Alcademics.com

London, Re-Revisited: Nightjar, Worship Street Whistling Shop, and Savoy

I was recently in London again, for two nights: one on either side of a trip to Tuscany with Bombaby Sapphire. In those two days I managed to visit the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel twice, Nightjar, and the brand new Worship Street Whistling Shop.

Ahoy, Savoy!

Yes, I was at the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel just one week before this visit. But that was during the daytime so it doesn't count or something. On my first night there, I stopped in for a drink at the Savoy's other bar, the Beaufort Bar [menu (PDF)]. There, there is a heavy emphasis on champagne and champagne cocktails. 

Then I hit the American Bar [menu (PDF)] for a Mezcal Daiquiri, a Negroni, and on the way back a Barrel-Aged Hanky Panky. The latter was the best barrel aged drink I've had so far. Erik Lorincz makes it with four different gins and four bittering agents. 

Worship Street Whistling Shop

The Worship Street Whistling Shop [menu (PDF)], which is both hard to say and to type, is an underground space that was formerly a wine bar. The space has lots of nice leather seating for groups, plus a couple of nooks that are being developed into theme areas. One of them holds a bathtub and the idea is to make it a little room dedicated to gin. Another room may eventually become a ship-themed space dedicated to rum. (The place had only been open a couple weeks so not everything is finished.)

Another small nook holds the laboratory, with two stills and other equipment used to make ingredients in the drinks. Those ingredients include "high pressure hydrosol", "exhaustion tonic", "chlorophyll bitters", and "walnut ketchup". 

Naturally, I chose a vinegar drink, made with whisky, honey and lavender shrub, lemon, and sage dust. Delicious. 

[Confidential to WSWS: Your menu lists some homemade items as WS². If I remember correctly, WS² = WSS. I think you want (WS)², which equals WSWS.]

Nightjar

Ever since I saw (and posted) their menu, I have dreamed about visiting Nightjar. And it turns out it's just a couple of blocks from (WS)². Barcrawl!

The place was dark and more densely fit with furniture than the last bar. And the drinks were way more elaborate. Each one came with a tiny bite of food of some sort or another, and most seemed to be fancily, fussily garnished. 

I had a couple drinks there, as you can see above. The one I hadn't started yet was garnished with mint, two kinds of berries, sugar, a spoon, and a golden straw. Unwieldy, but cool. It also came with a side of some sort of cocktail jelly. 

The other drink I can't remember (it was approaching four in the morning) but both were great. 

Once again, a great trip to London bars. Thanks to Erik, Ladislav, Nathan, Esther, Rich, Matthew, and all the other bartenders who took care of me.  

Great Garnish (And Ice) With Alex Kratena of the Artesian Bar in London

As part of the Bacardi Global Legacy Cocktail Competition, the ten competing bartenders underwent three days of education in London before flying to Barcelona for the big event. I was along for the ride.

On our first day, Alex Kratena of the Artesian Bar at the Langham Hotel gave a talk on garnish. They have an extraordinary program that he shared with us.

But since we all love ice here on Alcademics, we'll start with that geekery first. At the Artesian they have two kinds of ice that are carved by an industrial CNC machine (Computer Numerical Control). The machine is located outside of the hotel and the ice is delivered to them.

The first are ice pucks with the bar's logo cut into one side of them. These are used in cocktail glasses to keep the drinks cold while consumed. You can sort of make out the script lowercase "a" in white in the Spanish Martini below (also garnished with a fish). 

The second type is ice balls. In the picture below you can see the lines on the ice where it was carved.

 

In the video below you can see one of the machines in action. The video is carving a head out of metal.

There is another video of one of these machines carving a car out of ice here.

Okay that's enough for the ice pr0n. Now onto the rest of the garnish.

In that Barrel Aged Mai Tai in the picture above, we can also see a couple of other garnish tricks used at The Artesian. They dehydrate their pineapple slices (and some other fruit garnishes) for this drink. I thought it was an odd decision, but Kratena made the good point that dehydrated fruit lasts a long time so you don't waste all the rest of the pineapple if you don't use it during your shift.

Also on the Mai Tai are candy diamonds and silver beads. They don't seem to do anything for the flavor but they look nice.

They also make one drink with an aromatic steam. If I understand correctly, they make a soda from botanicals that are in gin, then dump this over dry ice in a tea kettle. This makes it "steam" in a really cool way.

