London Cocktail Week: The Candy Store

Callooh Callay + Colin Dunn = pure entertainment. 

And once again this dream team have come together to present Charlie's Chocolate Factory set in the Candy Store (that will also run in the Upstairs Bar until end of November).

The 'room through the wardrobe' offers "alcoholic candy floss"; we chose rum and gingerbread, and a vodka, almond and cherry. They tasted...sugary... but were still  a delicious treat. Tables were packed with strawberry laces, popcorn, bonbons, gumballs and boiled sweets to help yourself to. And the menu, specially developed for the installment with fabulous whisky cocktails, is innovative as well as offering flights of whiskies and chocolate pairings if you missed the classes this week. Oh and did I mention that its made of rice paper, so yes, its edible! 

We were then invited through the curtains and up the stairs to The Candy Store with its fabulous red and white striped wall paper and rows and rows of old sweet jars. The whisky line up was Johnnie Walker Black, Gold and Platinum and each was accompanied by a "bean to bar" chocolate morsel carefully considered by chocolatier Amy Woods. They were well matched, especially the last example which really added a biscuity almond element, but I have to say I would have enjoyed a good truffle more...

I like these whiskies the "wrong way round" with Gold at the top, Black then Platinum. But it was a mere whiff of Lagavulin that got the most appreciation in the room and made my plus one immediately declare himself for Islay. 

The cocktail menu here is why you should visit, immediately. If it is possible, I think this may be their best one yet! 

Happy 2013!

Hello

Welcome back

Happy New Year etc etc

So, what were your 2012 bar highlights?

Instead of looking back I am going to look ahead. Antico, Bermondsey Street, is revamping their bar - a plus to have a bar to wait for a table in their fab restaurant but never quite got the feel right - and is re-opening the second week of January. Dray Walk off Brick Lane is going to be the foodie haven for 2013. My own little project with The Table in Southwark is almost at take off point, watch this space for a soft launch on their cocktails menu. 

And my personal ambition - hitting those 5* hotel bars. Now I have the money (work allowance), motivation (our brands are well placed for these venues) and time (with just one full time job to run!) I look forward to drinking well and making new friends. 

I also vow to visit Callooh Callay on a regular basis, do not make enough of my Jub Jub status and I apologise! 

If you have any suggestions or you'd like to know if I've been somewhere just drop me a note. And if you fancy a review just let me know where you are, but no free drinks accepted, that's bribery...

London Cocktail Week : Wednesday - Tanqueray Todd

Colin Dun of the whiskies.

Jill Saunders of the gin.

Diageo with the money.

Callooh Callay as the setting. 

This was Tanqueray Todd's Barber Shop. 

I started at the front with Mrs Lovett's LCW cocktail, which was delicious though I forget what was in it!

Then with my party arrived we were shown through that famous wardrobe door and into Colin Todd's (!) world of butchery and... pies. Yes, the deal here was pie and cocktail for £10 or pie, cocktail and a hot shave in the Jub Jub for £15. 

On being told the various pies that were on offer we then had four Beef and Potato thrown down.The service wasn't a problem - that was all very in character - but we had no choice as well as the pie being a tad hard. Oh well, soon our drinks followed in beautiful, specially made Tanqueray tankards complete with CC logos and glass bottoms. The mulled drink was delicious,  

We asked why there were glasses on the table and told it was for tastings. When we asked if we were going to get to taste anything some gin came over but with the caveat that most people don't get to taste. I think this was just a mix up with so many people coming and going for Colin to see.

And in between all this was the ever brilliant Colin Dunn circulating the tables as the gory Sweeney and recounting history to the soundtrack of rather scary music from Sweeney Todd the musical, at times making conversation with the person beside you impossible as the screaming crescendo-ed, very atmospheric!

We peeked upstairs at the barber shop and it seemed rather strange (to me) to lie, legs up, in a reasonably busy bar. However i was reassured by the hosts that the hot towels across the face is the most relaxing thing. Well! Not quite as good as last year I think, but a fine effort, far exceeding most bar's this London Cocktail week, and always different. 

