Sovereign Loss, Brixton

Type of Bar: Vintage, Tiny, Late Night, Speakeasy
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Date, Small Groups, Nightcap

The launch of Sovereign Loss in Brixton this week marks Brixton Road/Coldharbour Lane as a major cocktail hub in the South now, joining stars like the Shrub and Shutter and Three Eight Four (Click HERE for review!). With the brand ambassadors of Aperol and Whitley Neill Gin running the show, Sovereign Loss is bound to be a South London star. As a major fan of Chris Dennis (of Trailer Happiness fame), having him behind the bar means this was a launch the Hoodooist would certainly not miss.

Pressing the buzzer at the Trade Entrance door just beside the Prince of Wales, one climbs up the stairs, past a smoking terrace, to a candlelit, intimate space that could be best described as Cuban Art Deco. Initially quite relaxed, the lights get darker and music louder as the night goes on – and on it goes – with the 24 hour license, the weekend sees the bar open till 5AM, on Sundays till last man standing! But not being a club, this exactly where the Hoodooist wants to find himself instead of some riotous oonce-oonce shindig at 3AM – just chilling with an El Presidente.

The cocktail list is short, but impressive, and matching the Art Deco surrounds, with a good balance between short and long drinks (but rather heavy on the orange). Let’s begin with the most impressive.

The Canopy, now this was a surprise. The Hoodooist so rarely enjoys a long drink, but heavens, this is incredible. And so simple! Whitley Neill gin, orange sherbert, Curacao, lemon and soda. Being a smooth, subtle gin, Whitley Neill is excellent with its citrus for a cocktail like the Canopy. It beings with a burst of the orange sherbert, such an excellent flavour, moving to a short expression of the gin, and settling on the Curacao. A bit on the sweet side, but well balanced with tartness. A wonderful drink to begin with. But, enjoy it quickly, it dilutes easily.

The Presidente is a fairly classic El Presidente with Santa Teresa Reserva rum, Cinzano dry vermouth, Curacao and pomegranate. I adore this rum for the Presidente, fruits and caramel, followed by winter spices and oak. The Cinzano’s dryness does not overpower this wonderful rum and neither does the pomegranate. Easily one of the best short drinks on this menu.

The Metropole was a very surprising drink: Courvoisier Exclusif, sweet vermouth, Dubonnet, Peychaud’s and Orange bitters. The initial flavour is intensely chocolate, with strains of the CV Exclusif’s Borderies Cru fruit lines simmering in. Halfway through, the other ingredients begin to shine, the vermouths open up to the palate, followed by the orange bitters in the background. A very intriguing, but heavy drink.

The Metropole

The next two drinks have incredible potential, but are a bit imbalanced to intense sweetness.

The traditional, classic New Corpse Reviver: Louis Royer VS Pommeau (which I am deducing would be Louis Royer VS Cognac, apple must, with apple brandy) and sweet vermouth follows Craddock’s recipe in the 1930’s Savoy Handbook, going to show that not all classic recipes are intensely dry or bitter. This have a very heavy mouthfeel, and is intensely sweet. If you are looking for a dessert drink, this would be a good one.

As we said with the Pisco Embassy last week (Click HERE for review), Pisco once again proves to be a difficult ingredient to use in cocktails. The Apiscopalian brings Pisco Porton, Aperol and peach to the table. In order to balance the sweetness of the peach with the Aperol and strong Pisco, the drink swings to the opposite end of the spectrum with a thick, syrupy texture making it difficult to drink. The intense sweetness, if you aren’t a fan of it, can make it rather sickly. Not a fan of this drink, but at our table of four, one did enjoy it for the first half of the glass.

Finally, the unfortunate Journalist, taken out of the Savoy Handbook again, Beefeater gin, Curacao, sweet and dry vermouth, citrus, bitters, was not only too overbearing with the orange and citrus throughout, but when made, was overdone with the orange peel spray, resulting in being too oily.

The Apiscopalian

Serivce-wise, with Joe and Chris, it is impossible to have anything negative with the service, whereas kinks regarding table-service are being ironed out once it gets crowded. Regarding cocktails, the Presidente, Canopy and Metropole stood out as winners, with the New Corpse Reviver running up. Though orange pervades the menu, it is not tiresome, thankfully. And though the Journalist and Apiscopalian do not quite work, you can tell by the recipe.

A fantastic bartender, a great design, and an incredible 24 hour license make Sovereign Loss a perfect late night spot when partying in the area. Hoodooist Recommended!

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

Sovereign Loss,

469 Brixton Road,
London SW9 8HH

http://www.sovereignloss.com

Pisco Embassy @ Comedor Grill & Bar, Islington

Dec17

Type of Bar: Late Night, Peruvian, Pisco
Damage: ££ – £££
Ideal for: Date, Small Groups, Large Groups, Party, Pisco

Ah, Islington. Though it has stars like 69 Colebrooke Row (Click HERE for review!), it needed some new blood, or something that stood out from the myriad of mediocre French restaurants that litter the area.

And so head bartender Jose Francisco-Modonese turns the Comedor Grill and Bar into a Peruvian drinking den everything Friday and Saturday night. A late-late night ‘pop up’ of sorts, from midnight to 5AM on weekends, tables are shoved out of the way for a dance floor with DJ JJ Latino at the helm.

London has a complicated relationship with pisco. The unaged grape brandy (think of other unaged brandies like Grappa, Zivania, or Palinca) has tried to break out into the UK cocktail market repeatedly since 2011 and always fell short – maybe it is its inherent difficulty to be used in cocktails. As bartender Jose put it, “Everyone’s had the Pisco Sour,” – another notable twist on the Sour would be Gareth Evans’ Piscotheque. And the Hoodooist could see it being used well in a punch.

