House Tonic Issue 7

HOUSE

TO N I C Fall in Toronto

SOHO HOUSE’S DRINK MAGA ZINE Launching Soho House Toronto Booze News Cocktail Competitions Bartenders’ Best Shakers Wine Academy Issue 7 -1-

PHOTOGRAPHY: CREELFILMS

Irish Coffee at Soho House West Hollywood -2-

Contents -4Aperitifs Booze News

-6Aperitifs Shorts

-8Aperitifs Martini Cocktail Competition

-10At The Bar Your Friendly Bartender, Nick Antonopoulus

-12At The Bar House Festival

-14At The Bar Soho House Toronto Launch

-20At The Bar Bartenders’ Favourite Shakers

-24Digestif Perfect Coffee

-26Digestif Wine Academy with Christopher Cooper

-28Digestif Tales of the Cocktail

-26Digestif Rising Stars

Editor’s Letter Welcome to the seventh issue of House Tonic – a magazine for bartenders and people who love bars.

We’re passionate about the drinks we serve in all our venues, from the Soho Houses in New York, London, Berlin, West Hollywood and Miami, to Shoreditch House, Pizza East Shoreditch, Cafe Boheme, BKB, The Electric, High Road House, Pizza East Portobello, Hoxton Grill, Little House Mayfair and Dean Street Townhouse in London, as well as at Babington House in Somerset and Cecconi’s restaurants in LA, London and Miami. This Autumn also sees the arrival of Soho House Toronto, Pizza East Kentish Town and in the same building, Chicken Shop and Dirty Burger. Do try them all out if you get the chance. In every site and whether it’s the perfect cup of tea, a cocktail party for a thousand guests, or an iced glass of water on a scorchingly hot day, we take it all seriously. And when we’re not working, we don’t mind the odd drink ourselves, either.

This issue we take a look at the shakers bartenders love to use, visit the crew at Soho House Toronto as the venue launches, take a trip to Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans and catch up on wine, beer and cocktail competition news from around the Group.

If you'd like to join one of our bar teams around the world, email housetonic@sohohouse.com.

Cheers! www.housetonic.com housetonic@sohohouse.com twitter.com/HouseTonic Cover: Illustration by Edward Wood Editor: Rebecca Seal Design and Art Direction: Plus Agency Publisher: Dan Flower Thanks to: Gareth Jones, Caroline Boucher, Phoebe Strawson, Julia Taylor-Brown, Chris Ojeda, Dylan Murray, Oli Juste, Tom Kerr, Michael Frohnwieser, Richard Arnold, Damian Samuels, Patrick Mang, Chris Tomsett, David Greig, Shannon Beattie, Ann Tunnerman, Jay Newell, Paul Mott, Ashley Lent, Lilaj Battista, Jacki Spillane, Hayley Rinehart, Dai Williams, Steven Joyce, Edward Wood, Joel Lardner and Arthur Woodcroft

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NEWS

THE GREAT BRITISH BEER FESTIVAL

Great British Beer Festival Soho House Group sommelier Christopher Cooper led an intrepid team of staff to the Great British Beer Festival, a huge annual event. “The show takes place at Olympia,” he says. “It celebrates the best of British beer and the regional variations between them. There were big breweries there and also boutique producers. You could taste in full, half or thirds of a pint, so you could taste plenty of different beers against each other. Our tickets came via Fullers, who supply us with wines and Champagne, so we went to meet them and try their offerings, which ranged from light lagers to pale ales and an extra special bitter, aged in armagnac casks. It was so smooth and elegant that it was almost like a wine. There were 12 of us in the group, chefs, front-of-house and GMs and it was great to see everyone hanging out together.”

Barbecue Wine Matching On one of the few sunny days in Britain this summer, Christopher Cooper made tracks to Babington House to work with head chef Ronnie Bonetti on a barbecue and wine matching night. “Ronnie’s food was tremendous and we played around white Riojas, which are great with barbecue and some Spanish and Portuguese reds, Carmenere from Chile, Malbecs and dirty, spicy reds like Chianti, which is basically what you want to drink with barbecued food.”

SHAKE IT!

Shaker Face

CROWDS AT ROCK THE FARM

Rock the Farm Rock the Farm is a festival for bartenders, industry insiders and managers run by the folks behind the Chase Distillery in Herefordshire which culminates in the Chase Cup cocktail competition. Little House’s Matt Sloper was there and competed. “It was an incredible weekend put on by the Chase team with tours of the farm and distillery.

My highlight was making the final six for the Chase Cup and taking the stage in front of about 150 people!”

Every bartender has his or her shaker face (to the uninitiated, it’s the look of effort and concentration pulled when shaking a cocktail.

It strongly resembles the face you pull when doing something completely different). To celebrate the beautiful faces pulled by Soho House Group’s London bartenders, House Tonic has made a video. Go check them out on the website – sohohouse.com/housetonic.

Oh yeah.

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42 Below Competition Congrats to Adam Baca, who made it to the regional final of the US 42 Below vodka competition. “The cocktail contest went very well,” he says. “My recipe was well received and even though I didn’t make it to nationals I fought valiantly for Soho House! Here is one of the recipes I used.”

Sweet en-Fuego 1 1/2 oz 45ml jalapeño and serrano-infused 42 Below vodka 1/2 oz 15ml blood orange liqueur 1/2 oz 15ml lime juice 1/2 oz 15ml grapefruit juice 3/4 oz 25ml almond syrup 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters Shake and strain over ice into rocks glass, topped with Earl Grey tea and red-wine infused float and lime zest.

Heineken Soho House has a new beer partner in the UK – Heineken. As part of a two-year long relationship, Soho House bars now stock their premium beers on tap and in bottles, including Amstel, Birra Moretti and Kronenbourg 1664. They’ve already helped make House Festival a success and House Tonic is looking forward to more training and trips for staff too. Cheers!

NEWS

Cocktails in Care Homes

Edible Cinema Back in May the first Soho House Edible Cinema took place at the Electric and was so successful that another was arranged for August at the Aubin Cinema in east London. Edible cinema is a new kind of sensory cinema where guests are fed drinks and foods which enhance their experience of the film. First up it was Pan’s Labyrinth and then Spirited Away. SHG collaborated with renowned experience organiser Polly Betton, experimental food designer Andrew Stellitano and Bombay Sapphire mixologist Sam Carter. Keep an eye on houseseven.com for more similar events at Halloween and Christmas.

