ISSUE 18
WINTER 2016
To Boldly Go!
The future of drinks 2016: A cocktail odyssey Trends to watch on earth and beyond
Space invader
A vessel that is truly out of this world
+ What Alex and Simone did next
ISSN 2052 0603
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JOE GILMORE AND
DAV ID
BOWIE WHAT DO THE Y H AV E IN COMMON? They both pushed boundaries and celebrated life beyond earth. This issue is dedicated to them – Gilmore, the longest serving bartender at the legendary American Bar at The Savoy who created the Moonwalk cocktail and Bowie, the trailblazer, the other-worldly star man who made us question whether there was life on Mars. With their pioneering spirit in mind, we’re heading to space. Well, not really but we’ve used that as the theme for our first issue of the year… To begin with, we ask six forward thinkers for their views on what and how we will be drinking in 10 to 20 years time (p. 10 and p. 12), and examine a glass made with space travellers in mind (p. 24). Then it gets literal, with Julian de Féral looking at venues with amazing spaces (p. 28), Rebecca Milford checking out space saving tips for home bars (p. 46), and photographer/illustrator Edd Leigh setting 11 movers and shakers in the industry in a zero gravity environment as they talk about their bold new moves in our Watch This Space feature (p. 34). The future is very much top of mind, for us and Alex Kratena and Simone Caporale who left the Artesian at the end of last year to pursue their solo project. We talk to them about their plans for 2016 and beyond (p. 20), while Ben Norum predicts the key trends coming to London bars in the next 12 months (p. 44). Travelling? Check our round-up of the hottest new bar openings everywhere from Bali to Belgium (p. 63). And don't forget, wherever and whatever you may be drinking, please join us in raising a glass to Gilmore and Bowie.
Happy imbibing! Ms S & Mr G
thecocktaillovers.com
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IN-gredients
6. IN-the know
43. IN-focus
25 reasons to be a cocktail lover this season Spacing out, doing the robot and lusting after a Mojito – just a few of the many things we're looking forward to in the next few months
Drink, Eat, Live Don't make resolutions, says Claire Warner, be kind to yourself instead
10. IN-terview In the hotseat Food futurologist Dr. Morgaine Gaye gives us the lowdown on the next big things in the world of drinks
12. IN-spire The future of drinking What, where and how will you be drinking 25 years from now? We find out from the experts
20. IN-spire What Alex and Simone did next Mssrs. Kratena and Caporale on leaving the world's best bar and leading the service industry into a new era
24. IN-the spotlight Space invaders How do you a design a glass for drinking liquids in zero gravity? Very beautifully, as the team at Ballantine's whisky found out
28. IN-the spotlight Amazing spaces Size isn't everything, it's what you do with it that counts, particularly when it comes to bars, says Julian de Féral
30. IN-dulge App-y talk Monitor your water intake, stop yourself from drunk dialling and build your whisky library with these clever drinks apps
34. IN-style Watch this space There's a whole lot of movement going on in the bar world. We catch up to see where a few of our favourites are headed
44. IN-focus 2016: A space odyssey What are the key trends for drinkers in London this year? Ben Norum makes his predictions
46. IN-focus Space savers Rebecca Milford asks the experts for the tips and tricks you need for designing and building your home bar
48. IN-focus To boldly go? Or not Are you ready to sip cocktails in space or are you firmly rooted in the offerings on earth? We argue the case for both
50. IN-dependent spirits Luck of the Irish Meet the woman who is on a mission to revive the lost art of Irish whiskey bonding from her family farm on the Wild Atlantic Way
52. IN-dustry greats Master of Martinis No one worships the Martini more than Javier de las Muelas, that's why he's dedicated an altar to their making in his Dry Martini bars
54. IN-formed Mains & Martinis Three London restaurants where the restaurants 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 Glasgow in focus Michael Cameron shines a light on the leaders of the pack in Caledonia
42. IN-focus
62. IN-ternational
New horizons gaz regan doffs his cap to the weird and sometimes wonderful world of molecular mixology
New spaces Bali, Bath, Belgium (and other places that don't begin with 'B') – eight new bars to have on your radar right now
The Cocktail Lovers are proud to be listed on The London Evening Standard Progress 1000 – London’s Most Influential People 2015 and global top four Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards 2015
