Stay ConnectedWant to know more about the artistry of drinks? Join us in our fun, informative and we hope, entertaining cocktail (almost) hour where we sample the best new bottles, highlight our pick of books to add to your drinks library, shine a light on the bars to have on your radar and check in with some of the biggest names in the drinks business for their top tips for making quality cocktails
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The World's 50 Best Bars awards were presented at the Roundhouse in London on 7th December 2021 and naturally, we made it our business to be on the guest list. In this bonus episode we speak to the winners, the ace team from the Connaught Bar in London and catch up with a few of the teams who picked up special awards on the evening (apologies in advance for the sound quality!)
Lynnette Marrero from Llama Inn, New York, winner of the Altos Bartender's Bartender Award
Walter Meyenberg, Gina Barbachano and Ismael Martinez from Hanky Panky, Mexico City, winners of the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award
Hayley Traub and Riley Perrin Ellis from Attaboy, New York, winners of the Rémy Martin Legend of the List Awar
Mike Capoferri and Jaml Arif Thunderbolt, Los Angeles, winners of the Campari One To Watch Award
PLUS:
Ago Perrone, Giorgio Bargiani, Maura Milia and Riccardo Lugano from the Connaught Bar, London, voted number one on The World's 50 Best Bars list 2021.
For full details of the bars voted from 50 to 1 see here; for the bars voted from 100-51 see here
For more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.com
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With only a few weeks to go to Christmas, we're thinking parties: that means what to serve if you're throwing a soiree at home and where to go if you want to leave the entertainment to the professionals.
We kick off by mixing a Classic Champagne Cocktail, then open up a tasty low abv Winter Sparkling Tea from Fortnum & Mason, followed by the Christmas-pudding-in-a-glass Black Cow Christmas Spirit. Next we put on our party gear and head out to QT at The Green Room. With live music from top musicians, great cocktails, food and a chance to dance (or grab the mic), it ticks all the boxes for fabulous festive fun – whether you're in a group, with your partner or on your own.
If, on the other hand, you're planning a party at home, check out our library pick from top New York bartender Julie Reiner. Her book The Craft Cocktail Party is worth having in your library throughout the year but come winter it's invaluable, with chapters dedicated to Christmas and New Year's Eve drinks and plenty of handy hosting tips.
Which leads us nicely to our guest this week… Cocktail lovers, allow us to introduce you to the legend that is Mr Moe Aljaff from Two Schmucks in Barcelona. What this man doesn't know about bringing the party vibes to any room isn't worth knowing. Here he shares his expertise on getting the party started (and continuing) right.
What we're mixing:
Champagne Cocktail
30ml Cognac VSOP
3 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
1 sugar cube
Brut Champagne/Cremant/Cava (Dry)
Orange zest
Method:
Coat sugar cube with the Angostura bitters then drop into a Champagne flute. Add the cognac to your glass then top with Champagne. Spritz with orange zest.
For more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.com
To see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and check out their websites below:
Fortnum & Mason Winter Sparkling Tea
Read about Moe Aljaff and his bars here
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Boy, oh boy do we have a bumper episode lined up this week and it’s all about the ‘L’ word, luxury.
After mixing ourselves a cocktail (a cognac based Sidecar, seeing as you’re asking), we pick out two luxe products. The first is Seventy One Gin, a super tasting, super looking, super model of a gin, the other is Grand Marnier Cuvée du Centenaire.
Our book review sees us celebrating the words, wisdom and recipes from one of our favourite bars, Claridge’s, and our featured bar takes us to the best bar in the world (#official), the Connaught.
Then it's over to industry legend Salvatore Calabrese to hear how he made cocktails for The Queen, created magical moments for Stevie Wonder and shook up the world's most expensive cocktail. But that's not all. With over 50 years the industry under his belt, the man they call 'The Maestro' imparts some invaluable advice to aspiring bartenders, shares top tips for creating luxurious drinks experiences at home and tells us all how to make his Breakfast Martini like a pro.
It's a longer episode than usual but well worth the listen. Please let us know what you think.
What we're mixing:
Sidecar
50ml (2 parts) cognac
25ml (1 part) Cointreau
25ml (1 part) fresh lemon juice
Fine sugar for rimming glass
Orange twist
Method:
Shake cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice over ice. Strain into a chilled coupe glass, the rim of which has been dipped into fine sugar. Garnish with a twist of orange.
For more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.com
To see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and check out their websites below:
Claridge's – The Cocktail Book
Grand Marnier Cuvée du Centenaire
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We love this time of year. Not only do we get to layer up in our favourite winter clobber (huzzah), it gives us the chance to highlight some of our favourite warming spirits. Like The Busker, a delightful new range of Irish whiskies and Ron Santiago De Cuba Ron Extra Añejo 11 Years Old, a deliciously smooth, agreeably sweet rum all the way from sunny Cuba.
Our bar review takes us to the Highlands, courtesy of The Macallan Manor House at Rosewood London while our library pick celebrates the many wonders of one drink, the Negroni, a tiny book packed with over 30 inventive recipes from gin lovers David T. Smith and Keli Rivers.
