Conrad Algarve, Portugal @ Conrad St. James

Type of Bar: Hotel
Damage: ££-£££
Ideal for: Lounge, Date, Small Groups

Wilson Pires, award-winning head-bartender of restaurant Gusto at the Conrad Algarve, Portugal, popped by the London St. James Conrad for a masterclass to show what the Algarve has to offer in it’s 18th century palace seaside surrounds.

Inspired by Faro, a pocket of tropic green overlooking the Gulf of Cadiz, Pires insists that all his cocktails come with a story, or make it as much of a multisensory experience as possible – including ostentatious garnishes, presentation, or incenses.

The Senhorita

The first drink from the Conrad Algarve menu, the Senhorita – driven by Pires’ perception of the feminine: lemongrass and grapefruit are mixed in small amounts into the lime juice, then the primary ingredient, the sweet raspberry puree is contrasted against the spicy/sour ginger juice, ending with the Portuguese Medronho fire-water brandy (Aguardente de Medronho) Castelo Silves.

Primarily a sweet drink, the raspberry dominated the palate, followed by the kick of ginger, the sourness of the lime mix lingers in the sidelines. The medrenho, powerful and ruthless when drunk neat, is tempered well into this cocktail, though the Hoodooist wishes it had a bit more of a presence, so as to not soften the cocktail *too* much.

Europe’s Best Kept Secret

Inspired by the Algarve itself, the Europe’s Best Kept Secret mixes Beefeater 24 gin, honey, bee pollen, eucalyptus tisane and grapefruit, accompanied by pine incense. The incense and the eucalyptus tisane provide a cooling balance to the other warm flavours. The warm bitterness of the bee pollen and the herbaceous eucalyptus are pronounced, resting on the most prominent grapefruit flavour. Initially an odd concoction, but a summer beach would bring this cocktail to life.

Saudade

Finally, the Saudade attempts to condense the emotion into a cocktail by mixing Ginjinha (or simply Ginja) sour Morello cherry liqueur, Madeira wine, honey, salt water, and Port bitters. Continuing on Pires’ favoured theme of contrasts and opposites working together, Saudade attempts to bring the deep, bitter-sweet flavours linked to distant memories to life in the sweet-sour Ginja and Madeira, contrasted by the salt water and the similarly ambiguous Port bitters.

The result is the closest to what the Hoodooist might order of the three: a dark, intense, short cocktail that one really must take their time with, as it can be bit of a handful. The cherry hits first, but then seems almost softer in comparison to the stone-fruit and raisin heat of the Madeira. The salt water and Port bitters are not immediately perceptible, but notably affect the overall drink, adding width to the flavour profile.

The cocktails are notably different from what London normally has to offer, and certainly deserve a dry Mediterranean heat and sea salt spray to bring them to life – and very well will, in Wilson Pires’ inspired hands.

Drinks: ***
Atmosphere: ***
Service: ****

Gusto @ Conrad Algarve

Estrada da Quinta do Lago
8135-106 Almancil

Algarve, Portugal

www.conradalgarve.com

The Jam Tree, Clapham

Jun19

Type of Bar: Bar/Restaurant
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Brunch, Sundays, Small Groups

Last night’s whisky barely worn off, the only way to sort it out is a Sunday roast and a Bloody Mary.

Bring on the Jam Tree! From the guys who brought you Fu Manchu, Clapham North (Click HERE for Review!)

Keep in mind, the venue was reviewed on a Sunday morning, so the Hoodooist can’t speak for how crowded it might get on a Saturday night, but it certainly looks like a party venue with the Wrong Trousers Day!

But this Sunday brought the sun back out, and the large outdoor lounging area was open behind the hidden bookcase bar. Shades donned, roasts ordered, the Hoodooist and pal went through three rounds: Two drinks from the Bloody Mary menu, two from the usual cocktail menu, and two from off the menu.

The Bloody Marys: a Classic, and a Wasabi Mary. The Classic Bloody Mary is exactly what you want from it – just the right amount of savour sauce and Tabasco kick.

The Wasabi Mary adds (wait for it) wasabi and soy sauce, much to the Hoodooist’s delight. A nice jolt first thing in the morning.

Foreground: Damson in a Dress; Background: Confiture

Post-Roast (the highlight of which is the fantastic black pudding), two cocktails from the menu were ordered: the Damson in a Dress, and Confiture.

The signature cocktail list is lengthy, definitely. But has a slight drawback. They’ve all tried a bit too hard to fit into the ‘jam’ theme – which doesn’t always work to their advantage.

Neither the Confiture, nor the Damson were satisfactory, and seemed forced, though their ideas were good. You see what you get with The Confiture – Cariel Vanilla Vodka, raspberry jam, pineapple juice and Chambord, comes off a bit muddled, and should be served at a lower temperature, if possible.

The Damson in a Dress, dressed up in chocolate net, brought Damson Vodka, Martini Bianco, lime jam and prosecco together, but tasted overwhelmingly of Martini Bianco. Can’t think of a way to help this one.

Foreground: Laphroaig 10yr Old Fashioned; Background: Maker’s Mark Whisky Sour

But there is an upside! Ordering off-menu proved to be a good idea – showing that the skills are present.

A Maker’s Mark Sour is what you’d want from a Sour – the lemon juice tempers the distinct bourbon’s spices, butterscotch and vanilla, with an oaky finish.

And a Laphroaig 10yr Old Fashioned is served with slow-melting ice (well done). Excellently dry and smoky, the sugar brings out the medicinal flavours full force. Once the iodine flavour dies down, it’s followed by seaweed, maybe liquorice? Very enjoyable to lie back and relax with.