Editors: Sandrae Lawrence Gary Sharpen Sub-editor: Sally Briggs Creative Director: James Cheverton at Burnt Studio burntstudio.com Illustrations: Edd Leigh edd-leigh.co.uk Melanie Milne mellmadedesign.com Mark Reihill markreihill.com Photography: Edd Leigh edd-leigh.co.uk Contributors: Michael Cameron Julian de Féral Rasmus Lomborg Rebecca Milford Ben Norum gaz regan The Departure Lounge Lauryn Tomlinson Claire Warner For all editorial and advertising enquiries, please contact: mail@thecocktaillovers.com 020 7242 2546 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 illustration: Mark Reihill markreihill.com To Boldly Go with Alex Kratena and Simone Caporale The Cocktail Lovers Issue No. 18 Winter 2016 The Cocktail Lovers magazine is published by The Cocktail Lovers Ltd. in London, UK PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY
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REASONS TO BE A COCKTAIL LOVER THIS SEASON Wearing our garnishes, wising up to water and getting our matcha on – just a few of the things we’re looking forward to in the next few months
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Inspired by Tim Peake’s venture and the theme of this issue we’ll be heading to the Science Museum for 'Cosmonaut’s: Birth of the Space Age' (until 13 Mar, sciencemuseum.org. uk). To drink? Why a Grey Goose Cosmonaut of course! Build 45ml Grey Goose La Poire, 25ml lime juice, 17.5ml ginger liqueur and 1 dash cardamom bitters in a spherical rocks glass and garnish with a space candy dusted grape.
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Cosmonauts: birth of the space age/science museum
Spacing out
IN-the know
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THREE...
Popping our corks
Embracing the cold
Think space, think popping candy. Add some to the rim of your cocktail glass and prepare for your mind to be blown. Popping candy, creamsupplies.co.uk
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Lusting after a Mojito
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…not the drink, we’re drooling over this offthe-scale luxe Mojito Trunk. It’s on wheels so you can transport it around your house, and get this, you can connect your phone to the speakers for an all-round taste sensation. tttrunks.com
As in brews. In the coffee corner we have Mr Black, the coolest tasting (and looking) coffee liqueur adding attitude to your glass… mrblack.co
04 …and for tasty cold brew teas on the go, this Hario Tornado does the job like a boss. brewedbyhand.com
ZAPPING OUR WINE
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Rumour has it that the Sonic Decanter does wonders to wines of the budget variety. Softer, smoother and more aromatic in 15 minutes – all at the touch of a button. Pow! sonicdecanter.com
Eating our drinks
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Need convincing that edible cocktails are the future? Check Eddie Shepherd’s e-book for all kinds of inspiring alcohol-based recipes without a glass in sight. eddieshepherd.com
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Doing the robot Not in a rude way, obvs. Botlr the
robotic butlers at Aloft Hotels may
be able to deliver your drinks, towels and whatnots to your room but they can’t do that. Yet… starwoodhotels.com
Going for gold Gold sugar cubes? Er, hello! Why use plain old white or brown ones in a cocktail when you can pimp your drink big style instead? firebox.com The Cocktail Lovers - 7
IN-the know
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MAKING LIKE ROCKERFELLA How else could we afford to try Watenshi, the world’s most expensive gin at £2,000 a pop? Available exclusively from selfridges.com
TWELVE Doubling up on the cold front What could be better than having a freezer full of ice and chilled glasses? Sticking this magnetic voice recorder on the door to remind yourself to stock up on essentials. Cool stuff… prezzybox.com
13 Wising up to water
Big-ups to HydraCoach, the intelligent water bottle that calculates how much you need to drink based on your weight and activity and paces you throughout the day. Clever or what? hydracoach.com
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Keeping things neutral Trust punksters BrewDog to play with sex altering hops to develop the world’s first ‘nonbinary, postgender beer’. They’re never ones for playing things straight… brewdog.com
14. Investing in a Vitamix
15. HAVING TIME OFF Two are good, three
Here’s why: it makes healthy hot soups, smoothies, dips and spreads to feed your virtuous self and tip-top cocktails when you want to indulge. What’s not to love? vitamix.com
are even better – we’re talking days off the sauce (and they only count if they’re consecutive…) #keepingitreal2016
our 16 Getting matcha on Green tea in HD. Want to know more? Try a Matcha Mixologist Course at bluebirdtea.com
SEVEN TEEN PREPPING FOR SORE HEADS
Not that we need it you understand but the Girl Guide/ Boy Scout in us just loves to be prepared. Grow Your Own Hangover Kit, by the Gluttonous Gardener. notonthehighstreet.com
IN-the know
EIGHTEEN 19. GRINNING AND BEERING IT
And we mean that quite literally folks. Get down with the in crowd and buy yourself a D.I.Y. Craft Beer Kit from homebrewtique.com
Make like the fash pack and look to your glass for wardrobe cues this season. Orange is the hot shade at Hermés, Lacoste, Narciso Rodriguez and Paul Smith, while lemons are looking lush at Dolce & Gabbana.