And yet, I was intrigued by some of the choices made in the cocktails here. Some were either twists on classics (like a Metropolitan, but with Pisco. Or a Mojito, but with Pisco), or recipes brought over from Peru, but so few really channelled *Peru*, if I’m making any sense. For example, drinks using bitters, went for Angostura instead of using flavours that would work with Peruvian Amargo Chuncho bitters.

Let’s start with a few drinks that worked well:

A traditional Pisco Sour; Pisco and sugar/lime/eggwhite/Angostura: providing a well-balanced Sour, dry, just right. A safe bet.

The Piscojito (Pisco Quebranta, sugar, lime and spearmint), obviously a twist on the Mojito, makes a surprisingly smooth drink that beats a traditional Mojito any day of the week. By going back to the original Cuban Mojito recipe using spearmint instead of the popular modern use of mint, we get a subtler, more fragrant and less assaulting cocktail that allows the drinker to enjoy the flavours of the pisco quebranta instead of just herbs.

The Pisco Embassy Punch… Whew. Okay, the Hoodooist loves raw pineapple, just the fresh fruit – but for some reason in juice or cocktail form, it just sends shivers down his spine. Yet, this drink, though not my style, I recognise as being well-made, well-balanced, though simple (as long as you like pineapple juice). Not strictly a ‘punch’ by definition, the 1850s Californian recipe: Pisco, pineapple juice, lime, cinnamon syrup brings up a different perception of the Californian gold rush, one with a strongly Caribbean sepia tone filter.

L-R: Chicha Sour as shot, Pisco Embassy Punch

Now for the other drinks involved. Some were a bit more adventurous, but there was one flaw that seemed to pervade many of the drinks we had: imbalance. Instead of having one leading flavour, it would be overpowering.

The Chicha Sour brings Chicha Morada – a sweet non-alcoholic maize drink to the Pisco Sour. The purple maize adds a lovely colour to the drink, though I wish they removed the sugar syrup because god, help me, this is diabetes in a glass. Sickly sweet, and almost sticky, with a thick mouthfeel. I can see this, if served shorter as a dessert drink as possibly working.

The Paddington Bear – Pisco, cinnamon and clove syrup, lime and orange juice and bit of marmalade (obviously!) had overdone the spice syrup, though it is an excellent idea, this can be saved really easily if the syrup is toned down a bit. Similarly, the Capitan: Orange peel-infused Pisco, whisky barrel bitters and red vermouth infused with cinnamon, cloves, star anise and 2 smoked star anise was bit too heavy with the star anise. Less of that, and we are looking at a sharp, tart, winter drink for those with less of a taste for juicier drinks.

The Macchu Picchu Nights has far too much going on with shiso infused pisco, lemon, apple juice, red basil syrup and crème de cassis, but as far as sweet drinks go, works better than the Paddington Bear. But still excruciatingly sweet with bit too intense cassis.

Finally, as a fan of Chilcanos, I was a bit surprised at how over the top the ginger flavours were here. Pisco, ginger ale, fernet branca, lime, sugar and muddled ginger slices I can only imagine meant too much muddled ginger.

The Capitan

On the other hand, the choice of Piscos is excellent, and Jose’s knowledge of the spirit is extensive – what would make the Pisco Embassy a hit, other than the Midnight to Dawn license, would be the Pisco flights he can take you on – and this is the primary reason I would urge you to visit if you wish to develop your knowledge on Pisco.

Otherwise, I find that the cocktails do need to only slightly tone down some flavours in their drinks, especially with some drinks costing a whopping 12 pounds (this affects the scores) – since the drinks here do have incredible potential, and the passion of the staff is admirable. It’s a fun atmosphere, with a dancefloor and great music, with excellent service and bar snacks – so there is a lot to enjoy here, particularly at 3AM!

Drinks: Cocktails – ** , Pisco Flights – ****
Atmosphere: ***
Service: ***

Pisco Embassy @ Comedor Bar & Grill

176 Upper Street, Islington
London N1 1RG

http://www.piscoembassy.london

BUMP Caves, London Bridge

Dec14

Type of Bar: Basement, Experimental
Damage:££
Ideal for: Date, Small Groups, Originality

BUMP Caves is another of the quick sprouting cocktail bars in the London Bridge/Bermondsey area that only recently was seriously lacking in cocktail venues.

The innocuous pub, the Draft House, hides an experimental cocktail venue in the basement that specialises in all their own homemade spirits, and what they call ‘Bumps’: spirits customised with various flavours by Max Chater and his rotavap.

So you could get a beer, or a shrub and soda, which you can mix a BUMP into. For example, Craft beer Beavertown Smog Rocket adds ginger, pecan and sweet potato.

But not being a beer guy, the Hoodooist went in for the cocktails.

Sneaking into one of the snug booths (said ‘caves’), the Hoodooist was pleased to find a bartender whose drinks he greatly enjoyed at the Pickle Jar launch in London Cocktail Week ’14 (Click HERE for article!) dishing out the drinks. And just as the last time, service was impeccable, friendly and conversational.

Electric Kool Aid Acid Test (EKAAT)

The Hoodooist inevitably went for Electric Kool Aid Acid Test (EKAAT) – named after the Tom Wolfe book which inspired the venue and its psychedelic theme – Malt, Campari, Sweet Vermouth, Piquepoul, 9V, Acid. Okay, let’s explain. The actual cocktail is presented as a mix of the first 4 ingredients, with citric acid powder being presented in a dodgy little baggy, and a 9V Duracell battery on the side.

