Presenting… GINSTOCK

8 gins. 8 bars. Offering 8 cocktails. This was Ginstock.

It was a great start as the sun beat down on the Fifteen sponsored British Street Food Award vendors. Shame that they almost to a man ran out of food just a few hours in but we won’t go into that, I’m sure others will…

PKD's Rhubarb

I was there for the gin, and not to forget this was also a competition. Here is how they rated in my humble opinion:

#1= Sipsmith and Zetter Townhouse with The Gimlet

This was utterly beautifully balanced with 2 parts Sipsmith gin to one part homemade orange and cassia cordial and lemon twist. So drinkable and love the tiny martini glasses for such a potent drink. Went back for more.

#1= Martin Millers and Powder Keg Diplomacy with Gin and Rhubarb Tonic

Another really well balanced drink with the sharpness of homemade rhubarb tonic working really well to created such a fresh drink and loved the stripy cinema popcorn cups too. Well done Matt!

#3 Gilpins and Liberty Lounge with The Herbalisor

Loved the story here, loved the passion of those working for Gilpins, loved the mini g&t sorbets, and although their berry cocktail was more “my thing” the boys loved The Herbalisor, very fresh

#4 Williams and Worship Street Whistling Shop with A Smoked concoction!

This was an interesting combination of citrus and smoke, though it was mainly smoke. Nice, but it could have been any gin in there 

Gilpins Berry Cocktail

#5 Bombay Dry and London Cocktail Club with a Custard Cream topped concoction

Bit forgettable but loved the custard cream!

#6 HVEN and Danger of Death with Dirty Bomb Martini

Good lord, why would you swap olive brine for MEZCAL?! Barely drinkable

#7 Beefeater and Polpo with Negroni

This pre-mix was way WAY too bitter, and I was not the only one saying it, given away

Not tried: Bombay Sapphire and Nightjar with Singapore Sling

I was advised not too so since we were several drinks in I heeded that advice!

Gilpins G&T mini sorbet

Top surprises

§         Williams Gin new Extra Dry Gin offering - delicious, great progress

§         Gilpins Gin and Tonic sorbet in mini cones with a touch of absinthe – world’s BEST hangover cure – as well as their range of tonic waters

Thanks to the band (I recognised the lead singer and pianist from Nightjar) for great music, thanks to all the guys representing their bars and gins who were all more than happy to take the time to tell you about what they are doing and to @tweat_up for making it happen

Presenting...The Blue Rooms at Zenna, Soho

Last night saw the press night launch for the opening of The Blue Rooms - Bombay Sapphire's Vinopolis creation - in Zenna Bar. This launch seems to be - excuse the phrase - killing several birds with one stone. First, Bombay have somewhere to put all their stock of bottles, glassware and bar equipment over the summer months. Why is this important? All Vinopolis inhabitants have been kicked out for Olympic use! Secondly, it is a chance to put Zenna more on the map, though it is seeing ever increasing popularity. Thirdly, it ties in its official launch on 9th June with World Gin Day from @YetAnotherGin. This is the start of a series events for Zenna and Bombay including brand training and the "cocktails olympics" to be run over 5 weeks. It is also an interesting refurb including specially designed shirts for the bar staff, new furniture and a Bombay Sapphire bar turned into the DJ decks, all with the obligatory blue theme. 

Dan, Zenna's manager, has been involved in the creation of the special Bombay cocktails list for this "pop up" and yes I did manage to try most of these. So the Aviation - in the most beautiful glassware of the night (heavy, blue, martini, star design engraved) - was nice, the fresh cherry was a very tasty plus point but I have had better. The Sapphire Summer Sour was not for me since I do not like aniseed flavours but an imaginative attempt to incorporate the indian spices that Zenna normally deal with in their drinks. G&T was served with lime in a bowl glass, fine, I like A LOT of lime with my Bombay G&T. There was also a twist on the Bucks Fizz that was clean and refreshing...a theme for this bar over the "hot" and busy summer months; this is meant to be an urban retreat (my words, not theirs!).


I met the very charming Jari Kutasi who designed the main room's wall collage as well as a video presentation and shirt designer Ross Hancock, surprisingly kookier than Jari, and who I am sure you will cross paths with over the summer months if you venture along.

Zenna had a lot to offer before this Bombay take over, and I encourage you to visit 77 Dean Street on any day of the week. (Don't worry if you are not a Bombay convert, they have the usual stock there too just not on display!)

Presenting...Bombay Saphire (and London Cocktail Week Day 1)

I was chuffed and privileged to make it to the Juniper Society’s much demanded Bombay Sapphire tasting (250 years of their recipe!) on Monday 10^th October. I also liked to think of this as kicking off my London Cocktail Week with a really good education on what would be in several of the week’s drinks.

On arriving, there was a mysterious black curtain stopping us peeking into the space. If this is to be done for all the events it would certainly help considering the noise levels in the main bar can get…rowdy. I was handed an Aviator – Bombay Dry, lemon juice, maraschino syrup and crème de violette. It was very sharp and although I like my cocktails bitter, needed some more syrup. We were welcomed into (very chilly) the room where 8 glasses and the revered Bombay Tasting Kit awaited us. Were they trying to ensure we stayed awake?

After a brief history and drawings of rectifying columns for vapour infusion (whew!) we started with our kits, and the various manifestations of Juniper. There was pine tree on one, more citrus on another, then resin on another. We tried some others such as orange and coriander. And soon we felt prepared to venture our noses into the glasses

Glass 1 – Single note spirit, front heavy = vapour infused juniper

Glass 2 – More weight at the back = juniper steeped for 24hrs

Glass 3 – Juniper, angelica, coriander and liquorice vapourised

Glass 4 – Juniper, angelica, coriander and liquorice macerated

Glasses 3 and 4 were, for me, much harder to tell apart

Glass 5 – Very pine driven nose but lots more orange on the palate

Glass 6 – Raw pepper on the palate from quiet nose, spicy wood notes, almond finish, smooth

Glass 7 – Some pepper, some flower, bit indistinct

Glass 8 – Lots of lemon on nose and develops more over time, cucumber palate

So the conclusion, 1 to 4 were all varietal aspects of Bombay

Glass 5 was Beefeater, glass 6 was Bombay Sapphire Dry (watch this space), glass 7 was Bombay Sapphire and glass 8 was Hendricks – the modern option less juniper driven. We then let them set up for round two and had a final glass of Bombay Punch, a little forgettable after the screw-up-your-face Aviator and the amazing education we were just privilege to.

I have always been a Bombay fan, and I freely admit this is partly down to excellent branding. However reading back over these I cannot wait to see the Dry come to the fore on the UK market.