ISSUE 14
WINTER 2015
The 2015 hotlist: The places, faces and products
Get the drinks in with‌ the drinks luminaries’ rising stars
Bars worth travelling for 15 to have on your radar right now
+The art and science of naming cocktails
ISSN 2052 0603
On the cover
Jamie Oliver does drinks: why cocktails are his next big thing
IN-tro
D I D S O M E O N E S AY
WHAT’S HOT
F O R 2 015 ?
OH YES,
T H AT WA S U S! So we had a ponder about the people, places and products we think you should have on your radar during the coming year and, at the risk of sounding smug, we’re pretty damned happy with the results. What should you be watching? Why Jamie Oliver’s Drinks Tube of course. Read our exclusive interview with the awesome Mr O and find out about his plans to brush up our drinks making skills and bring cocktails to the masses (p. 10). As for who you should be watching, we asked seven of the most respected people in the drinks industry including Peter Dorelli, Dick Bradsell, Tony Conigliaro and Nick Strangeway to nominate their rising stars and got them all in a studio, together with a rail full of clothes, plus a still and moving camera to document the lot. Check out the results (p. 32) and see the video on thecocktaillovers.com. Those are the people, what about the places? Find out the who, what, why and where on nine of the latest additions to the World’s 50 Best Bars list (p. 12), and discover some of the newest bar openings, from a profit-sharing scheme in London to a bar taking the spice route in New York (p. 56). And on the drinks front, we bring you the latest must-have spirits and cocktail essentials to add to your cabinet (p. 30), Professor Charles Spence provides a fascinating insight into how names affect our perception of drinks (p. 26), and Yolanda Evans highlights the tonics creating a stir in the States (p. 48). As it’s a new(ish) year, resolve to keep your resolutions firm. Find out how with Claire Smith-Warner and Georgia van Tiel’s column Drink, Eat, Live (p. 43), while Ben Norum predicts what we’ll be sipping more of in 2015 (p. 40). There’s plenty more to keep you informed and entertained, so sit back, relax and enjoy.
Happy imbibing! Ms S & Mr G www.thecocktaillovers.com
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IN-gredients
6. IN-the know
43. IN-focus
25 reasons to be a cocktail lover this season Rocking Prohibition chic, sniffing out the good stuff and calling the shots, just a few of the things we’re looking forward to in the next few months
Drink, Eat, Live Claire Smith-Warner and Georgia van Tiel on juice cleansing for health
10. IN-the hotseat Jamie Oliver Everyone’s favourite chef tells us about his life in food and his future in drinks
12. IN-spire Drinking establishments worth booking a flight for Need to know: the who, what, why and where of nine of the latest additions to the World’s 50 Best Bars list
20. IN-spire Adventures in taste Where art, science, flavour, magic and vivid imaginations collide, with Sam Bompas of Bompas and Parr
22. IN-the spotlight The A to Z of bars A fun look at the essential ingredients that make a modern bar tick
26. IN-the spotlight What’s in a name? More than you might think. Professor Charles Spence explains how the mind perceives the names of cocktails
30. IN-dulge Liquid treasures Rum, bitters, vodka and non-alcoholic tipples – ten new cocktail essentials you’ll be hearing more of this year
32. IN-style Get the drinks in with… Seven drinks luminaries and their rising stars. Peter Dorelli, Dick Bradsell, Tony Conigliaro, Nick Strangeway, Simone Caporale, Ben Reed and Alastair Burgess unveil their faces to watch
44. IN-focus Old favourites vs. new discoveries Do you rely on the same old, same old when restocking your shelves or put the myriad new spirits to the test? We argue the case for both
48. IN-dependent spirits That’s the tonic! Yolanda Evans looks at the tonics that are perking up glasses Stateside
50. IN-dustry greats A man for all seasons Chris Edwardes on heading up bars including the Atlantic Bar & Grill, running his own ventures and why hospitality counts
52. IN-the mix Feeling fresh Three fab veggie juices to make at home when you’re holding back on the sauce. By Dan Thomson from SuperNature
54. IN-formed Mains & Martinis Reviews from our pick of London restaurants where the cocktails are as good as the food
56. IN-formed Word up News, views, reviews and interviews from the cocktail front
60. IN-sider’s guide Notts landing Where to drink in Nottingham by local bartender Joe Macbeth
62. IN-ternational Mad about Madrid Yes, Barcelona is cool but Madrid is also a hot destination for cocktail lovers
40. IN-focus
66. IN-vite only
Future proofing Ben Norum gazes into his crystal ball and predicts 15 key drinks trends to look out for in 2015
Snap shot The best drinks events, competitions and party pics from the last three months