A brilliant new project that House Tonic’s European Ambassador Tom Kerr is involved in is Cocktails in Care Homes. Run by Magic Me, an intergenerational arts charity, it does exactly what it says on the tin – raises money through donations to provide cocktail parties (and entertainment) to residents of care homes in Tower Hamlets, a borough of London. It was dreamt up after consultations with residents showed they would love more evening activities. However, fearing their cocktail skills weren’t quite up to scratch, the volunteer team asked Tom to teach them the basics. They assembled in Concrete, the bar space under Pizza East and Tom got them all shaking, mixing and generally having a great time behind the bar. The Shoreditch House cocktail menu launched in its first care home, Silk Court, in September and we hear the parties are better than ever! Find out more, buy an older person a drink or get involved here: www.magicme.co.uk

Seasonal Cocktail As the seasons change, so do Soho House Group’s cocktails and every quarter one of the Group’s bartenders works with Grey Goose vodka to create a bespoke drink. You won’t find it on any of the menus, but those in the know can ask any bartender to whip one up. This autumn, try a Back Garden Martini, created

by Tom Kerr, a refreshing take on the classic Martini, with hints of herbs and spices. To celebrate and explain the inspiration for the drink, Tom and Neil Smith, a chef at Babington House, have made a short film in Babington’s gardens, bar and kitchens – check it out at www.housetonic.com The Back Garden Martini 50ml 1 ½ oz Grey Goose vodka 25ml ¾ oz fresh lime 20ml ½ oz Velvet Falernum 6 sugar snap peas (plus one for garnish) 4 mint leaves 4 basil leaves

SNEAKY!

Grape v. Grain Sommelier Christopher Cooper ran a Grape v. Grain night for members. “We tasted wines against beers that I feel have very similar characteristics,” he explains. “So we matched lagers with Sauvignon blancs for example, and – a bit of a surprise for me! beer won overall, as it was most preferred over the course of the night.” Look out for more of Christopher’s wine events on www.houseseven.com

Converse Shoes Check out the front-of-house crew admiring their new shoes in this snap. Thanks to Office.com, new recruits at all Pizza Easts, Chicken Shop and Dirty Burger get their very own snazzy pair of Converse sneakers, for free. Nifty.

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Muddle all except the Grey Goose vodka. Add the vodka and cubed ice and shake. Double strain into a chilled coupette. Garnish with a fresh sugar snap pea. Pair this cocktail with garden fresh vegetables and Mediterranean dishes.

Want to work in our bars? We’re recruiting in the US, Canada and Europe. Email housetonic@sohohouse.com to find out more or see www.housetonic.com

SHORTS

Oli Juste on where to go in Toronto Soho House Toronto has just opened (see page 14). In the weeks running up to the launch head of learning and development Oli Juste worked and played hard in his new favourite city. Here are his best discoveries.

Another great place to go for dinner is The Saint Tavern (227 Ossington Ave). My new friend, the charismatic, welcoming and funny Steve Doussis (Soho House Toronto’s club manager), kindly introduced us to this place on our first Wednesday night in the city. Now, I don’t usually indulge on school nights, but when Adam Graham (their version of our Friendly bartender) starts to pour Negronis and crack open oysters at the bar... I fell under his spell. Amazingly, all you have to do next if you want to carry on for a bit is cross the street to the Crooked Star (202 Ossington Avenue) to enjoy a final drink before making your way home. Guess what I ordered...?

I spent three weeks in the fantastic city of Toronto for the opening of our new club on 192 Adelaide Street West. Within a few hours of landing, Jimson Bienenstock, the club’s general manager, was already demonstrating the famous Canadian hospitality with coffees, brunch and cocktails (already my kind of guy!).

In search for the perfect, and much needed, first coffee of the day, and my equally important evening Negroni, over the next few weeks I hunted for the best places. Trust me: I hunted...

On my very first morning, my dear old friend Sam Hickman (from Soho House New York and here to help with the opening) took me to Little Nicky for a coffee. Little Nicky (375 Queen Street West) offers the best coffee, either to drink on a stool at the bar in their cute, retro space, or to take out. It reminded me a little of the espresso bars you find in Milan or Rome. You must ask for their “made to order” (on the most amazing little device I have ever seen), mini donuts (6 for $2.75), and if you’re jet-lagged like me why not try their Red Eye coffee... this, I promise, will set you up for the day, or the morning at least.

After a few days in Toronto I was getting desperate and thought I would never find my Negroni fix; until one evening, my marvellous friend Markus Anderson (our Soho House membership guru) managed to wangle a table for us at Cory Vitiello’s Harbord Room (89 Harbord Street). Very last minute, but we got the most beautiful table in their patio at the back. As I say, it’s not how you ask, it’s who you know.

What better way to start an Indian summer evening in Toronto than with a few good friends, a fantastic Negroni (or two) and 24 oysters. Although if you’d prefer a sweeter drink, order their Rhubarb Caipirinha…super refreshing. The food that came up next didn’t disappoint: a great Ontario whitefish ceviche, a beautiful octopus salad with chorizo, chicken two ways (don’t ask, just order) and the lightest Japanese-style cheesecake were some of the best that made it to our table.

After dinner please, please try their Atholl Brose cocktail, a drink dating from the 1400s and revived by Julie Reiner of the Clover Club in Brooklyn, NY. Single malt scotch, honey syrup, frothed cream and nutmeg. We all loved it (even the Scot at the table was impressed).

The guys at the Bar at Terroni Bar Central, on 1095 Yonge Street also got it right. I popped in with Markus and the mighty Reed Mettler (Northern America learning and development coordinator) early evening on a Sunday. The bartenders were keen to talk to us about their menu and the products stored behind the bar in their den. They mixed a really clean and delicious Negroni, made with Italian Carpano Antica Vermouth; Markus ordered his usual Aperol Spritz, gorgeous; and Reed, a Vitaccia.

Although I tend to think that sharing is wasting we did try each other’s drink and were all very satisfied indeed, so much so that we had a couple of rounds...

After my time in Toronto I have been totally Canadianized; as the advert kept telling us on the telly: “Good things gro-o-oow, in, On-tario”, and it is so true. The entire Soho House family has been fabulously welcoming, charming, kind and fun. I have learned so much from the team, from food to service. We never intended to come to Toronto and impose our ethos, but nothing could have prepared me for how much these guys got it. I can’t wait for my next trip.

Note to self (and to readers) when visiting Toronto: Don’t book brunch too early – bars only start serving booze at 11am. Walk along Queen Street and visit NADÈGE Patisserie (780 Queen St. West) for the best macaroons in town (so I’ve been told by many Torontonians). Or if you fancy brunching like a Mexican go to Milagro Queen (783 Queen St. West) where you’ll also find great vintage shops on the same street. Visit Saint Laurence Antique Market (Sundays only), but get there early to catch the good stuff.

Want to join one of our bar teams around the world? Email housetonic@sohohouse.com or see www.housetonic.com

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SHORTS

The Playlist: Music To Drink To Julia Taylor-Brown runs the House Tonic and Cookhouse programmes in America.

This issue she shares her favourite music to drink to

The Drums – Best Friend I listen to The Drums on sunny Sunday mornings while flitting about getting ready for backyard brunch parties. And if you’re having brunch, eating eggs Benedict, your life is not complete without a Ramos Gin Fizz.

Theophilus London - Love is Real For me, this song defines a typical night out in San Francisco – hipster steez. And what, do you ask, does that mean?