Another book very much in focus in this episode is The Art of the Bar Cart by Vanessa Dina. We were so inspired by her fabulous tips and tricks on styling home bars that we tracked her down in San Francisco to find out more.
What we're mixing:
Jameson Orange Hot Chocolate
50ml Jameson Orange
200ml hot chocolate
50ml whipped double cream
Dark chocolate shavings and orange zest to garnish
Method:
Mix 50ml Jameson Orange with 200ml hot chocolate. Layer the top with the whipped double cream. Garnish with dark chocolate shavings and grated orange zest.
For more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.com
To see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and check out their websites below:
Negroni by David T. Smith & Keli Rivers, published by Ryland Peters and available from all good book shops
Ron Santiago de Cuba Extra Añejo 11 Years Old
The Art of The Bar Cart by Vanessa Dina published by Chronicle Books and available from all good book shops
The Macallan Manor House at Rosewood London
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Another fortnight, another cocktail-tastic episode…
This week, we're taking inspiration from the big screen with 'Shaken: Drinking With James Bond & Ian Fleming'. Written by Edmund Weil, who just happens to be a distant relative of Fleming's, it's the official 007 cocktail book and as it's packed with fabulous recipes by Bobby Hiddleston and Mia Johannsen from Swift, we're sure even Daniel Craig would approve.
From the drinks cabinet, we've gone for products with serious credentials although neither brand takes itself too seriously. The first is a kick-ass chilli-infused spirit drink called A Horse With No Name, the other is a delicious range of canned cocktails by Whitebox Drinks.
Our bar review sees us heading back to Old Street in East London for delicious Gibson cocktails at The Gibson Bar, while our at home mix along is dedicated to one of our listeners, Flora Marriott. If you have a recipe that you'd like us to feature, drop us a line and we'll do our darnedest to make it happen.
What we're mixing:
Aviation
50ml London Dry Gin
12.5ml Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
12.5ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
10ml Crême de Violette Liqueur
Cocktail cherry to garnish
Method:
Shake ingredients over ice. Pour into a chilled Cocktail glass. Add cocktail cherry to the bottom of the glass.
Here's looking at you Flora!
For more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.com
To see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and see their websites below:
Shaken: Drinking With James Bond & Ian Fleming
To find out more about Pritesh Mody and to order his bottled cocktails, see World of Zing
The Cocktail Lovers podcast is available every fortnight. Please subscribe so you never miss another episode, and while you're at it, why not leave us a review?
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Cocktail lovers take note, 11th-17th October is all about one spirit: rum. To celebrate, we chat to the Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell about the category in general as well as how to choose a rum to suit your palate and what's in store at the upcoming RumFest on 16th October.
But before we get to the interview, there are the reviews… In this episode we share our thoughts on Dima's Vodka from Ukraine, Amaro Santoni from Italy and the flavours of Japan to be found at Sachi and Sakaya, two bars in one building – Pantechnicon in Knightsbridge.
Tristan Stephenson's Curious Bartender Rum Odyssey from our cocktail library brings us back to the rum theme and the cocktail we're making this week seals the deal.
What we're mixing:
Rum Old Fashioned
50ml dark rum (we used Santa Teresa)
2 1/2 tsp either Demerara or Muscovado sugar syrup (2 parts sugar to one part water)
2 dashes Orange Bitters
2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
Orange peel to garnish
Method:
Stir all ingredients over ice in a Rocks glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
The Cocktail Lovers theme music is by Travis 'T-Bone' Watson
For more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.com
To see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and see their websites below:
RumFest
The RumFest trade event is on 15 October
RumFest Live and RumFest online is on 16 October. The live session will be split in two sessions 12-4pm and 5pm-9pm; the online session lasts for 5 hours
Spiced Rum Show 17 October
Tickets and information from rumfest.co.uk
The Cocktail Lovers podcast is available every fortnight
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Welcome back!
London Cocktail Week kicks off on 1st October, running to 31st October (hurrah!) and to celebrate, we begin our second season by catching up with its founders, Hannah Sharman-Cox and Siobhan Payne to talk why it runs for 31 days, what's on the agenda and what they're looking forward to on the LCW calendar.
We keep the London theme going by reviewing two product ranges created by London bartenders. The first is EasyMixt, the ultimate hack for mixing up simple and delicious cocktails at home, followed by Everleaf, a trio of non-alcoholic drinks created to deliver big-time flavour experiences.
The Savoy Cocktail Book, from one of the oldest venues in the capital comes under the spotlight in our book review and we head to Soma, one of the newest to check out the super cool decor and try out the Indian-inspired drinks.
What we're mixing:
Bramble
Created by the late, great London bartender Dick Bradsell
Ingredients
50ml/2 parts London Dry GIn
25ml/1 part freshly-squeezed lemon juice
12.5ml/1/2 part sugar syrup
12.5ml/1/2 part creme de mure liqueur
Method:
Shake the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup over ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Top with more crushed ice and form into a mound. Drizzle the creme de mure over to create a streaking effect. Garnish with a blackberry and lemon slice. Serve with a small metal, paper or sustainable straw.