Our bartender seemed rather pleased for the off-menu order, especially with the particular whisky orders – off menu seems to be the way to go!

Service is excellent, at least on these quiet Sunday mornings – attentive, swift, conversational.

The Jam Tree is attempting to add the cocktail bar to the gastropub and succeeds so far as classics are always successful when made with a keen hand. However, the signature cocktail list needs much to be desired since a cocktails cannot be twisted into any form to fit a theme. But the talent is present, so if in the area in need of brunch with a fab Bloody Mary on the side, Clapham has a spot.

Drinks: Signature Cocktails: *, Bloody Marys and off-menu drinks: ***
Atmosphere: ***
Service: ****

The Jam Tree Clapham

13 – 19 Old Town,
London SW4 0JT

http://www.thejamtree.com/clapham/

Bussey Rooftop Bar, Peckham Rye

Jun12

Type of Bar: Rooftop
Damage: £ – ££
Ideal for: Date, Small Groups, Large Groups, View, Live Music

Finally, a good summer rooftop bar.

There have been quite a few summer bars around this June, but so far, the Bussey Rooftop Bar is rocketing to the Hoodooist’s top.

Built to chill with live music, only 6 floors up, but with stunning views of the hills to the South and of the City to the North. Serving up film-themed drinks with Pizza Pilgrims baking up a storm, chilled out covers of Eurythmics sail through the air as the similarly relaxed cocktail list helps you relax far, far away from the noise of the city. And quality drinks for 7 quid? Winning.

Walking up 6 flights of stairs is rather worth it.

However, I’d add some, or at least store away emergency, umbrellas/shades somewhere. The British summer can be deceptive, and the last thing you need is a sudden shower while sipping on your Jerk Daiquiri (although, would be hilarious to watch the rooftop-yoga group next door get soaked).

The Jerk Daiquiri

Speaking of the Jerk Daiquiri: Appleton V/X rum, Jerk Syrup, lime juice – simple, elegant, does the job. Appleton V/X is a much lighter rum than its popular Estate 12yr brother, and is a good choice for the cocktail. You’re first hit with the jerk syrup – the allspice, and bite of the Scotch Bonnet, the myriad of warm spices – followed by the fruit entry of the rum. Orange followed by the pepper, finally resting on the lime juice. Relaxed, summery, beachy. Simplicity works.

The Negrita

The Negrita is an attempt at mixing some of the Hoodooist’s favourite cocktails: San Cosme Mezcal, Campari, Cocchi Torino (here substituted with Martini Rosso and extra orange). The substitution of Martini Rosso and orange works well, regardless. The most powerful flavour coming from the Campari, but once that fades, from the Campari and vermouth haze the mezcal emerges. Complex and smokey, with a caramelly finish. A great twist on a classic.

The Thai Punch

Being summer, the Hoodooist decided to go with a long drink. Well, not really. He just read the word ‘chilli’ and was sold. The Thai Punch takes the coconut rum Koko Kanu and infuses it with kaffir lime leaf, chilli, ginger, and lemongrass tail – finally adding pineapple, lime and palm sugar to top off the drink. Cold and spicy, the Thai Punch leaves palate dancing between the spices, most notably the lemongrass tail and ginger, lengthened by the pineapple, ending with the sweetness of the coconut and a chilli strike at the back of the throat. Long it might be, but this drink takes a while to finish.

Memento of a great bar team

Finally, the Memento is…. Anything you’d want it to be. Anything using 50 Pounds Gin, that is. Called Memento since the drink comes with a Polaroid snapshot of the night. In this case, a Polaroid of our fabulous bartenders and a Martinez. So the usual gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino and bitters, a good ole classic.

The team, run by the wonderful Joe of El Nivel (Click HERE for Review!) fame, are incredibly talented, bringing their skills from around the world, and a barrel of laughs. Smooth and swift cocktail preparation.

And don’t forget the food! Enjoy the setting sun with Pizza Pilgrims cooking up personal Margherita, Nduja, or Portobello mushroom pizzas – or roll it up into a calzone. It’s a personal pizza, you can do it, we believe in you.

The pretention that tends to fester around rooftop bars (or the clientele they attract) is absent at the Bussey Rooftop, instead presenting us with a spacious, chilled out venue to lie back and relax in, with a Negrita in hand to enjoy what the much ignored side of South East London has to offer.

Drinks: ****
Atmosphere: *** – **** (you really, really don’t want it to rain here)
Service: *****

Bussey Rooftop Bar

133 Rye Lane, Peckham Rye,
London SE15 4ST

http://www.busseyrooftopbar.com/

Fu Manchu, Clapham North

Jun1

Type of Bar: Bar/Restaurant, Late Night, Chinese
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Food, Party, Small Groups, Large Groups

Seconds away from the tube, Arch 635 has been revamped to become a ‘restaurant/bar/nightclub’, with an Edwardian/Opium Den twist, named after the controversial character of Dr. Fu Manchu.

The Flowering Lily & Jasmine Cha

I have pointed out problematic themes in the past, such as the issues faced at the Powder Keg Diplomacy, Wandsworth (Click HERE for Review) – and will do so here as well.

Those who know the inspiration of author Sax Rohmer’s infamous villain know that the Doctor isn’t just an antagonist, but introduced in the book ‘The Mystery of Fu Manchu’ as the “Dr. Fu Manchu, the Yellow Peril incarnate in one man” – a character that did not help the widespread Sinophobia present in the UK in the early 1900s. The portraits of actors in yellow-face in the corridors might supposedly be ironic, I don’t quite see the point. If it is one designer’s glorification of a character they like, it’s pretty dated.

Outside the embarrassing yellowface, Fu Manchu also happily invited Dapper Laughs to perform at their venue. Make if it what you will.