On the nose, the Campari and Vermouth, and the malty flavour is unmistakable. Nonetheless, without bunging in the entire packet of acid (though you are expected to ‘balance’ the drink with as much acid as you need, it really only improves in flavour with nearly the entire packet) the drink isn’t anything notable. Once you have, you lick the poles of the battery, and take a sip.

Okay. The battery-licking was meant to bring out the flavour of the Gentian in the Campari, and I don’t know if it was just me, but I found the bitterness mellower instead after licking. In fact, I found the vermouth to stand out further, with only a hint of the Campari’s bitterness, accompanied by the malt mouthfeel. An interesting drink, but an exhausting one with the constant 9V shocks from the battery each sip.

Hi/Bye

The Barrel Aged Hi/Bye was a much more traditional drink, a Brooklyn with hibiscus: Rye, hibiscus, Bump Picon and Dry Vermouth – accompanied with a pickle, and a dried hibiscus garnish. As a Brooklyn, slightly sweeter and smoother thanks to the aging, and definitely benefitting from the hibiscus. A well-made Brooklyn in any case.

Chinese Double Smoke

The Chinese Double Smoke – an excellent concept. Ilegal Mezcal, Kamm & Sons, Dry Vermouth, cloves, with lapsang souchong loose tea and a sprig of samphire to highlight contrast in flavours. Toss in the tea to smoke the drink as desired, drink, nibble on samphire. It’s rare to get a strong ginseng flavour in a drink, but the Chinese Double Smoke does it successfully, highlighted by the dryness of the vermouth. With the Mezcal smokiness of the Ilegal mingling well with the cloves and tea – you’d actually expect it to be smokier than it actually is. Of the four drinks of the night, though this was highly interactive and experimental, it was somehow lacking character.

My Beautiful Friend

Finally, the My Beautiful Friend – Victory Gin (what a brilliant name), Green Chartreuse, Sour fortification make a highly acidic twist on a Last Word where a slab of white chocolate plays the part of the maraschino to provide a sweet creaminess to balance the highly acidic cocktail.

You’ll notice my descriptions of the drinks are shorter than usual, because frankly, the experience was somewhat confusing. Do not get me wrong, the drinks were still great, but sometimes (not always) the addition of certain flavours or pairings are more as perks – which are fun and innovative, but don’t necessarily play a large part in the flavour of the drink. The My Beautiful Friend and Hi/Bye were winners of the night, but were also the most traditional. The Chinese Double Smoke has incredible potential if more flavoursome, and though the EKAAT is the most captivating and unique, felt like bit a chore after a short while.

Nonetheless, one appreciates the uniqueness of the approach, and it would be wrong of me to not urge the reader to visit, for the novelty of the experience and hospitality. I do look forward to coming back and trying more of the menu!

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

Bump Caves @ The Draft House

206-208 Tower Bridge Rd
London SE1 2LL

https://www.facebook.com/TripAtBumpCaves

Bermondsey Arts Club, Bermondsey

Dec4

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

Now this is interesting.

The Bermondsey Arts Club has kept itself to itself since they opened about half a year ago. They’ve also developed a loyal following, especially from the area, looking for a cocktail bar closer to home (major plus for the Hoodooist in Greenwich).

Taking up residence in the public conveniences underground, on weekdays, you wouldn’t know the BAC was here. Keeping the walls, the rest of the venue has been done up in black and gold art deco revival – and on Wednesdays, bringing out their chilled jazz band. I do wish that they kept the jazz throughout the week, though – the weekend pop playlist is a bit jarring with the sexy underground surrounding.

L to R: Phra Phum, and Three Wise

Making one’s way there for the launch of their Winter Cocktail list, I have to say, it is a major improvement on the previous menu. And this new menu (launching Dec 5^th ’14) is absolutely delightful, I fell in love with it as we tasted.

Let’s begin with the Phra Phum: House Thai Gin (ginger, chilli, garlic, spring onion), lemon, sugar, egg white, House Soy Bitters. Love. Bright, spry, lively – the first hits of spring onion and chilli, then ginger and finally the simmering of garlic and hint of soy – all make an appearance in this citrusy-spicy East Asian inspired cocktail. An excellent way to start a night, and easily one of my favourites on the list.

Another one that stood out would be a light take on a dessert drink: the Grappa’s Delight brings Chamomile Grappa, Cocchi Americano, lemon, honey, green tea gelato together with a few dried chamomile blooms dusted above. Less thick than most dessert drinks, yet still with that smooth gelato texture, this cocktail is sneaky. Not a dry drink at all, the Cocchi Americano is barely noticeable, as the gelato, honey and chamomile have their way with you. The Grappa does make a sound appearance, and I’d pick this over a dessert any day of the week.

L to R: Accidentally half drunk Grappa’s Delight, and A Little R & R

The next two drinks go in for darker, heavier flavours. The Hit and Mist was most enjoyable – Cider poached Apple Laphroaig, Treacle Syrup, Whisky Barrel Bitters is smoked with Apple Hickory smoke. A short, strong drink and a great winter warmer, surprisingly not as sweet as you’d expect. The characteristic nature of Laphroaig, with its already smoky, and rather medicinal flavour is necessary to balance the sweeter treacle – creating a very well balanced drink that really is made by the Hickory smoke. Without it, it would lose a lot of character (like the Lost in the Woods, by PortSide Parlour, review HERE). But this exactly the kind of drink the Hoodooist would enjoy. Seductive, balanced, warm and enveloping.

