ISSUE 20
SUMMER 2016
ISSN 2052 0603
Sense-ational! The Senses Issue
Heston Blumenthal leads the charge on the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and clever touches in food and drink
S CI E N C E?
COOL? YO U B E T I T I S! PARTICULARLY IN FORWARD-THINKING
RESTAUR ANTS
AND BARS
You can thank our cover star Heston Blumenthal for that. Before he got his geek on, little was known about centrifuges, rotavaps and the likes for culinary purposes. He took things further still by looking into the science of how we engage our senses when we consume what we eat and drink. We talk to him about his approach to cooking, thoughts on drinks and the vision that led to him coining the phrase 'multi-sensory' (p. 10).
Blumenthal isn't the only expert we've spoken to in this issue devoted to the senses. Giving her views on Sight we have food artist Caroline Hobkinson (p. 16); Professor Barry Smith explores the sense of Sound (p. 31), while Professor Charles Spence reveals his findings on Touch (p. 36). We also have Jozef Youssef from Kitchen Theory examining the sense of Taste (p. 49), while Lizzie Ostrom talks scents and Smell (p. 61). What else is in store? We're so glad you asked! Ben Norum looks at some of the most beautiful drinks to feast your eyes on in Sippable stunners (p. 18); Miranda Walsh closes her eyes and goes dining and drinking in the dark (p. 24), and Jon Nickoll talks about creating the right ambiance in the American Bar at The Savoy (p. 32). For Touch, we called on drinks whizzes Alistair Reynolds and Robyn Wilkie to give their views on the feel (and look) of eight stylish aprons (p. 38), and on Smell, we sniff out bars that are looking to the world of fragrance for inspiration (p. 64). There's more too, but we won't go into it here. Why don't you pour yourself a drink, sit back and discover it for yourself. Enjoy!
Happy imbibing! Ms S & Mr G
thecocktaillovers.com
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Discover the finest contemporary silver and jewellery from over 300 designer-makers. www.thegoldsmithsdirectory.co.uk
Cocktail set: Martyn Pugh
6. IN-the know 25 reasons to be a cocktail lover this season Feeling fruity, fishing for compliments and teas-ing out the good stuff – just a few of the things we're looking forward to in the next few months
10. IN-terview In the hotseat – Heston Blumenthal We talk to the man who put the sense into multi-sensory eating and drinking experiences
14. SIGHT 16. The eyes have it Food artist Caroline Hobkinson sheds light on the sense of sight 18. Sippable stunners Cocktails as art: Ben Norum seeks out the best looking drinks around
36. Can you feel the difference? Professor Charles Spence weighs up the evidence for using texture in food and drink 38. It's a cover-up! Alistair Reynolds and Robyn Wilkie put eight aprons from around the world to the touch test
46. TASTE 49. A question of taste Lifting the lid on taste with Jozef Youssef, founder of Kitchen Theory 52. Balancing acts The team at Foodpairing on how to create the perfect recipe 55. In the best possible taste With Tony Conigliaro, master of flavours
58. SMELL
22. Bling it on! Make a visual impact dressing for the cocktail hour with these seriously cool accessories for him and her
61. She nose you know Lizzie Ostrom on the power of scent in perfume and cocktails and how the two are inextricably linked
24. Dinner at Dans Le Noir? Ever wondered how it would feel to eat and drink in the dark? Miranda Langford finds out (and she's not quite sure if she likes it…)
64. Making scents of smell How bartenders are using scent to elevate their drinks offering, including The Clumsies in Athens, the RitzCarlton in Berlin and The Donovan Bar in London
26. Think ink Zoning in on tattoos, the bartender's favourite garnish 27. Vision on Innovative uses of art in bars, including the Evocative Menu at Little Red Door in Paris
28. SOUND 31. Sound advice How sound affects your drinking experience by Professor Barry Smith 32. The Piano Man Jon Nickoll on tinkling the ivories at the American Bar at The Savoy for the past 12 years 33. Sound bites How music is being used to do everything from maturing spirits to blend into gin (yes, really!)