dolce & gabbana
Wearing our garnishes
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MAKING LIGHT WORK OF WHISKY What better way to learn about drams than reading The Essential Scratch and Sniff Guide to Whiskey – it does exactly what it says on the tin. amazon.co.uk
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SIGNING UP FOR WINE
balls: the evening before the morning after – drinking sculpture, 1972 – gilbert & george
Brushing up on art
Everyone knows Hogarth’s Gin Lane but what about booze-inspired works from other British artists? Check out Art & Alcohol at Tate Britain and find out for yourself. Until Sep 2016, admission free. tate.org.uk
A private member’s club for wine lovers you say? Sign us up immediately! Spread over three floors with a wine library, events for the modern oenophile and access to courses at the Wine Spirits and Education Trust, it’s definitely our kinda place. 67pallmall.com
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HAVING FUN WITH WORK OUTS Come on, you’ve got to laugh… ellieellie.com
23 PAWSING FOR THOUGHT Hooch for your pooch? Why not? Pour Bowser Beer (made with USDA beef or chicken, sweet malt barley and a smidgen of glucosamine), over ice to quench your doggy’s thirst. bowserbeer.com
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Giving desserts a kick
You could just add your favourite liquor to cream to top your puds and drinks, or you could try this – vodka-infused cream in five fab flavours instead. firebox.com
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IN-terview
IN THE HOTSEAT
DR. MORGAINE GAYE
TALKING TRENDS, FADS AND THE WAY WE'LL BE DRINKING IN 10 YEARS TIME Firstly, in its most basic terms what is a food futurologist? We identify new global trends and translate them into actionable insights. I apply modern scientific research to history, nature and global cultural theory, branding, marketing and consumer behaviour and help ad agencies, PR companies and brands with new brand extensions, future gazing and trend reports. What’s the difference between a trend and a fad and can you give examples in drinks? A big trend in beverages at the moment is water – waters with slight added benefits such as artichoke, coconut and birch water. It’s been a big trend for at least a decade but it’s becoming more of a critical mass so we’re starting to understand it in a bigger way.
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photography: nathan pask
Only last year I was talking about the things in our water supply and what we’ll start seeing in 2016/2017, including flooding, which hadn’t happened at the time. The water trend also extends to using ice in creative ways – as an added ingredient in drinks, not just as cubes. We’re also looking at how we deliver the water coming out of our taps – artistic water designs to save water. Fads are things like matcha tea. It’s been around for a while and is very much a healthy thing – there was a big matcha buzz in 2014/15 but it's slipped away a bit. It’s like Buck’s Fizz in the 1990s and Babycham in the 1970s – fads have their moment. Was the resurgence of gin a trend or fad and do you have any insights into the next big spirit categories? The trend on gin came about because it’s easy to make and was a great Prohibition drink, which led to a bespoke craft process with small companies starting their own labels. But gin has had its day.