The Coupe des Garcon is an odd one – named after the fashion house Comme des Garcon – puts Port, Ramazzotti, Fine Calvados and Peychaud’s Bitters in a glass wrapped in a napkin sprayed with Comme de Garcon’s Wonderwood parfum. Now here is the odd part: the Calvados is not a strong flavour, yet plays an important part in the drink with the Port and Ramazzotti and the intriguing bit is how similar to bourbon the result is – the fruity bourbon sweetness, the woodiness of the barrels, all evoked wonderfully. I suspect, though, the woodiness is in fact olfactory. The Wonderwood parfum (Hm, pepper, sandalwood, oudh? I think.) is an excellent pairing with the cocktail, making it a multisensory experience – but don’t spray it on yourself, getting it off your clothes is impossible (or off you. Or your pillowcases. Everything into the wash). Another excellent winter drink, throwing you headfirst into nature with hints of oranges, apples and spices.

The Hit and Mist

Finally, I probably should end mentioning two drinks that, though still good, are not up to par with the above. A Little R & R is a surprisingly uncharacteristic drink (Butter-washed raisin rum, cinnamon liqueur, lemon and cardamom bitters), and in fact, comes off a bit too citrusy. I feel avoiding the lemon a bit, and relying more on a sort of butter-washed raisin rum Old Fashioned would be a better idea. Nonetheless, we have the buttery, rich mouthfeel of the rum, with a final hint of cardamom at the end. Less lemon. Always less lemon.

Lastly, the Three Wise is in fact what I started with. I was intrigued by the strangeness of the ingredients: Taylor’s 10yr Port, Brokers Gin, Gold/Frankincense/Myrrh Bitters. Yup. Served in a Japanese wooden cube (also used by the Artesian for a Japanese styled drink in a previous menu) – it can be uncomfortable to drink from, especially with that little singed stick of incense prodding your face. On one hand, a good aperitif with intense dryness – on the other hand, a bit confusing. I might enjoy it more with less gin, since it drowns out the barely noticeable figs in the port, which would be fantastically both thematically and in regard to taste. The frankincense and myrrh is certainly a nice addition – as for the gold, well. Perhaps gold leaf would be a better garnish than the incense. This drink appeals more to my intellect than my tastebuds.

The Aged Old Negronis

Service at the bar is wonderful (Aged Negronis bottled to take home! Taste delicious and rounded, well-balanced). Milo (who runs a cocktail Youtube channel, Caffe Corretto), Jake and Adam are excellent company. On weekends though, the tables can get very crowded and getting attention/waiting for drinks can get a bit tiring – but one expects that on crowded nights. You will see the Hoodooist and friends at the bar, getting tanked on Hit and Mists on Wednesdays, I think.

In summary: the new menu at the Bermondsey Arts Club is formidable, original, and wonderful. Favouring the Hoodooist’s preferred style of short, but intense, these drinks are quickly taking this bar to one of my more favoured hang outs. With excellent design and atmosphere, and fun service – you’ll see me here often (at least, as often as I can. I have two bars a week to review for you people, you know.)

A major thanks to Jamie Pinkham and team for an excellent night out!

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

Bermondsey Arts Club

102A Tower Bridge Road,
London SE1 4TP

http://bermondseyartsclub.co.uk/

Bar Termini, Soho

Dec1

Type of Bar: Tiny, Cafe, Italian
Damage: £
Ideal for: Date, Small Groups, Coffee, Aperitifs

News about Bar Termini is spreading like wild fire. Probably because Marco Arrigo, and Tony Conigliaro (of ZTH (Click HERE) and 69 Colebrooke (Click HERE) fame) decided to open it without announcement or event – it retained a mystery that everyone wants in on.

And what it is, is probably my next favourite study spot in Soho. A teeny tiny room with bar next door to the much more demanding-of-attention, La Bodega Negra, Bar Termini provides a pale blue, vintage Italian haven for coffee and cocktail fans. Inspired by Arrigo’s introduction of Illy coffee to London, and the many coffee shops that serve it in Soho, Termini serves up Italian classics in a chilled out space.

Firstly with coffee, true it a tiny bit pricier than your usual – espressos at 3 pounds, bicherins at 4 – they still impress. I honestly wasn’t expecting to enjoy Illy coffee as much as I enjoyed it here at Termini. With sides of pastries and mini-paninis, what’s not to love?

The Negroni Rosato

‘Mini’ might be a useful term here – the Negronis are positively miniscule, yet are incredible.

Three Negronis are presented: the Classico, Rosato, and Superiore. Each bottled (in their distinctive custom Art Deco bottles!) in advance, aged for up to three months – provide intense flavours, and surprisingly calm on the Campari (a result of aging).

The Classico provides a smooth Negroni experience, the Rosato and Superiore are infused with further ingredients:

The Superiore, my preferred of the three, is infused with pink peppercorns, to add a slight spiciness to it. It’s a bit subtle, and I certainly would prefer a more intense infusion, but spectacular as a Negroni – not too dry or sweet, subtle on the Campari, good roundedness from the vermouth. Excellent.

The Rosato can split the table depending on your appreciation of sweet drinks. Infused with rosebuds and rose water, this deep red Negroni brings forward a strong – but not sickly – rose to the cocktail. An interesting choice, rose and Negronis, but one that works. A bit sweet for me, but a wonderful drink overall – in this case, the small serving seems rational with the intense flavour.

The Marsala Martini

The Marsala Martini: Beefeater gin, dry vermouth, marsala dolce and almond bitters, with an almond garnish stored in Champagne vinegar, salt and sugar. Oh my, this is strong. On first sip: a quintessential dry, dry Martini. Then the marsala dolce seeps in, leaving an empty ground for the almond bitters to shine. What a fantastic aperitif. The serving was a perfect size, took a while to take this one down. And the almond at the end? Sweet-sour, balsamic. An excellent twist on a Martini, served with crisp parmesan (as any marsala should).

