INGREDIENTS FOR MORE THAN GREAT DRINKS THE COCKTAIL LOVERS.COM AUTUMN 2024
ISSUE 50
ISSN 2052-059X
Let’s talk!
Smooth operators
Stories behind the concepts
Insights from our favourite interviews
PAGE 54
PAGE 24
PAGE 46
Cover to cover
50 people who have changed the way we drink
SLUG HERE
contents 08 Full house
The Cocktail Lovers magazine in covers
10 Musings on…
Cocktails on TV, the high street and in bottles and cans
10 things that we’re loving right now
12
New venues, new additions to our wardrobes and new spirits for the season
14
38 Infused with celebrity spirit Laura Foster on the effect that the growing number of celebrity brands are having on the drinks industry
Musings on…
Social media, plastic straws and drinks packaging, Siobhan Payne and Hannah Sharman-Cox on 15 years of London Cocktail Week
24 Let’s talk
From bartenders and chefs to perfumers and futurologists, we’ve spoken to some fascinating people over the years. Here we share insights from some of our favourite interviews
changing face of 42 The whisky
Becky Paskin, founder of OurWhisky Foundation, celebrates the spirit’s radical makeover
people who have the way we drink 46 50changed
Tastemakers, storytellers, educators – just some of the many people who have impacted our drinking habits in the past few years
35
50
Bitter truths
How a simple threeingredient cocktail has risen through the ranks to become a 100-year-old overnight sensation
Drinking differently: the rise and rise of low and no
What the cool kids are drinking and why
thinking for 52 Fresh thoughtful drinking
Alex Francis from De Vie on the farm-to-glass approach to cocktails in bars
36
The cult of bar awards
52 The Cocktail Girl & Guy She is in the Isle of Man, he’s in Mallorca – two locations that would never have been on their radars when The Cocktail Lovers launched in 2011
Mark Sansom, former content director of The World’s 50 Best Bars, on the positives and pitfalls of bar awards
4 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 50
SLUG HERE
28 From baroque to bare minimalism
Clinton Cawood looks back at the evolution of drinks serves over the past 13 years
Issue 50 Autumn 2024 Editors Sandrae Lawrence Gary Sharpen Creative director Scott Bentley – Bentley Creative Copy editing Laura Hill Stephanie Jones Cover Design Bentley Creative Contributors Priyanka Blah, Clinton Cawood, Laura Foster, Alex Francis, Clotilde Lataille, Rob Lawson, Becky Paskin, Mark Sansom
For all editorial and advertising enquiries, please contact:
(+44) 020 7242 2546 mail@thecocktaillovers.com
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.
60
62
66
Mains & Martinis
Destination Asia
Make time for a Connaught Bar Martini
One tried-and-tested restaurant bar that never disappoints and two new favourites
Priyanka Blah looks at how Asian bars have emerged as major players in the global hospitality scene
Life’s too short not to
5 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 50
The Cocktail Lovers ISSN 2052-059X © 2024. Published by The Cocktail Lovers Ltd. London, UK
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY SUBSCRIBE! FOR JuST £17.50
CONTRIBUTORS
LAURA FOSTER
ALEX FRANCIS
BECKY PASKIN
MARK SANSOM
Laura is an award-winning freelance editor, journalist and copywriter specialising in drinks, food and travel. Formerly deputy editor of Imbibe (UK) and bars and drinks editor of SquareMeal, she has had work published in a variety of titles including Decanter, Club Oenologique, Drinks Retailing News, Vice, CLASS Magazine and Waitrose. Laura has also worked as a project management specialist for global brands.
From running a weekly market selling local produce at university in Sheffield to working with farmers to create cocktails in Parisbased bars, Alex has always been committed to working with local producers. It’s a passion which he carried out to great effect at Little Red Door in Paris where he was director of bars. Currently he is working with Barney O’Kane on their soon-to-beopened De Vie bar.
Award-winning whisky journalist and founder of the OurWhisky Foundation, Becky was formerly editor of leading online magazine Scotchwhisky.com and global trade title The Spirits Business. Her writing appears in publications from Club Oenologique to Waitrose and she is a regular drinks presenter for ITV’s Love Your Weekend and This Morning. This year Becky was named a Tales Catalyst 2024.
In this issue: Celebrities come under the spotlight in their quest to win fans over with their spirit brands.
In this issue: Alex writes about a subject very close to his heart – farm-to-glass cocktails in top bars.