Brown-bagged PBR in one hand, shot of whiskey in the other, and lots (and lots) of dancing.

Johnny Cash – I Walk the Line Old Fashioned. All the way.

Penguin Prison – The Worse it Gets A dance party song, all the way! The kind of dance party where you wear a rose gold sequin-covered dress and teeteringly high heels (but of course end up barefoot), white peach Bellini in hand – just like the ones from Cecconi’s West Hollywood.

Brazilian Girls – Good Time Makes me think of one wonderful night spent at the Hollywood Bowl; picnic basket overflowing with goodies, Caipirinhas in hand, shaking it to the Brazilian Girls.

YACHT – Le Gourdon (cover) While I am well aware that it is not actually French, this song should be paired with the French 75 I had recently at Soho Beach House, made with cognac, not gin.

Crystal Fighters – Plage Oh this song! This song means night-time summer pool parties and pig roasts in the Palisades. Daiquiris just pair so perfectly with sandy, salt-swept hair and pig roasted on a spit.

Nina Simone – Feeling Good This is a song fit only for a robust red, to be drunk while winding down the night after a dinner party with close friends. You’re picking at the coq au vin, not quite ready for it to be over, not quite ready to clean up, lingering so you can hold onto the night as long as possible…

Azaelia Banks – 212 212 is so New York and when I’m in New York, I’m all about tequila – either a Paloma, or when I’m feeling particularly feisty, 7 Leguas on the rocks with a squeeze of fresh lime.

Collet Champagne House Tonic takes fizz seriously, so seriously in fact that we sent a select group of staff off to see the house pour, Champagne Collet, being made. Phoebe Strawson reports back. Pop!

Champagne’s best Crus, and its three grape varietals: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Wine producer Raoul Collet founded the Champagne House in 1921, based on both traditional and modern methods, and worked closely with local wine-growing families – 700 of them, who are all shareholders. They produce 10 million bottles a year. Steeped in history and proud of their traditions, they happily introduced us to the making of their fizz. House Tonic enjoyed delicious French food, a look at the ancient chalk cellars, and watched the bottles dance through the bottling factory. www.champagne-collet.com

This summer saw House Tonic and 13 Soho House employees jump on board a luxury coach to the Champagne region of France for two days of bubblefilled indulgence. Taking on the role of host was Morgan Dequillien, who made sure no glass remained empty on the lengthy trip towards the French countryside. Once at our home for the night - Le Grains d’Argent - we were greeted by Maria Ferri, the fabulously knowledgeable export manager at Champagne Collet and our tour guide for the next two days. First stop (and what better place to start?), the vineyards on Grand Cru terrain. Collet obtains its wines from over 2.5 square miles of hillside, including some of

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AT THE BAR

Martini Cocktail Competition Gareth Jones reports back from the fourth Soho House cocktail competition, held at Soho House London.

Photography: Dai Williams

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very quarter, Soho House’s European sites pit their wits against each other to create the best possible drinks and beat down their rivals. The fourth instalment of the House Tonic competition was hosted by Martini Bianco and saw a new format put into place: because so many staff were keen to enter, we held regional heats at our venues in Berlin, Babington, East, West and Central London. When it got to the finals, the calibre was high and anticipation bubbling, helped along by the bar Martini Bianco set up, rocking out excellent cocktails to keep participants and spectators well watered.

After much stirring, shaking and on occasion spillages (most of which kept finding the jacket of Dylan Murray,

judge extraordinaire, director of operational support and therefore not a person you want to douse with your drink), I am pleased to announce your winners: 3rd – Lauren Shaw, West Region, Little House 2nd – Matt Critchley, East Region, Shoreditch House 1st – Edward Perry, Babington House This was definitely our best comp to date with the bar (don’t groan at the back!) again being taken to a whole new level. So a massive congratulations to all, but put your hands together for Edward and the team at Babington House, first-time winners in this competition.

RECIPES 1st place Edward Perry – Babington House

2nd place Matthew Critchley – Shoreditch House

3rd place Lauren Shaw – Little House

Un Aperitivo Italiano

Il Bianco (The White One)

Turin’s Calling

40ml 1 ¼ oz Martini Bianco 20ml ¾ oz Martini Bitters 20ml ¾ Dom Benedictine 3 dash Bitter Truth Old Time aromatic bitters

75ml 2 ½ oz Martini Bianco 25ml ¾ oz Yellow Chartreuse 15ml ½ oz lemon juice (a la minute) 5ml ¼ oz rosemary syrup

40ml 1 ¼ oz Martini Bianco 10ml ¼ oz Manzanilla sherry 15ml ½ oz rhubarb syrup 15ml ½ oz lemon juice 2 dash orange bitters

Stir over ice. Strain into a chilled coupe.

Garnish with orange twist.

Shaken and poured into a goblet filled with crushed ice. Garnish with rosemary sprig.

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Build all ingredients in a cobbler shaker (to minimise dilution and just wake up the drink), add ice, shake and double strain. Garnish with a swathe of grapefruit.

MARTINI COCKTAIL COMPETITION

STEPHANIE RAINBOW BEHIND THE BAR

“This was definitely our best comp to date with the bar again being taken to a whole new level.”

MARTINI WINNER EDWARD PERRY

BLOODY MARY WITH CRAB

JAMIE LEHANE

BAR MANAGERS GREY GOOSE COMPETITION Because bar managers aren’t eligible to compete in the inter-group competitions, they set themselves up with a competition of their own – it was also an unusual opportunity for all the bar managers to spend an evening getting to know each other and picking up tips (and gossip) from other venues. They hunkered down in the basement of Soho House London, where each had to make a Grey Goose vodka cocktail and present it with a matching dish. Standards were predictably extremely high and the drinks were inventive: from fennel infusions served with ceviche to Bloody Marys with crab claws peeking out of the tomato juice. The judges included Ian McLaren and Joe McCanta from Grey Goose, and ultimately they had a favourite: Matt Sloper’s Burger Martini. Congrats Matt!

Matt Sloper – Little House Hold The Relish Boss!

60ml Grey Goose relish vodka (an infusion of lettuce, tomato, onion, gherkin, mustard seed, salt and pepper) 10ml Galliano Balsamico rinse (in place of a vermouth rinse) 3 drops of Jamaican Jerk Bitters Briefly stir and serve in a mini coupe alongside a Little House cheeseburger without relish.

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AT THE BAR

Your Friendly Bartender Nick Antonopoulos, 27 Bar manager, Pizza East Kentish Town Photography: Dai Williams

M

y family is in the hospitality business in Australia, so I started in the industry young, straight after school.