Presenting…Bowmore & Paul A Young Chocolates

From perhaps the most famous – and certainly most distinctive – of the whisky regions comes the Islay Single malt of Bowmore. One of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, they choose to dry their malt with hot air for 45 hours, and peat for just 15 hours, so it does not have the power or an Ardbeg or a Lagavulin but it does make for easier drinking and a good one to start Islay novices on. Bowmore is also mainly aged in ex-Bourbon casks and these come from just two sources - Heaven Hill and Wild Turkey. So introduction over and our host Phil Nickson (clearly a Colin Dunn fan!) started us off with some tricks when tasting:

        

-     Try to smell the whisky with your mouth open

-          Little sniff first so you do not burn the senses with ethanol

-          Put your hand on top and shake (or pour a little into palm), rub till dry then smell your hands

Our first whisky was Bowmore 12 Years Old (40%) paired with Sea Salted Caramel filled chocolate.

Colour of golden syrup

Smell of bonfire smoke, TCP, BBQ char and vanilla really comes through with a bit of time in the glass

Taste is sweet at front, more of that vanilla with sharp brine on sides of the tongue

The match? The dark chocolate coating finishes the whisky really well adding bitter notes to the vanilla

Then onto Bowmore 15 Years Old (43%) with a Dark Chocolate Truffle

Colour is darker gold from more sherry influence

Smell is liquid caramel with some medicinal notes and a lot of (fresh) fruit

Taste is spicy from extra 3%, deeper sugary richness and has a coffee finish, yum!

The match? Not as strong I do not think but again a nice bitter/sweet match

The third was Bowmore 18 Years Old (43%) with a birds nest type thing of Dark Chocolate and Nuts

Colour was darker again from extra barrel time

Smell was even sweeter, sweet chestnuts roasting and fruit cake – Christmas anyone??

Bowmore and peated malt

Taste was spicier still, with milk chocolate and nuts

The match? I don’t like nuts so…No Comment!

No onto the big boys and Bowmore 10 Years Old Tempest Batch 3 (55.6%)

This whisky is aged by the sea wall in their warehouse so there is a lot of salt on the palate and this is really very much bonfire smoke. There is also a bigger punch at this alcohol level so a bit of water goes a long way to bringing out the complex web of flavours. At around £45 if you are looking for a special present for a whisky fan this may hit the spot

And lastly a whisky that cost £300 a bottle, which only has (now!) 119 bottles available in the UK and sits at cask strength 52.3%: 1985 Bowmore. All I can saw is a heady mix of TCP and honeycomb. What a treat, one to enjoy without tapping away at the tasting notes!

As ever, thanks to Callooh Callay for hosting these awesome tasting opportunities - and for the incredibly tasty mini hot dogs too! 

Presenting...Callooh Callay's New Menu

Callooh Callay members were invited to sample the new menu on Thursday so I signed up with 3 friends - two were CC virgins! 

On arrival I was given my personal menu - a cassette tape with the insert being the menu, fantastic and great 90's style being brought back into fashion. Unfortunately I do not have anything to play the tape in! 

Having already tried one or two that the team had been experimenting with I opted to start with one of the most outrageous on the menu - MARMAGEDDON! The glass was rimmed with marmite - yes, the yeast based spread - and filled with Ocho tequila, lime and beer and it was fabulous. Though none of my friends told me I had marmite on my nose all night one did declare the tequila so good it was like whisky. 

Next I went for the Black Forest Cocktail which was a highlight for me. The mix of cognac, seve, chocoalte bitters and cherry puree satisfied my sweet tooth without being at all cloying and sticky. The grated chocolate was actually the cherry on top. From my friends choices the Ale of Two Cities was really interesting and I was delighted to see Anice and Nephew has stuck it through to this new menu.

If you haven't yet been to Callooh Callay I have one thing to say - WHY NOT? This really could be the best bar in London in my opinion. 

(Must add the kitchen was having problems but their scotch eggs, burgers and hot dogs are worth returning for alone)

Presenting…Giuseppe Gallo of Martini

Martini. A drink I associate with my 17 year old flat mate in first year of university getting read for a night out and mixed with lemonade. A classic Italian aperitif to ready you for your big Italian family dinner originating specifically from Turin.

