involved in a lot of exclusive events, where people tended to drink whisky and Champagne. Even in premium rum bars people would still go for traditional

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classic rum cocktails. I knew we had to elevate our cocktail program. I started putting our cocktails into lovely glasses with beautiful garnishes. But I knew we needed something unique. Then I remembered the story of the Queen’s Park Swizzle.

Can you share that story?

Back in the early 1900s the Queen’s Park Hotel in Trinidad was internationally famous and the birthplace of the Queen’s Park Swizzle, a cocktail that comprises both rum and bitters from the House of Angostura. It was also made with a very special technique – swizzling!

Now swizzling didn’t start in the bar, but in the kitchen. At that time, people utilised natural tools that were available.

But what is special about it is that it belongs to the region.

And you incorporated this story to make a unique drink?

We brought back this classic and delicious drink. When we started to serve it, I shared the story of its origin and the importance of the swizzling technique. Now we own it. It’s the 7 Year Old signature serve from Angostura.

Eline Dragesund designs and makes clothes almost as an irresistible impulse. “Even in kindergarten I was collecting leaves and trying to sew or glue them together into purses,” she laughs. The Norwegian designer recently collaborated with awardwinning Oslo bar Himkok to create an outfit for each of the 13 drinks on their new menu, Fashion Meets Mixology.

By Johanna Derry Hall It’s the most recent, and perhaps the most challenging, collaboration of her career thus far. As an older teenager she trained for two years at ESMOD, a fashion design school in Paris, but, as she recalls, “it hurt my inspiration so badly that I hated it. They were the opposite of creative, focused only on the industry of fashion.”

Returning to Oslo to study at Kunsthøgskolen i Oslo, the National Academy of the Arts, was “like a renaissance” and Eline has been based in Norway ever since. She describes the aesthetic of her designs as being inspired by Classical Greece.

“I love how they wrapped textiles around the body,” she explains. “It’s like a dialogue between the fabric and the body, and I think that’s so important today when you see people squeezing themselves into shapes that don’t fit and

atmosphere or vibe that they’re trying to convey into something embodied and wearable.

“They send me their music and it’s obvious that they have a very clear vision of the feelings and the atmosphere they’re trying to communicate, but they don’t know what that might look like,” she says. “I have to go into their minds and understand how they could look as a person, how other people might like to see them, and how I can underline the message they want to share with the rest of the world.”

Given that Eline’s work is at its core about taking feelings and senses and making them into something tangible and wearable, you would think that the brief from Himkok owners Paul Aguilar and Maroš Dzurus would have been easy: a catwalk collection that captured the spirit of their cocktails. “They asked me to turn tastes and shapes into vision,” she says. But it was one of the most complex collaborations she has undertaken to date.

“For the 13 different looks, first I had to think of all the different ingredients and flavours in each drink, all the different kinds of alcohol used, and their branding. But

don’t look good at all. We end up throwing clothes like these away as garbage and that’s very sad. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If we could have a better philosophy through how we buy, use and choose clothes, they could last us for years and years.”

For all that her designs celebrate the physicality of the body, Eline’s starting points are often less-tangible things. “Most of my ideas come from a feeling,” she says, “which I can then see in my brain somewhere. That feeling turns into a vision, and from that vision I can make a collection or a piece or a drawing.”

The right fit

Capturing a feeling within clothing has led Eline to lots of collaborations over the years, in particular with artists and musicians, who call on her to translate the

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E L IN E D R AG E S U N D

N ICC I P E AT P H OTO G R AP H Y

DRINKS BY DESIGN

the designs also had to work together as a collection and communicate something about Himkok itself as a bar. I went through so many rounds with myself before I felt I landed on a clear message.”

To do this she took inspiration from Himkok’s snake logo, and referenced it in every piece, either through the rhythm of the clothing, or in the image of a viper swirling, or in the fabric itself.

She gives the example of one of the cocktails, which counts a Norwegian mushroom and Jack Daniel’s among its ingredients. “I wanted to capture something of the leather-ish notes I got from the mushroom with the feeling of Jack Daniel’s as a brand. I found a really cool material made from anaconda skin and worked up a design from there.”

There were additional challenges: Eline was pregnant when she started the project, meaning she could only taste rather than drink the cocktails, and the collection launched alongside the new menu when her baby was only three weeks old.

“I’m taking a bit of time now to get to know her,” she laughs, given the first months of her life were a whirlwind of catwalks and cocktails. But for all its challenges, Eline enjoyed the creative stretch of the collaboration. Though it’s the first collection she’s ever made together with a bar, let’s just say, it might not be her last.

T

he holiday season is a time to lean into grandeur: the halls are decked, the puddings are flaming, and even the trees dress up for the occasion. So why not get a little fancy yourself? In the spirit of festive celebration, we’ve searched the globe to bring you a selection of show-stopping bars – all of them suited to your finest attire. With these luxurious spots on your radar, ‘all dressed up and nowhere to go’ is a thing of the past…

By Kate Malczewski

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DRESSING UP

Beaufort Bar London

Though you may be more familiar with The Savoy’s renowned American Bar, its younger sibling is just as deserving of the spotlight, especially if you’re looking to don your finery and step up the swank factor. The Beaufort Bar is set in the space that used to house the hotel’s cabaret stage, and its interiors live up to this dramatic history, with ink-black walls and gilded accents channelling the dark side of Art Deco.

At Beaufort, you’re committing to opulence, so kick things off with a glass of champagne and a ‘bump’ – a dollop of caviar spooned onto the back of your hand. The combination has become something of a signature serve here, and happens to be the perfect warmup to the cocktails on the Nocturne menu. This writer’s personal favourite is the Aura, a sumptuous stirred-down mix of Johnnie Walker, aquavit, Cocchi Dry Vermouth, maple syrup, walnut and mushroom. But when it’s pure, unadulterated glitz you’re after, the Golden Apple Champagne Cocktail is the way forward – because nothing says luxury like French fizz and XO cognac with a 24-carat gold sugar cube. thesavoylondon.com

Galaxy Bar Dubai

In the mood to embrace your flashy side? Put on some sequins and slide into one of the midnight-blue seats at Galaxy Bar in Dubai’s swish DIFC district. Drawing inspiration from the Greek night sky, this intimate cocktail lounge is decked out with twinkling lights that resemble a canopy of stars; the bar itself is framed by impressive gold-flecked granite arches that amp up the elegance.

In keeping with their celestial surrounds, the bartenders here shake up a selection of out-of-this-world cocktails, like the herbaceous, violet-hued Andromeda, with Gin Mare Capri, butterfly pea flower tea, basil and an aromatic cordial. They’ve got serves in nearly every colour of the rainbow – go on, match your drink to your outfit like the star you are. galaxy-bar.com

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Atlas

Singapore West Egg meets Southeast Asia at Atlas, a magnificent 1920s-inspired drinking den in Parkview Square (also known as Singapore’s Batman Building for its major Gotham energy). This is unquestionably one of the grandest bars in the world, boasting Gatsby-worthy Art Deco flair in the form of fresco-painted ceilings, bronze balconies and the pièce de résistance: a 15-metre-tall golden tower housing more than 1,300 gins.

Surrounded by that much juniper, you’d be a beautiful little fool not to order a Martini. Take the bar’s best for a test drive with the Atlas Suite, featuring mini versions of the Orange Blossom Martini, Espresso Martini and Atlas Martini (which gets its distinctive flavour from a touch of champagne vinegar). Vintage more your thing? Make your Martini with a gin from any decade dating back to the 1910s. atlasbar.sg

The Aubrey Hong Kong

While drinking and snacking at a Japanese izakaya is usually a casual affair, The Aubrey at the Mandarin Oriental takes the concept to elegant new heights. Here, you can sip sophisticated shochu cocktails and dine on fine Japanese cuisine, all while basking in panoramic views of Victoria Harbour.

The venue’s name is a nod to the 19th-century illustrator Aubrey Beardsley, a major player in the Art Nouveau and Japonisme

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movements, and like his work, the bar marries Japanese and Western styles across its three spaces. In the main room, beverage manager Devender Sehgal and his team offer a creative cocktail menu that celebrates shochu and awamori; no points for guessing what the Champagne and Sake Bar serves. For the ultimate luxurious experience, book in at the intimate Omakase Cocktail Bar, where bartenders craft drinks according to your tastes and teach you the finer points of Japanese spirits along the way. mandarinoriental.com

DRESSING UP

Velvet London

Velvet at the Corinthia London is a relative newcomer to the city's thriving hotel scene, but it’s already taken a place among the greats – no surprise, given that it’s the latest venue from legendary bartender Salvatore ‘The Maestro’ Calabrese. The atmosphere is sultry; it’s hard not to feel like the smooth-talking main character of some shadowy, glamorous noir film when you’re having a drink here. Sweeping red velvet curtains lend the space grandeur and intimacy in equal measures, and live music creates a buzz.

The Maestro’s classics never fail to impress – he literally invented the Direct Martini method, serving the drink bitingly cold, straight from the freezer, and you can bet Velvet’s version is as good as it gets. Feeling adventurous? Take the bar’s new menu for a spin. The Quote Book features playful serves inspired by the words of famous figures, with whimsical garnishes and stunning glassware.