In this issue: Becky shares her joy for the new wave of whisky producers who are embracing modern audiences.
Mark started his journalism career at restaurant guide SquareMeal, before becoming food and drink editor at Men’s Health magazine. After five years as global editor of Food and Travel magazine, he moved on to run the events and content programme for The World’s 50 Best Bars where he grew the brand across three continents, launching The World’s 50 Best Hotels and 50 Best Discovery. He is now marketing director at Rare Restaurants Group.
Infused with celebrity spirit: page 38
Fresh thinking for thoughtful drinking: page 52
The changing face of whisky: page 42
SUBSCRIBE! F One year, four issues F Printed on high-quality paper F Delivered direct to your door F Plus free access to digital issues
JUST £17.50 Visit thecocktaillovers.com/ magazine or scan the QR code for details
6 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 50
The cult of bar awards: page 36
In this issue: Mark writes on the delicate subject of bar awards – are they worth it?
Celebrating 13 years of innovation, inspiration and admiration – for the drinks scene and each other.
B E TH C RO C K AT T AT A RT E S IA N, LON DON
IN THIS SPECIAL EDITION WE’VE HIGHLIGHTED 50 (ISH) THINGS THAT HAVE COMBINED TO MAKE THE INDUSTRY BIGGER, BETTER AND STRONGER THAN EVER. POUR YOURSELF SOMETHING DELICIOUS AND DIVE IN TO FIND OUT MORE…
7 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 50
FULL HOUSE
50 editions, 50 covers, 50 love letters dedicated to the people, places and products elevating the world of drinks. The latest instalment starts here…
INGREDIENTS FOR MORE THAN GREAT DRINKS THE COCKTAIL LOVERS.COM AUTUMN 2024
ISSUE 50
ISSN 2052-059X
Cover to cover
Let’s talk!
Smooth operators
PAGE 54
PAGE 24
PAGE 46
The inspiring stories behind the concepts
Insights from our favourite interviews
50 people who have changed the way we drink
That we're LOving right now We’ve always had a huge Martini glass-shaped space in our hearts for Simon Ford and his superb Fords Gin. Now that he’s found a permanent brand home inside the newly relocated Thames Distillers in Bermondsey, said hole is well and truly fixed. Not only is the gin made on the premises, it’s where trade guests can experience the famous Fords hospitality at the gorgeous bar designed by Leo Robitschek and Zoe Masterton-Smith. Fret not if you’re not on the guest list, private hire is also available. fordsgin.com
5
Numero uno on our list of stylish things to add to our wardrobes this season: this cool combo designed by one of our absolute favourite bartender/owners in the whole wide world, monsieur Remy Savage. Made to order by Tan at LaneFortyFive, the nifty two-piece is just the right balance between practical and elegant, casual and chic, and yours in a matter of weeks. Swoon. lanefortyfive.com
6
Cocktail-loving 8 Londoners rejoice: Renato ‘Tato’ Giovannoni of the wonderful Florería Atlántico in Buenos Aires is in town. But only until 5 November… Join him on the spectacular rooftop at The Emory X Tato popup for a winning mix of cocktails bursting with Argentine flavours. the-emory.co.uk
The reason we’re switching up our tonic game isn’t just because these bottles look fabulous, they’re practical too. Made from glass recycled from old wine bottles and windscreens, they optimise storage space, while the tonics inside feature superfood ingredients and taste bloody gorgeous to boot. curius.com
7
12 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 50
ON OUR RADAR
10 We love apples, even more when they’re in cocktails. Try The Golden Apple (Courvoisier VSOP Cognac, AkashiTai Umeshu, yuzu, Chardonnay, honey and apple cordial) on the brand-new The Yellow Book: Volume II menu at The Aubrey. @theaubreylondon
We also recommend the 9 recently reopened Oriole in London’s Covent Garden. Upstairs is all light and informal with refreshing cocktails on tap, while downstairs is giving decadent supper club vibes. Cue live music, delicious food and deeper, more contemplative cocktails. Date night – in fact, any night – sorted. oriolebar.com
TOP TIPPLES FROM SUNNY CLIMES TO WARM YOUR COCKLES THIS WINTER:
11 El Dorado Single Still Port Mourant Madeira Dry Cask Finish (Guyana). A sublime rum, distilled in a heritage double wooden pot still, aged in bourbon casks and finished in French oak madeira casks. theeldorado. rum.com
12
13
Takamaka Le Clos Napa Laz Rum (Seychelles). The latest in the Le Clos Series, this limitededition bottling is bursting with citrussy zing, juicy, exotic fruit and an intriguing hint of spicy green peppercorn. takamaka rum.com