Anyway, décor-wise, the arch is kept primarily empty to allow space for partying and socialising, while the banquettes circling the room provide raised seating for diners, guarded by decorative wooden Chinese panelling. Expect much calmer music in the afternoons, and in the late evenings, some soulful or deep house, and nu disco for your dim sum by candlelight in the purple-hued room.

The Mai Chai

Cocktail-wise, the drinks are a large variety, and themed as well – though not many on the short and neat side.

What you want to order is the Blood of Fu Manchu – at first glance it might *just* seem like a twist on the Bloody Mary, which it essentially is – but will surprise upon first sip. Eristoff vodka, Chinese 5 Spice, 10 yr old Port, ginger puree, oyster sauce and chilli powder, topped up with tomato juice. Much like the Asian Bloody Mary by The Manhattans Project (Click HERE for Review!), it takes inspiration for East Asian ingredients to make an absolutely fantastic cocktail. The salt of the oyster sauce really does the trick to balance out the Port and ginger puree’s sweetness, and the result is a well-balanced, spicy funfest that the Hoodooist highly recommends out of the Fu Manchu menu.

Another high on the list would be the Mai Chai – Ron Zacapa 23 rum, with Kraken Black Spiced, Orange Curacao, lime and Chai Tea syrup – beginning with the smooth Ron Zacapa and hints of orange, building into the spicier flavours of Kraken, finally coming to rest on the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom of the chai syrup. Sweet/sour, smooth, a kind of simplicity some of the drinks on the menu could learn from.

The Dragon Fruit Paloma

The Dragon Fruit Paloma, an amped up take of the Mexican classic, Sauza Hacienda tequila, Cocchi Americano vermouth, lime juice are mixed in with muddled Dragon Fruit provide a laid back, bright and refreshing. Sauza is either a strange, or very intentional choice of tequila – a very mild, almost characterless tequila on its own (got a few fruit notes, with a white pepper finish), it vanishes in this cocktail. Perhaps making it sneakier?

The cocktail is primarily lime and Dragon Fruit, the vermouth makes and appearance with and orange undertone, and ending on a quinine bite.

L-R: Lady Jasmin, Blood of Fu Manchu, Chai Tea-Ni

The Lady Jasmin twists the classic White Lady by using Jasmine syrup with the Bombay Sapphire gin, Cointreau, lemon juice, eggwhite and Angostura bitters. Pale, frothy and textured, garnished with a purple orchid, the drink is similarly demure, and gentle. Sweet, but almost imperceptibly so with the laid-back nature of jasmine. If you’re cautious around powerful drinks, this would be right up your street, though it left the Hoodooist neither here nor there. The Lady Jasmin does what it sets out to do, and serves you exactly what it told you it would.

Slightly less reserved than the Lady Jasmin, her feistier sister, the Yuzu-Tsu, brings Japanese yuzu tea paste to Cariel Vanilla vodka, Cointreau, lemon juice, egg white and Angostura bitters. Fragrant in two separate ways, the nose is powerfully vanilla, but the taste brings the yuzu’s fragrance out strongly. Tart, yet still somewhat in line with the Lady Jasmin’s gentleness. The same look and texture as the Lady, but garnished with a dried slice of citrus. One should probably use an aromatised yuzu spray to lessen the powerful vanilla nose a bit, but if one doesn’t mind it, it shouldn’t pose any issue.

The Kwang Su Boulevardier

The Kwang Su Boulevardier, now that sounds right up the Hoodooist’s street: Nikka From the Barrel Japanese whisky, with Antica Formula vermouth, Campari, and Dr. Adam Elmegirab’s Aphrodite Bitters. Loving the first three, the Hoodooist has somewhat of a love/hate relationship with the Aphrodite bitters, which bring powerful cocoa, Arabica coffee, ginseng, ginger and chilli to the fore. In this cocktail though, there are hints of cocoa and a very distant (if you’re looking for it) spice from the bitters.

Otherwise, it begins on a light note – from the Nikka – then moving onto the Campari taking centre stage, and then settling on the warm winter flavours of the Antica Formula’s spices and bitter orange.

Now, it depends on the bartender you have – a colleague received a bland, tasteless drink, whereas the Hoodooist’s turned out surprisingly layered – so I’d imagine you want bartender Wayne to make this for you! A decent aperitif.

The two, very different, Kwang Su Boulevardiers.

Finally, because there must be one, avoid the Green Tea-ni. Do not be enamoured by its promises of earthy Matcha. Because what you will get is painfully sour and confused appletini of sorts, with Bombay Sapphire gin, apple, an overwhelming amount of lime juice, and sugar syrup. One sip from the table was all that was stomached before being set aside.

The dim sum is slightly modernised and moves away from ‘traditional’ dim sum in some ways. Whether one reads this as a step forward or back is up to the reader.

One to recommend would be the Tai Chi Bo Coy Gow scallop and spinach green dumpling. Similarly, the otherwise simple Lor Pak Gou turnip cake is turned up to eleven with Chinese sausage and prawn.

One that you must absolutely order is the Monkfish and lime phoenix-eye dumpling, this Fung Yan Gow starts off with the powerful flavours of the monkfish, and slowly build up to a lime crescendo – loved this. One of the less traditional offerings would be the Chi Si Hoi Sin Kou cheese-stuffed cuttlefish and prawn balls – which, though a more Italian, works spectacularly.

The lobster, prawn and bamboo shoots Lung Har Gau, though, one shouldn’t spend their hard-earned £9.50 for.

Do not forget the great selection of teas! The flowering Lily and Jasmine work a treat.