Your cocktail will be as well dressed as you are, guaranteed. corinthia.com

Overstory New York City

There are bars with a view – and then there’s Overstory.

Set above sister restaurant Saga on the 64th floor of a FiDi skyscraper, it’s in a league of its own when it comes to soaking in the vistas of New York City. In the warmer months, snag a table on the wraparound terrace; otherwise, aim for a spot at the retro-chic bar so you can watch the team in action. Led by bar director Harrison Ginsberg, they’re some of the world’s best, mixing up drinks with big, layered flavours and thoughtful ingredients (a Manhattan with olive oil and cacao, anyone?).

While the bartenders sport eye-catching pink suits, there’s no dress code for guests, so you can ditch the jacket if you please. Still, as a go-to hangout for some seriously stylish clientele, Overstory can more than handle your festive ensemble. overstory-nyc.com

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TCL PARTNER

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SHARE. INSPIRE. PIONEER. WELCOME TO SIP

E

veryone needs someone or somewhere they can turn to when they need advice or inspiration. And people in hospitality are no exception.

Whether F&B manager or festival staff, novice bartender or bar owner, club promoter or chef, they all share similar experiences in the work environment, but they’ve never shared an advocacy programme where they can hear and learn from each other.

That’s why Pernod Ricard set up SIP. An acronym for Share, Inspire, Pioneer, and proudly staying true to each word, SIP is an influential platform devised to connect, inform and empower the entire hospitality industry.

As Pauline de Pins, global on-trade digital manager at Pernod Ricard and the driving force behind the initiative, explains: “SIP is the result of the collaboration between trade advocacy experts at Pernod Ricard and hospitality members from all over the world. This community platform was born after Covid, when we all felt we needed to join forces to build a programme that would go beyond competitions, brand promotion and academies; a programme that would actively lift the industry and open a space of connection for everyone, from the owner of multiple restaurants in Shanghai to the promoter of a nightclub in Berlin. We are all facing the same challenges, staff shortage, energy crisis, changes of behaviours of our customers, so this is a platform for us to address those challenges together and learn from each other. In the coming months, SIP will spread to many countries, offering more opportunities for the SIP Community to collectively shape a more

Connecting and empowering the global hospitality community sustainable future for our industry.”

Available online and offline, there’s a whole lot to get on board with, such as long- and short-form articles, informational videos, a podcast and in-person events – most recently BCB x SIP Studio, a series of carefully curated roundtable discussions at Bar Convent Berlin. The team also connected and collaborated with experts and industry leaders from Asia by partnering up with the BCB team at Bar Convent Singapore.

Wherever you are in the world you can be part of the SIP Community, learning from the biggest names in all walks of hospitality and gaining invaluable insights from experts outside the field.

Speaking of learning, there’s plenty in that department too. Tap into the dedicated training modules – all online so you can take them at your own pace.

Sharpen your skills by working your way through SIP Digital Training, where you can grow your business by exposing the full potential of its digital ecosystem; explore how to fully embrace sustainable practices in the workplace with The Bar World of Tomorrow, a course developed

by Pernod Ricard, Trash Tiki and the Sustainable Restaurant Association; and take on certified professional bar trainings, from beginner through to bar management.

But it’s not all serious stuff, there’s lightness too. Have a giggle as bartenders confess their most embarrassing workplace moments and be enlightened as they get creative with twists on ingredients sent from bars around the world.

Gen up on the latest trends, tap into the history, hear from the Night Mayors in your city – join SIP.

PROBLEMS SHARED

PRACTICAL TIPS Including…

PERSONALITY INSIGHTS

F Evert de Jong, co-owner, Sin+Tax, Johannesburg, on dealing with toxic work environments F David Allott, General Manager of Hospitality, SkyCity, Auckland, on how to recruit and retain staff F Roisin Stimpson, co-owner, Nightjar, Oriole and Swift, London, on parenthood

F Silvia Montello, CEO, Association of Independent Music, on how to ensure you get the right people through the door in your venue F Bianca Stern, General Manager, All Things Equal, Melbourne, on the importance of inclusive hiring with a focus on disabilities F Sam Bompas, co-founder, Bompas & Parr, London, on how to create sensory spaces

F Lucien Laviscount of Emily in Paris, on his experience of launching a bar in north London, creating his favourite cocktail and opening up about his personal life.

F LP O’Brien, winner of the first Netflix Drinks Masters series, going back to her roots in the Bronx and talking about diversity in the drinks industry.

Including…

Exclusive SIP series…

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Listen. Watch. Learn.

Join the conversation.

Share your ideas, boost your business, master your skills, grow your community, shape the future of the industry.

Join SIP.

UNIFORM STYLE

Comfortable and smart at The Connaught bar with Maura Milia Lawrence, Agostino Perrone and Giorgio Bargiani

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The suited and booted uniform of yore is no more, as bars are redressing their teams for functionality as much as fashion.

By Millie Milliken

I

t was a photograph taken in 1926 by photographer Lucia Moholy of the Bauhaus designer, artist and photographer László MoholyNagy (who happened to be her husband) that set the wheels in motion for the now iconic boilersuits worn by the team at London’s A Bar with Shapes for a Name.

A departure from the caricature of an artist in a beret, paintbrush in hand, poised at their easel, Moholy-Nagy’s attire suggests a profession of labour; that art isn’t just a product of the mind but a manual practice too. Perfect, then, for a profession made up of visionary, hard-working people: bartenders.

The bartender uniform has had a rebrand in recent years. While the classic kit of the 20th-century bartender (single-

breasted white jacket) harks back to a time when alcohol was acquired from more pharmaceutical establishments than bars, as we move further into the 21st, several factors are prompting bar owners and managers to rethink their bar staff ’s attire: the redefinition of luxury in hospitality, a move towards more genderneutral options and a chance to more deeply reflect the values of the bar’s allimportant brand.

All change

On a recent trip to Singapore, I was lucky to finally frequent the legendary Jigger & Pony, and when not perusing its new Identity menu, was busy studying the team’s uniforms. Functional, clean and aesthetically pleasing, while simple on the eye, they felt revolutionary in their relaxedness. And it was in fact during the process of creating its new menu that the bar’s uniform came under scrutiny.

“During our discussions, we realised that the role of the bartender has evolved over the years,” Uno Jang, bar operations manager, tells me. “Not only are we making drinks… in the bar, we are attending industry conventions, giving masterclasses, doing research and development in the lab, meeting with suppliers, producers and other collaborators, and visiting events around

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our city and overseas. The question then was, what do we wear when we are conducting these other areas of the business on behalf of Jigger & Pony outside the bar?”

The team were inspired by the chore coat, which first appeared in France in the 19th century, typically made of either cotton drill or moleskin and designed for physical labour – loose fitting, large pockets, and durable for their hardworking wearers. “The chore jacket also found favour with the fashion industry in the past decade,” says Jang, “and is closer to how people are dressed today, which we feel has allowed us to be closer to our guests as well.” It’s no wonder that the Jigger & Pony staff like wearing it outside of work as well.

In London, The Connaught bar manager Maura Milia Lawrence has not long updated her team’s uniforms too. It was her own switch from the short dress to trousers and a blouse when she was promoted that prompted considering a change for the whole team. The other women in the team have followed suit, and the men have had an upgrade too.

“The double-breasted waistcoat of the men’s uniform and the combination of tie/bow in the silk blouse for the women are my favourite details,” says Milia. “I also love that the management team

UNIFORM STYLE

uniforms are no longer different for men and women.”

In Barcelona, Simone Caporale and Marc Álvarez of Sips had uniforms front and centre of their minds while creating the brand and overall aesthetic of the bar.

“We had the idea of building a jacket that was a mix between the classic bartender apron, the chef jacket and a bartender jacket,” explains Álvárez – a concept that has resulted in dark trousers, white T-shirts and a contemporary waistcoat zipped diagonally across the body. “I think that there should be a balance between comfort and design,” he continues. “Both are important and, as in all life, we need to have a balance between how the staff look and something that they can work with.”

The briefs

New looks are all well and good, but in a profession where movement, mobility and endurance are tantamount, briefing designers to create something that doesn’t hinder the very important tasks of shaking, stretching and stirring is crucial. As Álverez confirms, comfort and mobility were key to how he and Caporale briefed their designer, CSTY. Jigger & Pony worked with a local tailor, CYC, founded in 1935 by Shanghainese tailors Chiang Yick Ching and his wife Foo Ah Neok, who became pioneers in combining Western technology (such as Swiss-fused collars) with Eastern craftsmanship. The key requirement was to produce a functional design that was easy to clean and maintain. The process took six months to get right. “In the end, we chose two different colours and fabrics in the same versatile design,” Jang tells me. “The grey is thinner and less structured, which is easier on the eyes when immersed in Jigger & Pony’s warm lighting and colour palette, while the oatmeal is heavier in material and works well for external engagements, especially for those in the day or in cooler-climate countries.”