It was something I got into through the family and then I took a real liking for the bar, for the customer interaction and having an office full of bottles and being able to be creative. I love doing a job that means I get to meet people and make good drinks. I did some travelling and worked in bars in Sydney for about three years, and then I came over to London and was searching around for good companies to work for. A friend worked at Soho House and he suggested I apply. I started off as a bartender at Soho House itself in London and I was there for about 10 months before I became head bartender. Then I was offered the job of bar manager at the new Pizza East in Kentish Town which is so exciting. It’s been a great company to work for – they really look out for people who want to move up and rise higher.

We’ve bashed heads together among the team to create a great cocktail list. Obviously there has to be some consistency with the other sites and lots of Italian influenced drinks as well. Then we worked on some different variations on those. Similarly the wine list will have a lot of consistency with the other sites – a lot of people are regulars at the other Pizza Easts and we want to give them some of the same things when they visit us, as well as some new things.

I’ve attended loads of training sessions with different brands in London which have been really cool – with anything from Chartreuse to Grey Goose – and meeting the ambassadors and talking about spirits and their histories. It’s really important to know what’s behind your

bar and to be able to tell a story about your drinks. You get exposed to trainings that you just don’t get working in other places – I worked somewhere else where we had just one vague training, whereas here you get twohour sessions all the time, and that knowledge just jumps straight from the training and onto the bar, which is what it’s all about.

We did Club School to train up the staff – that’s when a new place’s staff gets together and trains together, building up the team and the staff’s morale as well.

My favourite drink is definitely a Zacapa Old Fashioned, made the House Tonic way of making an Old Fashioned but with Ron Zacapa. I wish I had one of those in my hand right now!

When you’re starting out, it’s important to find a good company to work for and then just really commit to the job. Get into it, ask lots of questions. Work hard and show people that you really want it – get on with your peers, bring a smile to the place and it will all go on from there if you’re willing to work hard. The hours can be long and sometimes it feels like it’s too much. At the beginning you do have to prove yourself. But there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel if you’re passionate about what you’re doing. This is definitely where I want to be on my career path at the moment, and I’m always learning new things. I’m stoked to be learning a whole new side of bar operations.

Want to join one of our bar teams around the world? Email housetonic@sohohouse.com or see www.housetonic.com

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YOUR FRIENDLY BARTENDER

“It’s really important to know what’s behind your bar and to be able to tell a story about your drinks” -11-

AT THE BAR

House Festival Every summer, Soho House Group’s UK venues get together to throw House Festival, a one-day feast of food, music and drinks.

House Tonic editor Rebecca Seal was one of the first to grab a wrist band and head through the gates.

Photography: Stephen Toner

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he UK’s summer of 2012 hasn’t been exactly summery, but on the day of House Festival, the clouds parted and the sun came out over Chiswick House gardens. Tents were pitched, grills were lit and bars were set up all over the pretty lawns of the 18th century house, ready to receive around 5,000 guests, all ready to shimmy along to Rizzle Kicks and Basement Jaxx and Lana del Rey. Alongside temporary kitchens serving piles of Chicken Shop rotisserie chicken, Dirty Burgers (Soho House Group’s two newest restaurants), lobsters, dozens of salads, oysters and hot dogs, there were several huge bars tucked under awnings and among the big old trees.

Grey Goose cocktails were the order of the day – although ale, wine and soft drinks were of course on offer, posh cocktails seemed the only way to go on such an unexpectedly glorious day. The bars were run by Joe McCanta, Grey Goose’s mixologist and Tom Kerr, Soho House’s House Tonic Ambassador for the UK, along with his bar management crew.

“This House Festival has to be one of my favourite events,” says Joe. “The

weather was fantastic, which changes the whole mood. I don’t think I’ve served that many drinks to that many people in one go before! We actually got through our entire stock of Grey Goose vodka – we didn’t run out, but we only had one bottle left at the end. That’s never happened to me before, because you always over-budget when you plan these

Le Grand Fizz This was specially designed for the event as a twist on the ever popular Grey Goose Le Fizz. An elegant and refreshing combination of Grey Goose vodka, fresh lime juice and elderflower, served on the rocks and topped with chilled soda.

35 ml 1 oz Grey Goose vodka 20 ml ¾ oz fresh lime juice 20 ml ¾ oz Bottlegreen elderflower cordial 125 ml 4 oz soda water Build all over cubed ice in a highball glass. Garnish with a lime slice.

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things but people were really into the cocktails. We served four cocktails all day (recipes below and on next page). Because the gardens are a fragile site, we couldn’t use glass and instead needed to use compostable plastic cups which meant we had to serve drinks on the rocks rather than straight up. But that was actually a good thing, given that it was an event that went on all day and into the night. And we did four drinks so that people could switch between them without getting bored.”

Joe was seriously impressed by the Soho House teams who worked with him tirelessly under the baking sun and then into the evening. “The difference that the House Tonic training programme has made was tangible. The team was outstanding – all because so much training has been given to the bar staff which has led to a real improvement. There must have been around 100 staff working with me and Tom Kerr (probably the most people I’ve ever briefed for a job!) and they were all terrific.”

If you’d like to work and learn behind our bars email: housetonic@sohohouse.com or see www.housetonic.com

HOUSE FESTIVAL

HULA HOOP CLASSES

GRILLED LOBSTER

RECIPES Fleur de Grey Goose

Summer Gardens

Grey Goose Perle de Mer

The House Tonic cocktail for July, this is a lightly floral mix of Grey Goose Le Citron, fresh pink grapefruit, violet liqueur and orange blossom honey

A bright combination of Grey Goose La Poire, rhubarb, and fresh basil rounded off with tonic water

Inspired by the most quintessential flavours of the sea, this was served at the Grey Goose oyster bar, paired with oysters.

35 ml 1oz Grey Goose Le Citron 60 ml 2 oz fresh pink grapefruit juice 5 ml ¼ oz Briottet creme de violette 10 ml scant ½ oz honey water (1:1) Build all on the rocks. Garnish with a slice of pink grapefruit.

35 ml 1 oz Grey Goose La Poire 100 ml 3 ¼ oz Cawston Press Cox apple rhubarb juice 5 ml ¼ oz Giffard rhubarb liqueur 5 fresh basil leaves splash of tonic water

60 ml 2 oz Grey Goose vodka 3 ml 1/8 oz Noilly Prat vermouth 5 ml ¼ oz olive jus caper berry micro basil

Clap the basil and then build over cubed ice in a highball. Garnish with a fresh basil leaf.

Top with tonic water.

Build over cubed ice and stir in the glass. Garnish with a caper berry and micro basil.

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AT THE BAR

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SOHO HOUSE TORONTO

Soho House Toronto This Autumn sees the opening of the latest member of the Soho House family. House Tonic meets the new team and has a tipple at Soho House Toronto.

Photography: Mark Seelen, Illustration: Edward Wood

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and Olivia Williams all dropped in to celebrate their latest films.