Must haves: Monkfish Fung Yan Gow

The more quiet times of day, 5-8 PM means quick and attentive dinner service, however once the crowd pours in for the club nights, ordering a drink can be bit of a task – but servers do their best to help, but might need a slightly thicker skin to move through the crowd.

As one can expect from a club night, drinks are made quickly, and the wait can be long, so as seen with the Kwang Su Boulevardier above, unpredictability is a factor to be taken into account.

Custard dumplings!

London needs more venues that can provide a clubbing experience with cocktails – and a longer food menu certainly doesn’t hurt. One hopes Fu Manchu is a precedent to further venues of the sort to grow in the city, if only to satisfy each friend on a night out.

Drinks: ***
Atmosphere: Casual racism and misogyny, fun for the whole family!
Service: ****

Fu Manchu

15-16 Lendal Terrace,
London SW4 7UX.

http://fumanchu.co.uk/

Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings, Clerkenwell

May27

Type of Bar: Bar/Restaurant, Victorian, Vintage
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Date, Small Groups, Large Groups, Lounging

You want a summer bar? We have a summer bar.

Bank Holiday Friday was the best afternoon to be at the third installment from the B&H Group, who’ve brought us classics like the Bourne & Hollingsworth Bar (Click HERE for Review!), and the Reverend JW Simpson (Review HERE!), but thankfully, this one isn’t in a basement.

Sun danced off the greenery outside and shone through the vast windows of the venue, illuminating the climbing wall-gardens and glorious mosaic bar that snakes along the beautifully bright venue. The summer heat wafted away by canopy fans, dear Powder Keg Diplomacy, this is how you do colonial-Victoriana right (and not be a douche about it).

The Hoodooist is in love with the venue, and whiled away a good few hours propped up on that gorgeous bar with his books, as a smattering of others laid back on couches and banquettes in conversation over prosecco. The bar isn’t the easiest to get to, which might be a good thing – the late evenings can bring crowds, so it being a bit hidden away keeps the afternoons wonderfully quiet to lounge.

Cocktails have a signature B&H feel to them, fruits, berries, and distinct sweetness are a running theme.

Beginning with the New Willy Bourne – Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt stirred with Laphroaig, Campari and Cinzano Rosso sweet vermouth, finished with house bitters and lemon oils. Confident, the cocktail strides in with the initial Monkey Shoulder notes of creamy butterscotch, sweet and buttery, followed by the powerful oak and smoke of the Laphroaig, hints of iodine tracing behind alongside the Campari. A finish of the sweeter fruit notes of the Cinzano and lemon oils.

Easily the best of the night, and a must order on the menu.

The Baci is a surprisingly strong and punchy drink – Grappa shaken with strawberry vermouth, homemade Seville orange liqueur and a hint of citrus, finished with aromatic maraschino liqueur and a twist of grapefruit. The first millisecond of the sip seems blank, but then all of a sudden the orange and maraschino assault the drinker as the grappa develops – finishing on the strawberry vermouth. A fun cocktail, playful and summery. One will have to be prepared for the powerful citrus and sweet fruit flavours of this drink.

bourne and hollingsworth buildings cocktails

The New Willy Bourne

The Fig and Thyme Scofflaw is a powerfully flavoured cocktail – fig and thyme-infused cognac, lemon, vermouth and grenadine. The vanilla is strong on the nose, and the sweeter notes in the cognac come forward first, with the apple from the vermouth and grenadine, before giving way to the figs.
The West Indies Gimlet is exactly what it sounds like – Navy Strength Gin, Steve’s Falernum #7, fresh lime juice and house bitters. The lime is a tad overwhelming here, and distracts from the complexity of the Falernum, it’s the one thing I’d change about this otherwise bright, citrusy drink.

L-R: The Rum & Plum, the West Indies Gimlet

The Cydonian Smash brings quince and thyme jam smashed together with fresh ginger, lemon wedges and mead, rolled with rye whisky and frozen with crushed ice. Other than the quince and bits of ginger and thyme, little can be tasted in this cocktail, maybe because of the quickly melting crushed ice. There is a bit of rye that comes through, but struggling.

Finally, the Rum & Plum stands out with the biggest price tag at 12 pounds (versus the others at around 8.50), Santa Teresa 1796 rum stirred with prune vermouth and bitters. Unfortunately, the raised priced tag does little for the actual drink, which is overpowering and rather sickly sweet.

L-R: The Cydonian Smash, the Fig & Thyme Scofflaw

At the bar, service is excellent. Even when crowds roll in (around 7PM), drinks come in swift, with close attention paid to customers. Bartenders are keen to discuss drinks and provide recommendations, always a plus.

The Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings are a beautiful and atmospheric addition to the B&H collection, and can teach many a thing or two about running a summer bar. Spotless surrounds and impeccable service make it a must-see. The cocktails suit the venues style, and still have a certain B&H tendency to sweetness. It might be a bit out of the way, but still garners quite a bit of attention, and recommend it for an early escape to finish that book you’ve had lying on the coffee table for the past month. It’s a walk, but worth the trek.

Drinks: ***
Atmosphere: *****
Service: ****

Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings

42 Northampton Road,
London EC1R 0HU

http://bandhbuildings.com/

Kansas Smitty’s, Broadway Market

May22

Type of Bar: Speakeasy, Basement, Tiny, Jazz
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Live Music, Small Groups, Juleps

Kansas Smitty’s ‘puts the danger back in jazz’ with their new Jazz n Julep bar at Broadway Market!

Taking the place of PortSide Parlour’s first residence (Click HERE for Review!), Kansas Smitty’s takes a minimalist and powder blue revamp to the basement of Off Broadway. Much space saved for standing guests, banquettes line the walls for table seats that sit about 4 persons, a dark, intimate, candle-lit venue that suits the music fantastically. Namesake of the eight-piece resident house band for whom the clubhouse is both a performance and rehearsal spot.