What is it though? Tuesday past a packed room of novices and experts packed Jub Jub to find out

It is vermouth, a fortified wine flavoured with over 40 botancials (herbs, roots and barks) both macerated into water and infused can generally be classified into two categories:

French aka Dry

Italian aka Sweet

So we started with ROSSO which smells distinctly of sage but the palate is very different with port like fruits, cinnamon and also citru lingering with a bitter, herb driven aftertaste. It serves in more cocktails than I can list including MITO (developed between Milan and Turin), Manhattan, Americano, El Presidente and Negroni – all with their own fabulous stories of origin and all coming seriously back into vogue. And of course the humble Martini itself.

The white or BIANCO was designed to appeal to the female population and has distinct notes of vanilla and again a bitter finish.

Serve – with freshly squeezed lime, lots of ice then you could always add basil too like a Caipirinha. No sugar required, the Martini is sweet enough.

ROSATO has a firmly fruitier nose with fruit, spice, banana and raspberry with a hint of rose.

Serve – described as one for the men (only in Italy!) and best served with Prosecco

Lastly the GOLD, almost impossible to find and soon to be discontinued as the design agreement comes to a close. This was designed between Martini and Dolce&Gabbana, made with saffron which also added to the colour and helped name it.

Serve – with ice and fresh ginger rubbed around the rim of the glass

So what do I think? Well I was looking for a vermouth at a decent price (it lasts about 6 weeks in the fridge if you are not drinking all the time) to make Manhattans with and I will certainly give this one a try. In fact if summer comes round this year I can see a punch bowl filled with Martini Roasto, Prosecco, mint , strawberries etc and see what friends think as a tasty and cheap alternative to Pimms. 

We finished the night upstairs in the Jub Jub Club enjoying a Spag's Head (on the new menu) and another Martini drink (I forget which) but both are on the left and both are delicious. As for our host, Giuseppe Gallo was personable, entertaining, charming and I hope to attend another of his events soon. As always, a huge thanks to Callooh Callay for putting this on.

Presenting...Pisco and Arrack (I know, what?!)

Callooh Callay’s first Tasting Tuesday of 2012 was a little off the cuff, a change from the polished brand ambassadors who know frankly everything you throw at them. But this was new territory for me and as a virgin Pisco/Arrack taster I had no idea what I would find in my glass.

We started with Ceylon Arrack, here are the facts:

-          spirits distilled from coconut appendage sap caught in clay pot

-          takes 5 to 6 tress to get enough sap to distill for one bottle

-          the guys climbing up the tress for your drink are called toddy tappers

-          this version comes from Sri Lanka though there are various national versions

-          it starts fermenting almost immediately with no yeast added due to climate

Ceylon has been in production since 1924 and is produced using the continuous still method. There is no set aging but average is 3 years in Sri Lankan wood. This is dense and impenetrable, similar to using steel. It does not impart anything but allows the product to harmonise and mellow.

Colour: pale straw

Nose: slightly meaty, powerful, almost old claret like, spicy

Palate: slightly meaty, malty, strangely fresh

Mixed with coconut water: palate softens, adds sweetness but nose becomes even stronger

It is not like anything I have had before, almost incomparable, but I am not sure that I will be ordering this at a bar anytime soon but if you fancy trying it mix with ginger ale

Then we moved onto Aba Pisco, this one coming from Chile and alternative versions from Bolivia and Peru:

-          distilled from wine of Muscat grapes

-          Aba is only made with the juice – no skin, no stalks

-          similar to cognac or grappa

-          takes 10 kg grapes to make one bottle

So this spirit is dsitlled twice to 60-70% and is allowed two months to settle and breath; French oak aging is now going on within the Aba brand. It is then diluted (as opposed to distilled like in Peru) down to 40%.