Editors: Sandrae Lawrence, Gary Sharpen Sub-editor: Sally Briggs Creative Director: James Cheverton at Burnt Studio burntstudio.com Illustrations: Melanie Milne mellmadedesign.com Becky Roberts doodleyboo.co.uk Nick Schon nickschonillustrator.com Photography: Johnnie Pakington johnniepakington.com David Loftus; Ed Dabney edabney.com Contributors: Tom Elms; Yolanda Evans; Joe Macbeth; Rebecca Milford; François Monti; Ben Norum; Professor Charles Spence; Lauryn Tomlinson; Dan Thomson; Claire Smith-Warner; Georgia van Tiel For all editorial and advertising enquiries, please contact: mail@thecocktaillovers.com 020 7242 2546 www.thecocktaillovers.com Printed by Polestar UK Print Ltd. Reproduction in whole or part of any contents of The Cocktail Lovers magazine without prior permission from the editors is strictly prohibited. Cover shot: © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Ltd. Photographer: David Loftus Issue No. 14 Winter 2015 The Cocktail Lovers magazine is published by The Cocktail Lovers in London, UK
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY
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25
REASONS TO BE A COCKTAIL LOVER THIS SEASON
N1 o
TAKING SPANISH STEPS
Stampy feet, swishy skirts, that clickety-click of castanets – you’ve got to love flamenco. Fall under the spell at the Flamenco Festival at Sadler’s Wells from 16 February to 1 March. Of course sherry would be more authentic but as the G&T is officially the drink of choice in Spain (see p. 62), we recommend sipping one in the interval. sadlerswells.com
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Photography: javier suarez
Copping hold of Kate, drinking art and munching on boozy olives – just a few of the things we’re looking forward to in the next few months
IN-the know
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3
Calling the shots Not the alcoholic kind, we mean the exquisite shot collections from Jo Loves. Get your fragrance hit in the form of soaps, bath colognes and candles, sold in gorgeous boxes of three. joloves.com
04
Rocking Prohibition chic
Step aside Christian Louboutin, there’s a new shoe with a red sole that’s blowing our mind. Oliver Sweeney has designed a brogue with a wee bottle of Johnnie Walker Red concealed in the heel – excuse us but is this guy a genius or what? oliversweeney.co.uk
SMELLING OF TWEED SPIRIT
Fans of Johnnie Walker Black can enjoy the ‘nose’ of their favourite whisky at all times woven in a new Harris Tweed, called aptly enough, the Fabric of Flavour. harristweed.org
05 MUNCHING ON BOOZY OLIVES
We’re loving the lush new treats from Olives Et Al. Why wouldn’t we – premium olives steeped in citrus-infused gin or vodka – it’s a no-brainer. Store in the freezer, add to your Martini or enjoy on ice on their own. olivesetal.co.uk
SIX...
Diets don’t stand a chance with the new brunch menu at Foxlow. Tuck into the ridiculously good all-day breakfast burger, or the fried chicken and egg croissant waffle washed down with a fine line in cocktails (see p.54) foxlow.co.uk
Three good reasons to order a Disa Goddess cocktail from The OXO Tower Bar: 1. It’s bloomin’ delicious. 2: £1 from each sale goes to the Fairtrade Foundation. 3. You get entered into a draw to win a £16,000 ring – boom! harveynichols.com/restaurant/the-oxo-tower
08
GIVING IN TO TEMPTATION
07
Imbibing for a cause
Sniffing out the good stuff Think of the Olfactic Dog Nose as a gentle douche for your nasal passage – pop it over your hooter 10 minutes before you’re ready to eat/drink to improve taste and enhance flavour. Really… lickmeImdelicious.com
09 BRINGING THE SUNSHINE IN
It may be winter outside but while we’re burning this zesty Mojito scented candle, inside it’s forever spring. And not a mint sprig or lime zest in sight. prezzybox.com The Cocktail Lovers - 7
IN-the know
N 10 o
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HAVING OUR CAKE AND EATING IT
Feeling the strain
We’re talking Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Tequila Sunrise and Pina Colada flavoured sponges from PopKakery – bite-sized morsels of deliciousness. popkakery.com
This isn’t a cocktail strainer, this is the perfect cocktail strainer designed by Simone Caporale. It doesn’t come with a guarantee that, like him you’ll achieve Best International Bartender status but at least you’ll be getting close… cocktailninja.com
13. KEEPING OUR CHAKRAS IN CHECK
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Making faces Scotch – a winner in the glass, absolutely stunning translated into warming shades for lips, eyes, cheeks and nails. Check the limited-edition Scotch on the Rocks collection available from Bobbi Brown. bobbibrowncosmetics.com
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Getting a designer fix
Hello sexy – not you, we mean this curvaceous Plum Shaker by Tom Dixon. Not only does it do the job in the shaking department, it doubles up as a stylish ornament as well. Lust doesn’t even come into it… occa-home.co.uk
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We’ll start with the brews from PositiviTEA – seven unique flavours blended to balance mind, body and spirit, created by a writer, yoga teacher and tea devotee. positivitea.london
COPPING HOLD OF KATE Move over Marie Antoinette, the perfect coupe is now modelled on La Moss’s left breast. Get your hands on a pair now! Available in limited numbers from 34-restaurant.co.uk
17. 15
SIXTEEN INSISTING ON THE VERY BEST