Throughout the week, the venue will be used by the house band and guest musicians to rehearse, perform and create music, a unique setting for live jazz in London. On Wednesdays the bar will host the ‘Basement Tapes’, a weekly concert featuring new projects, guest performers, secret shows and new pieces written and rehearsed that week in the bar. With limited space and high calibre performances these will be hot tickets to get hold of. At other times, band members will play their favourite records for guests, providing a soundtrack of quality music.

I was curious to see how KS was about to pull off the all-Julep menu, and boy, did they – a massive collection of spices and botanicals changes the Julep game entirely. Everything from Cassia to Chamomile, these juleps are doing their best to stand out from the crowd and change the way you see the cocktail entirely. Four of the 8 Juleps use sweeter Four Roses Bourbon, and the mint is used just right, and not abused the way it is in many bars.

The bar signature, the Smitty’s Julep, is probably the best to start with, and the most balanced and layered of the menu. Bourbon, Amaro bitters, raisin, peach, cassia bar and mint. Beginning with the honeyed winter spice bite of the Four Roses, the raisins make a short entrance, followed by a powerful punch of cassia bark, finally ending on notes of the Amaro’s bitter orange and mint haze. Light, refreshing, and deserving of the title of the bar’s signature Julep.

The signature Smitty’s Julep

The next three Juleps could really be called ‘specialty’ cocktails, that focus on a specific flavour and jump in headlong:

The Allotment Julep takes a twist with gin! Nettle, elderflower, carrot, coriander seed, apple, pear and mint seem like an enormous combination, but the result is a wonderfully light, breezy concoction. Predominantly fruity with the apple and pear, the occasional carrot kick, the fruitiness is broken by the coriander seed and nettle. A great light twist with the heavier drinks on the menu.

One such heavy drink being the Jesuit’s Bark – Mt. Gay rum, clove, pimento, lime, grapefruit peel, quinine cordial and mint. Wow. Packing a serious punch, you want to dedicate a good half hour to this drink. The rum and clove don’t mess around, and you get whacked round the face with it – so make sure you enjoy these flavours (luckily, the Hoodooist does). A slight lightening of flavours by the grapefruit peel and mint to the end, with a longer quinine finish, with lingering spice and smokiness of the Mt. Gay.

Another one of these ‘flavour specialty’ Juleps is the Scarborough: Bourbon, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, toasted almond, salted heather honey and mint. It’s a bit difficult to tell each of the ingredients apart in this one, but you get a good idea with the green herbiness of it, the parsley is notable, as you’d imagine. The toasted almond lingers in the background as the salted heather honey actually is rather powerful, and necessary to balance the green.

Then, two themed Juleps: the Morning Joe-lep and the Sleepytime.

The Morning Joe-lep goes for bourbon, coffee bean, stem ginger, cardamom, cocoa nibs and bitter orange marmalade. I had my heart set on this one, but a lot of powerful flavours come at you at once, and it all feels a bit muddled and confused.

The Sleepytime, though, gets more points. Scotch whisky, chamomile, pink peppercorn, raspberry, lemon peel and mint – you the first slightly sweet, but still smoky bite of scotch, immediately moving on to the raspberry and lemon, finally ending on a smooth length of chamomile. All served with a delicate ice-crater filled with raspberries. Best in terms of presentation, and of the sweeter drinks on the menu, the most balanced.

The one cocktail that wasn’t received well at the table would’ve been the Ous Est Le Menthe. Cognac, sherry, tonka bean, cascara, star anise, walnut and nutmeg. The cognac, sherry and walnut stand out prominently, but the drink overall, comes off a bit sticky and sickly, and sadly wasn’t finished.

Not that this should end on a bad note, with the otherwise excellent drinks available on the menu.

Drinks are to be ordered at the bar, and there will be queues, and massive respect to the bartenders juggling as many drinks as they did! Major props. So there might be bit of a wait for the drinks, but it is totally understandable in the space constraint and number of orders. Excellent work and service on part of the ‘tenders.

Summary? London was long due a bar like Kansas Smitty’s – revolutionising Juleps with a deft hand, and masterfully thought out recipes, bringing back a more relaxed atmosphere to cocktail bars, and finding that great mid-space between gig-venue and cocktails. Definitely worth a visit.

Drinks: ****
Atmosphere: ***
Service: ****

Kansas Smitty’s
Underneath ‘Off Broadway’

63 Broadway Market,
London E8 4PH.

http://www.kansassmittys.com/

Joe’s Southern Kitchen & JAILBIRD, Kentish Town

May4

Type of Bar: Bar/Restaurant, American
Damage: £ – ££
Ideal for: Small Groups, Food, Hangover, Comfort Food

The 2014 trend of the American South goes strong the Joe’s Southern Kitchen opens in Kentish Town, with the cocktail bar JAILBIRD downstairs (with booths in the once-jail-cells!) Whereas its Covent Garden cousin goes for a more anju style menu, with more small plates, the Kentish Town branch is more for a proper face-stuffing.

The cuisine certainly isn’t meant to be taken apart and analysed, but a hearty, cheese-soaked, indulgent comfort-feast for a hangover (great. Now I want it after a hangover.)

Expect clotted cream and Red Leicester in your gooey corn spoon bread, and more Red Leicester with 3 other cheeses in the ooziest of mac n cheeses (one of the more addictive MnC’s I’ve had). Poached egg, dijonnaise and red onion jam sits on the short rib that will change your opinion of meatloaf, and for many, the question of why on god’s green earth you’d serve waffles with chicken will be answered.