Colour:White

Nose: Floral, grapey like a Southern France sweet wine, honey, pear, honeysuckle

Palate: Spicey from alcohol, grapey, melon, honeysuckle, honeyed pear, soor ploom notes

If you fancy trying this one what about a Pisco Sour

3 parts Pisco

1 1/2 parts lemon juice
1 - 2 tbsp sugar

Add all ingredients to a mixer with ice. Shake well (until ice is melted) and serve

Many thanks to http://www.calloohcallaybar.com/ for putting this on

London Cocktail Week: Day 4 The Doctor and more

Thursday 13^th October

Well, on day 4 I certainly worked my wristband hard. I started a restaurant highly recommended by my (vegan) friend – Saf, 152 Curtain Road. At just past 6 o’clock I was the lone drinker at the bar but all the more time for me to really find out what these guys are up to. To start with their signature cocktail was

Milk and Gin

It was their final hoorah to summer with their autumn menu coming in next week. This was reflected in the freshly picked rosemary, bringing out the herbaceousness of the Scottish Caorum gin, mixed with white tea infused almond milk, sugar syrup and lemon juice. By the name and the ingredients I expected, well, a sweet tea. What I got was a clean, fresh uplifting drink that was delicious. I will go back to drink in this lovely airy space, but I am not yet sold on raw mange tout noodles!

Next Callooh Callay offered

The Doctor Will See You

With the inimitable Colin Dunn. A diagnosis of Diphtheria got me a prescription of Lagavulin 16 yr old mixed with lemon and…various other yummy things to enhance the overriding yet delicious bonfire notes. Scarlet Fever was cured by The Dogs Nose which was gin, porter, egg white and a sprinkling of nutmeg. This surprisingly creamy drink was also fabulous and I loved the old style half pint it was served in; also available at £4 as the Jub Jub signature cocktail. We also tried their signature

Cuban Heat

Although I did not have time to discuss ingredients before drinking, it was very Daiquiri like, and strong! This was countered with scotch eggs, honey sausages and piri piri chicken, and once again the food here never disappoints; flavoursome, well-priced and inventive.

Onto Happiness Forgets, perhaps my new favourite bar. We were welcomed as we wondered into this basement bar (I was looking for a sign on the wall, my companion was following the “look for the windmill” advice; don’t worry there is an A-board outside) and confirmed we were more than happy to take our seats at the bar. They operate a no standing policy, which I baulked at on first hearing this but it makes sense. The bar tenders need time to make their creations and you do not want to push through a crowd to the toilet or have people hovering behind you. The music is chilled jazz, and the drinks are amazingly well priced at £7. We went for the signature

Collaboration

Which combined Kettel 1 citron vodka with yellow Chartreuse (everywhere nowadays), pink grapefruit, soda and the usual lemon juice, sugar etc. This was very nice. I cannot say more. Water infused with cucumber was replenished regularly, a must-have detail for me in cocktail bars.

Lastly, we begrudgingly left this little den for NinetyEight, 98 Curtain Road. A descending metal spiral staircase would be tricky when wet, or if drunk. On arriving the door was open to us but then where do we go? Can we sit down? What was going on with all the fruit over there? We were confused. The representative of Bloom Gin gave up her table (soon to do a smell course on cocktails) so we went to the bar to order as no one seemed particularly switched on. The bar really lives up to its reputation, Louis Quatorce style furniture, elaborate wall designs, white textures mixed with multicoloured mosaic. I liked it. Their cocktail for the week

Over the Clouds

Was, unlike most places, chosen from their menu. You cannot deny the theatrically of this one. A martini glass is filled with candy floss and a beaker of blue alcohol (lavender infused gin?) in poured over the top, dissolving the sugar and revealing a slice of lemon peel. I was convinced there was Cointreau in it but the menu did not confirm, not did the waitress. Other friends that night said they got a whole story on the bar and the drink; we got a shrug of the shoulders. On giving up to leave we met the delightful owner who was so keen we shared our experiences I thought that this relative new-comer could still easily bed into the high caliber of bars the East end offers. She also let us try the Café Patron (coffee tequila) I have heard so much about. I will definitely be back when the craziness of Cocktail Week is over, there is much more to explore here.

Presenting... Mr Colin Dunn

Tasting Tuesday in Callooh Callay this week brought Mr Colin Dunn, Diageo whisky brand manager extraordinaire, and six whiskies which were almost all new to me. I could spend hours writing down Colin's pearls of wisdom here but I will stick with his first rule when tasting: The Nose, which came with:

"I am very much into foreplay with my whisky"

And onto the palate: Hold the whisky in your mouth 1 second for every year of age. So a 12 year old gets 12 seconds in the mouth...if you can handle it.