55. IN-formed Mains and Martinis Three London restaurants where the drinks are as good as the food
66. IN-formed Word up… News, views, reviews and how-tos
70. IN-ternational Shanghai surprise Six cocktail bars offering our kind of Chinese medicine
SIGHT 74. Snap-shot! The best parties, events and cocktail competitions from the last few months
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 34. TOUCH
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 Photography: Addie Chinn addiechinn.com Lawrence Watson lawrencewatson.com Contributors: Sam Ameye Iain Bell Foodpairing Caroline Hobkinson Miranda Langford Ben Norum Lizzie Ostrom Jacob Shteynsayg Professor Barry Smith Professor Charles Spence The Departure Lounge Lauryn Tomlinson Travis Watson Jozef Youssef For all editorial and advertising enquiries, please contact: mail@thecocktaillovers.com 020 7242 2546 thecocktaillovers.com Printed by 1881 Headley Reproduction in whole or part of any contents of The Cocktail Lovers magazine without prior permission from the editors is strictly prohibited. On the cover: Heston Blumenthal Cover photography by Alisa Connan The Cocktail Lovers Issue No. 20 Summer 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 Making like Madonna, being clever sew and sews and doing the Konga, three of the things we’re looking forward to in the next few months
N1
Celebrating colour What has an exhibition about nature got to do with cocktails? Plenty when it comes to Colour and Vision – how else do you decide what you want to drink? See the world through the eyes of over 350 species and learn about our own relationship with colour – well, this is the senses issue after all. To drink? Time to bring back the B52! Colour and Vision is at the Natural History Museum until 6 November. nhm.ac.uk
6 - The Cocktail Lovers
©trustees of the natural history museum, london
o
IN-the know
THREE...
Upping sticks
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Winning ways with water no. 101: add charcoal sticks to your reusable bottle. Looks odd but it filters out the bad stuff so your water tastes great. The Japanese have been doing it for years… black-blum.com
Glossing over
Ladies, the coolest shade for your summer mani-pedis is Bikini With A Martini. Never mind the colour, what a name! essie.com
05 Making like Madonna Feeling like a virgin? Of the cocktail kind, of course. Get fresh with the inspiring collection of smoothies, energisers, presses and teas in The Mocktail Manual, all created with abstainers in mind. hardiegrant.co.uk
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…or try this. The Memobottle: practical, smart, BPA free and designed to sit flush in your briefcase or bag. Available in A4 or A5 sizes. thefowndry.com
SIX...
…but if you want something nonalcoholic that tastes as complex as (whisper it) booze, check out Seedlip Garden 108. Made from distilled peas and herbs, being green never tasted so good. seedlipdrinks.com
Going nuts
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Is it possible to be vegan and drink creamy liqueurs? You bet your dairy-free booty it is. Baileys gets a gluten-free update with Baileys Almande, the sexy new way to enjoy almond milk. baileys.com
N8 o
Fishing for compliments
Salmon + gin botanicals = the perfect cure – just the ticket for summer soirees. rossandrossfood.co.uk
09 Being
clever sew and sews
Needles at the ready, patches are in. Not only do they add a touch of retro chic to your outfit, you can use them to fill in the silences. Bam! skinnydiplondon.com The Cocktail Lovers - 7
IN-the know
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10 Poshing up
our picnics
Say no to plastic glasses. Be sustainable (and super stylish) with this lush leather Champagne carrier instead. luxdeco.com
…budget not up to it? These Champagne popsicles get the thumbs up, too (just be sure to recycle the wrappers). fortnumandmason.com
THIRTEEN Playing games
Go old school and get properly interactive. Deal your best hand with the Cocktail Cards designed by Sarah Ferone (while sipping a Martini of course). cocktailhourcards.com
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Doing the Konga! Shaking cocktails is so last season, right now it’s all about the Konga. Get in line and get the folk from Monkey Shoulder to show you how they roll! monkeyshoulder.com
15 SIXTEEN .…you could also try these Talking Tables Pineapple Holders to add some lols to your summer serves. johnlewis.com
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Measuring up New to this cocktail malarkey? You won’t go wrong with these Bartending Glasses. Salut! kikkerland.com
Feeling fruity Still got a pineapple shaped hole in your life? Fill the gap with one of these beauties. oliverbonas.com
17. CHILLIN’ BY THE POOL
Who needs cool when you can have fun and have your cocktail poolside at the same time? That's your summer packing sorted then… urbanoutfitters.com
IN-the know
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TEAS-ING OUT THE GOOD STUFF Love tea? Love Pina Coladas? Thanks to a canny blend of pineapple, coconut and oolong you can have both. Get your fix at kitchenprovisions.co.uk
Rolling with it Tension Tonic won’t do a jot for your gin, but it works like a dream for stress busting. Don’t leave home without it. tazekaaromatherapy.com
Calling the shots
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You say chocolate, we say shots! Pop these Cocktails to Chill in the freezer then dive in. hotelchocolat.com
…and for those who prefer something stronger, there’s T.E.A. (tea enriched alcohol) Gin with Earl Grey or Jasmine in the mix. Nice touch! tea-enriched-alcohol.com