Casa Barú Double Crop Rum (Panama). New to the UK and the first time that this complex, aromatic rum is available outside of Panama, Casa Barú is made from locally grown artisanal sugarcane syrup and distilled in copper pot stills. casa-baru.com
Back to The Emory… We’re saving up to stay at the suite-only hotel just so we can spend time in its cigar room. We’ve never seen one quite like it. Brought to life by interior designer extraordinaire Rémi Tessier, it’s part Austin Powers, part James Bond, and the room oozes glam in a sexy, state-of-the-art, 1970s way. It’s the perfect spot to sit back and enjoy one of Tato’s cocktails. the-emory.co.uk
13 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 50
14
EveRyone’s invited Room has also been made at the table for people who may have previously felt they didn’t belong there. We’re talking people of colour, people who identify as ‘other’ and those of neurodivergent backgrounds. Not so much in the way of disabilities yet but we’re hopeful there’s more to come. In the meantime, Equal Measures and Be Inclusive Hospitality are brilliant sources for all things diversity and inclusion. equalmeasuresuk.org bihospitality.co.uk
HEAlth fiRSt
You know that thing 19 about putting your own life jacket on first? The duty of looking after yourself as well as you look after guests is now resonating with people working in hospitality. Claire Warner got the conversation around balancing health and wellness with late nights and alcohol started when she launched her Drink, Eat, Live initiative in 2011. Since then Camille Vidal (La Masion Wellness), Tim Etherington-Judge (Healthy Hospo) and Alex Jump (Focus on Health) and more besides have done wonders to keep the positivity going. lamaisonwellness.com healthyhospo.com fohealth.org
SpiriTEd woMen We’ll stop banging on about it when it’s no longer an issue; until then let’s hear it for the fact that women are taking up space, making their voices heard and kicking some serious ass in the drinks industry. Shout out to Speed Rack the speedbased, fun-packed, women-only
21
cocktail competition that launched in 2011, and to the growing number of support groups that have been set up to connect and empower women and womxn ever since. speed-rack.com celebrateher.me theadacolemanproject 16 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 50
C LOC KWI S E F RO M TOP : EB O N I M AJ O R, W H IS KE Y D ISTIL L E R ; S H R E YA BAS U, BARTE N D E R ; R E U BE N C LAR K , H E AD OF R&D
20
MUSINGS
22
CoMpEtitivE edge If we were tasked with putting a bartender/owner man band together, a line-up comprising Eric van Beek (left), GN Chan (centre), Steve Schneider, Shingo Gokan (right) and Moe Aljaff would be a pretty safe bet. They’re all great performers, have done more than their fair share of touring the circuit and each comes with a dedicated fan base. What would they be called? How about Bacardi Bros? After all, taking part in the Bacardí Legacy Global Cocktail Competition is where they all got their major breaks. We’ve always been fascinated by the power of cocktail competitions. What they can do in terms of boosting confidence, raising profiles and building careers is off the scale. Bacardí Legacy (RIP) is a case in point. All five in our ‘man band’ showcased their bartending skills and marketing talents in this legendary competition. Some, like Eric, GN and Shingo took the top prize in the years they competed while others, like Steve and Moe, used the exposure gained from participating in the contest as a springboard to build their personal brands, open bars and become global superstars. Forget K-pop, we’re talking alco-pop being top of our charts.
24
LOcal heROES
Let’s hear it for the renewed appreciation of and respect for local spirits, such as grappa, ouzo, tsipouro, aquavit and the likes, now being embraced by younger brands and refined, revamped and given the TLC they deserve.
All bar none
A tASte of home Staying with local tastes, we love the way that bartenders have taken to heroing indigenous ingredients in their drinks. A big shout out to Native in Singapore, Sastrería Martinez in Peru and Bekeb in Mexico, to name a few of these heritage-driven bars. tribenative.com sastreriamartinez.com bekebsma.com
25
When we started out, we could count the number of trade shows and consumer cocktail weeks on one hand. Now? You’d be hard pushed to find a country without one. From the Amalfi Coast to Zurich, Albania to Vietnam, cocktail culture is everywhere. And of course, we say amen to that!