We love the jagged hand-cut ice blocks but there’s something about the sinuous form of the Pininfarina Chivas Ice Drop that transforms an ordinary drink into an experience. Order one for the bar, or go for the Ice Drop Mould at home. chivas.com
BECOMING BEER BOFFINS With tastings, tours, workshops and all kinds of brewery busyness the inaugural London Beer Week running 16-22 February will be a great place to start. Bring it on! londonbeerweek.com
IN-the know
EIGHTEEN 19. MAKING OUT WITH BOMPAS & PARR
Weighing up the (drink) options Buy The Perfect Drink scales, download the free app and you’re off… Choose from 100s of recipes and watch as the virtual glass fills up on your screen in real time and tells you when to stop pouring – clever stuff. firebox.com
Who other than food experimentalists Sam Bompas and Harry Parr would concoct a cocktail to evoke the fun of the fair and transform it into a thrilling lube? All part of their Funland project for the Museum of Sex, New York. museumofsex.com
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GOING GAGA FOR THE BABA
Plain old rum Babas are sooo last year, at St. James Bar the team have devised five variations, each paired with a different spirit. Indulge in the likes of Baba Cointreau Long Island Iced Tea, Baba Gin Pimm’s and Baba Vodka Moscow Mule – fabulously retro. sofitelstjames.com
KEEPING OUR TOOTSIES WARM Cocktails. On socks, what’s not to love? joyofsocks.com
HITTING THE BOTTLE
22 Drinking art
For a taste of colonial spirit try the bottled Bulldog Gin Zing – Bulldog London Dry Gin, Limca Indian lemonade and a pinch of Lemon, Fennel & Chilli Sea Salt. Yours from worldofzing.com
24
Imagine a framed picture that dispenses drinks, one that transforms into a new work of art as you fill your glass? No you haven’t had one too many, it’s Drinkable Art from Don Julio. Try it from January at mrestaurants.co.uk
23
Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day Irish or not, we want in! Our tipple of choice? The velvety rich, slightly spiced, single pot still Redbreast 12 Year Old. Why? Taste it and see for yourself. masterofmalt.com
ENJOYING PERFECTLY CHILLED MARTINIS Press a button and the mix of Reyka vodka, vermouth and Reyka bitters pumps through flash coolers, bringing the temperature down to the requisite -18 degrees. Coming to a bar near you. reyka.com
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JAMIE OLIVER
NO ONE HAS BEEN MORE INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING PEOPLE COOKING THAN JAMIE OLIVER. NOW, HE’S LOOKING TO DO THE SAME WITH DRINKS. WE SPEAK TO HIM ABOUT HIS BACKGROUND IN PUBS AND HIS LATEST CRUSADE – DRINKS TUBE, A DEDICATED CHANNEL AIMED AT BRINGING COCKTAILS TO THE MASSES What are your memories of growing up in a pub? So many happy memories. The thing that stands out most for me was the incredible smells of the food that dad was cooking for the customers. It was usually something roasting, so you’d get the most incredible aroma wafting through the pub. And later on, when dad got me to work in the pub (he didn’t believe in pocket money; you had to earn your keep), it was all about mucking in with the kitchen staff and working hard, clearing glasses and washing up; all the glamorous jobs. At the time, what was more important to you, food or drinks? Definitely food. I was only about seven when I started doing bits and pieces in the kitchen, and by the time I was nine or ten, I was helping the chefs with a bit of
10 - The Cocktail Lovers
Photography: david loftus
IN THE HOTSEAT
peeling or prepping. I didn’t really focus on the drinks as such – you don’t really until you’re an established teenager! Did you always know you wanted to work with flavours? I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but I wasn’t very academic at school and so I had to find something practical I was good at and enjoyed. There were two things really – cooking and woodwork. I loved woodwork – I still do – and so I considered being a carpenter for a while, but in the end I decided to take a course in catering, and look where that got me! You worked with Matt Skinner on wines quite early on in your career, is wine an easier ‘sell’ than cocktails? Yes, Matt’s still a good mate. I suppose wine is more popular and readily available, but then I think what we’re trying to do with Drinks Tube is to make cocktails more accessible so that people think twice about whether they want wine or something a bit different. What are your thoughts on pairing cocktails with food? For me, it depends on the cocktail and it depends on the food. I think wine is losing its grip on being the
IN-terview
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 – it isn’t about the setting or what’s appropriate – if the flavours work together, then both the food and the drink can be enhanced. Have you ever introduced any of the cocktails in your books, programmes or from Jamie’s Italian to the menu at your father’s pub, The Cricketers? Not yet, but then dad’s quite traditional. He’s just introduced a Connoisseur’s Wine List which is a big step. Maybe I’ll tempt him with a few cheeky cocktails soon and see if he’ll agree to put something on the menu! When did the idea for Drinks Tube come about?
