Alcademics

The last night of our too-short press trip to London with Plymouth
gin, we hit the town for a second night of barhopping.

First up was Salvatore's at Fifty, a bar owned by legendary bartender
and author Salvatore Calabrese. He told us stories of serving martinis
to the queen, inventing the breakfast martini, and how his mother gave
him his first hangover cure. The drinks were heavily vodka-based and
full of citrus, unlike anywhere else we went in London, but each one
had a surprising element or taste profile that really worked. I had
two drinks with vinegar in them.

Next we hit the bar in the Dukes Hotel for martinis served tableside.
They wheeled out a small cart, put a drop of vermouth in each frozen
cocktail glass, displayed the freezer-fresh bottle of gin, then poured
it directly into the glass. Then they cut off a lemon peel strip and
cracked in in half over the drink before dropping it in. A great
presentation, but I like my martinis with a little water in them.

Next up was Hawksmoor, a meaty restaurant with largely excellent
drinks. This place and several others had a tiki section on the menu
of drinks split into several categories, usually old style types like
flips and sours. After a long meal that left us all uncomfortably
stuffed, we took off again.

Green & Red was next. It's a tequila bar and Mexican restaurant with a
DJ playing downstairs. We had a round of margaritas and a shot of Ocho
tequila, then were out the door.

My final stop of the night was at Milk and Honey, a membership bar
with a New York outpost we've all heard of by now. I had a scotch
drink with ginger and honey, and a sherry cobbler, and of course a sip
of everyone else's cocktail too. Generally quite good drinks.

Also I hadn't realized it was so big- four floors with a bar on each-
and that they have reciprocal memberships with a few other bars.

Anyway, suddenly it was three in the morning and I had to get up at 7,
so it was time to bid London goodbye.