I didn’t quite get the answer, but it didn’t really matter because BOURBON MAPLE SYRUP.

…..

BOURBON MAPLE SYRUP.

Sorry, I just get very excited about it.

….
Oh yes, cocktails!

The list in the restaurant upstairs is the same as downstairs, and are heavily reliant on Jim Beam and Stolichnaya. The Hoodooist couldn’t help but feel the ingredients seemed a bit muddled.

One that stood out from the messier drinks was a confident Bullish Negroni: Bulleit Rye, Campari, Antica Formula vermouth. Which was…surprising. Smooth, pleasant, self-assured. The smokiness of the Bulleit Rye is very much present, but the spicy tobacco flavour is tame in comparison to the other ingredients. It’s light sweetness of fruits and orange zest plays a part alongside the Campari – which is immediately followed by the winter spices of the Antica Formula that continue into the length of bitter oranges and cherries. The first sip might seem foreign, but instantly becomes very familiar and welcoming.

The Bullish Negroni

Two Old Fashioneds next, a Knob Creek, and a Woodford Reserve. The Knob Creek is up for anything, dry, fiery flavours come through – firewood and the sound of a straight razor dragged across a leather-strop. Followed by a nutty spice and oak. On the other hand, the Woodford Reserve is mellowed too far (at least in the Hoodooist’s opinion), removing all the pleasurable rye, ginger or coffee notes, leaving only a wintery sweetness.

Pause for obligatory Jim Beam White Label Pickleback. A 5GBP Margarita does the job (if you’re being charged more than a max of 6 pounds for a Margarita, someone’s cheating you). A sip of a friend’s Lucky Stag, though (Jim Beam Red Stag, Maraschino, egg white, lemon, sugar) was cringey.

Knob Creek, and Woodford Reserve Old Fashioneds

Killer desserts roll in – Peanut Butter Pie with Chantilly cream, Pecan Pie with Jim Beam Honey cream, and Iced Honeycomb and Chocolate Parfait Sandwich help you find your dessert stomach as your dessert cocktails arrive.

The Espresso Martini: Stoli vodka, Kahlua, sugar syrup and espresso use the spirits I would normally avoid for the cocktail (there are far more impressive coffee spirits out there) – though is still moderately successful. Unfortunately, the Devil’s Frappe doesn’t work particularly well, and went unfinished – coffee infused Jim Beam, chocolate cookie syrup, espresso, double cream and milk – coming off powdery and awkward.

Picklebacks!

This all makes Joe’s Southern Kitchen’s drinks difficult to rate. Comfort food makes the experience a lot of fun, and one pays less attention to the drinks, absolutely – but as a cocktail blog, unfortunately a decision has to be made. I found the menu to be a bit all over the place, and the classics most tempting to order. The Old Fashioneds and Margarita turned out rather well (as long as you know your whisky, and very few can ruin a Margarita). And I wish I saw more drinks in the style of the Bullish Negroni.

The other cocktails still leave much to be desired.

I’d return to stuff my face with a whisky in my hand, or take on classic cocktails. Which isn’t necessarily undesirable!

Service is attentive, explanatory, conversational – and somewhat formal, considering the surroundings – no complaints here!

….

BOURBON MAPLE SYRUP.

Drinks: **-***
Atmosphere: ***
Service: ****

Joe’s Southern Kitchen

300 Kentish Town Road,
London NW5 2TG.

http://joessouthernkitchen.co.uk/

Bourne & Hollingsworth Bar, Fitzrovia

Apr20

Type of Bar: Basement, Speakeasy, Quirky, Vintage, Tiny
Damage: ££
Ideal for: After Work, Nightcap, Small Groups, Date

When the B&H Bar opened a few years ago, a marked a then-change in cocktail culture and turned the tide toward a fascination with speakeasies, gin, and vintage-England. It was a tastemaker, and has developed into a brand name with its sister bars (Reverend JW Simpson: Click HERE for Review!, and the B&H Buildings, Review HERE!) and its vintage and chap themed events from the Blitz Party to Belle Epoque.

And for those years, this tiny, one-square-granny’s-living-room (complete with a distinct odour of damp) was a spot the Hoodooist would pop by for a last drink before heading home when in the area.

However, the new menu has taken a Spring turn in not *quite* the best direction. Said direction has been the elimination of many of the drinks that stood out, and resulting homogenisation of flavours and ingredients – the new menu now boasts a numerous (easily 25 or more) cocktails, that seem to blend into each other instead of standing with independent personalities, and taste too similar to each other (whereas Rev JW Simpson did the opposite and developed a greater variety of flavours than before, the B&H Buildings provide a greater variety as well).

The new menu has a tendency towards being incredibly sweet (so perfect if you enjoy sweet!), and an overbearing of berries and gin – so for the evening we tried our best to go for those that stood out.

L-R: The Madame Elisa’s Breakfast; The Honey Berry Bison

The then Cherry Sidecar has reverted to a slightly more classic Sidecar (Cognac, with marmalade instead of triple sec) in the Madame Elisa’s Breakfast – a drink that stood about a bit further from the others of the evening with the tartness of the marmalade – probably the most enjoyed of the evening in its simplicity.

The Honey Berry Bison goes for Zubrowka vodka and berries, shaken with lemon juice, acacia honey and egg white. Berries range from rasp- to black- and the cocktail itself has a distinctly cinnamon flavour after the first few sips – but it doesn’t take away from the intense sweet berries of the cocktail.

Tequila finally takes the stage in the Plum Plume: Reposado tequila shaken with lime juice, plum wine and bitters, topped with lemonade – but comes off without much flavour outside the plum wine and lemonade’s sweetness. But at least that went down better than the Black Jack – Bourbon with spiced honey whisky liqueur, seasonal fruits, mint infused sugar and lemon that was entirely too much to drink when it tastes like an iced glassful of watered down Jack Daniel’s Honey and berries.