Another exciting drink on the menu would be the Terroir, described as ‘Distillates of flint, clay and lichen’. Right. I was initially cautious, but I have always rested my faith in Tony, so went straight for it and was delighted by what I got. The Terroir is prepared by distilling the ‘grape’ flavours out of wine, leaving only the flavours presented by the terroir where the vines grew. However it is prepared, one must approach it like a new spirit unto itself. Beginning with a sourness at the back of the jaw, it moves forward with a mineral and surprisingly floral flavour – very reminiscent of sake. This is a drink I must recommend, especially for its uniqueness.

The custom Rosata bottle. Gorgeous.

On a much more familiar note: A Bellini (Prosecco, peach puree, almond blossom) prepared so fresh, that even my normally bubbly-avoiding self enjoyed it. Finally, a good old Aperol Spritz (Beefeater gin, Aperol, prosecco) and rhubarb cordial. Hm, here is a drink I didn’t quite take to. Primarily because of the overpowering rhubarb cordial.

Service is excellent, no complaints. Very approachable, conversational staff dressed immaculately, all screaming Conigliaro’s personal specifications in uniform design.

The Bicherin

In short, excellent list of cocktails for excellent prices. If any question regarding price can be raised, it would be the size of some of the cocktails (The Negronis and Bellini). In which case, my finger hovers over deciding the score regarding drinks. But the rest of the cocktails are sized accurately regarding their flavours. With excellent service, design, and attention to detail, Bar Termini is certainly a new spot in London that must be seen!

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

Bar Termini

7 Old Compton Street, Soho
London W1D 5JE.

http://www.bar-termini.com/

Happiness Forgets, Shoreditch

Nov19

Type of Bar: Basement, Tiny
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Small Groups

Hoxton Square is home to a few bars, but none with the reputation of Happiness Forgets. A Shoreditch institution, Pegu Club trained Alastair Burgess rallied up a few spectacular bartenders for the venue.

The opening sentence pretty much tells you I enjoy the cocktails here, and have popped by over the years – the menu is seasonal and alters a bit. So let’s have a look at a classic first: can’t go wrong with a Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned. Smooth, silky, just a little bit of kick, gorgeous.

The Jerezana catches my eye; Manzanilla & Amontillado, sweet & dry vermouths, dash of vanilla and orange bitters. The sherries are the first to assault you, with the light chamomile of the Manzanilla, followed by the wonderfully contrasting dry and sweet vermouths – the scrape of the former, and rounded mouthfeel of the latter. Finally, the vanilla does just the trick to add that little something to round out the drink. The drink is ambitious, but works incredibly well.

The Alter Ego; St. Germain elderflower liqueur, Vulson white rye, dry sherry and Angostura is almost a dry cousin of the Jerezana. You tumble through the flavours of this drink as the open up surprisingly quickly. The spicy fruitiness of the white rye clashes comfortably with the elderflower to settle on the sherry. The drink is almost unsettling, yet addictive – with the perfect name.

As much as I love the menu and staff, I find the atmosphere a bit claustrophobic – seats near the exit are the most comfortable with access to fresh air. Dark, loud and surprisingly warm, it can be fun on quieter evenings. On quieter evenings though (hardly ever, mind you), there is plenty seating at the bar for chats. On that note, booking is absolutely necessary, especially if there are more than two of you. I’ve always noticed the strange mix of clientele – it’s like nearby Shoreditch, Liverpool St. and Old St. all fit themselves in.

Service is excellent, polite, and fun – can’t fault it. But one has to account for crowded evenings, too.

In summary, the mercurial menu means that one can only comment on the staff’s ability to come up with original cocktails that work and their finesse – which is fantastic. Classics are knocked out wonderfully, too. Happiness Forgets is crowded with good reason.

Drinks: ****
Atmosphere: ** – *** (Certainly up to taste)
Service: ***

Happiness Forgets

8-9 Hoxton Square,
London N1 6NU

http://www.happinessforgets.com/

Dishoom & Permit Room, King’s Cross St. Pancras

Nov16

Type of Bar: Bar/Restaurant, Indian
Damage: £-££
Ideal for: Food, Small Groups, Large Groups, After Work, Spiced Cocktails

Boy, is this place massive. 9000 square feet makes this the largest Dishoom in town! But trust that it gets packed fast. Décor is incredibly detailed, and somehow intense, considering how it’s not jam packed with decoration. Bollywood tunes from the 80s and 90s make this a fun, upbeat venue.

Serving up Indian, and subcontinental twists on classic cocktails, the cocktail menu in the Dishoom restaurant above differs from the Permit Room bar below. This review might be a bit longer than usual for the uniqueness of the cocktails on offer.

Above at Dishoom, the cocktail list is short, simple and not particularly eye-catching.

The Naughty Chocolate Chai is a fun little indulgence, dark chocolate, chai and a splash of bourbon – and with friends living round the corner, our new coffee date spot.

The Chaijito – a mojito with added coriander, ginger, and sweet-spice chai – essentially comes down to being a mellow mojito. Bit of a blank, this one. Not a fan.

Downstairs at the Permit Room, the whole list of cocktails is available, and it this time, it certainly stands out. 7 of the cocktails down here are served by the Indian measure of pegs – ‘chota’ (small) pegs for 8 pounds, and ‘burra’ (large) pegs for 15.

