Welcome one and all to London Cocktail Week 2017! Wield a pass on your smartphone DrinkUp London app and enjoy the discounts/events that LCW has to offer!

This year the Hoodooist will be bringing you #YourDailyDoseOfHoodoo, a multi-part review of each day of London Cocktail Week ’17, as well as daily coverage on our Instagram @highballhoodoo.

Today we look at 2 days out this LCW: Where the Hoodooist tackled Soho and the City!

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Let’s start with some of our regulars in Soho!

The Propitious, by Jinjuu

Jinjuu Soho:

Once you find a way not accidentally bungle the name of the cocktail up thanks to be over-caffeinated because you passed Soho Grind twice already, Korean after-work hotspot Jinjuu Soho serves the Propitious: one of it’s two LCW17 offerings.

Chrysanthemum-infused Soju, Green Chartreuse, Green tea reduction, #Korean plum #wine, plum bitters, and prune dust makes for a velvety and powerfully perfumed cocktail.

We begin with notes of the Green Chartreuse, followed by the green tea, and then a sudden wave of the Chrysanthemum – strong and potent. A momentary respite with plum wine, but then the Chrysanthemum is back to dominate. I’m not quite to sure what to make of this drink. The first half is almost too difficult to drink, it ignores ‘floral’ and goes straight to ‘spraying perfume into your mouth because it’s been that kind of day’.

Later, the plum wine emerges a bit more, but a little too late.

The second option is the Kimchi Bloody Mary and Korean Fried Chicken, which we covered last year.

A short walk away, we’re down at MASH!

Dr. Miroslav’s Cold Remedy, by MASH

Everyone knows the Hoodooist loves MASH.

The fab Miro and team at MASH give us Dr. Miroslav’s Cold Remedy, a mix of Tito’s Vodka, ginger syrup, peach puree, lemon juice, and a touch of manzanilla sherry.

What I quite loved about the Remedy was it managing to be simple, but effective – which was refreshing with so many the bars in Soho which were trying so hard to impress they were going all over the shop.

An opening hit of light ginger spice, peach saunters in, and then lingering hints of dry sherry. Served in a chilled copper glass that keeps the drink wonderfully cold. Just what we needed. And if that isn’t enough for you, knowing that a pound from each order of the Remedy is donated to Guide Dogs should be an incentive to definitely try this offer.
Puppies.
Puppies.

Make sure to try the snacks and starters while you’re here – beef tartare with crisps is always a great combo.

And a short walk away in Covent Garden we arrive at…

The Martell Gourmand, by BOKI

Boki serves the Martell Gourmand: a Martell Cognac mini Sazerac with a glass of Martell VS Single Distillery Cognac, paired with pistachio ice cream and cardamom biscuit.

I’m not quite sure what Boki is trying to do: either as a venue or as drink. In any case, it seems the head bartenders decided to pre-bottle their Sazeracs (what?), and put a load of lemon juice in it. Why this was decided was beyond me.

Sazeracs are… not easy. The short and simple ingredient list is deceptive, but the key to it is practice until it is muscle memory. Our kind bartender, Daniel, responded to our feedback well and remade it without any lemon, giving us a half decent Sazerac (good job for a first try).

Cardamom biscuit and pistachio ice cream paired surprisingly well with measure of Martell, ending on a great pairing note.

Next, we put on our hiking boots and head down to Blackfriars to find…

Big Trouble in Little Cynar, by COLD

The City of London Distillery is a good place to come down with friends to prepare your own gin in their in house gin lab and distillery.

And this LCW, they presented the Big Trouble on Little Cynar: City of London Square Mile Gin, Cynar artichoke liqueur, apricot brandy, lemon juice, and vanilla salt.

The first sip is a shock, the tartness might be a bit much, but it is easy to get used to. Apricot, followed by the savoury Cynar (one of my favourite ingredients), ending with more tart stone fruit flavours.

I highly recommend eating the provided bar snacks of chilli nuts, since this enhances the orange sweetness of the drink, and even accentuates the otherwise hidden vanilla.

Head down to Monument station, to find Mber!

Mber is serving the Cloud Nine: Sipsmith London dry gin, yuzu liqueur, orange bitters, lemon juice topped with a white chocolate foam.