The actual drink is served separately in a glass onto which is placed a strainer of more botanicals. I think they pour the tea kettle soda over the strainer on the drink (we didn't see this part so I'm not positive).

He also made some lovely improvements to the citrus peels used as garnishes on glasses. This is a small thing that costs no money that any bar could do.

 It didn't take long to realize that every drink on the menu at the Artesian Bar is put there after much thought and planning. Quite an amazing beverage program from start to finish.

Also, the drinks were delicious.

More London Barhopping

Another two days in London meant another bunch of bars visited. Here's a brief summary. 

We stopped into the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel for a sampling of many of their classics. The drinks we tried were simple, elegant, and of course expertly crafted by Erik Lorincz and his team. 

The American Bar has an odd L shape, with the bar the small part of the L so only part of it is visible from the main seating area. From a bar as famous as this one, you'd think it would be all TA-DA front and center but I guess they didn't need to. 

(American Bar bartenders at the Savoy Hotel)

Later that day (or maybe another day, who can remember?) we hit up Hawksmoor Seven Dials for dinner and drinks.

I've been to London three times and each time to Hawksmoor; a chic steakhouse. Pretty weird as I'm a vegetarian and all.  The place has a steakhouse-meets-gentleman's club feel to it and is located a level down from the street. 

(Hawksmoor Seven Dials)

I don't have pictures of it, but we also had a dinner at Cotton's Rhum Shack, Ian Burrell's restaurant and rum bar. Great food and a great vibe with a live singer in the front, 200 or so rums available, and Caribbean food. 

We also briefly stopped into Danger of Death bar, a members club located on Brick Lane that is owned by the folks from Milk & Honey. Some pictures are here, and as you can see it has the pressed tin walls, lots of booths, and that international speakeasy look. 

The final night in London was capped off by a visit to Mahiki, where I've also been before. Mahiki is a tiki nightclub with lots of booths for private groups. They serve tropical drinks in pineapples and a giant treasure chest. For a nightclub, the drinks are excellent. It's cheesy good fun and we stayed for hours.

 (Treasure chest drink at Mahiki.)

(Pineapple drinks at Mahiki.)

I'll post better pictures later (these are all cell phone snaps) but for now it's off to Barcelona!

London: Paramount Club, Cottons, and Callooh Callay

Yesterday in London I hit three spots. We had an afternoon lunch at the Paramount Club which is on I think the 32nd floor of a building with 360 degree views like this one. I don't know what it's like at night but I liked being there during the day. 

Later that night, we had dinner at Cottons, rum ambassador Ian Burrell's restaurant. The place oozes comfort and good vibes, with a soul singer near the front door, several rooms for dining, and of course a huge rum selection. Funnily enough I ordered a dish that came with roti, the same food I had the last time I saw Ian in Trinidad. 

Then we hit up Callooh Callay, a cocktail bar with a neighborhood feel in Shoreditch. We had a bunch of daiquiris and a couple of bowls of punch in super hipster punchbowls. The bowl sits on a platter covered with astroturf and guarded by three gnomes in Kanye sunglasses. 

That's all I have to say for today. It's going to be a long one. Wish me luck.

Drinks at the Artesian Bar, London

The Artesian is the bar at the Langham Hotel in London. I went there last night. As jetlag has me awake early, I thought I'd share notes on my first bar visit.  

(Cask Mai Tai)

The bar menu is here in PDF format. 

This bar and its bartenders are a class act. Every movement has a little touch of style but isn't so showy that you'd call it flair. Bar nerds like us just sat and watched Alex Kratena and his fellow bartenders do their work, winding up a bottle of bitters or syrup with a swirling upside down motion to add an exact dash, rather than just tipping the bottle over into the drink, and all sorts of similar movements.

(An off-menu tequila and mezcal drink.)

The drinks are served in super-tall stemware bordering on the absurd, but they manange to look appropriately stylish in the setting. Many stirred cocktails come with a puck of ice in the cocktail glass to keep them cool while you're sipping.

Drink garnishes include gold leaf (Milk Punch pic), confectionary diamonds and pearls (See the Mai Tai pic), and a little eye dropper of allspice dram (Milk Punch pic) sitting in the drink. It's really over the top in a way I don't mind at all. 