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24 Pulling out the stops Why have a boring old corkscrew when you can have this colourful chap in your life? Bring on the smiles. Parrot Corkscrew. shop.royalacademy.org.uk
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BLOWING BUBBLES
Yes, that’s right – like when we were kids. The difference now is, these grown up bubbles can be mixed with alcohol for an edible treat. Prosecco your days are numbered… fowndry.com
23 SIMPLIFYING OUR SERVES Pour it, shake it, sip it. Repeat. The Cointreau Cocktail Maker not only looks cute but it does the job on the practicality front too. Top marks! cointreau.com
Twenty Five Popping our corks …and wearing the plaque de muselet (that’s the cap bit, fyi), in jewellery form. Cool idea or what? wearingmemories.com
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IN-terview
IN THE HOTSEAT
HESTON BLUMENTHAL photography: alisa connan
CHEF, SCIENTIST, STORYTELLER
IN-terview
How does someone who failed chemistry O Level go on to be awarded honorary degrees for his scientific approach to cooking, and earn an Honorary Fellowship by the Royal Society of Chemistry in the process? It’s been a long and eventful journey! When I left school I was unsure what I wanted to do but I was obsessed with food, I was re-reading recipes books, over and over. After a string of uneventful jobs I decided to take over a small, run down pub in Bray – and that’s when The Fat Duck was born. Having the restaurant allowed me to experiment, to challenge convention, to ask questions. That’s what science, and to a larger extent cooking, should be about. I’m incredibly proud of my degrees, they show that there are many different paths to science and education. Is this why you’re now working with Oxford and Cambridge universities to rewrite the cookery GSCE to include a sensory element? I felt that the existing food GCSE didn’t go far enough, ours now has a greater focus on the science and nutrition of cooking. Over the next couple of years I want to introduce more sensory experiments to the syllabus, so that children start to recognise eating and cooking as a form of science, begin to understand how important it is for our wellbeing. Do you regard yourself as a chef, scientist or storyteller? I’m not sure those labels are mutually exclusive, I’ve found them complementary. When I was starting out as a chef, I picked up an incredible book by Harold McGee, On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, and I started to see cooking as an empirical art form. It was through science, using equipment like centrifuges, distilleries and molecular databases, that my understanding and appreciation of food grew. The Fat Duck became my personal laboratory, and it’s gone on an extraordinary journey over the past three decades. The menu is now based on a collection of my childhood holiday memories, and I’m very interested in how sharing my story acts as a psychological nudge, to help others remember their own stories. Food is so much more powerful when it has a narrative running through it, when it engages someone emotionally. How much of each of the aforementioned elements come into play when devising your creations? I’m constantly balancing these elements when creating new dishes or revising old ones. The dishes and ideas are already there – the Sound of the Sea, savoury ice lollies, breakfast cereal – they just needed something to bind them together – that's where my story comes in; it should
evoke the senses, prompting nostalgia. Your story is pre-empted by mine. The food that makes up the Duck has evolved like a journey; the dishes are a narrative. And when a dish can’t be evolved any more, we take it off the menu. When and why did you first become interested in sensory eating experiences? I was on a family holiday in France, when I was about 15. We were lucky enough to visit a restaurant in Provence called L'Oustau de Baumanière. I was sat on a terrace at the foot of a cliff surrounded by a valley of olive trees and the smell of lavender. The sound of the crickets filled the air and the cliff was lit up by the setting sun. The sommelier had a huge handlebar moustache, the cheese trolley was the size of a chariot, and there was a wine list bigger than a billboard! I fell into a multi-sensory wonderland, and was hooked.
A GOOD DISH, OR DRINK, STIMULATES ALL OF THE SENSES IN UNISON To your mind, how does it enrich our enjoyment of food and drink? A good dish, or drink, stimulates all of the senses in unison. Memory also provides us with a collection of references – flavours, tastes, smells, sights, sounds, emotions – that we draw on continually as we eat. One of the dishes that I’m most proud of is the Sound of the Sea, it’s the perfect example of multi-sensory dining – the sound of waves crashing against the shore that accompany the dish heightens the flavours. The term ‘multi-sensory’ in relation to food and drink experiences is bandied around a lot these days, but you were the first to coin the phrase. When and why did you feel the need to do so? In the late 90s I was playing around with the idea of crab ice-cream – at the time I didn’t realise how important it would become to the direction of my cooking. The actual name, ‘crab ice-cream’, seemed to act as a barrier for some people. After running tests, I found that if it was called ‘frozen crab bisque’, not only was it more acceptable, it was also considered less sweet. Just a name could change someone’s appreciation of a dish. It got me thinking about other cues and factors that affect flavours, leading me to work with some great universities and researching the
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