The Cocktail Lovers theme music is by Travis 'T-Bone' Watson
For more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.com
To see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and see their websites below:
For the full London Cocktail Week programme and to sign up for your £15 wristband to entitles you to £7 cocktails, masterclasses and events across London, visit londoncocktailweek.com
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Question: How do we round up our very first (mini) season? Answer: With some incredibly tasty treats to keep your palates primed for what's coming next, that's how!
We've got gin – not just any old gin but the gorgeous, bursting with herbaceous goodness Savoury Gin from those clever chaps at Portobello Road Distillery, and we sample the creamy but light and quite frankly, luscious Disaronno Velvet Liqueur.
For the last bar review of our first season, we had to go pretty spesh, so we headed back to Claridge's (any excuse) and settled in for a sumptuous cocktail hour at Davies & Brook. Did you know that award-winning Chef Daniel Humm's Michelin-starred London restaurant had a dedicated bar? Well, it does and we recommend getting yourself down there pronto!
And our chosen book for this episode is one very dear to our hearts: it's The Negroni: A gaz regan Notion by the late, very great gaz regan (lower case 'g' and 'r' intended). Filled with all kinds of nuggets and noodlings about his favourite drink, it includes variations on this most classic of cocktails from some of the best bartenders in the world. Speaking of which, we check in to the recently opened Argo at the Four Seasons in Hong Kong to talk to Lorenzo Antinori about the dos and don'ts of cocktail garnishes.
What we're mixing:
Breakfast Martini
Created by the legendary Salvatore Calabrese aka the Maestro, this drink truly makes for a breakfast (or brunch) of champions. Make it at home and ask for it at Donovan's Bar at Browns Hotel.
Ingredients:
50ml Gin
15ml Cointreau
15ml freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 bar spoon fine cut or no peel marmalade
Method:
Pour all ingredients into a shaker and stir to dissolve the marmalade. Add ice, shake and fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with shredded orange peel.
For more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.com
To see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and see their websites below:
The Negroni: A gaz regan Notion (currently out of print but have a check on Google)
Season two of The Cocktail Lovers podcast is coming late September. Be warned: it's going to be super cool. Expect more fab insights from movers and shakers from around the globe, more bar reviews (hopefully, Covid will ease up so we can bring you our pick of locations from our travels), more fabulous products and, oh yes indeedy, plenty more episodes. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
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This week we're flying the flag for Britain. Not in a jingoistic way, far from it. We're merely celebrating a few of the many fab people, places and products that are currently on our radar. It just so happens that they are made or conceived in GB. Like Filey Bay Single Malt Whisky, the first (and only?) whisky made, matured, bottled and batched in good old Yorkshire and The Cocktail Society, a drinks subscription service based in Oxford.
As far as reading material goes, we pick out the 15th edition of Difford's Guide To Cocktails, created by UK-based Simon Difford. Packed with 600 new and 900 revised cocktail recipes, it's essential reading for cocktail lovers everywhere. Meanwhile, our bar review takes us to Christina's, a brand new bar shining a light on the best of British ingredients, aperitivo style.
Lastly, we check in with Remy Savage at Bauhaus in London to talk all things glassware – from the beautiful range of glassware he's formulated for design company Nude, to how different styles of glasses affect the overall drinking experience. Fascinating stuff.
What we're mixing:
Dark 'N' Stormy
50ml / 2 parts dark rum
25ml / 1 part fresh lime juice
10ml / sugar syrup
2 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters
Ginger beer
Fresh lime to garnish
Method:
Mix all ingredients, except ginger beer, in a Collins glass. Stir and fill glass with cubed ice. Top with the ginger beer, stir again and garnish with a wedge of lime.
For more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.com
To see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and see their websites below:
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We continue the summer drinking vibes with some fab products to have on your radar. Such as Sipsmith Chilli & Lime Gin from their limited-edition Sipping Series, and Equiano Light, a new white(ish) rum dedicated to one of the most fascinating men in history, Odulah Equiano. From our groaning cocktail library we pick out 'The New Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need To Know To Think Like A Master Mixologist', a fabulous guide packed with top tips and 500 recipes from King Cocktail, Dale DeGroff.
Our bar review sees us soaking up the bright, brilliant and beautiful decidedly summery drinks created by Tato Giovanni at recently opened Sucre and Abajo and we gen up on all things tequila and mezcal with the queen of agave spirits, Ivy Mix.
What we're mixing: Piña Colada
50ml Equiano Light Rum (or white rum)
25ml Coco Re'al Cream of Coconut
25ml fresh pineapple juice
5ml fresh lime juice
Method:
Blend all ingredients together over crushed ice. Garnish with a dusting of nutmeg and three pineapple leaves.
For more from The Cocktail Lovers, including signing up for our digital and print magazine, visit our website, thecocktaillovers.com
To see the products featured in this episode, check out our Instagram page @thecocktaillovers and see their websites below:
The New Craft of the Cocktail: Everything You Need To Know To Think Like A Master Mixologist With 500 Recipes by Dale DeGroff
The Spirits of Latin America – A Celebration of Culture and Cocktails, With 70 Recipes by Ivy Mix
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