IN-terview
Rum is very interesting for bartenders and there’s something exciting around whisky; brands are looking at opportunities to bring what was once seen as a pipe and slippers spirit with male names (Johnnie Walker, Jim Beam, Jack Daniel’s) to the mass audience. I also think we’ll see lots more botanicals and drinking vinegars mixed in with cocktails; alcohol meeting some kind of micronutrient levels. What food and/or drinks trends are exciting you right now? What’s exciting me personally is specific DNA based nutrition. The way it will work is after we’ve had our analysis we’ll know exactly what we need on a very personal basis – our individual nutritional micronutrient balance will be monitored on a moment-bymoment basis based on our DNA. How do you see brands/bars engaging with customers going forward? Bars and drinks will be promoted as more of a niche enjoyment moment, something much more treasured than just knocking back a few pints. People used to go to the theatre and then dinner, now dinner is theatre – going to a bar and watching a barman make your drink is theatre – people are choosing different ways to have experiences. Bars have already started to change the way they engage. They have to. If it doesn’t feel special, like a real night out people will go to the supermarket, pay half the price and go home. There’s got to be a reason to go out and bars are already on it. Which key ingredients should bartenders be looking to incorporate in their cocktails? More savoury items, particularly with the issues with sugar; vegetables are the new fruit and we’re seeing them used more, whether its beetroot or carrots in syrups and juices. We’ll also see more bitter notes coming through. What about colour? We thought the future was all medical, clean, white and perfect when in fact we’re looking to imperfection and realness. We’ll be seeing more blacks, browns and earthiness in food and drink – there’s already BLK, a black water on the market. We’ve seen bartenders embrace pre-batched cocktails, do you think there’s a place for vending machines in bars? There’s a big place for them in cocktails but I’m not sure if it’s in the bar – we need the theatre and experience. I imagine we’ll see more vending machines selling high end products, some of which might be cocktails
– ready to make, not pre-made but they could have the intelligence to make the cocktail while you wait. The only way I can see vending machines in a bar is a bar that only has vending machines, so the highlight is it’s a bar with vending machines.
Although to-go drinks will still be popular, plastic will be banned and containers will be edible Please give us your prediction for drinking in 10 years time The future of beverage will incorporate a number of major trends going forward to 2025. Although to-go drinks will still be popular, plastic will be banned and containers will be edible; either edible glassware or edible membranes as complete containers for the liquid. The membranes or vessels will be used as a second texture and in some cases an additional flavour. Drinkware will be part of the USP. Non-edible containers will be multifunctional vessels that will have a second purpose or already be re-purposed. Multi-functional benefits will be commonplace in all beverages. Botanicals, micronutrients and trace minerals will be part of the drink offering. Cocktails and mocktails will offer a variety of possible benefits, such as energy or relaxation. Stylish non-alcoholic beverages will be on the rise as wine notes and complex flavours will be available in a variety of special occasion drinks, from speciality ‘wines’ to non-alcoholic ‘spirits’ – which will be complex and versatile. We will see big price rises on alcoholic beverages but not in food, so alcoholic foods will be much more prevalent; boozy jams and mustards, alcohol laced jellies, sweets, ice creams and chocolates, plus all kinds of unexpected foods. For more information, see www.morgainegaye.com Twitter: morgainegaye Instagram: morgainegaye
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THE FUTURE OF DRINKING Cups that you eat, urine as drinking water, 3D ice – what does the future hold for drinkers? We ask those who have a better idea than most…
Photography: nathan pask
IN-spire
Sam Bompas and Harry Parr Jellymongers and flavour innovators A new epoch of space travel is beginning. At Bompas & Parr we feel it’s important that tourists of the galaxy celebrate appropriately. Twenty-five years in the future we’re confident we’ll still be consuming alcohol – though its source components may be rather more alien than what we’re used to – accompanied by a range of new products that will simulate all the highs of booze without its ill effects. As we embark on long weekends to the Moon or start the long trip to our colonies on Mars, we’ll be used to purifying our urine for drinking water, but we’ll also have started using it as the source for locally brewed space beer or Martian Moonshine, leveraging off-planet bacteria and the oxygenating algae that we’re using to create an atmosphere. A new generation of fermenting yeasts and hitherto unknown maturation materials mined from passing comets will unlock new tastes and flavours. Simultaneously, we’ll be planning how to harvest the billion-kilometre-wide clouds of ethanol that float across distant
galaxies – after all, it’s New Year's Eve every day on those newly discovered, fast-spinning planetoids in the delta quadrant. 4D-printed cocktail makers will be standard in interstellar kitchens for instant parties, using edible gel materials to create 20th century cocktails, served with historical holographic son et lumières that immerse guests in multisensory recreations of famous but long-closed bars – from Harry’s Bar to Hooters, at the touch of a button. Meanwhile, we’ll enter a new realm of neuropharmacological pleasures: it’s a case of soma meets synthehol as we deconstruct the effects of a cocktail. Breathe in synthetic whisky or cognac clouds that emanate from integrated flavour capsules in your home and get boozed via a capsule of chemicals – minus that Jupiter-sized hangover. Who knows what extra terrestrials will be joining us in the watering holes of the future? Which just leaves the question of which way is bottoms-up in zero gravity? bompasandparr.com
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