London Cocktail Week meets Chocolate Week

Chocolate Tales from Dean Street

It was in the steadily increasing rain that a small queue of chocolate and cocktail lovers were standing outside 68 Dean Street. This was a timely collaboration as these two important weeks met and what an event it was. I will mainly do this by pictures, because when it comes to chocolate and cocktails what more do you want?

On the ground floor we had Damian Allsop and Martin Millers Gin, with a two tunnel truffle with one blackcurrant meringue and one green tea covered in ganache to go with the deconstructed Bramble with a ganache and macha powder rim! 

Next floor up was the delectable Santa Teresa Rum (I discovered it last year) forming a Hot Buttered Rum which was divine and paired to another favourite - Rococo Chocolates - and their  salted rum truffle. 

They also had an orange and coffee based liqueur that have been added to their range to try. This is definitely a rum worth looking up. Next door Johnnie Walker Blue were doing their thing with William Curley, a much awarded chocolatier. Johnnie Walker was neat in this case, to work with the complexity of the dessert which was a creme brulee centered chocolate mousse on a whisky soaked raisin sponge base and apricot sauce. William was on hand and very helpful with all my little questions. 

Onwards and upwards to the top floor and the first room was an aperol spritz cocktail with a salted caramel disc from Artisan du Chocolat. The cocktail was served with a cocoa pulp sorbet that did not work well, and this was the room where I saw more leftovers than anywhere else where it was empty glasses ahoy! 

So then onto the final room and one of my favourite chocolatiers - Paul A Young, a name that all Londoners should be familiar with. He was working with AquaRiva tequila - very drinkable - and started us off with a Parmesan chocolate to balance and work with the salt, and then another, I forget which, but god it was tasty! 

Overall this was a lovely evening with everyone talking to each other, people by themselves, with friends, in groups and all determined to have a good time. And it was a dinner in itself if not the most healthy one! Bravo @donalde, Kate and the team for such a sterling effort and such a turn out. 

London Cocktail Week: Day 3 Rum

Wednesday 12^th October

A rapid dash from the office to Barrio Central wasn’t, after all, necessary. Their 6 to 8pm time slot included a welcome drink and platters of food before the master class proper started. So a rather flustered Bar Hopper arrived at Barrio, followed the signs downstairs to the “private event” and promptly collapsed on a sofa with a Claro Daiquiri (2 yr old rum) paired with a Sea Salted Caramel – for this was not any rum tasting. This was a rum and chocolate tasting.

Now I cannot honestly say that this was a perfect pairing, though I see where they were going with the salt and citrus combination classic to the margharita. What did go well were the enormous platters of food that were soon parked in front of me (my friend looked hungry apparently) with ribs, steak, patatas bravas, calamari, nachos and more. We made our way through as much as we could before moving to proper tables, all official set up, and opened our minds to this Venezuelan rum experience.

The first drink was

Lady Rosetta

Made with 2 to 5 year old rum, which for me was more attractive on the nose with a sprinkling of nutmeg, unfortunately not following through on the palate. There was a lot of peach on this, too much of the Archers about it. A white chocolate infused with rosemary and lavender was paired with this drink. It looked like an eyeball but really brought out the herbaceousness of the drink, very pleasant.

The next drink was

Fallen Leaf

And combined coffee, ginger and bitters with a hint of tobacco and strongly reminded me of an updated Black Russian. This was perfectly paired to a milk chocolate with notes of ginger and spice with set off the flavours wonderfully.

Finally the straight rum

Ron Santa Teresa 1976

Which smelt of caramel but clearly expressed the bourbon and cognac casks it had been aged in. This could happily sit with the best digestifs. Paired with 60% dark chocolate with a rare peppercorn, the two flirted deliciously with each other.

The only drink I did not try, never enough time, was the Ron Alejandro – the week’s signature cocktail – which sounds naughty: a heady mixture of chocolate, rum and cream. One to return for another day I feel.