We started with Johnny Walker Black Label (a blend of 39 single malts and 1 grain don't you know!) which was sweet vanilla all the way through. Next came a 10 year old Talisker (age doesn't always matter!) which gave us both a mouth of bonfire smoke and a beautiful cocktail from Julien Lafond, Grand Marnier brand manager, which was a twist on the whisky sour:

50ml Talisker
20ml Rhubarb Puree (try the Chase brand) 
20ml lemon juice
20ml Black Cherry syrup
Some egg white and topped with a black cherry spray

The last of this flight was a whisky I had neither tasted nor heard of - Mortlach from Speyside. This was very fresh and almost green with a white pepper finish. And if that was not enough a 19th Century appeared on the table.

30ml Talisker

A bit of Lillet Rouge

20ml Creme de Cacao White

20ml Lemon Juice

The next round compared Lagavulin 16 year old to 12 year old and the colour difference in just 4 years was huge. The 16 year old was firey lapseng tea and notes of caramel and although starting soft it powers through and finishes on a bitter note. The 12 year old is floral but in the mouth rich and almost thick with smoke tearing across the tongue and leaving smokey bacon at the end. 

A special treat ended the tasting - a whisky called Saint Magdalaine. This distillery closed in 1983 so although age is not everything this is a piece of history. From the lowlands, it is unusually triple distilled. And what a burn. An honour to try but my favourite of the night - Lagavulin 12 year old, definitely.

And to finish where we started with Colin:

"Smells like teen spirit, tastes like Nirvana"

Classic.  

Callooh Callay, Hoxton 19/20*

Location: 65 Rivington Street, Hoxton/Shoreditch

Website: www.calloohcallaybar.com

Visit: Friday 8pm

To Note? Book a table in the Jub Jub bar and consider how good life would be if granted membership

Scores

Ambiance 5/5

Design 4/5

Drinks 5/5

Staff 5/5

Extra LBS star: *

After a warm greeted at the main bar I was handed over to the more than capable Jub Jub host Dan. It does not take long for the bar name to become apparent as – Alice-in-Wonderland style - I was whisked through a cupboard door and up some curtained stairs where a key was produced allowing entry to this attic bar.

This is not Callooh Callay. This…is the Jub Jub Club.

This free-but-you-need-to-be-a-member club is all about how much you enjoy cocktails. Every Thursday to Saturday there is a mixologist in residence often from further flung areas than when we visited – bar manager Andrea Montague was on call with her “breakfast menu”. She may be local but we sampled some, quite frankly, mind blowing drinks.

I must draw attention to that fact that we were presented – and topped up – with water as we perched at the bar. It’s a small gesture but as with Bramble a good one. From the menu online I was set on starting with Something For The Kids; a heady mix of whisky, orange juice and nutella. The flavours were amazing, layered one after the other to constantly surprise. My companion – a braver woman than me – opted for Alexander Kellogg’s. This was surprisingly, well, breakfast like, and all the more dangerous for it.

We progressed to a Ristretto and Soy Milk Latte’ini’ which was another perfect example of layers of delicious flavours and a hundred miles from the average Espresso Martini. My friend outdid me again opting for Bacon and Eggs which arrived with a cinnamon dusted pig in a blanket. Not only was this combination of sweet and savoury delicious, but the deep yellow glutinous drink it sat upon was so good I was verging on order envy. After this it was off-piste from the menu and anything that came our way!

To be somewhere on a Friday night where the mixologist has time to chat about your drinks, different flavour combinations, your favourite animal etc…is a delight. Leaving this haven to visit the toilets however caused a minor problem getting back in without a key. This is a small point but probably related to the fact we outstayed our alloted time slot when the Club really is “member only”. Music was good, people were all very friendly and obviously looking for beverage excellence, even the tarragon and parmesan popcorn got sticky thumbs up.

My LBS star is for a very similar reason to Scaredy Cat – yes the bar is secret but there are no pretentions here to be anything other than at the top of the cocktail game and if that means issuing members key then so be it.

I say this with my membership request pending so caveat this will be continued…