“The film festival parties were fantastic,” says Jimson Bienestock, the new general manager of Soho House Toronto. “Absolutely packed and a phenomenal success.” No matter that the building wasn’t totally finished – the crew knuckled down and threw a series of brilliant events – Keira Knightley, Jude Law

And after the festival, the real business of serving drinks to Toronto’s residents got underway. “I’m excited about everything,” says Ali Winch, the venue’s super-enthusiastic new bar manager. “I can’t wait to develop the cocktail list over the next few months – we’re already working on a new kind of swizzle idea with pineapple, lime and dark rum, as dark rum is finally getting a great following here.”

Alongside Soho House’s creative bar director Chris Ojeda and New York’s head bartender Felix Perez, who has come to help out for a month or two, Ali is in charge of extending the small list and training a new team from the bottom up. “I came to this job quite late in the process, so it was great

or the last three years, Soho House has had a temporary home in Canada during the Toronto Film Festival. Each year a pop-up Soho House was created to host a huge selection of parties and events. Now, that home has become permanent, with Soho House Toronto opening up when the festival took place this September. And what better way to herald the launch of the House than with five whole days of parties?!

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to find Chris had created a cocktail list that I 100 per cent agreed with.

We’ve done a full week’s training with the bar staff and we’ve been training everyone else as well. We have a great team – they are really eager to learn and humble and outgoing, which is the best thing for a bartender to be, right?”

“The cocktail scene in Toronto is relatively small but growing,” says Chris Ojeda. “Which is good for us because it gives us a great space to bring our cocktail culture to. We say to potential bartenders, ‘You know, if you join the team here, you can work and grow as a bartender and add something to the industry and to the community here’. All the bartenders we’ve recruited are local to Toronto too.”

AT THE BAR

“We say to potential bartenders, you know, if you join the team here, you can work and grow as a bartender and add something to the industry and to the community here�

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SOHO HOUSE TORONTO

“Soho House Toronto is housed on Bishop’s Block, which dates from the 1800s. The building was one of Toronto’s earliest hotels, and has been lovingly restored”

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AT THE BAR

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SOHO HOUSE TORONTO

A TASTE OF SOHO HOUSE TORONTO’S COCKTAILS Canadian Rockies Grey Goose L’Orange stirred with maple syrup, Benedictine and cocktail bitters, served in a rocks glass Chin Chin Buffalo Trace bourbon swizzled with our House-made ginger juice and apple cider, served in a rocks glass Garrick’s Club Punch Bombay gin mixed punch-style with lemon, raw sugar, and maraschino all finished with Champagne, served in a coupe glass Whiskey Sour Canadian rye, lemon, sugar and egg white, served in a sours glass

“Initially, the cocktail list will be all about the classics, done well. Over the coming months the team will create new drinks that work for Toronto’s guests” “Toronto is an exciting place right now,” adds Jimson. “Ten years ago there were only fine dining restaurants here, and decent servers could only go so far up the ladder before they felt they had to move to LA or wherever. But then a place called Black Hoof opened up and did the whole dress-down, tattooed thing, and casual dining took off. Our sommelier, Zinta Stephens, worked at their Black Hoof Raw Bar, which is great for us.”

Initially, the cocktail list will be all about the classics, done well. Over the coming months the team will create new drinks that work for Toronto’s guests. “We want to be as seasonal as we can,” says Ali. “So right now we’re working with Concord grapes for example. But obviously Canadian seasons are short, so we won’t get much more fresh fruit until next year. The winter lists will be all about dark drinks.” Chris adds, “It’s a very masculine-looking property, so it fits to be using dark spirits – things like Canadian rye, single malts and rum.”

The Canadian alcohol-purchasing system is a complex one, essentially functioning as a government monopoly and making the state of Ontario the biggest single purchaser of alcohol in the world, which can make it hard to source some of

the things a bartender might want.

“In order to work outside that system,” Jimson explains, “we build relationships with agents and work with private imports, so that we can provide a unique drinks and wine list.” Canada also has less in the way of local producers than some other countries, but local spirits include Alberta Premium rye and Canadian Club, aged in sherry casks.

Zinta, House sommelier, worked with Jimson to create a list that took in Canadian wines (like Closson Chase chardonnay or sparkling Cuvée Peter F Huff, both from Ontario itself) as well as the main varietals from most of the main wine-producing regions worldwide. “We took on the Little House [Mayfair] idea of having a small list of wines priced at $40, $50 and $80 a bottle – just 15 reds, 15 whites, plus rosé and sparkling. I think it’s actually easier to do a 500-bottle wine list than one that’s so compact!” says Jimson.

The space itself is pure Soho House – full of perfectly weathered furniture and antique glassware – but with a Canadian identity. We spied a model moose’s head, mounted on a wall and a framed photo of an ice hockey player’s mask plus Canadian art by Shary Boyle and Douglas Coupland,

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as well as pieces from Soho House’s international collection.

Soho House Toronto is housed on Bishop’s Block, which dates from the 1800s. The building was one of Toronto’s earliest hotels, and has been lovingly restored. The groundlevel club floor includes the club bar and the more intimate library, places to relax with comfortable seating, vintage furniture, a long bar and large fireplace. Upstairs on the second floor is the club restaurant, with a pantry bar stocked with fresh cheeses and aged cured meats. The third floor hosts the Pretzel Bell bar, named after the tavern which originally occupied the building, and when the roof terrace opens next month, members will be able to use a partially covered space with greenery, sofas and armchairs and an outdoor fireplace – all the better for warming up a chilly Toronto night.

Welcome to Soho House Toronto!

Soho House Toronto, Bishop’s Building, 192 Adelaide St W., Toronto www.sohohousetoronto.com Would you like to join the team in Soho House Toronto? Email housetonic@ sohohouse.com for details of how to apply or see www.housetonic.com

“I think it makes people take our work more seriously, as professionals, when we have beautiful equipment. I want to share my collection with everyone!�

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BARTENDERS’ FAVOURITE SHAKERS

Bartenders’ favourite shakers It’s a key piece of kit, so we asked our top bartenders which shakers they love, and why.

Illustration: Joel Lardner

C

ocktail shakers’ distant relations probably started life way back 7000 BC in South America, and the Egyptians were using jars to mix drinks with spices 3500 years later. But what we’d recognise as shaker came into existence in the 1800s when people started using two tumblers to blend drinks together, and they got seriously cool in the prohibition era, when mixed drinks became ever more popular (in part to hide the taste of home-made booze). Most drinking was illegal so the companies who made shakers had to disguise their wares, turning shakers into shoes, children’s toys, model aeroplanes, dumbbells, all of which are now collectibles. When prohibition ended in 1933, the craze went into over-drive, and it was only when WWII started that it slowed down – the factories making shakers switched to making armaments instead.

Nowadays there is huge variety in the shakers available to bartenders: fancy a vintage silver shaker from the Savoy or a perfect two-piece tin? Hit eBay or make for Cocktail Kingdom’s brilliant collection to kit yourself out.