(Milk punch with eye-dropper of allspice dram)

The flavors of the cocktails were far more subtle than their presentation. The menu calls out ingredients that appeal to the sophisticated drinkers' palate (funky rums, aged cachaca, genever, Batavia arrack) yet they are used with restraint in the cocktails. So you get just a touch of those wonderful ingredients in proportions that wouldn't scare away a drinker who is not used to them. If I were making the drinks for myself, I'd double the amount.

 (Rum Manhattan)

It's an interesting approach - I think a lot of hotel bars that try to appeal to both the tourist and the bartender choose safe flavors in complex combinations; here they do complex ingredients in safer levels.  

Great stuff, great bar. 

 

Liquid Breakfast

My latest post on FineCooking.com is about the Breakfast Martini, the modern classic created by Salvatore Calabrese. 

Marmalade, jams, jellies, syrups, shrubs, sherbets, etc.: It always comes back to preserves. One of these days I'll start learning how to make my own. 

Calabrese will soon be opening a new bar, Salvatore's at the Playboy Club in London. I'll be in London twice in the next three weeks so I'm hoping it opens, like nowish.

 Anyway, that story on the Breakfast Martini is here.

Breakfast Martini
Adapted from Salvatore Calabrese

2 fl. oz. Gin
.75 fl. oz. Cointreau
.75 fl. oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Orange Marmalade

Add all ingredients to an ice-filled shaker. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a strip of orange peel.

Erik Lorincz: The Career Bartender

Last week I had the pleasure of hanging out with Erik Lorincz, Head Bartender of the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London. Lorincz was in town to give a short bartending presentation at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. (The Savoy is Fairmont Hotel.)

We also ended up doing a bar tour of many of SF's top bars two nights in a row. (Somehow, I always end up giving bar tours of SF's top bars. I should get my official tour guide certification.)

Lorincz is only 31 and has one of the most enviable positions in the industry, working at the bar that produced the The Savoy Cocktail Book and carrying on the legacy of Ada Coleman, Harry Craddock, and Peter Dorelli. But from his bio and what he told me, he worked hard to get there, starting right out of high school.

While studying hospitality at home in Slovakia, he got interested in bartending, attended a bartending competition in Prague as a guest, and then signed on for a month-long bartending program there one year out of high school. While in the program he started bartending thanks to a connection his teacher made, and continued to bartend in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. He was a bar manager there as the cocktail scene there was just beginning.

Looking to move forward in his career, he moved to London to learn English. He took a job as a barback cleaning ashtrays and such at the Attica club. Then he found a job bartending in a Japanese restaurant and was intrigued by the Japanese style of bartending, so he went to Japan to meet and study under the famous Kazuo Uyeda.

After his stint working in Japanese bars in London, Lorincz was able to apply his skills at the hotel bar at The Sanderson and then The Connaught. In 2010, he won the Diageo World Class international bartending competition (beating 9000 entrants), and started his position at the American Bar at the Savoy when it reopened on 10/10/2010. 

The point of all of this is: That's some damn impressive focus.

I don't know about you, but I'm on my third career. Though I don't regret the other two in the least, I do think about what would have happened if I'd gone into cocktails and writing right out of college. Heck, I may have even taken an undergraduate English course.

For myself and for many of the bartenders I know, we just wandered into this whole cocktail thing and became fascinated by it. It would have been cool to find that fascination earlier on.

Cocktail Menu: Nightjar in London

Here is the new cocktail menu from Nightjar in London. It has some great looking drinks on it: Galliano balsamic float on a shrub, absinthe smoke, barrel-aged Pina Colada and a bottle-aged Bloody Mary, prune and truffle liqueur, etc. 

COCKTAILS 

THE FOLLOWING PAGES LIST OUR WIDE RANGE OF RARE, REVIVED AND ORIGINAL COCKTAILS. OUR LIST IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR SECTIONS, SPANNING THE GLORIOUS HISTORY OF THE COCKTAIL: PRE-PROHIBITION, PROHIBITION, POST-WAR AND NIGHTJAR SIGNATURES. OUR BAR STAFF WILL HAPPILY MAKE ANY CLASSIC OR MIX YOU A COCKTAIL TO ORDER. 