The IPA Paanch, hop-infused gin (inspired by the IPA), lime, jaggery unseparated cane or palm sugar, English Breakfast tea and assorted spices – now this packs a punch! Okay, that pun wasn’t intended. The name for the drink punch comes from the Hindi word ‘paanch’ for ‘five’, as in 5 ingredients: An alcohol, lime, sugar, water, tea or spices. In favour of keeping both tea and spices, water was tossed out for a short, intense drink.

It took the Hoodooist a while to separate the flavours when this drink hits you so hard – the orange-red colour probably comes straight from the tea and jaggery, and served with large, sharp shard of slow melting ice. Smoky, tobacco, peat come through on the tongue. The intense sweetness of the jaggery help balance it a bit, with a date-sugariness. The gin goes straight for the back of the jaw where hops make their presence known – loudly. We suspect the spices include cumin, probably smoked paprika? Loved this drink, complex, with a wonderful smoky-sweetness.

The Chai Paanch though, throws those rules out the window with 2 spirits, 2 liqueurs and house chai. With the spices of the chai mixing in with the Gosling’s dark rum, Johnnie Walker Black Label, ginger and 80% Cocoa liqueurs. The most prominent flavours are first the sweet rum, then the chai, a splash of ginger, followed by simmering of cocoa in the background and the dryness of the Black Label. Half a glass of this I can enjoy, but then it can become a bit tiresome. Not a bad drink though, it’s one of the few drier drinks here.

Background: 1948 Sour, Foreground: Sonia’s Negroni

The Tanchoi Fix is one of the few aged drinks here, in oak: mandarin shrub, ginger, Hayman’s 1850 Reserve gin, quinine, to end with Szechuan pepper. I like how the pepper works in this drink, it’s not the predictable throaty burn after the flavour – it hits you on the first sip. The mandarin shrub isn’t too sweet, and expectedly works incredibly well with the ginger, leaving a subtle quinine aftertaste. Not too sweet, not too citrusy, very well balanced. A great intro for anyone who wants to try stronger drinks that they aren’t used to. The 1948 Sour is another of the great introductory drinks here, on the sweeter side, dry Indian Amrut whisky, peach, hibiscus, honey and lemon, layer of egg white. The peach and the honey are potent with the hibiscus rather subtle. A sour that’s not too sour, ‘mellow’ or ‘pleasant’ would be the right word to describe this drink.

No worries, there are longer drinks here too on this varied menu: The Toddy Tapper, a copper cup drink in the Julep family, instead of bourbon uses Sri Lanka’s answer to rum: Arrack. The ingredients are blazed and mixed into the ice, first the explosion of chilli to warm you up, through the savoury fennel and finally the sweet berries. A rollercoaster, this drink. There is the Bollybellini, Prosecco, raspberries, lychees, rose and cardamom. Rose and lychee taking centre stage with raspberry on the side.

Foreground: Viceroy’s Old Fashioned, Background L-R: Bollybellini, Toddy Tapper

Two aged Old Fashioneds are on the cards too: The Viceroy’s Old Fashioned, bottle aged, Woodford Reserve Bourbon, bayleaf reduction, green tea and orange bitters, needs to be served far shorter than it is. Not my favourite, the aging of a sugared drink really emphasises the almost cola sweetness of it all. Green tea eventually gets overpowered half way through the drink, and the bayleaf only comes in too late. The Horniman’s Old Fashioned is a good choice for a pineapple fan, a very well-constructed drink (unfortunately I’m not that pineapple fan, but I recognise a decently made drink when I taste one). Oak aged, rum, pineapple syrup and bitters yield a very intensely pineapple drink with loud rum sweetness.

But as you can imagine, there are also drinks that don’t work. The Sonia’s Negroni makes a great Negroni, but I don’t see the Sonia bit. Made with Dishoom vermouth and macerated vanilla, cinnamon and ginger, the Campari heavy Negroni yields none of the added flavour till the ginger in the last two sips. Finally, for us Martini fans, neither on the table took to the Bombay Martini which, predictably, had far too much going on (you can guess this was our last ‘hey, what the hell, let’s see what happens’ drink). Stirred Tanqueray Rangpour gin, Noilly Prat, Antica Formula sweet vermouth (unexpected), and bitters made with *deep breath* vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, sandalwood, cassia bark, and wormwood *exhale*. What you get goes way past fragrant into drinking-perfume territory. No.

The IPA Paanch

Service has to account for incredible busy-ness. Was annoyed upstairs that there seemed to be no communication among the staff, no one had any idea if the queue was for the upstairs dining, or the bar downstairs, who was going where, your table is ready –but we didn’t ask for a table, yes you did, no we didn’t, where’s your pager, etc etc etc. The increasingly terribly presented (oh yes, arts university next door, let’s dress *interestingly*) waiting list fellows seemed to have no idea what they were actually doing. Those outfits are enough to second guess going in, you start wondering if it is a cocktail bar or a half-arsed uni drinking den with sake, red bull and sparkling wine as an ironic special. But once we settled at our table, things started running more smoothly. Downstairs, service was polite, attentive.

Dishoom upstairs may not provide a great list of drinks, but downstairs, the Permit Room opens up a huge pathway into bringing in subcontinental flavours to cocktails – not an easy task – many have tried and failed. And true, some cocktails here can be hit or miss, but the ones that hit, do it very well. Ambitious, well-constructed, well done!

Take advantage of the soft launch running till 19^th Nov 2014, all the cocktails except large burra pegs are half price.