Chris Ojeda, creative bar director, Soho House West Hollywood and US sites “I love many styles of shaker and and use different shakers for different cocktails. But my standby cocktail shaker is a 30oz Vollrath shaker with an 18oz mini. The 30oz is the same height as a 28oz but is a bit more rounded so as to allow the ice to really whip the cocktails and give that

perfect amount of froth and texture to a drink. It does have some issues when making multiple cocktails but then I just temper the amount of ice I use. These shakers are great for double shaking cocktails and they don’t feel like they will ever slip out of your hands when you’re rocking out drinks on a busy night. I also love the 64oz Plymouth Gin shaker that I use for events where I need to make six or seven drinks at a time. My geeky, nerdy cocktail side says it loves my Japanese cobbler, especially when making the House Daiquiri with fresh lime, sugar, and rum. The size is perfect for the little dilution this cocktail needs plus the shape helps create the perfect texture for drinks, even if its small size limits you to making one cocktail at a time.”

Michal Buben, Pizza East Shoreditch “In the last few months I’ve started to collect vintage cocktail shakers. I have nine already, including ones from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. I got my first one from an antique shop in Marylebone and it cost £60. Now I get most of them on eBay because it’s cheaper – I found a beautiful silver strainer on there for £2.22, and I’d seen the same one listed for £165. I think the first seller thought it was just a tea-strainer. Obviously, I bought the cheaper one! I have a silver ice bucket that cost £9, a shaker shaped like a Dom Perignon bottle, a three-piece classic and one that has a cut-crystal base and a silver top. There’s quite a specific one that I want, a bell-shaped shaker, but it costs £600. They date from the 1930s, and

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AT THE BAR

“Shakers are my number one tool. As a cocktail bartender you have to have really good control over your drink, especially ice and dilution�

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BARTENDER’S FAVOURITE SHAKERS

some of them actually sound like a bell when they’re empty. I do use them – I have them on the bar behind me at work. They are a piece of history and I like seeing them in the bar. (If you want to collect shakers, a good place to start is Stephen Visakay’s book, Vintage Bar Ware: Identification and Buying Guide, which is on Amazon.) I think it makes people take our work more seriously, as professionals, when we have beautiful equipment. I want to share my collection with everyone!”

by Phil Ward, ever blunt, and that’s when my over-theshoulder effort began to morph into a straighter, away-from-the-body shake, which I prefer today.

At Babington, as with the rest of Soho House, we are lucky enough to have an equipment programme that’s second to none in my experience. Yarai mixing glasses, crystalcut glassware, Kokiko two-piece weighted tins, forked barspoons, quality two-pronged hawthorns. Two-piece tins adorn every station and the spoons feel delightful in one’s hand. If I ever have to return to the days of Boston glasses that would break every other second, spoons that may nearly leave your fingerless...I’ll take my humble two piece tin any day.

Sam Kershaw, Babington House I’m a big fan of practicality really. For years back in the early 2000s when I cut my teeth as a bartender at Opal Lounge and Tonic in Edinburgh, all we had were the 26oz tin and 16oz glass Boston combo that would always crack or break. I don’t think they were even tempered glass… back then the chintzy shakers shaped like penguins and teapots were mocked as something you’d find in a brica-brac shop. This was way before the current speakeasy thing, with ad-hoc glassware and vintage barware all the rage. There was one kind of bar spoon, where the spoon bit could come off if pressed hard enough (my friend Jason Scott did this at Oloroso in Edinburgh and has the scars to show!) Hawthorns were the horrible flimsy 4-prong things. Oh how we’ve moved on…

Juan Sevilla, Soho House New York “I use the Koriko 28oz with the 18oz mini. They are easy to use and give you a great seal without having to slam the tin. I also like the Japanese Cobbler shaker. I have one at home and I have fun pretending to know how to do a proper Japanese cocktail shake.”

Jay Newell, Soho House London

I digress. About four years ago I moved out to NYC to get a bit of experience there, and through a well-known contact garnered during my time working with Millers gin (Sasha Petraske) I landed gigs at East Side Co. and Death and Co., where I was to come into contact with…the twopiece tin!! These little beauties would never break and made the most lovely sound when shaking hard block ice and kold draft cubes in them. I knew that when I got back to the UK I had to have these in my bar. Sure enough when I left after a few months I found myself re-opening Tonic in Edinburgh all shiny and new after a re-fit. I sourced the two-piece tins, albeit at £30 a set and have used them religiously ever since.

When I worked at Rick’s in Edinburgh with [well-known bartender] Mal Spence about three years ago, he was a big fan of the single Parisian shakers. They were smooth enough to fit in the hands and suited to the hard shake.

Ah, the hard shake! As a realist I believe that the hard shake, two-point shake, three-point shake and 20-point shake are only ever properly utilised when shaking with hard, dry, ice cold, solid ice cubes or pieces. The ‘shake’ must be tailored to the ice quality, which I think is lost on a lot of bartenders. You physically need to shake it hard and long to break down the ice inside. That’s the point.

My ‘shake’ was evaluated on my first shift at Death & Co

“My favourite shaker to use is – hands down – the Cobbler shaker. I find it’s not only very comfortable to use but it looks great. With a Cobbler, once you have your technique down you won’t get a Daiquiri as cold with anything else!”

Erdem Kayalar, Soho House London “Shakers are my number one tool. As a cocktail bartender you have to have really good control over your drink, especially ice and dilution. I really like using Parisian twopiece metal shakers. You can fill it up with more ice than other shakers and they give you good control over dilution.

Also, I believe you should have a good shaking rhythm. I feel really comfortable with two-tin shakers. Apart from that they are really easy to use. When you finish making your cocktail all you need to do is dump it into the sink to be washed; they are not fragile and are high-quality metal so it is really easy to clean them, ready for the next cocktail. As a member of the Soho House bar team I feel really lucky as we have high quality bar equipment, from bar spoons to jiggers and shakers. I also have got my personal equipment: gold-plated bar equipment. They look so cool on the bar top. Like every bartender I love my equipment!”

Got a good shake? Join one of our bar teams around the world.

Email housetonic@sohohouse.com or see www.housetonic.com to find out about vacancies and how to apply.

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DIGESTIF

Kawfee Coffee is hugely important to Soho House group and on both sides of the pond, some serious attention has been paid to beans, blend and technique. House Tonic caught up with Darlington Coffee, which provides the UK sites with java, and LAMILL, the LA coffee house and roaster which services the US sites.

Darlington Coffee Marcin Drzewiecki is Darlington’s training manager: “Before we started working with Soho House, the espresso was a classic old-school Italian, made with 7g of coffee, 25 seconds of extraction and 35ml of liquid and a dark roast. This was great coffee, but trends change and in London the trend is currently for a lighter roast, an idea that came here from New Zealand. More and more small independent coffee shops have opened up in London and across the UK serving a higher dose, lightly roasted cup with floral and citrus notes, rather than the darker French or Italian-style blends.