What has the response been to the channel? It’s been brilliant. We launched the channel in April 2014 and we’re on our way to having 100,000 subscribers by the end of January. There’s some way to go before Drinks Tube catches up with its big brother Food Tube, but the reaction we get to all our videos is really exciting. Has your foray into cocktails been easier or harder than you thought? I’ve always been into making and drinking cocktails but by working with some of the best people out there, it’s shown me that I’ve got some way to go before I can call myself an expert! I’m learning though. Watch out Simone!
I set up my YouTube channel, Food Tube, to bring people brilliantly simple and delicious video recipes all year round. We’re working with fantastic new talent and people have really taken to it. We’ve got over one million subscribers now, which is just incredible to see. More and more people were asking for drinks too, so I thought ‘why don’t we have a channel for drink?’ We had a chat with Bacardi and they came on board as our exclusive spirits partner, helping us to do loads of things we wouldn’t be able to do on our own.
What are your favourite cocktail recipes to recreate at home?
What is the ethos of Drinks Tube?
What are you proudest of about the channel?
Drinks Tube is about celebrating all things drinkable. We do loads of cocktails of course, but also wines, beers and soft drinks too. We want to show people how easy it is to make fantastic drinks at home and give them the knowledge to buy the best drinks without needing to spend a fortune. We want to teach and entertain. We’re showing people that they don’t need to go to a fancy cocktail bar and spend loads of money – they can make delicious cocktails at home and impress their mates! Who is your target audience? Anyone who’s interested in drinks. Obviously, on the alcohol side they need to be over 18, but we’ve got a whole strand of soft drinks too – healthy juices, smoothies, milkshakes, coffee – there really is something for everyone. And it’s a global audience. We get comments from people all over the world telling us what they think of the recipes and sending us pictures of their creations. You’ve worked extensively with food, has it been difficult transitioning to drinks? Not really. I’ve always had drinks in my books, so it’s not exactly new for me. I’ve always been around great drinks people, whether they’re sommeliers, wine merchants or mixologists, so it’s as if I’ve worked with drinks almost as much as food. What have you learned from setting up Drinks Tube? That you never stop learning. Drinks Tube has opened my eyes to loads of things I never thought about and I’ve got to work with some of the best bartenders in the world – like Simone Caporale (p. 32).
You can’t beat a G&T when you’ve put the kids to bed and you’re looking to unwind. But one of the first cocktails I ever really loved was the Milano-Torino – the classic aperitivo. Recently I got to make that, and the Americano, with Giuseppe Gallo, [Martini Global Brand Ambassador] in Turin for Drinks Tube. For my birthday last year I got a vintage cocktail shaker with recipes down the side – I’m still working my way through those too. I think the amazing support from our friends at Bacardi has been inspirational – we couldn’t have done it without them. But I’m really just proud of all the content. I’m a fan of Drinks Tube as much as anyone and I just love watching what’s happening. Do you think Drinks Tube has/will change the public’s perception of cocktails? I think there is a perception that cocktails are expensive and you can only drink them when you’re in a bar and a professional makes them. I hope that people are looking at Drinks Tube and thinking ‘wow, I didn’t realise it could be so easy’. I want people to see that it’s okay to experiment. It might not always work, but you should have fun while you’re trying. Going back to your beginnings, what are your thoughts on the demise of the British pub and do you have any plans to step into this arena? Well, some pubs are thriving but many are struggling and that’s sad. I’ve no major plans to open a pub any time soon, although there may be a pub element to one of the Jamie’s Italian restaurants we’re opening over the next year or so. Lastly, what can we look forward to from Drinks Tube in 2015? More amazing and inspirational videos. For all things drinks and all the latest from Jamie Oliver and the Drinks Tube team sign up for updates at youtube.com/DrinksTube
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