Over at The Connaught and Milia’s brief to Italian tailor Oscar Bencivenga (who also happens to be a regular) was to have something contemporary, yet classic and elegant for the team to feel comfortable and confident in at work.

“Firstly, there’s a pragmatic factor due to the dynamic nature of our profession: we move a lot and quickly, so uniforms need to be comfortable and light. Also, we can’t really allow bright colours, on which stains – especially for the team behind the bar – would stand out

Right: The chore coat at Jigger & Pony; Below: The team at A Bar with Shapes for a Name took inspiration from Bauhaus designer László Moholy for their boiler suit uniforms

immediately,” she explains, while also noting that the style must reflect the tone of working in a five-star hotel.

When Remy Savage and Paul Lougrat, the duo behind A Bar with Shapes for a Name, had their boilersuit epiphany, Tanmay Saxena of LaneFortyfive (a brand focusing on sustainability, slow movement and equality) was enlisted and briefed on their vision for the Bauhaus-inspired bar. Cohesion and comfort were key in its inception, Savage tells me.

Reflecting identity

Across the board, gender is increasingly playing a role in how bar managers and owners dress their staff – or, more accurately, the active push against gender norms. “I think uniforms should be

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based on position, not on gender,” says Savage resolutely, with this stance being reflected in the fact that LaneFortyfive only makes gender-neutral clothing.

Instead, the colours do the work with signposting team members at the bar (who all have their own colour): the three senior members wear primary colours (red, yellow and blue), while the next group wear secondary colours, the third tertiary, and so on.

Women working at The Connaught were given the option to wear loafers instead of heels, but ended up opting for the latter as they felt they did more justice to the final overall look. For Milia, empowering her staff and allowing them to have a choice was important, not just for them but also for how they would in turn serve their guests.

Jigger & Pony have also given their staff free rein when it comes to how their uniforms are tailored. “While the current uniform is designed to be gender neutral, it is tailor-made for each member of the team to take into account different body shapes and sizes,” says Jang. “This also allows for individual expression as much as possible; if a bartender prefers to choose narrower sleeves or wider openings for their pockets, they are able to do so.”

With hoodies, beanies and simple branded T-shirts making their way into mainstream uniforms too, the landscape of how our bartenders dress is looking increasingly relaxed. Let’s just hope we draw the line at Crocs.

TCL PARTNER

PEARFECTION! W

The rich intensity of Williams pears distilled in Anjou. The delicate complexity of cognac. Two terroirs brought together in deliciously perfect harmony in Belle de Brillet.

ithin its distinctively shaped bottle is a liqueur that purveys the freshness of pears balanced by the intricacies of cognac.

THE BELLE FLIP 50ml Belle de Brillet 15ml sweet vermouth 1 egg yolk Freshly grated nutmeg, to garnish

THE PEARS

Hand-picked, the deeply flavoursome Williams pears come from family-farmed, ecoresponsive orchards. Once ripe, they are naturally fermented before distillation in a traditional copper column still. The result is a delicate pear eau-de-vie.

Method: Shake the first three ingredients over ice, strain into a chilled coupe glass, then sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg.

THE COGNAC

As for the cognac, vineyards recognised with the highest sustainability credentials produce the traditional Ugni Blanc grapes, while double distillation and ageing in new oak barrels results in a round, fruity and floral cognac eau-de-vie.

Perfect for the marriage which is to follow.

For more cocktail ideas, see belledebrillet.com PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY

THE PEARFECTION

The two eaux-de-vie are carefully blended together, and then with Madagascan vanilla-infused sugar. The addition of water is followed by cold filtration and 15 days of rest, before bottling at a precise 30% ABV. No neutral alcohol. No additives. But with the equivalent of 18 pears in each bottle. The Belle de Brillet is ready to enjoy.

The intense aroma of fresh pears, followed by the delicate taste of that fruit and a hint of vanilla, along with the complexity of cognac, combine elegantly for a rounded mellow, floral and

slightly woody finish.

Hardly surprising it’s picked up numerous awards including an International Spirits Challenge trophy and World's Best Fruit Liqueur at the World Liqueur Awards.

And Belle de Brillet is as versatile as it is delicious. Served direct from the fridge or over ice, it’s a welcome aperitif or digestif.

As for cocktails, it brings new twists to classics and is the ideal inspiration for a new creation.

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Atelier: a studio or workshop for an artist, designer or fashion house, and the blueprint for the latest offering from the team behind east London’s Coupette

D

estination Atelier Coupette, Soho, for late Friday afternoon drinks.

The mood as we enter is chill, serene even. In the lower seats by the window, watching the crowds go by, a small group of friends easing into the weekend with a few beers.

In front of them, seated in the high stools at the opposite end of the bar from us, a couple sipping on cocktails served in eye-catching glasses. Eye-catching not because they’re pimped up with crazy

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garnishes or filled with garish look-at-me colours but noted for their diminutive stature – in our minds filed under dainty and delightful. Much like the temptinglooking dishes that are presented before them with regularity – each polished off appreciatively before being whisked away by the two people attentively tending bar.

Size is a big thing at Atelier Coupette.

With space for around 35 guests – no more than ten at the bar, the rest dotted around the 40sqm – it makes a fabulous spot for one of our favourite sports: watching how people engage and react in a bar. Head bartender Georgia Balson is of the same mindset. “I love that I can see everything that’s going on in every corner of the room,” she tells us. Which is useful for the team but equally valued by the guests who become participants not just spectators in the entire experience.

And it is an experience. Always changing, ever evolving, in keeping with the meaning of the word atelier, the recently opened space is a development hub, a work in progress. With that in mind, think of those drinks served in the petite, bespoke glassware as tasters or samples, the food by Adrian Dumitru as tantalising titbits designed to amuse

SMALL WONDERS

not overwhelm the bouche. As for the aesthetics, the bar’s industrial look and contemporary design acts as a blank canvas to showcase the creativity both in and out of the glass.

“Everything feeds into the concept of being a workshop-slash-studioslash-creative space, particularly the small-scale serves,” Georgia explains.

“We want people to try as many of the drinks as possible. Our way to facilitate that, without encouraging drinking irresponsibly, is to make the drinks smaller – approximately half the size of regular cocktails, some maybe twothirds of the regular size – and to serve a selection of equally petite dishes.”

Far left: Views over Soho; Centre: the Atelier Coupette team; Bottom left: Georgia at work.

This page: Food and drink on the menu; Below: The bijou bar

Development sessions

It’s a very different set-up to the mothership, Coupette, which opened in 2017. The former Bethnal Green boozer turned fancy bar is noted for its innovative twists on classics and penchant for French ingredients, and the idea for its sister branch was born from the weekly Sunday Development Sessions. “It was one of the things that I was most attracted to about working at Coupette,” says Klára Kopčiková, formerly at Coupette, now senior bartender at Atelier. “I love the idea of constantly coming up with new drinks rather than having one super-intense period of three to six months developing an entire new menu,” she continues.

“The thing that I like most about the workshop idea is that I don’t feel that I have to be creative all the time, I can drop in and out of it – which is the point of the workshop. In regular bars you have to save your creativity for when the menu is changing and then you need to let it all out. Every time I did that I felt my creativity burnt out. Here, I feel that if I

have an idea, I can execute it and put it on the menu immediately.”

The menu in question is where you get the real essence of what Atelier Coupette is all about. Hero ingredients appear then disappear depending on the season, so one week your Martini-style drink may feature samphire as the star of the glass; the next it might be all about strawberries and tomatoes. “Going back to the workshop side of things, it means that yes, the drink may begin one way but we can take it in a different direction the next day if we want to,” says Klára.

“With Atelier, that’s totally acceptable.

For instance, when we opened we had a Nectarine Old Fashioned on the menu.

Then nectarines were no longer in

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season. So rather than scrambling around to create something super nuanced and different, we just evolved the drink to the Peach Old Fashioned.”

That said, it’s not all prescriptive. “If customers want something tailor-made, we happily oblige with that too,” Georgia says. Mostly though, you visit Atelier for their thoughtful, fun and flavoursome creations – drinks like the Smoked Artichoke Manhattan (Knob Creek Rye, Cynar, PDC, smoked artichokes and Peychaud’s Bitters), Koji Flan (Eminente 3 Year Old Rum, barley custard, salted coconut dulce de leche and cacao) and a particular favourite, the Turbo Carrot Spritz (Bacardí Carta Blanca Rum, Trois Rivières Cuvée, toasted sesame, dill and fizzy carrot wine).

“We pride ourselves on making sure our drinks read as they taste,” Georgia adds proudly. She’s right, the flavours in the PBJ are exactly as you’d imagine: subtle layers of peanut butter and jam deftly woven in via Brugal 1888 and Santa Teresa rums, Lillet Rosé, strawberry and banana peel liqueur, and peanut milk.