Drinks: Upstairs: **, Downstairs: ****
Atmosphere: ****
Service: ***

Dishoom King’s Cross

5 Stable Street, Granary Square,
London N1C 4AB

http://www.dishoom.com/2014/09/in-which-an-irani-cafe-finds-a-home-in-a-godown-behind-victoria-terminus-c-1928/

Three Eight Four, Brixton

Nov12

Type of Bar: Tiny, Industrial
Damage: £
Ideal for: Small Groups, Classics

For the past couple of years, Brixton has taken off for some of London’s most exciting food and bars, from pop ups to permanent residences – one such resident is the Three Eight Four on 2 minutes away from the station.

A non-descript shuttered venue, 384 is crowded on a Saturday night with its industrial-chic décor. The music is oddly slow and chilled out for a venue that seems to demand something a bit more upbeat and was repeatedly distracting people on our table – the Hoodooist was pleased it wasn’t just him being weird. Nonetheless, 384 is comfortable and buzzing.

Two menus are provided, the house cocktails and the classics, coming in a large leathered, weathered tome. House cocktails are a short list, but a healthy mix of long and short drinks.

The star of the night: The Smoked Manhattan was an obvious first choice: Pikesville Rye, Punt e Mes, Luxardo Maraschino, stirred and smoked with cherry. The Maraschino and Punt e Mes work well to present a Perfect Manhattan, the smoke initially adding a rich mouthfeel further back on the palate before dissipating. An excellent Manhattan any fan would enjoy.

Then, the Negroni Sbagliato; Campari, Punt e Mes and sparkling red wine – was certainly Campari heavy. Though the Manhattan appealed to me more, the Sbagliato has been well executed with its bite. The classic Bramble, though still sweet, was far less thick in texture, with more of the gin coming through – a Bramble for those of us with less of a palate for sweet drinks.

The Smoked Manhattan

The Cherry Bakewell Caipiroska; Luksusowa & Davna Cherry vodkas, orgeat syrup over muddled lime and sugar was an odd one – you have to keep the ingredients in mind compared to the misleading name. It starts off with the intense cherry before suddenly warping to the strongly citrus lime and orange of the orgeat, the almond of the orgeat doesn’t come through – strangely enough.

Finally, the drink of the night that didn’t quite work: The Mr. Flambastic; Blackwell’s dark & Red Leg spiced rums with Cointreau, shaked with flambéed peaches in Gran Capataz brandy. I think I was expecting a dark drink served short (think of the Detroit Bar’s Stingwray: overproof rums, fruit liqueur, flambéed red fruits, served warm), but was served a tall, ice-filled bright orange drink that was both too sickly sweet and too tart for myself, and for most present.

The characteristic Classics menu

Food, generally excellent. You can’t go wrong with sweet potato fries/chipotle mayo. Pinchos Maruno Moroccan spiced pork skewers work a charm, as do the ‘Nduja, Ricotta and Quail’s Egg on toasted bread. Ceviche could definitely come with more fish than cucumber.

Service was excellent. No complaints here. Crowds can make delays, but not obscenely so.

Summary? Three Eight Four is a great addition to the growing Brixton environment. Food and service is great, small venue means I’d recommend a booking. Cocktail wise, they’re excellently priced, with great handling of the Classic drinks, or twisted classics. In regards to experimental drinks, they can be a hit or miss, and also really up to the taste of the drinkers. Personally, the Classics really do win out here, and are a bargain – which is what makes us want to return. A star in Brixton.

NOTE: The ‘Drinks’ score get 4 stars for the Classics and value for money. The experimental drinks would get 2 stars otherwise.

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

Three Eight Four

384 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton
London, SW9 8LF

http://www.threeeightfour.com/

Gaucho Winter Terrace, Broadgate

Nov9

Type of Bar: Pop Up, Winter, Terrace, Bar/Restaurant, Tiny
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Date, Small Groups, Food, Rainy Days

What timing. The Hoodooist runs through the rain with an umbrella that is dying on him to Gaucho Broadgate’s launch of their Winter Terrace. Curious to see how the outdoor terrace stands the downpour, he shakes some of the rain off and fell in love.

Mind you, it’s tiny. If you can book a space, do it. But on a cold rainy day, I can’t say I’d be anywhere else than under that canopy with the scorching heaters, snuggled in the couches with friends and the blankets and hot-water bottles Gaucho provides. Yes. Blankets and hot-water bottles. Entirely enclosed by plush ferns and twinkling lights, this city centre oasis offers a wintery haven complete with a stunning hand-carved ice sculpture.

Wanna make that deal sweeter? How does a Hennessey Hot Chocolate sound? Hennessey fine de cognac, chocolate liqueur, hot chocolate. It ain’t inspired, but it’s what you need. Served in a tall tumbler with chocolate shavings, it defines the venue for being a warm snuggle-haven as the rain pours down just inches away from you behind the thicket of bushes.

Two more hot cocktails on the menu: the first is the traditional Hot Toddy; Glenmorangie 10yr whiskey, fresh lemon, honey, orange marinade and cloves, though still a good hot drink, remind me too much of having the flu to really get into. What really did the job for me was the incredible Hot Smoked Apple; Belvedere Vodka, fresh pressed apple juice, a touch of Ardbeg 10 yr, and a cinnamon rim. Hot apple and cinnamon is always a good winter warmer, the vodka giving it the right alcohol content and that warmth of the whiskey is just right to not overpower. A favourite of the night.

Assorted melange of cocktails

Two cold spritzes were presented as well. The Spritz Rose mixes Argentine sparkling Rose with Torrontes white wine, elderflower and blackberry liqueurs. This was very well balanced, sweeter yes, but the blackberry helps mellow down the elderflower rather well – the preferred of the two spritzes. The second is the Spritz Blanco, Sauvignon Blanc/Torrontes, Aperol and fresh grapefruit juice, topped up Domaine Chandon; bit heavy on the grapefruit, this drink wasn’t a winner across the table, but one you can work with.