PRE-PROHIBITION - 1600-1918 
ANCIENT RECIPES AS WELL AS EARLY CLASSICS FROM THE LIKES OF ICONIC BARTENDERS JERRY THOMAS AND HARRY JOHNSON. EXPECT AN ECLECTIC MIX OF FRUITY FLAVOURS, CREAMY TEXTURES AND SOME STRONGER, DRIER CONCOCTIONS.

PROHIBITION: 1918-1932
 SERIOUS COCKTAILS FROM A DESPERATE TIME. MOSTLY SHORT, STRONG, AND AROMATIC  NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED! 

POST-WAR: 1940-2000
ENCOMPASSING OUR TWISTS ON SOME  LATTER-DAY DRINKS FROM THE COCKTAIL HINTERLAND THAT WAS THE POST-WAR YEARS UP TO THE COCKTAIL RENAISSANCE OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM. WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT OUR VERSIONS WILL SURPRISE YOU. 

NIGHTJAR SIGNATURES
 ALL ARE ORIGINAL CREATIONS FROM THE  NIGHTJAR TEAM, MOST CONTAINING INFUSIONS, LIQUEURS OR BITTERSCREATED IN-HOUSE. 

PRE - PROHIBITION

SEASONAL SHRUB £8.50
SANTA TERESA GRAN RESERVA
NIGHTJAR SHRUB: 
SEASONAL BERRIES, HERBS, SPICES
LEMON JUICE 
GALLIANO BALSAMICO FLOAT

JAPANESE
HENNESSY FINE DE COGNAC
LEMON JUICE
NIGHTJAR HOMEMADE ORGEAT
BOGART’S BITTERS

WINTER CUP £8.50
JOHNNIE WALKER BLACK WHISKY
NIGHTJAR HOMEMADE VERMOUTH
KING’S GINGER LIQUEUR 
TOPPED WITH SODA 

MORNING GLORY FIZZ
BAILIE NICOL JARVIE SCOTCH WHISKY
FRESH SQUEEZED LEMON 
FRESH SQUEEZED LIME
DASH ABSINTHE
SUGAR SYRUP
TOPPED WITH CHAMPAGNE

BOBBY BURNS
BLACK BOTTLE WHISKY 
ANTICA FORMULA CARPANO VERMOUTH
DASH BENEDICTINE

COFFEE COCKTAIL
COMTE DE LAUVA ARMAGNAC VSOP
TAWNY PORT
WHOLE EGG
GRATED NUTMEG

JULEP
FOUR ROSES SMALL BATCH BOURBON
NIGHTJAR APRICOT BRANDY
CLAPPED MINT
SUGAR TO TASTE

BISHOP £8.50
HENNESSY VS COGNAC
PEDRO XIMENEZ SHERRY
NIGHTJAR SPICED WINE

VALENCIA £9
MERCIER CHAMPAGNE
NIGHTJAR APRICOT BRANDY
DASHES ORANGE BITTERS
FRESH SQUEEZED ORANGE

PROHIBITION

BETWEEN THE SHEETS
HENNESSY FINE DE COGNAC
DIPLOMATICO RESERVA RUM
TRIPLE SEC
FRESH SQUEEZED LEMON
GOMME SYRUP

THE COLONY 
TANQUERAY TEN GIN
GRAPEFRUIT JUICE
MARASCHINO
GOMME SYRUP

SCOFF LAW
FOUR ROSES SMALL BATCH BOURBON
DRY VERMOUTH 
ORANGE BITTERS
NIGHTJAR GRENADINEFRESH SQUEEZED LEMON 

THE SECRET COCKTAIL £8.50
TANQUERAY GIN
PERE MAGLOIRE CALVADOS
LEMON JUICE
GOMME SYRUP
NIGHTJAR HOMEMADE GRENADINE

REMEMBER THE MAINE
FOUR ROSES SMALL BATCH BOURBON
SWEET VERMOUTH
CHERRY BRANDY
ABSINTHE

DEEP SEA
JENSEN’S OLD TOM GIN
SWEET VERMOUTH
ORANGE BITTERS ABSINTHE

HANKY PANKY
FERNET BRANCA
JENSEN’S OLD TOM GIN
BYRRH

THE EDDIE BROWN
NO. 3 LONDON DRY GIN
NIGHTJAR KINA LILLET
NIGHTJAR APRICOT BRANDY

CORONATION NO.1 £8
NOILLY PRAT DRY VERMOUTH
LA INA SHERRY
MARASCHINO
ORANGE BITTERS
AGED IN LIMOUSIN OAK

POST - WAR 

BOTTLED BLOODY MARY
CHASE VODKA
LA INA SHERRY
TOMATO JUICE
TABASCO
FRESH SQUEEZED LEMON
WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
SEASONED & BOTTLE CONDITIONED

