Presenting… The LCS at The Hide Bar

This special evening was all smoke and mirrors…well smoke and bubbles at least. The Hide Bar team had got their hands on some new equipment and they wanted to play, with an audience to play for. Enter The London Cocktail Society. The evening was all about twists on the classic based on four base spirits; we started with gin.

Paolo made 6:1 martinis with Bermondsey Gin – we were, after all, on Bermondsey Street – and a Noilly Prats and a squoosh of lemon scent from their antique atomizer. This was not the gin I would choose for a martini but one of my favourite drinks nonetheless.

Then. THEN. They took the martini and added it into what I can only describe as a time-capsule-soda-stream. You put the liquid into this glass cylinder, attach the CO2 can and add till full. Shake firmly. And there you go, fizzy martini. “Was it good though?” I hear you ask. It was interesting, the bubbles softening the alcoholic kick but did nothing more than that. Then our bar tender added a few martinis to a decanter and then with the help of a rubber pipe smoked that drink with freshly lit wood chips. Block up the top. Swirl it around a bit. (Don’t worry, it won’t over smoke). And how did this one perform? It had hints of black BBQ char and finished with a smokey bacon note. Don’t get excited, it was not that tasty. And lastly – a fizzy smoked martini. This sat undrunk once tried…

So onto the next classic spirit that was tequila and the classic margarita. The process of fizzing, smoking and fizzy smoking was the same. The result was very different. This is because tequila already spends some time in charred barrels during the aging process so the smoke automatically integrates better. The best of the lot was the straight up smoked.

NB Despite this being a one-off event, The Hide Bar has many unusual drinks on the menu including a smoked tequila drink so pop along if you are intrigued.

Next the team presented a Mint Julep and a Rum based Old Fashioned. Unfortunately I had other commitments that evening but I was informed the smoked Mint Julep was the triumph.

A lot of fun. A lot of great Christmas present ideas for cocktail and food geeks. As for the taste, I am yet to be convinced that my classics need these specific twists. 

(Many many thanks to Mark at www.thecocktailgeek.com for the photos - mine got lost in transit!) 

Seven and LAB G, Brixton Village: 17/20 and 8/10

Location: Brixton Village, wander till you find it! 

Website: www.sevenatbrixton.com  

Visit: Saturday night

To Notes: go downstairs if you can, out the front gives great people watching

Scores

Ambiance 5/5

Design 4/5

Drinks 3/5

Staff 5/5

Was it booking through my blog that got me the best spot in Seven? I don’t know but I was delighted to pull up on a Saturday night having nabbed the last reservation to perch on a high stool looking out over the entertaining Brixton market maze of corridors (and directly into the “Religious Relics” shop managed by a  cowboy?!)

The evening started very well with a bottle of chilled water filled with cucumber (on of my must haves) and the cocktails all looked great. We opted for a Basil & Ginger Beer Mojito and “Guns of Brixton”, a twist on the Old Fashioned. The first was a little boring but the latter more than made up for it with an orangey smoke haze captured in the bottle!

Then we wandered to the back to choose some Pixtos (mini tapas from Basque) to keep us going whilst browsing the menu. These change daily and you just keep the skewer it came on to be added at the bill at the end. Chorizo and Manchego chunks disappeared quickly and the refried beans were delicious and very moreish. As good as the food was, I would start at Seven for a cocktail and pixtos then move onto another of the restaurants, partly because there are so many places to explore and partly because they are great value for money.

From the “a la carte” we went for Patatas Bravas – my tapas staple and ultimate test – sharing board of meat and Pimiento del Padron. The peppers were some of the best I’ve had and what looked at the outset to be mayonnaise and ketchup on the potatoes turned out to be a lovely combination of spicy tomato and garlicky sauce, if only the potatoes were a little smaller than the half roasters we had! And with the meat board covering four different meats with gherkins, that was us full!

The upstairs was hosting a private costume party at the back – one I have noted for my birthday – and there is one toilet and a few more seats and a lovely haphazard selection of furniture. Staff were knowledgeable and friendly and I look forward to returning soon.

Website: www.facebook.com/LAB.G.Brixton  

Visit: Saturday night

To Note: Not much...

Scores

Ambiance NA

Design NA

Drinks 5/5 (i.e. ice cream)

Staff 3/5 (end of the evening tiredness had set in...)

After this we wandered to LAB G after I had read how good the ice cream was. There was not the crazy selection of flavours I was hoping for but my god the salted caramel was good. And they really squeeze a huge amount into a one scoop tub. Great value for money, great flavours, will be back for more!