Drinks here are approachable and nothing too complex, but very well executed, and all at about 10 pounds.

A carefully chosen selection of Argentine wines is also available.

Domaine Chandon Brut NV

Besides that, the food served – spectacular. Canapés of rare steak, ceviche, sliders, and dulce the leche cheesecake made the night.

Service was polite and swift, and I must applaud Red Kite PR for a wonderful launch. I have to say, if there is anything to try this winter, it is this.

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

Gaucho Broadgate Winter Terrace

5 Finsbury Avenue,
London EC2M 2PG

http://www.gauchorestaurants.co.uk/restaurants/restaurant.php?id=broadgate

Bistrot Bruno Loubet, Clerkenwell

Nov5

Type of Bar: Bar/Restaurant
Damage: £££
Ideal for: Food, Date, Small Groups

The BBL, part of the Zetter Hotel, offered the Hoodooist and friends a round after the London Cocktail Week debacle couple of weeks ago (Click HERE for recap) – except this time, service was blameless. Our *new* server was polite and had none of the attitude we dealt with the previous time. So props to that!
Remember, it is rare for service to be a constant problem if the bar is willing to remind their staff – but at the end of the day, service wins out on both atmosphere and drinks as the most important quality a bar offers.

The BBL, a medium sized bistro with rustic design that falls somewhere between traditional and modern provides a short cocktail list with a classical style.

Beginning with the Chamomile Bourbon Sour, it’s exactly what it says on the tin. Luckily not overpowered by the lemon juice as many hurried bartenders tend to go, the chamomile bourbon comes out smoothly, with the subtle floral sweetness of the chamomile, and the red berry sweetness of the bourbon.

The Clerk; Armagnac, Pineau des Charantes Vieux, apricot brandy, egg yolk – I was less thrilled about. Dividing egg yolk can be a task, but would probably be advised here, but that’s just up to taste. Strangely, it was the Pineau des Charantes that stood out to me the most, with the Armagnac slithering in soon after. The apricot brandy aftertaste was mild, and pleasant. An interesting aperitif with a digestif texture.

Finally, the classic York Club; 12yr Havana Club Selection de Maestros Rum, Lillet Rouge, apricot brandy, bitters – similar to a sweet Manhattan with the choice of Lillet Rouge and apricot brandy, with the vanilla of the rum coming soon after.

If there is really anything negative I’d have to say about this experience with the BBL, is that I feel that the prices are a bit ambitious. I can see these drinks charging 9-10.50 pounds, not 10-12. It’s only a pound or so’s difference, so nothing to really complain about, but something I considered. All in all, a relaxed experience – I’m glad they offered to do away with my first impression of their previous employee.

Accidentally half-drunk Chamomile Bourbon Sour and York Club

On that note. The Zetter Town House (click HERE for review) next door is part of the Zetter family like BBL, and we moved there after our round here, for bit of a shock. We stopped by for their Halloween offer, the Nosferatini, wet Gin Martini with Iron and sugar. An enjoyable and unsettling drink with the strong iron aftertaste assaulting the back of the palate.

But in an attempt to take a twist on the Lord Hinchenbroke’s Fizz, we were faced either with a seriously confused communication snafu, or service issue, depending on how you see it.

Said Fizz: Birch liqueur, Antica Formula, Champagne. The transcript of the conversation, with our first, polite server who was wonderful through the night.

“I’d like to try this as a Manhattan, so perhaps an oaky whisky or a Rye, instead of the champagne?”
“I don’t think we can do that, it’s pre-mixed. The boss’ rules.”
“….So you just pour the pre-mix into the champagne? Could you just pour it into the whisky?”
“We will have to charge you extra for the whisky, sorry about that.”
“Never mind then.”

5 minutes later, as usual, curiosity won out. So the Hoodooist decided to stop said boss to have the pre-mix thrown into the whisky regardless of the extra charge.

“I’m sorry, we can’t do that.”
“Wait a minute, don’t you pour the pre-mix into the champagne?”
“Yes.”
“So can’t you pour it into the whisky?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“It’s only for that specific drink.”
“Which you can pour into another like the previous guy said?”
“Not really.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s only for that drink.”
*blank stare*

A failed attempt to force the Hoodooist into an Antica Formula Manhattan later – a completely different drink from the above idea, one considers the service/drinks balance again. So congratulations to a bar I normally enjoy tarnishing a perfectly good evening. Is it possible this was communication issue instead of stubbornness for the sake of art over customer? Perhaps, but that would say a lot about an individual in the service industry having difficulty in communicating. A logical explanation for your choices suffices much better over attempting to switch drinks around. This was a shame I hardly expected to deal with at a normally enjoyable bar.

A bar provides a suitable explanation if they choose to defy the customer, or they’re hardly a bar. “That gin has not been in a freezer, so we can’t use it in our Martinis” is a logical explanation. But if the customer asks for ketchup in their Martini, you put the ketchup in the Martini.

Back to the Bistrot Bruno Loubet review, I look forward to stopping by here for a meal, and a great example of redemption – or maybe the BBL and Zetter Townhouse just dressed as each other for Halloween.

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

Bistrot Bruno Loubet @ the Zetter Hotel

St John’s Square,
86-88 Clerkenwell Rd,
London EC1M 5RJ

http://www.bistrotbrunoloubet.com/

Highball Hoodoo

London, Cocktails, you know the drill

Tag Archives: Small Groups