“The menu is quite playful, so we’re not necessarily a bar for bartenders, although we have got a couple of complex tricks for people who want to come and scrutinise that. But generally we zone in on nostalgic flavours, ingredients that are easy to read and things that people can connect with.” coupette.co.uk

PHOTO STORY

Five designs that are as unique as the sublime experiences that await within Photography Gary Smith Drinks styling Dré Masso Thanks to Dugdale Bros. & Co. London

W

hen perusing the contents of a backbar, there are occasionally certain bottles that simply stand out. Not in a shouty or ostentatious way. Quite the opposite in fact. Like a bespoke suit or a couture dress, they are highly individual. Not swayed by changing fashions, instead they are timeless. A combination of carefully considered colour, thoughtfully executed line and an intricate attention to detail. The most appealing bottle has the ability to hint at an enticing story and to elegantly invite us to carefully open, slowly pour and ultimately savour.

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Tequila Komos Komos is a tequila that’s both inspired by Mediterranean winemaking and celebrates the Mexican tradition of handmade vitrified porcelain. Made by artisan producer Anfora, which has been crafting ceramics since 1920, each bottle is hand-dipped into a reactive glaze that subtly changes when fired in the oven, meaning every bottle is a one-of-a-kind creation. Embossed around the exterior are three abstract symbols conveying sun, sea and salt. Practical yet beautiful, each bottle is created to be thoughtfully upcycled and cherished.

Komos Negroni 45ml Komos Añejo Cristalino 25ml Cocchi Rosa 25ml Aperol Orange twist, to garnish Method: Add the ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir briefly.

Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice and garnish with the orange twist. komos.com Rocks glass by Nude, Savage Collection

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Cointreau Trademarked by Édouard Cointreau in 1885, the bottle was inspired by perfume bottles of the period, its distinctive four sides symbolising the liqueur’s ingredients: orange peel essential oils, water, alcohol and sugar. Today’s iteration sees an understated illustration, inspired by the first distillery, adorn the label. Touches of copper-coloured embossing reflect the stills in which Cointreau is carefully created, while the copper cap now has a tactile texture suggesting orange skin. Classic design never goes out of style, instead it elegantly evolves.

Christmas Margarita 30ml Cointreau L’Unique 50ml blanco tequila 20ml fresh lime juice 6 drops of aromatic bitters Cinnamon sugar, to garnish Rosemary sprig, to garnish Method: Add the ingredients to a shaker filled with ice and shake hard. Strain into a chilled coupe glass rimmed with cinnamon sugar.

Garnish with the rosemary sprig. cointreau.com Coupe glass by Nude, Savage Collection

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PHOTO STORY

Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto Beautiful Amalfi Coast waters are evoked in its aquamarine hue. Classical Roman columns are conjured up through the linear texture of the glass. And the cap reflects the Renaissance black and white marbles of the basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence – where Michelangelo was an apprentice and Caterina de’ Medici would offer honoured guests rosolio – while a cherub inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man is seen harvesting bergamot.

Could this be any more lovingly Italian as it exquisitely embodies and cleverly modernises the tradition of aperitivo?

Italicus Spritz 50ml Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto 100ml Prosecco 3 green olives, to garnish Method: Carefully build the Italicus and Prosecco over ice in a large, elegant wine glass, then garnish with the olives. rosolioitalicus.com Wine glass by Riedel

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PHOTO STORY

Artingstall’s Brilliant London Dry Gin Appearances can be deceiving, in the most delightful of ways. Artingstall’s is the creation of Oscar-nominated film director Paul Feig. A lover of gin and cocktails, his director’s visual sleight of hand is evident in the way he cleverly makes a spirit launched in 2020 appear timeless. A decanter found

in a thrift shop served as the inspiration for a bottle lovingly created of carefully cut glass. Even the name is clever misdirection – old English? No, the maiden name of his mother, simply suggesting an intriguing history for the authentic London Dry gin encased in all its glory within.

Dry Martini 60ml Artingstall’s Brilliant London Dry Gin 20ml dry vermouth Lemon twist, to garnish Method: Stir the ingredients carefully over ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Twist an elegantly cut piece of lemon peel over the glass, then drop it in. artingstallsgin.com Martini glass, stylist’s own

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Savoia Americano Rosso The distinctive ribbed patterns textured elegantly into the glass represent the extensive flavours, regions and ingredients that come together to make Savoia Americano Rosso. The base of the bottle symbolises the unification of Italy. And the delightfully tactile wooden cap is a homage to the oak-aged D.O.C. Marsala wine at its heart. Adorning this cap, the infinity symbol suggests the infinite ways in which Savoia Americano can be mixed and enjoyed.

Together, a wealth of intriguing clues to the inspiration behind a vino aperitivo that’s the perfect mid-point between bitters and sweet vermouth.

L’Americano Savoia 50ml Savoia Americano Rosso 100ml soda or tonic water 3 green grapes, to garnish Method: Fill a highball glass with ice and add the Savoia Americano. Stir gently and top with the soda or tonic.

Garnish with the grapes. casa-savoia.com Highball glass by Nude, Savage Collection

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How drinks brands are teaming up with fashion designers to breathe new life into their bottles.

By Claire Dodd

F

Top left and bottom, right: Joshua Kane's designs for Crystal Head Vodka; Above: The Drop by Louis XIII

ashion is very important.

It is life-enhancing and, like everything that gives pleasure, it is worth doing well.” So said the late, great Dame Vivienne Westwood.

But it’s a funny thing, fashion, when you think about it. At turns playful and serious, and sometimes dismissed as frivolous, it’s an expression of wealth, taste, status and above all, identity. So, what does it say when the worlds of fashion and drinks collide?

With increasing creativity and boundary breaking, brands have been

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linking up with fashion designers to transform their packs. From Disaronno’s Icon project, which ran from 2013 to 2019 and saw its bottles reimagined and dressed in the distinctive style of Versace, Cavalli, Etro, Missoni, Trussardi and Diesel, to more recent launches by Royal Salute, designers have been busy giving brands a makeover.

But why do it? And what comes first, the designer’s identity or the brand’s?

“When it comes to our project with Joshua Kane, I absolutely fell in love with his work,” says PJ Jaurre, global brand ambassador for Crystal Head Vodka. The

DESIGNER BOTTLES

Royal Salute collaborated with Richard Quinn for its bottle and liquid

brand’s collaboration with the British designer saw his trademark tailoring and brocade fabrics applied to 200 of its distinctive skull bottles, with individual garments handmade to sit atop each, in three different colourways. Each pack was intended to convey a “beautiful, rebellious spirit”, values that PJ says both brand and designer share.

“We’ve always partnered with musicians, graffiti artists, painters, jewellery designers… the one thing we hadn’t really collaborated on was creating something fun with a clothing brand,” adds PJ. “Looking at the bottle, the first visual credentials that anyone would see would be Joshua’s, because his work covers the whole of our bottle. Our bottle does sell itself; it is very visually exciting and enticing to people. Some people would say it’s the make or break of our brand, some people say it’s just a gimmick, and some actually understand the ethos behind the product.”

Brand values

Visual disruption is part of the charm of fashion collaborations. But the recent partnership between Scotch brand Royal Salute and designer Richard Quinn went a step further. The six-piece Royal Salute 21 Year Old Richard Quinn Edition II collection sees bottles covered in three different bold floral prints. Yet Quinn also worked with master blender Sandy Hyslop to create a unique liquid too.

“My job as master blender is to maintain the Royal Salute signature style,” says Sandy. “It has to be recognisably Royal Salute. But to add that top dressing of flavour in collaboration with Richard was really, really fun. We

built up a final blend that had his stamp on it, the kind of flavours he likes. It was really interesting because I had some really exotic casks in the inventory in first-fill sherry, and he really loved that.

The sweet fragrant notes, mixed with that sherry, that raisin, just suited him down to the ground. I think the designs too are just awesome.”

It’s a bold departure from tradition, in many ways, for a brand whose signature expression was conceived in 1953, the year of Elizabeth II’s coronation, as a tribute to the British monarchy.

Collaborations such as these, however, are giving the brand a new tailwind.

“For me, Royal Salute is in a bit of a golden period at the moment,” adds Sandy. “It’s just absolutely on fire.”

Increasingly, fashion and drinks collaborations are about bringing in new followers to a brand, reinventing or reinterpreting their identity for a new generation of consumers, or tapping into social causes that go far beyond both industries. Wearable garments are becoming a key part of that.

And perhaps the most radical has to be Louis XIII’s The Drop. Launched in late 2022, the 10ml bottle tore up the rule book when it comes to fashion and the world of drinks colliding. Alongside the sleek pack which mirrored the dimple of its daddy bottle, its unique twist was making it into a garment itself, designed to be worn and carried like jewellery, sunglasses or a purse, with a choice of five coloured caps and five shoulder straps. Though the brand says it is not an accessory, it’s a statement.

It is, the brand says, intended as an “icon for a new generation”, described as “digital natives, pioneers, life-fulfillers, multi-taskers and multi-sharers”. Or in other words, Gen Z. As a group, it claims, this generation is constantly reinventing luxury codes.