We’ve trained staff at every site and what we’ve asked is for them to do espresso slightly differently: it’s a lighter roast and the coffee is ground then and there – when an order comes through, that’s when you switch on the grinder. Coffee hates oxygen and and so when you open a bag of beans you have 12 hours to use it. Once it’s ground you have 45 minutes. After all, everything in life is better freshly made, isn’t it?

We’ve also changed the dose of coffee – it’s now 10.5g per shot and since all Soho House coffee contains a double shot, that means 21g of coffee in every drink, with a lovely syrupy mouthfeel.

The length of the shot is now 28 seconds – with more time, more coffee and less liquid you get a double cream texture, no bitterness and lots of fruit.

The coffee cups are also smaller, but with better coffee in them – people often mistake a larger coffee for a better coffee.”

LAMILL - famous for it’s tailormade blends of freshly roasted coffee. Thomas Hodges is its director of coffee: “The Soho House espresso blend in the US is made up of coffee from three different Brazilian farms, one natural, one semi washed and one fully washed processed coffee: a Central Valley Costa Rican, an Antigua Guatemalan and a triple-picked Indonesian Lintong. This espresso blend is roasted to a Vienna roast, meaning the beans are roasted just to a point where they slightly reflect light or glaze and little if no oil is present on the beans. This particular degree of roast is perfect for accentuating

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the sweetness in the coffees while not destroying the subtle nuances or the aromatics. There is no “roasty” flavour, instead, you can taste caramel.

Another coffee, the Soho House blend hails from Guatemala, Brazil, and east Africa alternating between Burundi and Rwanda or Colombia depending on the season. Each part is roasted to a different degree to bring out body in the coffee or accentuate their fruit or citrus notes. For us, the combination of the various roasts and components make for a round and pleasing cup with a clean finish. The Soho House decaf is made of Costa Rican and Peruvian coffees roasted gently to preserve their acidity and balance with sweetness.

All of these coffees are roasted with care on German Probat drum roasters for 12 to 17 minutes and our roasting profiles are constantly tweaked as green coffee is ever changing from season to season.”

Mmm. Make ours an espresso.

Love coffee? Join one of our bar teams.

Email housetonic@sohohouse.com or see www.housetonic.com

KAWFEE

HAND DRIP AT LAMILL COFFEE

HOW TO SPOT A PERFECT ESPRESSO LAMILL’S THOMAS HODGES’ TOP TIPS Look out for persistent crema (the creamy golden brown top layer) Colour should be reddish to dark brown with some tiger striping or flecking No big bubbles It should have an intense and complex aroma The finish should be lasting, round, balanced with little to no astringency Ideally, the volume shouldn’t be more than 1 ½ oz (45ml)

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DIGESTIF

Wine Academy It’s been a busy year so far for Soho House Group sommelier Christopher Cooper. After setting up Wine School, which every member of staff who works with wine can attend, he went on to start Wine Academy, which is for staff who’d like to take their knowledge further.

Christopher explains more:

“Wine Academy is much more involved than Wine School and I run it twice a year. It’s about equivalent to the standards expected from the British Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) except it is much more Soho-House focused. It’s more about our wines and wine styles and why we serve them, than the more niche wine types. So we look a lot at Italy, France and at things like New Zealand Marlborough or Argentinian Malbec, rather than more unusual regions like Bulgaria or Romania, which don’t really make up our lists.

It’s a four-day course, 9am to 5pm, so it’s intense. I try and have at least one representative from each venue, and a group of around 12-15 people.

The final day I allocate to the business of actually making a wine list, which isn’t something that’s taught very

often. We look at how to put together a list, which wines to choose, how to price them, sourcing wines, how to deal with a wine from your list not turning up from your supplier or the vintage changing, and managing your suppliers generally.

I think it’s hugely beneficial for people who want to move up into management to get this kind of knowledge – they need it and it really will benefit their sites in future. It’s a bit like that phrase, “give a man the tools to feed himself, and he’ll feed himself for life” – hopefully we’re giving people the tools to develop their careers. Plus, I’m not Superman!

I have 13 venues to look after and sometimes they have to fend for themselves, so I want to help them with that. I don’t want anyone to feel like the wine lists are my wine lists –

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they’re not, they belong to the staff in each venue.

The brilliant thing is that several of the Academy graduates from this year have already moved into management, so I can see that it’s working.

Graduates this session were: David Stewart, Tatia Merebashvilli, Antonio de Rosa, Inga Riznikaite, Marcio Goncalves, Alberto Pias, Florent Cordeau, Abdurrezak Akgundogdu, Ben Laplace and Tony De Faria. They all got a proper certificate and a magnum of a lovely wine to take home and celebrate with! Many are also being taken on a trip to Northern Italy by one of our suppliers, Berkmann Wines, which is a brilliant bonus.”

If you’d like to work and learn behind our bars email: housetonic@sohohouse.com or see www.housetonic.com

WINE ACADEMY

“Wine Academy is much more Soho House focused. It’s more about our wines and wine styles and why we serve them, than the more niche wine types” CHRISTOPHER COOPER

WINES TO TRY IN SOHO HOUSE VENUES Christopher Cooper picks three top wines from lists around the group Cantina Colli Euganei Prosecco We’ve changed the house Prosecco to this one, an extra-dry style that works as an aperitif and also really well in cocktails. We started off with 25 Proseccos and narrowed it to six, and then finally two. But the acid test was with Giacomo, the longstanding Italian GM of Cecconi’s in Mayfair and he went with this lovely one.

Martin Codax Albarino This has a real lemony zest to it so is great with fish – I always think it’s great to match the citrussy flavours you’d use when cooking fish with the wine you drink with it. Because it comes from Galicia in northern Spain, right on the windy Atlantic coast where the vineyards start at the top of the cliffs, you get a real salt-water freshness in the wine.

Fred Loimer Gruner Veltliner This winemaker is a bit different from other Austrian winemakers: his labels are more modern in design and he doesn’t use the traditional tall narrow bottles either. This is dry and apple-y and delicious – halfway between a perfumed riesling and a citrussy sauvignon blanc. It’s a versatile food wine too – great with pork as it’s got apple sauce notes to it, or with grilled tuna.

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DIGESTIF

Tales of the Cocktail 2012 Work as a bartender in one of Soho House’s American sites and you could be jammy enough to be sent to Tales of the Cocktail, for, you know, research purposes. This year, Juan Sevilla from Soho House New York and Luigi Capasso from Cecconi’s West Hollywood went along.

Here are their tales from the trip.

Juan Sevilla New Orleans is a great city by itself, but toss in parties, events and seminars and it makes it an event you want to go back to every year.

Every corner that you turn you run into delicious food and fun music performed by bands on the streets.

Plus you bump into familiar faces that you might only see once a year here, when bartenders and drink enthusiasts congregate to celebrate the cocktail.

We came, we learned, we drank. Here are my highlights: The Bacardi 150th anniversary handshaken Daiquiri competition: This took place at The Chicory in the

warehouse district. There was a salsa band for amazing ambiance, good food, and of course so many versions of the classic Daiquiri. The people behind the bar were from all over the country as they’d each won a regional competition to get to New Orleans.