Alternatively, for an extra 9 quid, you can take a walk on the wild side and get the cocktail plus a series of exciting bites:
-Zebra Loin Tataki with kizami wasabi mousse, satay cured egg, roasted grapes, parmesan-nori popcorn, and teriyaki sauce
-Grilled kangaroo steak Tagalog with smoked aubergine & tahini, edamame hummus, moromi-miso chimichurri and grilled pita bread
-Pork Katsu kare with panko bread crumbs, glazed apples and fennel chutney

The cocktail is a great aperitif of lemon and orange tempered by the white chocolate foam, however I would have quite enjoyed the inclusion of cardamom in the cocktail as well, to help round off the citrus.

The bites are wonderful, particularly the pork kare, whose flavours complement one another without attempting to outdo each other (in contrast to the zebra loin, which felt a bit blurry).

I highly recommend stopping for the Petit Fours as well! Great selection.

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Alright! That’s our recap of Soho and the City of London Cocktail Week 2017!

All in all, I feel in comparison to the East London stars we covered in yesterday’s post, Soho and the City could have done better. However, kudos to MASH for preparing a drink that came in with a plan in mind, and lived up to it. Sometimes simplicity with a bit of kick is all one needs. Similar, with the Kimchi Bloody Mary by Jinjuu, which is far better than their Propitious Chrysanthemum cocktail.

I do hope it may have helped you one way or the other, dear readers, on our quest through the most magical week of the year.

We will be putting up summaries of some of the tastings and masterclasses we visited this week, and hope to see you this Saturday and Sunday at the Tequila and Mezcal Fest!

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Welcome one and all to the recap of the first day of London Cocktail Week 2016! Wield a red or white wristband and enjoy the discounts/events that LCW has to offer!

This year the Hoodooist will be bringing you #YourDailyDoseOfHoodoo, a daily review of each day of London Cocktail Week ’16.

Today we look at October 4^th: Where the Hoodooist tackled Soho!

We got to admit, everyone’s upped their game. This might be the first time the Hoodooist enjoyed every single drink he drank. Hell.

Jinjuu’s Kimchi Bloody Mary!

1PM:

Jinjuu’s Korean Sip n Snack was perfect to start the afternoon after the Whisky Show the night before!

14 pounds gets you a plate of fried chicken with a pair of delicious Jinjuu sauces, and cocktail:

The Kimchi Bloody Mary fancies up the classic hair of the dog with kimchi, sriracha sauce, celery and black pepper infused soju, topped up with fresh tomato juice. Tall and spicy, the cocktail is light, beginning with the salty-sour kimchi juice, immediately moving to the spicy sriracha, finally ending with notes of black pepper soju, all the while riding a wave of tomato juice. Needed that.

A short walk away, we’re down at MASH!

MASH’s Punch the Buffalo

2.30PM:

Everyone knows the Hoodooist loves MASH.

Steve and the boys in this subterranean hideaway do love their Buffalo Trace, and this year they’re going to Punch the Buffalo, by mixing up Buffalo Trace Bourbon, La Concha sherry, lemon juice, maple syrup and cardamom bitters.

Reasons to love this drink: You taste every single flavour in perfect harmony. No confusion, no ingredient trying to outperform the others. First the initial sweetness of wheat from the bourbon, followed by the maple’s own unique sweetness. After the sherry’s dryness and cardamom that lifts it up, ending with the bourbon’s vanilla length. Spectacular job.

Milroy’s of Soho’s Hebrides and Ivory

3.30PM:

And here we are at Milroy’s of Soho!

A whisky lover’s home away from home, MoS is not kidding around with this year’s offering. Short, heavy, uncompromising.

The Hebrides and Ivory (yes, ouch) does…harmonise fantastically (sorry). Truly, this drink immediately screams out to me with the unique mix of Kilchoman Machir Bay scotch, Dolin Coeur de Genepi, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, and hopped grapefruit bitters. This almost velvety cocktail is strong as all hell. Just the way I like it.