SILK STOCKINGS
EL JIMADOR BLANCO TEQUILA
MIXED BERRY LIQUEUR
EARL GREY CONDENSED MILK 
GOMME SYRUP 

AGED PINA COLADA
APPLETON ESTATE 12 YEAR OLD RUM 
WRAY AND NEPHEW OVERPROOF RUM
NIGHTJAR SECRET INGREDIENTS
GOMME SYRUP
FRESH COCONUT MILK
FRESH PINEAPPLE JUICE
AGED IN LIMOUSIN OAK

THE WIBBLE £8.50
PLYMOUTH NAVY STRENGTH GIN
NIGHTJAR SLOE GIN
MUROISE
GOMME SYRUP
FRESH SQUEEZED PINK GRAPEFRUIT 
FRESH SQUEEZED LEMON 

FOG CUTTER £9
APPLETON ESTATE VX RUM
HENNESSY VS COGNAC
TANQUERAY GIN 
FRESH SQUEEZED ORANGE AND LEMON 
NIGHTJAR ORGEAT LA INA SHERRY

ISLANDS IN THE STREAM £8.50
JENSEN’S OLD TOM GIN
SANTA TERESA CLARO RUM
FRESH SQUEEZED LIME
ANGOSTURA BITTERS
GREEN COCONUT WATER

TOREADOR
HERRADURA BLANCO TEQUILA
FRESH SQUEEZED LEMON
NIGHTJAR APRICOT BRANDY
PEACH BITTERS

ENGLISH MULE
RAISIN-INFUSED G-VINE GIN
FRESH SQUEEZED LIME 
SPARKLING VERMOUTH
KING’S GINGER LIQUEUR 
GOMME SYRUP

AIRMAIL  £9
 SANTA TERESA GRAN RESERVA RUM
ORANGE BLOSSOM HONEY WATER
FRESH SQUEEZED LIME
CHAMPAGNE

NIGHTJAR SIGNATURE 

24 VOLT COBBLER
ELDERBERRY-INFUSED MOZART DRY
FRESH CRANBERRIES
MAPLE SYRUP
FRESH SQUEEZED LIME
NIGHTJAR ELECTRIC BITTERS
MIXED BERRIES LIQUEUR
RED WINE

PEDRO PARAMO £9
HERRADURA REPOSADO TEQUILA
NIGHTJAR BLOOD ORANGE & SAFFRON LIQUEUR
PINK GRAPEFRUIT JUICE
DASH LIME
AGAVE SYRUP

RUPUNUNI £8.50
EL DORADO 3 YR RUM
DASH WRAY & NEPHEW OVERPROOF RUM
SPICED HONEY
FRESH SQUEEZED LIME

LITTLE ENTENTE
BELEVEDERE VODKA 
ST GERMAIN ELDERFLOWER LIQUEUR
GRILLED KOREAN PEAR, MUDDLED
KAFIR LIME LEAVES
FRESH SQUEEZED LEMON
BLUE MOON WHEAT BEER

LADYBIRD £9
SANTA TERESA RHUM ORANGE
NIGHTJAR PRUNE & TRUFFLE LIQUEUR
CARIBBEAN SPICES
FRESH SQUEEZED LIME

BRICK LANE COCKTAIL
BOLS GENEVER
CAMPARI SYRUP
DOLIN DRY VERMOUTH
FRESH SQUEEZED MANDARIN

BARNARD’S BREW
CHAIRMAN’S RESERVE RUM
NIGHTJAR FALERNUM
CARIBBEAN BITTERS
CAMPARI SYRUP
FRESH SQUEEZED LIME

NAME OF THE SAMURAI £9
NIKKA FROM THE BARREL WHISKY
NIGHTJAR GINGER AND RAISIN SAKE 
FRESH LAVENDER
VANILLA SUGAR

BBC
PERE MAGLOIRE VSOP CALVADOS 
BECHEROVKA CORDIAL
ABSINTHE SMOKE