“The Drop stands at the crossroad of our vision to ‘think a century ahead’ and our quest to pass on the unwavering exception from previous generations,” says Anne-Laure Pressat, executive director, Louis XIII. “The Drop is the smallest format of Louis XIII, a brand-new format in the industry and the first spirit you can wear, bridging the gap between luxury spirits and fashion accessories.

“We designed it to lead to a self-made experience, to discover Louis XIII, bringing a breath of modernity. Everyone

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is invited to tailor their own ritual experience to the time and place that best resonates with their mindset.”

For those who want to personalise it even more, the Louis XIII boutique in Harrods now offers monogramming with hot stamps and embossing.

Designs on drinks

Yet a new wave of collabs are leaving the bottle behind completely. In August, Chivas Regal partnered with London knitwear brand AGR on a football kit inspired by the Women’s World Cup. Part of its wider ‘Raise the Game’ campaign, and following its sponsorship of the Manchester United women’s first team, the capsule collection – created from football jersey deadstock and custom fabric printed with the Chivas emblem – was about honouring the game, and women’s place in it.

“I wanted it to be eye-catching. I wanted people to take notice. As too often, people overlook women football players,” says AGR founder and designer Alicia Robinson, who describes the merging of the brands as “a bit dreamy”.

“For me it was really important to keep their [Chivas Regal’s] essence not only in the designs, but the photo shoot. When I think about their brand, I think of luxury, gold, kind of like old Versace. I tried to keep that essence in the kit.”

Above all, creating wearable garments that take brands into new spaces, or embed them in specific cultures, has to be about authenticity. “The best collaborations pull from both brands,” adds Alicia. “It’s always really obvious when people are doing it for the money or the hype. Chivas are big activists for women’s football. They felt as a female designer, our brand is empowering.

Collaborations have to make sense.”

Chivas Regal teamed up with knitwear brand, AGR

t We’ve always been big believers in the thinking that collaborations are where the magic happens. Particularly when it comes to creativity. Alex Kratena agrees.

“Working with other people and discovering new disciplines has always blessed me with learning more,” the man behind some of the most inspiring bars and drinks products of recent years tells us. “Sometimes there’s a product at the end of it, sometimes not – but for me, the journey is the important part,” he continues.

“It pushes me forward, teaches me new things and allows me to see the world through somebody else’s eyes.” Which goes some way to explain why he and partner Monica Berg set up their most recent project, Tayēr Studios.

If the names sound familiar, that’s because Alex and Monica are the dreamers and prolific doers behind much-lauded bar Tayēr + Elementary. True to the first half of its name (tayēr is derived from ‘taller’, meaning ‘workshop’ in Spanish), the pair are constantly exploring, always working to move the landscape in drinks forward – whether through the numerous projects they’re commissioned to work on or through the adventures in

taste they undertake in both Tayēr and Elementary, the two very distinct bar spaces occupying the same location in London’s Old Street.

Tayēr Studios sees them in their happy place. Making magic with fellow creatives.

“We had a few people who we always wanted to collaborate with, but they didn’t really fit into the bar space,” Alex says, explaining how the project came about. “That’s when we decided that we should have a completely different platform Alex Kratena and Monica Berg

that can live alongside the bar and enable us to work with professionals across any discipline,” Monica continues.

“Tayēr Studios is a space for creativity and fun; it’s a new project, a platform for co-creation where everyone taking part learns from each other and they can interpret their creativity exactly how they want.”

Creativity in the mix

This year the co-creators were self-taught perfumer Maya Njie, award-winning designer Martin Kastner and celebrated calligrapher Oscuro. True to Alex and Monica’s word, they were given free rein to bring their unique style and vision to play. So, what was the brief? “There wasn’t one really,” says Monica. “I suppose, if anything, it was ‘you do you, but with us’,” Alex chips in. “From our side it was very simple, it was literally: let’s take three creative people, give them the same set of raw materials and everyone can interpret them

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in their own way, within their discipline.” Each creation would then inspire a limitededition bottled cocktail.

The partnership with Maya was probably the most obvious. “She’s been to the bar many times before, seen our menus and knows that there is definitely a connection between us and her fragrances. As soon as we had the idea for Tayēr Studios we knew we had to have her on board,” Monica beams. “She created an amazing fragrance based around cedar and sandalwood – it’s beautiful, warm and seductive. It’s always been our dream to have our own perfume.”

Another dream ticked off was working with Martin Kastner of Crucial Detail.

“He’s probably best known in the drinks world for the amazing Porthole infuser he designed for The Aviary in Chicago,” says Alex. “I’ve been a long-time admirer and we were thrilled to have him on board.” Martin’s piece is an intricate, extremely tactile vessel hewn from cedar. “We were originally working on a study on clay and how the material can affect aromas.

But when we were testing it, it didn’t work out. Then Martin said, ‘I have this other idea but it has no commercial potential and we’re going to

C R E AT I V E M I N D S

AMBER + SANDALWOOD MAYA NJIE

BLACK WALNUT + COFFEE OSCURO

CEDARWOOD + CHINOTTO CRUCIAL DETAIL

Tayēr Aquavit, Ardbeg 10 Year Old Whisky, Cocchi Americano, Muyu Vetiver Gris, sandalwood, Perique tobacco and cedarwood Maya Njie: “Cedarwood, sandalwood and vetiver are perfume notes that I love to work with, but I’ve never come across them in cocktails.

Alex and Monica have a very interesting approach and also visually, the project spoke to me. The process was pretty seamless, it took me about three months to create, they smelled it and made the cocktail based on the fragrance.”

Marquis de Montesquiou VSOP Armagnac, Campari, Discarded Sweet Cascara Vermouth, black walnut and coffee Oscuro: “I really like the way Alex and Monica work and think, and I was really honoured when I was invited to be one of the co-creators. I wanted to show a little bit of everything that I’m doing – my artwork, the clothing and something that is new and unexpected from me, a bespoke furniture set where people can enjoy the beautiful drinks that Alex and Monica have created.

I like my one, it's just my style.”

Whistlepig PiggyBack Rye, Punt e Mes Vermouth, Muyu Chinotto Nero and cedarwood Martin Kastner: “The fact that this collaboration wasn’t tied to any specific product or outcome and the openness of the project is what was interesting to me. I’m intrigued by the idea of asking where the object ends and the experience begins. The idea of exploring the interaction between the vessel and the cocktail – blurring the lines and making the vessel feel like an inherent part of the experience.”

Centre column, top: Liquid Amber fragrance by Maya Nije, pictured below; Bottom: Martin Kastner; Oscuro in front of one of his artworks wearing one of his designs; Right: Martin's limited-edition cedar cups

P R I I T PA LU M A

be lucky if we manage to make a few.’ Naturally, we were in.”

Then, there’s Oscuro.

“The question with Oscuro was, how do you insert a calligraphy artist into a cocktail bar if you’re not doing the obvious, which would be a canvas?” says Alex. The answer came from Oscuro. “He was like, ‘I have this crazy dream, which is so madly expensive that no one ever agrees to commission it, but I think it could be amazing. I want to create a space where you’re going to be able to enjoy the drinks, a one-off furniture set.’” His contribution also includes limited-edition clothing and artworks.

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The three co-creators’ collections came together in the Tayēr Studios concept gallery and shopping experience, which opened in Shoreditch for a limited time in November. Also on offer were the three limited-edition, ready-todrink cocktails the creations inspired. Was it a success?

“The only measure of success for all of us taking part was, ‘Is it cool and are we excited by it?’” Alex replies. “So yes, it really was.”

Shop collection, at tayer-elementary.com

PODCAST Join us as we share what we’re drinking, where we’re going, products we’re trying, the drinks books we’re reading and all manner of cocktail-loving goodness. Plus, we catch up with our favourite movers and shakers in the cocktail world.

SUBSCRIBE NOW! Just search “The Cocktail Lovers” wherever you listen and subscribe to your podcasts or scan the QR code to listen direct FOR MORE DETAILS VISIT THECOCKTAILLOVERS.COM/PODCAST

B E T H C R O C K AT T

THE COCKTAIL LOVERS

DIGESTIF TIME TO SIP, SAVOUR AND CONTEMPLATE

p. 66 Silverleaf

The beauty of Silverleaf’s new menu captured in microscopic scale by photographer Karl Gaff

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IN THIS ISSUE Spotlight on Margarita Sader, aka MS Bar Trends, three restaurants for sumptuous seafood, flavours of fashion and where to drink in Cape Town and Johannesburg

FASHIONING HOSPITALITY

How Margarita Sader injected colour and personality in front of and behind the bar. By Priyanka Blah

A

renowned figure in Barcelona’s hospitality scene, Margarita Sader breathes life into every industry get-together and lends her creative prowess to the city’s award-winning Paradiso bar.

But what some don’t know about Marga (as we fondly call her) is that she is a qualified fashion designer with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business management.

Born in Caracas, Venezuela and raised during a tumultuous time for the country, Marga decided to explore the world at the onset of the economic and political crisis, when she was only 20. Her quest led her to Greece, where she landed a job as a buyer at a fashion store. Marga embraced European culture but had a

thirst for more – and it was on a trip to Barcelona that she realised she had found where she belonged. A multicultural city where people spoke her language, where she felt connected and where she felt she could find a home. She’s now lived in Barcelona for more than a decade and has become synonymous with hospitality and fashion in the city and beyond.