The Gin Aroma Academy Seminar: This was great for the gin lover. We used aroma kits (the first of their kind) which allowed us to smell 24 botanicals individually.

The Ins and Outs of Cocktails on Tap Seminar: Cocktails on tap are something that we do at Soho House NY so this was really interesting. The seminar taught us which equipment industry leaders use and showed how to batch a cocktail on tap.

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Pig & Punch: As the name suggests, we drank punch and ate roasted pig.

The party was created by Scott Baird and John Harris from San Francisco.

There was no charge to take part in the festivities, but donations were taken and all proceeds went to a local school and bartenders volunteered their time.

The Spirit Awards: The awards are very well done, like the Oscars for bars. I feel like going on a little tour and visiting all of the bars that won...

Luigi Capasso I arrived in New Orleans on Friday evening and started my Tales of the Cocktail adventure off right by going straight to the Bacardi 150th

TALES OF THE COCKTAIL

“Incredible music, a DJ and lots of gin.

Lots and lots and lots of gin”

COMPETITORS AND REVELLERS AT TALES

anniversary hand-shaken Daiquiri competition, where 12 bartenders were competing against each other.

For the People’s Choice awards they gave us gambling chips like you get in Vegas so we could all vote for the best bartender.

The next day I stopped off at the Oxley Gin Tasting Room. It was a very, very warm day and Oxley Gin was making a floral and berry gin-infused granita-style ice cream, just perfect for the weather!

From there I went to a seminar about flavoured spirits, which was very interesting. The panel was made up of a master blender, a spirits expert and a flavourist (a flavourist creates alcohol flavor profiles for liquor

companies). They explained about proofs, ingredients in flavoured rums and flavoured spirits, the difference between natural and non-natural flavoured spirits and how they translate into cocktails. Afterwards, I quickly stopped by to check out the bar wares at the Cocktail Kingdom pop-up at Hotel Monteleone.

That evening we all went to the Spirit Awards, which was very cool, and then to Juniperlooza at the Sugar Mill which was just an amazing place.

There was a food stand for fish and chips and one for shepherd’s pies, incredible music, a DJ and lots of gin.

Lots and lots and lots of gin.

New Orleans is such a cool city. It is very, very hot and humid (there

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were points when I wanted to find somewhere indoors just for a quick blast of AC), but an amazing place.

It is the perfect city for this event since so many cocktails are from New Orleans, like the Ramos Gin Fizz. New Orleans is also a city you need to listen to, because music comes from everywhere. There are instruments in every window you look into and music plays on every amazing balcony (of which there are many) and every street corner. Some people play for money and some people just for fun.

New Orleans is filled with artists, people who look like they have lived their life and have stories to tell. As soon as you talk to somebody you can tell if they’re from New Orleans. www.talesofthecocktail.com

RISING STARS

Rising Stars Every issue, we like to recognise the unsung heroes of Soho House Group bars. Here are our rising stars!

Cecconi’s Miami Yonder Marquez, nominated by Rick Nani I’d like to nominate my barback Yonder Marquez. Yonder has been with us over a year now and proves to be reliable and quick to learn, he knows his job and does it well!

High Road House Ilaria Chiarucci, nominated by bar manager Myles Donneky Ilaria is a rising star at HRH. Always smiling and hard at work! Constantly running around, she can work mornings or evenings and is always looking to help others. Always the first at training sessions and constantly wanting to learn. She really shows the boys how it’s done properly!

Cafe Boheme Pawel Kowalski and Kamil Pacewicz, nominated by general manager Gwyn Jones I have two fantastic bar backs here – Pawel Kowalski and Kamil Pacewicz.

Pawel is so pleasant to work with. He always has a smile on his face and is so keen to learn. He gets along with everyone in the team and is in line to become a future bartender of Boheme. Kamil is also just as hard-working. He has increased his

drinks knowledge tenfold and will do anything you ask of him. Both are an absolute dream to have in the bar – couldn’t ask for better bar backs.

Hoxton Grill Anne Sophie and Jamie Lehane, nominated by Stephanie Newton I would like to nominate Anne Sophie and Jamie Lehane. They have been relocated to Hoxton in east London from the Electric in west London (which is temporarily closed), never once complained and got stuck in from the outset. They are both an asset to the company.

competitions and always represents Soho House in a big way.

Soho Beach House Nick Nistico, nominated by food and beverage director Marcus Nicolaidis Nick displays an excellent understanding of his craft. He projects enthusiasm and energy in all of his efforts and cocktails every time he steps behind the bar.

Soho House West Hollywood James Bowers and Gina Kent, nominated by creative bar director Chris Ojeda

Soho House New York Adam Baca, nominated by bar manager Juan Sevilla

I would like to nominate James and Gina. James, our head bartender, was one of four bartenders we sent to Tales of the Cocktail. He has been participating in competitions all around the city, consistently placing in the top three. Gina has been doing very well both at Soho House West Hollywood and in local cocktail competitions. She recently placed 2nd in a Bombay Sapphire competition, and one of her cocktails will be featured in an upcoming competition with Luxardo.

Adam Baca had been a great help with our bar programme and consistently contributes amazing cocktails to our menus. He enters numerous cocktail

If you’d like to work and learn behind our bars email: housetonic@sohohouse.com or see www.housetonic.com

Soho House London Vital Petiot, nominated by bar manager Jay Newell Vital is developing at an amazing rate.

He is a very charismatic and polite young man. He takes time to give onthe-job training to help develop bar backs and more junior bartenders. A definite head bartender in the making.

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WANT TO WORK IN A

GREAT BAR?

PHOTOGRAPHY: DAI WILLIAMS

With sites in London, Somerset, Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and Berlin, plus more on the way around the world, the Soho House Group is always on the lookout for exceptional staff. We offer high quality training, excellent support and you might even get the chance to work in venues overseas. We want to help you develop a great career in drinks.

If you'd like to join one of our bar teams in Europe or the United States then please get in touch: email housetonic@ sohohouse.com, visit www. housetonic.com or call Gareth Jones on +44 (0) 20 7581 2569.

We'd love to hear from you!

You can also ďŹ nd us on Facebook and Twitter.

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BACK GARDEN MARTINI CREATED BY TOM KERR THIS FRESH HERBACEOUS TAKE ON THE CLASSIC MARTINI IS AVAILABLE IN EVERY HOUSE BETWEEN AUGUST AND OCTOBER – JUST ASK THE BARMAN. TO SEE HOW TO MAKE THIS COCKTAIL GO TO WWW.SOHOHOUSE.COM/HOUSETONIC

for the facts drinkaware.co.uk ©2012 GREY GOOSE, THE GREY GOOSE BOTTLE DESIGNS AND THE GEESE DEVICES ARE TRADEMARKS AND/OR REGISTERED TRADEMARKS.