Service is good, even on days when the room is crowded, you can trust that someone will be served. Often, there are free tables (especially weekdays) to walk-in, but for Saturday nights, a booking is recommended. Normally quite chilled out and relaxed, event nights can get very crowded – so do check in advance.

With other great bars like Rev JW and B&H Buildings in their roster, it won’t take long for a banging new menu to be on the cards, but for now, this spring/summer might have to wait.

Drinks: **
Atmosphere: ***
Service: ***

Bourne & Hollingsworth

Rathbone Place,
London W1T 1JF

http://www.bourneandhollingsworth.com/bournes/

Reverend JW Simpson, Fitzrovia

Apr7

Type of Bar: Basement, Speakeasy, Vintage, Quirky
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Date, Small Groups, After Work

A door is not a door, and a wall is not a wall at the Reverend JW Simpson – Bourne and Hollingsworth’s sister bar (Click HERE for Review!) resides in a basement apartment just minutes away in Fitzrovia. The third of the B&H bars being the B&H Buldings, Clerkenwell (Review HERE!).

Named after an ex-resident of the space, the apartment now houses white banquettes set up against tattered wallpaper, overseen by a large and impressive bar, amusingly presented as ‘windows’ to the visitors, from where the drinks are served. There is a strange kind of shabby-Art-Deco-dissonance about the venue, especially with honkytonk, swamp rock, and everything from the Talking Heads to Red Hot Chilli Peppers playing in the background.

On a weekend night, the venue can get swamped with people, so reservations are highly recommended – but this doesn’t harm service too much. It’s swift and attentive even with the crowd.

The two menus – one seasonal and one permanent (in the form of a paper fortune teller!) – have running themes: light, fruity, but there are the occasional heavyweights like the beautiful Larder Batch (The Hoodooist’s favourite at the Cocktails in the City 2014 event, Click HERE for Review).

So whether you pick out a seasonal drink, or play a schoolyard game to make your order, the Hoodooist tried a few from each for your consideration!

The Fir Douglas Rathbone, Esq.

The Fir Douglas Rathbone, Esq. immediately catches the eye: Rathbone New London Dry Gin, homemade Douglas Fir liqueur, lemon juice, and a touch of maple syrup – finished with a spray of bergamot oils. The Hoodooist could sit back and just sniff this one all day. The fir and bergamot is sharp and fragrant, incredible. However, considering the ingredients, there are two ways to approach this cocktail – the heavy maple syrup sinks to the bottom of the glass, so either you stir it to spread the sweetness throughout the drink, or just drink it straight.

Drinking it straight results in the bottom half becoming a sweeter version of the top half – which, though wonderfully piney, and strongly juniper, risks tasting like disinfectant (although I think that comes more from the scent than from the actual flavour!). Personally, I rather enjoyed the bright, vivid drink, but it is easy to see how it can be an acquired drink for some. Stirring it will result in a maple sugariness toning down the tartness, while keeping in like with the evergreen theme.

L-R: The Blue Leaf Clover; and the Pomegranate Haze

The Blue Leaf Clover from the seasonal menu goes straight for the Bourne and Hollingsworth favourite flavours: berries. Rathbone New London Dry Gin, homemade blackberry and rosemary syrup, lemon juice and egg white result in a drink that is very easy sipping, smooth and delicate. It might not be complex, or a showstopper, but does its job as a refreshing semi-sweet cocktail you’d want at a picnic on the kind of sunny mornings we’ve had this Easter. And you can’t argue with the beautiful garnish that comes with it.

The Hoodooist’s love affair with Mastiha gum mastic liqueur is back with the Pomegranate Haze! Hendricks Distilled Gin, Mastiha liqueur, pomegranate tea syrup, lemon juice. This is not as sweet as you’d expect, and has a distinct earthiness a friend described as ‘like being in a forest’ – which I find is characteristic of Mastiha. There is an added bitter depth from the pomegranate tea syrup, slightly herbal, somewhat spicy, this drink in surprisingly adventurous.

Foreground: The Gardenier; Background: The Rumplestiltskin

A young apple is used instead of an ice cube in the Gardenier: Aged Calvados, Suze Aperitif, honey and orange liqueurs, apple shrub. The first sip of this drink is overwhelmingly sweet, the Calvados, honey and shrub assault the palate – but after the first sip, it seems to mellow out a bit, with help from the bitter Suze, whose spice complements the apple nicely. Still, a bit too much on the sweet side for myself, but a useful dessert drink nonetheless. This is more suited to autumn in front of a fire.

The Rumplestiltskin, on the other hand, is sweet in less appealing ways: Rum, homemade apple and spiced Falernum syrups, lime juice and dry chocolate liqueur present an intensely sugary long cocktail with a bit of a chocolate kick. This cocktail seems a bit jumbled and confused. Not far off, the Serena, with Polish Vodka, carrot shrub, vanilla liqueur, lemon and honey; lacks character and seems to taste more berryish than carrot, though the vanilla makes an appearance.

The Larder Batch

The Larder Batch really does need to be eaten with steak. An excellent short bourbon drink, Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon, Pinot Noir reduction, seasoned with pink peppercorn, spiced cardamom and Angostura bitters. Here the Reverend presents us with a steak dinner in a cocktail format; the natural winter spiciness and vanilla/honey sweetness of the Four Roses Small Batch, and the bite of the peppercorn and cardamom suits the Pinot Noir (PIIINOOOOT NOIIR…sorry) reduction perfectly. The Reverend excels here, with a style that is daring and stands out from the rest of the menu. Would love to see more in the style of the Larder Batch next season.