“If you know me, you know I am attached to my sewing machine. It’s a very important part of the life of all the women in my family and to this day, my sewing machine is my best friend,” she quips. Marga grew up in a predominantly female household, where sharing clothes between sisters was somewhat of a sacred bonding exercise, and her mother owned a clothing store, travelling to the US often to source garments. You could say fashion is in Margarita’s genes.

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Born in Barcelona

So how did the move to Europe play a part in this story?

“When I moved to Barcelona, I started working nights at the W Hotel, taking care of VIP guests and learning the ropes of hospitality,” she says. “Then in the morning, I would study business and pursue a higher education.” But the day and night lifestyle left little time for Margarita to continue her love for sewing and designing clothes, so she left the hotel and took a job at a local bar called Boca Chica, where her shift would end at a reasonable hour, giving her time in the evenings to work on perfecting her craft.

She even had time to create uniforms for her colleagues – her first foray into designing clothing for hospitality.

Not long after, things took a turn for the serendipitous for Margarita. Her

MS BAR TRENDS

Far left: Margarita Sader in her atelier; a selection of Margarita's colourful designs; Right: Margarita models one of her aprons

partner, Giacomo Giannotti, was setting up Paradiso bar and would often consult Marga on creative matters. In 2015, just a few days before the bar was due to open, she learned that its opening budget had been exhausted and that the bartenders had no aprons. In classic Margarita style, where there was a problem, she saw an opportunity. Wasting no time, she put her trusty sewing machine to work, crafting aprons from leftover upholstery fabric and buckles sourced from a local store. At a time when using denim for a bartender’s apron was the epitome of creativity, Margarita’s design, inspired by the curved ceiling and tropical decor of the bar, broke the mould.

As Paradiso’s doors opened, neighbouring cafés, bars and restaurants took notice of the unique aprons and approached Margarita to design theirs.

One thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

Margarita’s vivacious energy makes it impossible not to notice her when she walks into a room, but what is even more impressive is how she has created a niche for herself in this industry.

In 2017, she asked her mum to move to Barcelona to help her set up their first atelier – a tiny room that could barely accommodate Margarita, her mother, their sewing machine and a dog. “When a

client came, either my mum or I would have to step out!” Fast-forward to 2023 and two ateliers later, MS Bar Trends is now a sprawling studio and retail space located opposite Paradiso in El Born, one of Barcelona’s most fashionable and busiest neighbourhoods.

Born in Barcelona but with a global presence, MS Bar Trends is Margarita’s exclusive atelier and design house, specialising in hospitality wear. Whether it’s for eye-catching aprons that tell a story or sharp, practical jackets that balance style and function, it’s the go-to destination for anyone in the industry who wants to express their unique style – a fashion experience tailored for those who bring flavour and flair to the world of hospitality. Alongside the couture collections created by the studio, the store offers a beautiful line of brocade jackets, aprons with unique prints and statement pieces that can be styled and customised in several ways.

The female touch

The atelier is run by Margarita with help from her mother, the lovely Marisol de Sader. “It’s the perfect relationship as she takes care of everything when I’m travelling for work with the bar [Paradiso], then I come back with new and interesting fabrics from my travels

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and bring them to the studio for us to work with,” says Marga. Working alongside the mother-daughter duo is an all-female Latin American team.

“I am very proud of my roots and our women, and I want my work to be able to support not just the women of my community but those all over the world.”

The success of MS Bar Trends comes with its own set of challenges, of course.

Like any brave venture, there is always uncertainty, but if anyone is up for a challenge, it’s Margarita. With her feet firmly planted on the ground and a steady head on her shoulders, she has built up a loyal clientele.

Right now, Margarita is pouring her heart and soul into offering the absolute best products and customer experience.

She’s on a mission to turn bars and restaurants into inviting spaces with well-dressed people.

Her latest project, Shake Your Closet, is all about reviving treasured pieces of clothing from your own wardrobe and giving them a fresh start. The goal? To breathe new life into those sentimental garments. It’s all about preserving memories and making old favourites shine again.

I, for one, will be wearing my MS Bar Trends pieces with pride and recommend you get your hands on one too.

There’s a very fine line between concept bars and gimmicky ones. I’ve been to more than my fair share of those that fall into the latter camp, believe me. Some try a little too hard to bring forced fun or novelty ideas to the party. Others are… how can I put this? Let’s just say that they’re more fur coat and no knickers, promising lots and delivering very little. Which is why, as a rule, I’m not the biggest fan. Unless they’re done well, of course, and that’s quite a different story.

On paper, Viajante87 could read like a gimmick: a cocktail list ‘inspired by the duo’s travels through Latin America’ and a menu that ‘represents the journey a traveller takes from tourist to local’, blah, blah, blah. All very nice storytelling, beautifully romantic and all that, but is it just a bar in Notting Hill with ideas above its station?

Reader, I’m happy to tell you that this is the real deal. Not in the décor, thank goodness – that’s all streamlined and stylish as befits its London W11 postcode. No, I’m talking about the care and consideration that’s gone into the menu.

There’s so much thought behind its creation that you feel the passion, the genuine joy emanating from every glass put in front of you.

It’s the work of bar director Pietro Collina and brand director Veronica Di Pietrantonio. Having spent six months exploring Latin America, spending time working with local bartenders and foragers, Viajante87 is where they’ve channelled their love and discovery for their adventures everywhere from the mountains in Peru to the rainforests of São Paulo. Cleverly, they haven’t

tried to ape the drinks they tasted or even created during their travels. Instead, they’re honouring the traditions and ingredients through a playful west London lens.

The menu takes in an incredible array of cocktails across several sections, going from Be Comfortable, where guests are met with familiar classics that get injected with some distinct Latino vibes, traversing through to Be Curious (where ‘you can start to dive a little deeper into the southern part of the New World’) and Be Courageous (‘experience unexpected ingredients that are commonly utilised in many recipes and homes in Latin America’). There’s also Be Present, table serves that

Viajante87 Basement, 87 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3JZ

GUESTS ARE MET WITH FAMILIAR CLASSICS THAT GET INJECTED WITH DISTINCT LATINO VIBES echo the community side of Latin American cultures, and Be Involved, where you’re encouraged to work with the bartenders to create a drink that’s tailor-made to your palate.

I don’t really know where to start on the drinks themselves, so taken was I by the journey of tastes, textures and experiences on offer. The Spicy Margarita is a case in point. The base is familiar enough (Tapatio Blanco Tequila and a perfectly balanced house citrus liqueur) but a saucy persona kicks in with the bottled tinctures that showcase

THE COCKTAIL GIRL EXPLORES… Latin American flavours in London

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a variety of peppers and add your required level of heat: ‘green’ ( jalapeño, mint and coriander), ‘yellow’ (tropical habanero, mango and passionfruit) and ‘red’ (smoked chipotle, árbol pepper and toasted corn).

The Glacier Martini (Apostles Gin, BarSol Perfecto Amor,

OUT AND ABOUT

THE COCKTAIL GUY FINDS HIMSELF…

In a reimagined aperitivo bar in Pagani

vermouth bianco and Empirical Co ‘The Plum, I suppose’) was also a hit. Served at -18ºC, supposedly the coldest in London, it comes with a charred olive on the side which brought out the minerality and savoury notes to perfection. Then there’s the Lúcuma Colada (El Dorado Three Year Old Rum, pineapple, horchata coconut cream, lúcuma and cinnamon) and the Tierra Roja (Altos Añejo Tequila, red beet, Campari, lapsang souchong, wine tannins and whey) – both complex but accessible, intriguing and absolutely delicious. viajantebar.com

Cinquanta Spirito Italiano Via Trento, 44/46, 84016 Pagani SA, Italy

The comings and goings of this Cocktail Guy are a wondrous thing.

To my mind at least.

I have a love of all things connected with Italy – history, art, culture, design, style, food and, surprise, surprise, aperitivo – and my aforementioned comings and goings once again found me in this beautiful country.

As ever, the effervescent energy invigorated me. However, I was not in the more familiar surroundings of Rome, Milan or Venice, exceptionally appealing though they always are, but in Pagani. Why? Well, I’d heard it was taking that happiest of happy hours, the aperitivo hour, and reimagining it for the present day.

When I think of aperitivo in Italy I think of quite small, family-run, neighbourhood spaces. Places where the children devour a pastry and suck something fizzy through a straw, while the adults enjoy a coffee or indulge in a glass with a hint of alcohol. I absolutely love these places.

Imagine my joy, then, when I first clapped eyes on Cinquanta Spirito Italiano. It’s all of those things but turned up a notch or two – actually, quite a few notches.

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Yes, it’s still a neighbourhood destination. Parents come for coffee after dropping off their children at the local school. And everyone, young and youngat-heart, drops by thereafter throughout the day and evening.