23
17 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 50
35
O All photographs taken from the original issues. Top right: Jack McGarry; Above: Jim Meehan
ver the course of our 50 issues we’ve been fortunate to interview a lot of incredible people. Many renowned bartenders, of course, but our desire to delve deeper into the world of premium spirits, hospitality and the culture of cocktail lifestyle led to intriguing conversations with an array of fascinating individuals – from chefs and authors to a futurologist, perfumer and F1 World Champion. So it’s an absolute pleasure to revisit some of these wonderful encounters. Two of our earliest interviewees are sadly no longer with us, making it particularly poignant to remember tequila expert Tomas Estes’ choice for a theme tune to his life: “There was a play called Hair in the 1960s with a song called What a Piece of Work is Man… I like it because it looks at the possibilities of
24 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 50
mankind.” As for bartending legend gaz regan, we asked him: what is success? Answer? “Being happy.” Those early days also saw us catching up with three bartenders making waves in the cocktail world as they shared little-known facts about themselves. Andy Mil, then at London Cocktail Club, revealed he used to be a painter and decorator. While Agostino Perrone, director of mixology at The Connaught Bar, shared his inspirations, including Frank Sinatra, Marcello Mastroianni, Lake Como, Mexican pyramids, his late friend Henry Besant and his wife Gaby Moncada Peña. Perhaps most surprising though was his deference to a martial arts expert: “In most day-to-day situations I think, what would Bruce Lee do? And that guides me. It’s balanced, very spiritual and grounded.” As for Alex Kratena, at the time heading up Artesian at The Langham and fresh from picking up two Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards
J ON AT H A N M A N NI ON
Looking back at some of our favourite interviewees and the insights they shared
INTERVIEWS
DAVI D LOF T US, B EN M I L LA R CO LE, A L IS A CON N A N
accolades, he was in a teasing mood; when asked what makes him happy, his response included travelling, bartending and “a certain young lady I am in love with”. A certain Ms Berg as it later transpired. In 2013 we asked Jim Meehan, at the time owner of PDT in New York, for his observations on the changes in hospitality over the preceding 10 years. “In 2003 most guests would compare a great bartender to Tom Cruise in the movie Cocktail and tending bar was rarely the bartender’s primary focus. In 2013 Jerry Thomas is the new Tom Cruise… and many of your favourite bartenders went to college and choose to be a bartender because they enjoy the work.” Staying in the US, Julie Reiner, owner of Clover Club, also identified some changes among guests. “Consumers have become seriously educated from reading books and magazines – they know what they want, which forces bartenders to be at the top of their game. These days it’s hard for bartenders to fake it.” Around the same time, in 2014, one year after opening The Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog, Jack McGarry told us
We’ve also spoken to a number of chefs over the years. In issue 14 we asked Jamie Oliver for his thoughts on pairing cocktails with food: “I think wine is losing its grip on being the only drink you can have with a meal. These days food pairing with beer is on the rise, and cocktails too. It’s all about the flavours… if the flavours work together, then both the food and the drink can be enhanced.” Later, we learned from Heston Blumenthal how drinks connect to multisensory experiences: “Visual cues and sound – for example, listening to classical music with a high pitch enhances sweet flavours, while low tones emphasise bitterness.” And more
“I’m a chef. But the truth is, I’m just a massive fan of bars. In fact, my dream was if I didn’t have a restaurant I would open a bar” what advice he would have given his younger self: “Be patient, be humble, work hard, learn from your mistakes and enjoy life.” In the same year we also sat down with the much-missed Dick Bradsell for an afternoon of chat and anecdotes. He told us how his friendship with Peter Dorelli saw him join the then head bartender of the American Bar at The Savoy for a shift one evening, saying it reminded him of the place where his career started: “It was like the Naval & Military Club [in Piccadilly], I felt right at home there!” What we would have given to be there on the night they were tending bar together.
Clockwise from top: Julie Reiner; Heston Blumenthal; Dick Bradsell; Jamie Oliver
recently Adam Handling, of Eve Bar, London and Ugly Butterfly, Cornwall, told us: “I’m a chef. But the truth is, I’m just a massive fan of bars. In fact, my dream was if I didn’t have a restaurant I would open a bar.” Staying with chefs, in 2018 we asked Monica Berg – at the time heading up Social Bar at Jason Atherton’s Pollen Street Social – what she had learned from them: “Bartenders trust the bottles, they’re the same all year round and everywhere in the world. But every morning chefs have to taste the produce and trust their palates – bartenders can learn a lot from following their lead.”