More adventurous than its original cousin, the Rev still displays a certain amount of conservatism with the flavours explored on the menu. Nonetheless, there are a large number of drinks to choose from, each bringing something new to the table – they know vintage, and they do it right.

Drinks: *** – ****
Atmosphere: ***
Service: ****

Reverend JW Simpson,

32 Goodge Street, Fitzrovia,
London, W1T 2QJ

http://www.revjwsimpson.com/

Quaglino’s, Mayfair

Apr2

Type of Bar: Bar/Restaurant
Damage: ££-£££
Ideal for: Food, Live Music, Date, Small Groups, Large Groups

A 3.5million pound face-lift later, Quaglino’s has reinvented itself into the enormous, Fashion Week meets fin de siècle-stage and live music venue it is today.

Compared to the airy, minimalist, marble and mirror affair it was before, the updated Quaglino’s has developed a rather cabaret style vibe with heavy drapes and dark walls – though it could be bit more cosy now, I’d want a table hushed away, since it does risk being slightly on the ‘oppressive side of plush’, if I communicate that idea correctly.

Nonetheless, the bar upstairs is a vantage point over the main arena of the venue, and one way of avoiding the hustle and bustle downstairs. A dimly lit space, where your best bet is sitting up at the bar, where service from the team, Milos and Davide, is en pointe. Conversational, effervescent, and always up to help.

Featuring the Diplomatico Rum range

This day, Ambassador of Diplomatico Rum, Jon Lister, introduces three specials (at 7.50 each) added to Quaglino’s already lengthy cocktail menu – all using the rum range from Diplomatico, exhibiting their versatility.

The Final Word

Beginning with a twist on a classic, the Final Word demonstrates that rums can indeed make excellent aperitifs – by substituting rum for gin in a ‘Last Word’. Diplomatico blanco, Green Chartreuse, St. Germain Elderflower and fresh citrus – is almost deceptively similar to a Last Word (going to show you how reliant on Chartreuse the cocktail actually is!). The rum, however, softens and sweetens the edges slightly, making it a fantastic introduction to those afraid of the sour and dry edges of many gin based aperitifs.

The Final Word still keeps a bit of an edge with the peppery notes of the blanco, but its softer vanilla and sugar round out the cocktail for the drinker less accustomed to Last Words.

The Swanky Panky

The Swanky Panky twists the classic Hanky Panky to rum as well. If Swanky Panky sounds oddly familiar, though – you’ve probably been watching too much of Bob’s Burgers.

“You ever hear of a cocktail called the Swanky Panky? It’s made with two parts vermouth-“
“Teddy, Teddy, Teddy. Get me out of here.”

And it is indeed made with vermouth – Diplomatico Reserva, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, and Fernet Branca. Whereas the Reserva makes an initial sugary appearance, it’s immediately subjugated by the Cocchi – orange peel and menthol suddenly dominate the cocktail, followed by the herbal and bitter flavours of gentian and quinine from the Fernet. This cocktail is nothing like what the Hoodooist expected it to be initially (smoother mouthfeel, slightly sweeter, less herbal), and instead takes a much sharper, minty flavour.

The Diplomatico Old Fashioned

Now this one is a bit more complex, a fantastic digestif, and the ‘hug goodbye’ of cocktails – the Diplomatico Old Fashioned gives us Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva (both natural and infused with ground coffee), sweet sherry (Pedro Ximinez, if I’m correct), and Mozart chocolate bitters.

One could easily replace dessert with this drink. Though sweet (very sweet), not sickly or overbearingly so. Though Mozart has a tendency to be rather pungent, it collaborates well in this drink, helping balance out the sweetness of the sherry and the Exclusiva, as does the bitterness of the Arabica.

The vanilla, figs, and various mince-pie-esque notes of the rum are still very much present – really, this drink is dessert in a glass, covering all bases of the course, coffee and little glass of sherry.

Wonderful, though its powerful flavours means it did take the Hoodooist a good half hour to take this one down.

The regular cocktail menu at Quaglino’s is fairly long, and runs at about 12.50 GBP per drink – themed by the era of the cocktail’s release.

The Fresh As a Daisy tastes exactly how you’d expect it to – Hendrick’s gin. Muddled cucumber, elderflower liqueur and apple juice – long, refreshing, simple, classic.

The RAF got bit of an update here, Botanist gin, Maraschino liqueur, lemon juice, egg white and violette liqueur – personally couldn’t stomach it, simultaneously too sour and too sweet, bit overwhelming. I suppose if you like your drinks very, very sweet, this is it.

The RAF

However, winner of the evening was easily the Fisherman – competitor in this year’s World Class Diageo cocktail competition. Talisker 10yr whisky, sage infused Cocchi Americano, a splash of Pedro Ximinez and bitters. Brilliant – absolutely wonderfully constructed. The nose is heavily leaning on the Talisker, smoky and thick, with an island beach salty touch. The drink keeps the Talisker’s intense spicy peat, with a long malty finish – smoothed out by the Cocchi Americano and its accompanying bitter quinine kick, all balanced out wonderfully with that touch of sherry for a sweeter overlay toward the end of the sip that coats the tongue.

The Fisherman

I suppose what you must keep in mind is that the cocktails on offer at Quaglino’s are massively varied (though they lean towards the sweet and many Sours), and with the wonderful service, will be willing to knock up any classics you need. Thinking of returning for a live band and another Fisherman!

Drinks: ***-****
Atmosphere: ***-****
Service: *****
Quaglino’s

16 Bury Street, Mayfair
London SW1Y 6AJ

http://www.quaglinos-restaurant.co.uk/

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