The bar team may not actually be related to one another, but their genuine camaraderie suggests a happy band of brothers and sisters. And it is certainly not small. It’s very big. Comprising subtly differentiated zones, from busy around the bar, for larger groups, to intimate tables towards the rear, perfect for date nights.

There’s also a large and welcoming outdoor space, surrounded by lots of greenery, that is just the spot to enjoy day turning to evening.

Drinks-wise? Well, in this Cocktail Guy’s opinion, anything can be an aperitivo if it whets his appetite. And the menu here did this and then some. Divided into Forgotten Classics, Twists on Classics and Original Creations, it’s not overly long but pleasant conversations with the bar team let me know how much work and passion had gone into creating it.

From the Original Creations I went for the Sangria Partenopea (Ketel One Vodka, Mancino Vermouth Rosso, Vetz Aperitivo and peach yoghurt), a charming take on a local serve. Brought to the table in a small jug to be topped up as desired, it had a rich texture and was dangerously delicious.

I concluded my evening with something from the Forgotten Classics, the Cowboy Killer (Johnnie Walker Black Label Whisky, Mancino Vermouth Rosso and Maraschino).

When described by my bartender as a cross between a Rob Roy and a Red Hook, I was in. It was sublime, lots of perfectly balanced flavour and totally moreish.

In between these two delights I may have tried one or two others… not to mention the beer-glazed pork sausage with mashed potatoes, which sat perfectly with the drinks.

Moreover, I admit I returned the next morning for an excellent espresso, perfect brioche and a Negroni Sbagliato (bitters, sweet vermouth and Prosecco). Well, it was aperitivo hour. Again. barcinquanta.it

HOW-TO

LIQUID INTELLIGENCE

F

The flavour of fashion with Jack Sotti

ashion and mixology go hand in hand in popular culture, but have you ever wondered what fashion actually tastes like? If we disregard synthetic fabrics, textiles are derived from organic sources with their own unique flavour profile. Linen, wool, cotton, leather, bamboo and silk all come from plant or animal materials and can bring textural qualities to drinks. Let’s break some of these down, explore their uses and then apply them to some twisted classic cocktails.

Linen is made from the flax plant, the very same plant we get flaxseed or linseed oil from. Flaxseed oil, derived

from flaxseeds, has a distinctive taste that can be described as nutty and slightly earthy, sometimes with a hint of sweetness. It’s important to note that flaxseed oil can turn rancid relatively quickly due to its high unsaturated fat content, so freshness is key to experiencing its best flavour.

In cocktail applications, the nutty quality can add richness and depth of flavour. I would suggest a fat-washing technique to enhance the texture of spirits, or using it as an infused finishing garnish.

From wool, we can extract lanolin, a natural substance making up 5-25% of the weight of sheep’s wool, and it’s

commonly used in various skincare and cosmetic products. While lanolin itself is not typically consumed directly as a food or drink ingredient, it does have a distinct taste and smell. The taste is often described as slightly waxy and oily, and the smell faintly like that of sheep’s wool. It can have a mild, characteristic flavour that’s not particularly strong or overpowering. The term ‘lanolin’ is sometimes used to describe a certain flavour note in wines, especially those made from Semillon grapes, where the influence of lanolin is associated with a slightly waxy or oily texture and a subtle earthiness.

When using lanolin in a culinary

Fresh Linen Cocktail with flaxseed

Leatherneck Cocktail with juniper resin leather

Bamboo Cocktail with bamboo extract

6 slices of cucumber, plus extra to garnish 45ml London Dry Gin, fat-washed with flaxseed oil 15ml St-Germain 15ml fresh lime juice 60ml soda

60ml rye whisky, aged in a bota bag 15ml simple syrup 10ml blue curaçao 15ml fresh lime juice Orange peel, to garnish

45ml fino sherry 25ml white vermouth 20ml dry vermouth 2 dashes of orange bitters 25ml bamboo water Orange peel, to garnish

Method: Muddle the cucumber in a shaker, add the gin, St-Germain and lime juice, shake with ice and strain into a highball glass with more ice. Top with soda and garnish with a cucumber slice.

Method: Shake all the ingredients together over ice, then strain into a chilled coupe glass and finish with some orange peel.

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Method: Add the bamboo water* and chill in the fridge. To drink, pour into a frozen Nick & Nora glass and finish with some orange peel. *To make bamboo water, cold-brew 50g of bamboo leaf tea to 250g water for 24 hours then filter out.

context or in mixology, it’s crucial to ensure that the lanolin is food-grade and safe for consumption. Again, the best form of extraction here is fat-washing your base spirit.

The use of leather for storing wine has historical roots, dating back centuries. Leather wineskins, also known as bota bags or wine bags, have been utilised as portable and practical vessels for carrying and storing liquids.

Leather is tanned using tannins from trees, sealed with either beeswax, pine or juniper resin and then made ready to hold liquid. This will slowly impart flavour to the liquid stored inside.

Bamboo creates some of the softest fabrics out there and is incredibly sustainable. Bamboo has also been consumed for centuries, with the young, tender shoots eaten freshly stir-fried or pickled, lending a subtle mineral flavour and crunchy texture. Recently, bamboo extract from the leaves is being utilised to flavour bamboo water, which is floral and fragrant.

To have some fun with this, let’s take some classic cocktails related to these fabrics and combine them…

TAKE THREE INGREDIENTS

by Bart Miedeksza (top), Crossroads in London Pear 1. 35ml Hennessy VS Cognac 2. 150ml Comice pear cordial (or pear soda) 3. 3ml Capreolus Doyenné du Comice Pear Eau de Vie Method: Batched, carbonated and poured over column ice into a highball glass.

Tuxedo No. 1 with lanolin

Simply called Pear, this drink created by Bart Miedeksza and the team at Crossroads in London, is a love letter in taste to the almost smoky sweetness and fragrant citrus notes that this fruit is famed for. The real thing is in season from September to January but this deliciously layered drink is available in the bar all year round. crossroads.bar

45ml London Dry Gin, fat-washed with food-grade lanolin 45ml dry vermouth 2 dashes of absinthe Lemon twist, to garnish Method: Stir all the ingredients over ice, then serve up in a frozen Martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

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E AT & D R I N K

MAINS & MARTINIS

scallops – the lot. Beautifully crisp French fries with rosemary salt and a bitter leaf salad rounded off the feast ever-so nicely.

The verdict in two words: pure joy.

Three posh offerings for top-notch seafood

Claridge’s Restaurant

BROOK STREET, MAYFAIR, LONDON W1K 4HR. claridges.co.uk (£££)

The vibe: There’s a reason why Claridge’s was highest-ranked hotel in the UK in The World’s 50 Best Hotels this year.

It’s got the balance between super-luxe and super-chilled spot-on. Aspirational but accessible, posh but never snooty, its magnificent Art Deco décor is the perfect place to hunker down and forget about real life outside – like its website proudly says, “There are many five-star hotels in London but nowhere quite like Claridge’s.” Its eponymous restaurant, last known by this name over 20 years ago, is every bit as fabulous: timeless, elegant and positively oozing big-time hospitality. Pull up a seat at the bar before being guided to your table and get ready to be seduced – Claridge’s style.

The food: If we were Herefordshire cows or Jersey Royal spuds, this is exactly where we’d want to end up: in the Claridge’s kitchen, treated with reverence, cooked with passion and presented with utmost pride. The menu is predominantly British-centric with a focus on seasonal, locally sourced produce. It was the exquisite black truffle crumpet for the lady, while the gentleman was positively rapturous at the thought of Herefordshire beef tartare with confit egg yolk and bone marrow.

And it didn’t disappoint. To share, a Plateau de Fruits de Mer – a medley of sweet, succulent, zingingly fresh seafood made up of all the good stuff: oysters, langoustine, crab, clams, mussels,

Expect outstanding hospitality with food and drinks to match at Claridge’s

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The drinks: It’s a mighty-fine cocktail list they have here, one that more than holds its own against the offerings in the hotel’s hero Claridge’s Bar, the dark and smouldering Fumoir or the more intimate, recently added Painter’s Room.

The drinks nod firmly in the direction of the kitchen, with fresh, fruity flavours taking a starring role – as featured in the beautifully balanced Fig Bamboo (Dolin Dry Vermouth, Antica Formula, Palo Cortado Sherry and fig), and the equally delicious Persimmon Manhattan (The One Whisky, persimmon, Antica Formula and Pineau des Charentes).

Manzi’s

1-8 BATEMAN'S BUILDINGS, SOHO, LONDON W1D 3EN. manzis.co.uk (£££)

The vibe: Fishy business in the nicest possible way, the long-awaited reopening of Manzi’s, originally opened in 1928 and closed in 2006, doesn’t disappoint. In fact, in its new incarnation this famous London seafood restaurant brings much fun and lightness onto the scene. Not quite as outré as Bacchanalia or Sexy Fish but nudging close, this is two floors of frivolity, with a nautical theme.

The food: We resisted filling up on the oysters, king prawn with Bloody Mary dressing and tempting array of seafood starters and held off hungrily for the monkfish wellington with sauce Américaine for two. God, it was worth the wait. The meatiness of the fish, butteriness of the pastry and beauty of the tomato-based sauce – equalled heaven on a plate. It’s a hefty portion, so be prepared.