Take your time with a book and the shop’s puppy while sipping this, beginning with hints of grapefruit and the powerfully nutty and peaty whisky – sweet and medicinal – the flavours give way to the elderflower that manages to not be cloying. The wormwood (light and fragrant) comes in next, balancing the flavours, ending on a short length of more grapefruit.

If you are not familiar with Dolin’s Coeur de Genepi, it’s because this bar pretty much bought the UK’s entire stock. Highly recommend trying this cocktail to become acquainted with it!

Sweet tooths, beware.

Tredwell’s A Feather in the Cap!

5PM:

Walking down closer to Covent Garden, the Hoodooist finds himself at Tredwell’s Saint Martin’s Lane for the Feather in the Cap!

Frapin VSOP cognac meets apricot and fig liqueur, manzanilla sherry and Grand Marnier. This rather viscous cocktail unfortunately tends to drown out the fruity spiciness of the cognac a bit, but nothing a little bit of alteration with the liqueurs can’t solve!

The initial cognac hit moves into the lightness of the sherry, then to the apricot – ending on a length of figs and Grand Marnier. For the sweeter tooth, this is a wonderful cocktail timed with the fig season.

Talli Joe’s Nizam’s Punch!

6PM:

The last stop of the night was the most surprising – and might be for the rest of the week!

Recently opened Talli Joe just won their first Michelin Star only days ago, and by the looks of this cocktail, they well deserve it.

The sip and snack (8 quid) pairs charminar chana jor garam black gram crisps with Nizam’s Punch: Bacardi 8 Rum with lime, turmeric honey syrup, biryani oil and Fever Tree tonic water.

I had no idea what to expect here. And it was wonderful. Turmeric begins and releases the intense spice of the biryani oil, followed by honey. Rum and tonic make their entrace, ending with the biryani spice. It is far more approachable than it might sound, and is a must-try this London Cocktail Week!

This day in Soho has served up a lot of unique and successful cocktails: Jinjuu gave us salty and sour – it’s spice also showing up with Talli Joe‘s unique concoction. Whiskey shows us it’s versatility with the sweeter production by MASH and the smoky challenger from Milroy’s. Finally, sweetness is not ignored by Tredwell’s seasonal cocktail.

Alright! That’s our recap of Soho of London Cocktail Week 2016! I do hope it may have helped you one way or the other, dear readers, on our quest through the most magical week of the year.

Remember to check out Highball Hoodoo every morning of London Cocktail Week for more reviews of the LCW cocktail offerings, parties and events!

Get #YourDailyDoseOfHoodoo each morning from 4th to 9th October!

Welcome one and all to the recap of the second day of London Cocktail Week 2015! Wield a red or white wristband and enjoy the discounts/events that LCW has to offer!

This year the Hoodooist will be bringing you #YourDailyDoseOfHoodoo, a daily review of each day of London Cocktail Week ’15.

Today we look at October 6^th: Where the Hoodooist and friends tackled the Hoxton and the Shoreditch!

The Ember 75

6PM:

Ryan Chetiyawardana, aka Mr. Lyan, brought out innovative cocktail bar White Lyan a couple of years ago, using no fresh ingredients outside the bottled cocktails – the LCW offering is no different, with a flute half-filled with the mystery drink topped off with Franciacorta sparkling wine.

The Ember 75 is a twist on the classic French 75, with Monkey Shoulder whisky, lemon distillate, BBQ fruit distillate, mixed acid solution, and mineral water.

You’d be forgiven if that made little sense, unfortunately, our bartender was not at all helpful in attempting to explain it – what we gathered is that it’s smoke and fruit. Neither did our bartender seem clear on the process preparing the bottled drink, or at least didn’t want to explain it.

Anyway, the first half of the cocktail was a bit flat with the sweet wine (I say that because the sparkling wine was not sparkling, the fizz was not fizzing. Why? Do not ask us.), as time passed the Monkey Shoulder became increasingly prominent, and by the bottom half, flavours of dried fruit, apricot and light notes of peach opened up, with a layer of smoke.

The Fairground Sazerac; and the Don’t Mug Yourself

6.45PM:

We find ourselves back at the Buffalo Bourbon Empire pop up we reviewed earlier this week!

