London Cocktail Week : Wednesday - Rhuby Cocktail Competition

Rosie Paterson, Voodoo Rooms

Rhuby Liqueur. From Rhubarb.

Its pink. For girls.

And so was the cocktail competition – Pink Your Drink - with the aim to support Breast Cancer Awareness as well as female bartenders.

So it was that I popped into the LCC Shaftsbury Avenue (with its female manager Sarah) to witness my first ever all female cocktail competition. And my, wasn’t it pink! From the hair and make up to the clothes to the Rhuby with prosecco drink. But despite the support that the girls had for each other they were also in it to win it.

The seven finalists from across the UK had a tough job on their hands with just minutes to make two cocktails as well as putting a Rhuby twist on a classic – chosen from a hat before their turn “on stage” – all the while entertaining the judges and crowd.

There were great drinks and even better stories playing on family ties and holidays but in the end the winner – by 0.5 points – was Naomi Fletcher from Hawksmoor with:

Flip It Twice

50ml Rhuby Liqueur
25ml Arette Blanco tequila
10ml Vanilla syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
1 Whole egg
Small piece of lemon zest

Combine all the ingredients in a Boston tin and dry-shake first without ice, then again with ice. Double-strain into a chilled Sours glass and serve straight up. Garnish with grated nutmeg.

What struck me more about this competition than any other I have attended was the camaraderie. As the girls awaited their turn, chewing nails and running through supplies, the others were all there offering support, encouragement and friendship. Frankly, this is lacking at other events where bars form cliques around their contender. I wonder why no one thought of this before…?

Oh and the Rhuby liqueur itself? Ridiculously heavy yet beautiful bottle. Tasty surprisingly balanced drink. Look forward to playing with it soon.

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

LCC Goodge Street: 19/20*

Location: 61 Goodge Street, W1T 1TL

Website: www.londoncocktailclub.co.uk 

Visit: Friday night, and it was PUMPING! 

To Note: Go early or book if you want a seat, this could get messy...

Scores

Ambiance 5/5

Design 4/5

Drinks 5/5

Staff 5/5

Extra LBC star: * Of course, that's for GM Lee 

I arrived about quarter past six on a Friday and nabbed the last two bar stools though a group looked like they had been enconsed in the back for hours and couples would like the booths that run down the wall as you enter and look out on the action. It did get busier as the night went on, being lent over on occasion to place orders, but the bar men are incredibly on the ball with keeping everyone happy and drinking. 

I started with an Aviation, made with Bombay Dry I was delighted to see and a delicious, fresh cherry was a nice touch. I also had a little bowl of the honey nad mustard sausages and I cannot recommend the food enough! Like Callooh Callay, there is some serious work going on in the kitchen and the pairings are well wroth checking out from sliders to popcorn. Then when my friend arrived and ordered a Pina Colada, a drink I avoid at all costs, I had to take a sip and found it balanced really nicely (as well as a big tasty garnish). We moved onto some more classics (of The LCC) but the smokiness of the Bacon and Eggs (a favourite of mine) was too much for her so I took over and passed over a daiquari type drink that was made for me and which she promptly ordered again! 

I finished on an Earl Grey Martini served with a strawberry topped custard cream on the side of the tea cup. Another triumph, that's all I can say. 


Fabulous team behind the bar. Awesome music. It took all i had to drag myself away for dinner. At 9pm. 


I will be back. 

Chase Presents... Rock The Farm

On a surprisingly pleasant Sunday morning a crowd from “the industry” boarded a bus to Hereford for a special event run generously by William Chase and his team – Rock the Farm. On arrival the lovely marketing girls (thanks Hattie!) dished out the wrist bands, we then pitched out tent and headed out for pizza and the first drink of the day: HOBSONS ALE. This is from a local brewery and I tried the Twisted Spire. This was really fruity and a great summer drink, I will look out for it again in London. They also have an ale – Old Prickly - which donates money from every pint sold to hedgehog preservation, LOVE it!