Clinton Cawood looks at the many faces of cocktail serves
Above: One of the elaborate new serves on the menu at Nightjar; Right: Pared-back perfection at Silverleaf
28 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 50
C O C K TA I L S
I
remember sipping a Dorian Gray-inspired cocktail while gazing at a close-up reflection of my face, amid opium incense smoke, the drink behind a mirror with a hole in it for the straw. This was at Artesian at London’s Langham hotel – of course – just over a decade ago. The age of conceptual, elaborate cocktails was in full swing – a movement that would influence cocktail creations around the world and, in the cyclical manner of all things, would lead to a more minimalist approach in the years to come. To be clear, when the team at Artesian installed a slushie machine and started garnishing drinks with taxidermy alligator heads, this was not how one went about things in a five-star hotel bar. “When I started at the Artesian, there was still a stereotype around what hotel bars were supposed to look like, summarised in two words: classic and elegant,” says Simone Caporale, who joined Artesian in 2010, remaining until he and the entire bar team famously resigned in 2015. “These venues weren’t known for breaking the rules.”
36 But times were changing, and rules were asking to be broken. The rise of social media encouraged styles of serve that would look good on those emerging platforms. “Social media was a very accessible opportunity to showcase what we were doing,” says Alex Kratena, head bartender at Artesian from its opening in 2007. “Agostino Perrone, Erik Lorincz and myself were among the first people in the industry who started to use Facebook to spread the word about what we’d been doing, and we benefited hugely,” he adds. There were economic considerations too. “The bar opened with an incredible budget,” says Kratena. “I thought, it’s a shame that this just goes to ‘other revenue’ on the profit and loss sheet, and doesn’t actually create anything – how could we create value as a hotel with this money that was there?”
29 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 50
Kratena and Caporale had a shared background working in nightclubs. “A lot of the things we were doing were inspired by that,” says Kratena, remembering one serve involving a smoke-filled box that would light up when a hidden button was pressed. “People thought this was so revolutionary, but this is what nightclubs had been doing. We presented it in a more sophisticated way, but the element of fun and having good times was instrumental.” Around the same time, the team behind a very different London bar were no less dedicated to fun and good times, and were creating some elaborate serves of their own. The Cocktail Trading Company opened near Oxford Circus in 2014, later relocating to its current site on Bethnal Green Road. “I remember the bar being described as being like Artesian except everything’s from eBay, and truer words were never spoken,” says co-founder Elliot Ball.
S TA R T U R N S
Jenson Button consults on and is the face of the appropriately named Coachbuilt Whisky
38 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 50
39
From big-name musicians to glamorous Hollywood stars, everyone is getting in on the act of producing a drinks brand. By Laura Foster
A
lot has happened in the drinks world over the past 13 years, as the pages of this magazine attest. Countless trends have come and gone, but one that has stayed the course is the celebrity drinks brand. In fact, the number of products launching each year appears to be increasing exponentially, with Beyoncé, Margot Robbie, Dre and Snoop, and Blake Lively being some of the highest profile stars to launch something in the past year or so. We in the drinks industry are shallow beasts who love to rub shoulders with the rich and famous when they’re touting their new project. Witness the excitement whenever Dan Aykroyd is in town to promote Crystal Head Vodka, the bun fight to breathe the same air as Kylie during one of her wine events, the enthusiasm to share a dram of Coachbuilt Whisky with Jenson
Button. It’s easy to get all starry-eyed, but do we ever stop to consider the impact that these products have on the industry as a whole? What are they bringing to the table? And is the liquid actually any bloody good, or are we so starstruck it’s confused our organoleptic senses? Let’s start with the why. Why do celebrities create their own drinks brand? Lots of them spin a great story about how much they love gin/vodka/tequila/ whatever, and how they initially planned to only create their li’l ol’ product purely for friends and family. But wow, the reaction was so positive, they simply had to share it with the world. Sorry guys, but we’ve heard this story too many times to believe it now. Celebrities are mostly savvy entrepreneurs, who understand their personal brand, not to mention how to market any project they’re working on. Most might have an interest in whatever drinks category they launch in, but at the end of the day, this is mainly about
39 THE COCK TAIL LOVERS / ISSUE 50
George Clooney and friends’ Casamigos Tequila; Left: Margot Robbie’s Papa Salt Gin
pure, hard cash, and how the product reflects their personal brand. But these product launches don’t just line these stars’ pockets – they can have a real and lasting impact on a drinks category, both positively and negatively. Witness George Clooney, Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman with Casamigos Tequila. “Casamigos was made just for us. We worked on the