Of course, we reviewed the fab Don’t Mug Yourself in the previous article, so the Hoodooist went in for the Fairground Sazerac: Sazerac Rye Whiskey, Peychaud’s Bitters, sugar in a Herbsaint rinse with a large dollop of candyfloss in the tankard, and a small bit on the straw to drink through.

Now this is fun – to be fair, the Hoodooist is a major fan of the Sazerac as is, but the additional little bit of sweetness from the candyfloss doesn’t hurt, and injects a little bit of fun into and otherwise serious classic. The whiskey’s orange and warm spices is clear, the glass rinsed just right with Herbsaint – the candyfloss takes the edge off the finish with a bit of sugar. A fun quirky twist on an old loved classic.

The Auchie Ale

7.45PM:

The Translate Bar in Shoreditch retains it’s party atmosphere even this early in the evening – with the Auchentoshan and Ale workshop going on next door, Translate is knocking out 5 options for 5 pounds each: the Auchentoshan American Oak or Three Wood neat/on the rocks, a Glasgow Mule (with Ginger Ale), a Classic Sour, and their main offering for London Cocktail Week, the Auchie Ale.

The Auchie Ale brings together Auchentoshan American Oak, quince, lemon, simple syrup, topped off with Camden Pils in a handy mug and twist of lemon. Initially, the ale drowns out the flavour of this great whisky and the quince, but as it warms up about halfway through, both the nose and palate become clearer.

The toffee and chocolate nose begins to come through, the palate bursts into warmer flavours of chocolate, citrus, grain and oak, ending with a quince bite and the Camden Pils. Certainly a cocktail if you enjoy your ale.

The Auchentoshan Three Wood

The Hoodooist had more fun going straight for the Auchentoshan Three Wood – rested in Oloroso sherry, bourbon, and Pedro Ximinez sherry casks, this whisky is deep and rich, taking an almost rum like quality with strong espresso. Forest fruits, dark berries, glazed cherries, dark chocolate and treacle flood the palate. A beautiful dram.

The Creole Muse

9PM:

Back at an old favourite! NOLA did pretty well last LCW with Chris Dennis at the helm, and this year, the New Orleans legend Chris Hannah designed the Creole Muse for the NOLA’s own bartenders to prepare.

Havana Club 7 year rum, absinthe, agave, strawberry puree, lime creates a sweet and sour cocktail that begins with the lime, moving on to the strawberry’s sweetness for a long moment, before bringing out the toffee and coffee bean of the rum – ending with a strong absinthe knock.

Personally I’d add a lime peel to the rim to help neutralise the strongly anise nose – and the debate over this drink kicked off at the table – one loved it, one wanted to replace absinthe with Green Chartreuse, one though maybe a touch less absinthe would do it, maybe just a rinse. This twisted strawberry daiquiri will split the group into a debate. Trying it without the absinthe, it lacks dimension, so the bitter note is necessary.

The Hidden Bar’s Tommy Gets Spicy

10.15PM:

Because a night always ends at Casita.

The LCW offering being a Paloma (Ocho Tequila, lime juice, agave, Ting, pink grapefruit – a citrus, light on the tequila cocktail strong on the grapefruit and Ting) is a classic at Casita that will always be around, the Hoodooist was tempted away to try the one-day menu by the bartenders of the Ibiza Hidden Bar instead.

The Tommy gets Spicy gives us Tequila Cabeza, raspberry, agave syrup, lime, tabasco – this beautiful red cocktail begins with a mineral hit of the Cabeza, followed instantly by the tobasco spice transitioning into the sweetness of the fresh raspberry.

There is a reason the Hoodooist loves this bar.

Thing’s are a bit blurry here on out.

1AM:

“I could try to write this now, or I could binge-watch Rick and Morty.”

Alright! That’s our recap of Day Two of London Cocktail Week 2015! I do hope it may have helped you one way or the other, dear readers, on our quest through the most magical week of the year.

Remember to check out Highball Hoodoo every morning of London Cocktail Week for more reviews of the LCW cocktail offerings, parties and events!

Get #YourDailyDoseOfHoodoo each morning from 5th to 11th October!
*Tune in tomorrow for our coverage of Mayfair and Marylebone!*