Next we signed up for a farm tour led by eldest brother Harry Chase. This was one of the most interesting parts of the visit for me, really seeing the spread of the farm including fields of potatoes (on a 1 in 5 year rotation) interspersed with orchards and they also raise cattle on the side. (The waste is invaluable!) This year has not been kind with the rain and wind, and many of the fields had patches completely flattened with a fifth of the oil seed crop was lost. It was especially interesting to talk about biodynamics, how the moon affects the growing cycles and also see techniques – like drip irrigation – that have been taken from Argentinean wineries and used in an English orchard for the younger trees. It was also, simply, beautiful.

Onto the tasting room and for the first time I was half way convinced by Chartreuse. This is a spirit I had always decidedly avoided, as it normally came out at the end of a dinner party with somewhat middle class friends or I remember my dad putting it in hot chocolate when ski-ing. It comes in two colours, who knew?! The green, a blend of 130 herbs still made by monks, is 55% so this explains my revulsion at drinking it straight from the off however the yellow! The yellow has the addition of honey and this sweetness really rounds the bitterness of the green herbs and would be lovely, I think, with a cream soda mixer. As for the green, add some limoncello, soda and some citrus and this is a great refreshing drink to mix up for friends and they will be surprised by what is in it!

Onto the cider next, another product from Hereford and we had Tom Oliver, the man himself, to talk us through the range of Olivers Ciders. What really stood out for me was the medium dry Perry blend. This was so good I would genuinely consider replacing sparkling wine at an event for this bubbly goodness, wonder who would notice…? There “premium” range is even made in the champenois method and then we moved onto the vintage stuff, from 2010. “Blue cheese!” I declared as my mouth ran ahead of my brain but in fact this is correct, and strange as it sounds it was very tasty but would go better with food. You cannot deny the passion that drives these guys too.

Onto the Chase stand and we worked our way through, well, everything! And those boys have been busy with cask finishes from Bourbon, Islay Whisky, Brandy, Rum…and then there is the Raspberry Vodka, Rhubarb Vodka, Juniper Vodka (?), Marmalade Vodka and of course the classic Chase that is still one of the creamiest vodkas I have encountered and the single product that has held me captive since they started. One last look around led us to the Top Secret products, and yes of course we tried the Stupidly Hot Vodka. Perhaps I had tasted too much by then but it was, well, nice… Yes there was burn but I think for a Bloody Mary with a kick you couldn’t do better!

So after that we descended into general bad behaviour and debauchery with music from Reverend and the Makers amongst others and an awful lot of dancing.

Thanks to my tent buddies Gin Monkey and Sarah (who has a great post found here), the LCC crew for an awesome time, the Exhibit guys for rocking with us, all the producers who shared their passion and products and of course the WHOLE CHASE TEAM for their fearless 2^nd year of entertaining some of the worst behaved crowd around! 

Presenting...The London Cocktail Club venues

The London Cocktail Club, perhaps you've been? They have "locations" at Covent Garden (6-7 Great Newport Street) Goodge Street (no 61) and New Oxford Street (224 Shaftsbury Ave).

I have been to two of these and both were great, as well as distinctly different. 

The first at New Oxford Street (and run by my friend Sarah) was buzzing even by 6.30pm. They also have a fabulous cocktail hour but with the caveat of having to have the same cocktail on the 2-4-1 we chose to go "a la carte" and I started with the Bacon Martini aka heaven in a glass. There were others but this was the most memorable. And did I mention the mugs of (free) tasty pop corn to accompany your drink?!

The design of the bar means that there is privacy to be had, with pillars to peer round and various bunkers to be booked, even finding the toilets is a challenge for the evening. The staff are friendly and more than happy to accomodate the roudy birthday groups with a smile.

Somewhat like the Covent Garden Cocktail Club that is downstairs and members only though this is bookable and free to join. Don't let the huge mirrors on the walls decieve you, this place is not big so hold onto your cocktail if standing near the bar. I am not sure that the skills behind the bar are the same standard as at New Oxford Street but the barmen are friendly, clearly enjoying themselves and fully behind the mid 90's disco soundtrack they were rocking on a Saturday night - total crowd pleaser. 

These places are a great antitode to the much maligned ECC (that I have not been to as risk of a bad evening). They are fun, unpretentious, skilled-at-cocktails bars where you will not leave without a smile on your face. Winner.