The drinks: Of the eight Manzi’s Signatures and with the glorious selection of seafood on offer, one of our drinks choices just had to be the Coastal Martini (No. 3 Gin, dry vermouth, dry sherry, caper leaf and Caol Ila mist) – what a beaut, slightly saline, perfectly chilled. So good, we had to have it twice.

Ditto the Celery Gimlet (Tanqueray Gin, lime and black pepper cordial, celery juice and fino sherry), nicely sharp, vegetal and leaving a joyously tingly finish on the tongue.

Caviar House at Threadneedles

THREADNEEDLES, 5 THREADNEEDLE STREET, LONDON EC2R 8AY. hotelthreadneedles.co.uk (£££)

The vibe: It had only been open a few weeks and our visit was on a cold Friday night. Hardly conducive to a full restaurant in the heart of the City. Still, the lack of guests gave us more of an opportunity to gawp at the splendour of the space – a former Victorian banking hall that hints at all of the pomp associated with a building of

this ilk without any of the airs or graces.

followed by two starters – crab cake and lemon butter sauce, and burrata with requisite caviar. For mains, a seafood platter (smoked salmon, balik gravlax, salmon tartare, shrimp, king prawns, house potato salad and green salad, topped with 5g of Prunier caviar matched perfectly with our other order, half lobster with excellent fries.

The food: No prizes for guessing that caviar is the star here, making an appearance in all manner of dishes, including beef tartare and prawn linguine – even the white chocolate cheesecake. We kicked off proceedings with oysters,

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The drinks: Caviar pops up here too – it’s there in the Signature cocktail Marilyn (a delicate spoon of caviar served with an icy-cold glass of Champagne). Sated by bubbles and lured in by the taste of the black stuff, we followed up with a Caviar Martini (gin for one, vodka for the other, both accompanied by caviar).

WHERE TO DRINK AT THE TIP OF AFRICA Whether you like dive bars, intimate cocktail houses or casual street drinks, fun is always on the menu in South Africa, says Leah van Deventer The Drinkery, Cape Town

Originally owned by Shaileen Davis, as an art gallerycum-homey drinks lounge, The Drinkery was taken over by Aidan Mautschke and Günter Boisits in 2017. While they kept much of the quirkiness of the space – and Shay lives on through the venue’s cheeky stockinged-legs logo and the original art adorning the walls – it’s now a more bona fide yet relaxed cocktail bar with an expert team, well worthy of its spot on The World’s 50 Best Discovery list.

Once slave lodgings, the exposed-brick heritage building includes an intimate balcony that overlooks a charming courtyard, adorned with the oldest known fruit-bearing grapevine in South Africa – dating back to 1771, when the Cape was first being settled. In addition to a solid cocktail menu, The Drinkery is celebrated for its excellent wine list, as well as the diversity (and loyalty) of its clientele.

This is a place you’re sure to bump into friends, or make new ones. thedrinkery.co.za

Quirky touches and serious cocktails at The Drinkery

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I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Tommys Chop Shop, Cape Town

The House of Machines

Over in Cape Town’s up-and-coming East City – an area that’s beginning to rival the Downtown quadrant traditionally popular with bars – this fun Americanstyle bar is owned by Thomas Ferreira.

Originally a car workshop, it was born by accident in 2022, when the mechanics moved out and Thomas, who also owns the adjacent Just Like Papa outdoor supply company, used to hang out in the empty garage with his friends after work.

Here they’d sit on cooler boxes, sipping beer and bourbon, joking about opening up a chop shop to finance the import of coveted bourbons they couldn’t find in South Africa.

The dream became a reality in the form of a bar, with a focus on high-end bourbon and specialty whiskeys, bar games and braais, where head bartender Mkhululi ‘Admire’ Lwazi mixes up some of the best classic cocktails in the country. There’s also not one but two cars mounted upside down on the ceiling. @tommys_chop_shop_ct

The House of Machines, Cape Town

Above and below: Tommy's Chop House;

This beloved bar, favoured by industry and ‘normals’ alike, has just celebrated its 10th birthday, having opened its doors back in 2013. The successful business is a joint venture by clothing designer Paul van der Spuy, branding expert Drew Madacsi and hospitality pro Brad Armitage, but its not-so-secret weapon is its ground crew, who just won Best Bar Team at the 2023 Bar & Beverage Awards.

Unusually for South Africa, this is an all-day space, serving coffees and pastries from 7am before moving to burgers, beers and cocktails at drinks o’clock, and regulars will pop in and out during the course of their evening as they barhop around the city… more often than not ending their night here.

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Famed for its barrel-aged House Old Fashioned, ‘Don’t be a Dick’ slogan and Frankie Fenner food offerings, THoM is a must-visit bar in the Cape, where the vibe spills out onto the street. The brave can sing their hearts out on open-mic Tuesdays, while more passive music lovers can take in live gigs on the weekend. thehouseofmachines.com

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Cause|Effect Cocktail Kitchen & Cape Brandy Bar, Various locations

One can’t compile a list of the country’s best bars without mentioning Cause|Effect, which has been around since 2017 in the form of a stand-alone shop and has since morphed into a group, with each venue focusing on one of the brand’s four pillars of mountain, vineyard, ocean and fynbos (South Africa’s unique scrubland).

The flagship outlet at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront is the more industry focused, hosting global guest shifts and masterclasses, while the other venues cater to their respective areas, namely beachy Camps Bay, the Stellenbosch Winelands and the suburban Rondebosch – the latest outlet, set to open its doors soon.

Owned by husband-and-wife team Kurt and Ruzaan Schlechter – and in part by Irishman James ‘Trigger’ Phillips – expect experiential serves, brandy-based cocktails, solid meals and good vibes, with a strong dose of hip-hop. causeandeffect.co.za

Sin + Tax Johannesburg calling

Feel the love at Cause | Effect

Sin+Tax, Johannesburg

What Joburg lacks in quantity of cocktail bars, it makes up for in quality. Sin+Tax is currently flying the flag for South Africa sitting in the latter half of The World’s 50 Best Bars list, at number 94, and also holds the title of Best Cocktail Bar in the 2023 Bar & Beverage Awards – plus, co-owner Julian Short shares the Best Bartender award with Charné van Heerden of THoM. Starting out as the creative behind the bar in 2016, Julian later bought the business with Evert de Jong, taking it to greater heights and even expanding during the pandemic. The cosy speakeasy now boasts an additional large outdoor space, where live jazz musicians take stage on Thursdays.

While the outdoor area has a beergarden feel, the cocktails are solid, and the interior continues to provide a snug escape from the bustling City of Gold. sintaxbar.com

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I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Recently opened Talking To Strangers

Talking To Strangers, Cape Town

The new kid on the block, Talking to Strangers opened mid-2023, around the corner from THoM, and is already a popular stop on the local cocktail circuit.

The brainchild of talented slinger Nicholas Crouse, and backed by AJ Leon of Misfit Ventures, it will no doubt be making waves in the global space soon, already having hosted Satan’s Whiskers in September and with plans for a series of takeovers in 2024.

The rectangular layout is genius in its simplicity, providing space to encourage mingling, in line with its ethos of social interaction (as in the name). The cocktails on its seasonal menu feature local produce, with unusual ingredients like basmati rice and charred corn, yet favour execution over concept.

They’re complemented by delicious small plates and bar snacks, which are served late into the evening. @talkingtostrangersbar

Smoking Kills, Johannesburg

The super-fun Smoking Kills was once Mootee Bar, before Peter Good, one of the original owners, transformed the high-end cocktail drinkery into the unapologetic dive bar it now is. Since it opened in 2018, long-time employee Aimee May Donofrio has come on board as co-owner, with Peter turning his attention to launching Benchwarmers Sports Bar, neighbouring Sin+Tax. Menu nerds will delight in the iconic presentation of the bar’s drinks offerings, which has included VHS cases, Campbell’s soup cans and custom gossip mags. Drinks lean towards popcultural serves and South African twists on classics, as well as ever-evolving Piña Colada riffs, such as Peanut, Ouma and Milo coladas. Weekends deliver live bands and DJs of every genre. @smokingkillsbar

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PARTING SHOT

COLOUR THEORY

Cocktails created with kaleidoscopic patterns, cleverly photographed to capture the drink's DNA Liam Broom, bar manager at Silverleaf at Pan Pacific London, has a very distinct way of tailoring the drinks – they’re all created with naturalism and minimalist elegance in mind. The latest menu Building Blocks is a case in point. Merging the creative fields of mixology, art, science and design, each of the cocktails heroes two core ingredients, presented in a bold yet pared-back style.

Where garnishes do appear, they feature in-house paints, leathers, oils and gels – all captured to stunning effect by microscopic photographer, Karl Gaff.

Pictured here, Silverleaf Hibiscus | Guajillo (Bruxo X Mezcal, hibiscus, guajillo chilli and Silverleaf Verdant) panpacific.com

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Please enjoy our products responsibly.