House Tonic - Issue 16

HOUSE

TO N I C

Issue

16

THE SCIENCE OF ICE KITCHEN CUPBOARD COCKTAILS WINTER DRINKS BEST BEERS IN THE WORLD

THE DRINKS MAGA ZINE FROM SOHO HOUSE

ALL ABOUT ICE, P14 2 HOUSE TONIC

HOUSE TONIC

CONTENTS 4

12

26

News from around the drinks world

The best beers – bar none

Cocktails in your kitchen with Bacardi

14 6 Your Friendly Bartender LA's Brian Stewart

8 The Trend Canned beer

9 In Season Hangover cures

10 Courvoisier Cocktail competition

Ice update The importance of frozen water

18 Full of beans Our baristas' favourites

20 Winter cocktails for this season

28 Soho House drinks news

29 What I Drink on Stage with Bipolar Sunshine

30 Soho House stars of the bars

24 Where to drink in Chicago

EDITOR'S LETTER

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HOUSE TONIC COV ER S: Soho Houses New York, Toronto, London, Berlin, West Hollywood, Chicago and Miami, Shoreditch House, Cafe Boheme, Electric House and Diner, Soho Kitchen and Bar, High Road House, Pizza Easts Portobello, Kentish Town and Shoreditch, Hoxton Grill, Little House, Dean Street Townhouse, Babington House, Hubbard and Bell, London, Cecconi’s in LA, London and Miami, and all Chicken Shops and Dirty Burgers.

elcome to the winter 2014 issue of House Tonic – a magazine for bartenders and people who love bars.

This issue, we're taking a look at ice, so important but so often taken for granted. We've got some delicious winter recipes for you to try, at home or in a Soho House venue around the world, as well as ideas for drinks you can make using kitchen cupboard ingredients. And, because it's that time of year, we've got hangover cures, plus the best beers in the world, as chosen by our experts.

EDITOR: Rebecca Seal DESIGN A ND A RT DIRECTION: Plus Agency PUBLISHER: Dan Flower TH A NK S TO: Kate Maxwell, Kate Lauer, Lauren Shaw, Clemency Keeler, Kate Barry, Collette Lyons, Dai Williams, Steven Joyce, Tom Kerr, Marcin Liwarski, Jessica Hopkins

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

Cheers!

COV ER IM AGE: Steven Joyce FACING PAGE: Dai Williams THIS PAGE: Flint Chaney

www.housetonic.com housetonic@sohohouse.com twitter.com/HouseTonic www.facebook.com/HouseTonic instagram: @housetonic

HOUSE TONIC 3

NEWS

RAPPER'S DELIGHT Jay Z has apparently bought the Armand de Brignac champagne brand. The not-so-subtle gold bottles usually retail at around the $300 mark, so it’s hardly a bad investment – in 2011, a businessman spent £120,000 on an Armand De Brignac Midas, equivalent to 40 regular bottles and weighing 45kg, at a London club.

ROSE TINTED Lanique, a spirit liqueur made with attar of rose, was the last word in fashionable drinking 200 years ago, but has fallen out of fashion of late. But now, relaunched by Jersey entrepreneur Lawrence Huggler, it's back. The drink, made by steam distilling thousands of rose petals, is great served with tonic or soda and lime.

GET HOPPY The science of espresso-making has inspired the beer industry’s latest gadget - the Hoppier.

The machine, which could be on a bar top near you within a year, promises to personalise beers with just the right level of hoppiness for each individual drinker, replicating the results of dry hopping (dunking hops in the brew for a full flavour) in just a few minutes, thanks to the use of pressure. (cambridgeconsultants.com) 4 HOUSE TONIC

TASTING WHISKEY Endorsed by bartending legend Gaz Regan, Tasting Whiskey by Lew Bryson is a comprehensive guide to the spirit, from distillation to serving. Regan says, “If you want to know anything about tasting whiskey, you couldn't hope to find a better source than Lew”. (Storey Publishing, $18.95/£12.99)

NEWS

THE SONIC DECANTER Those used to carefully ageing wine in a temperaturecontrolled cellar may not be rushing to invest, but the Sonic Decanter, which promises to electronically age wine, is still a great time-saver. Just 10-20 minutes in the decanter, which is controlled by smartphone app, will improve the mouthfeel, taste and aromatics of young or cheap wine. The project has just achieved the required funding via Kickstarter, and they should be on sale by mid 2015. Find out more on Twitter @sonicdecanter.

WISTON ESTATE Breaking with the tradition of smashing a bottle of champagne on a ship’s side before her maiden voyage, in March 2015, a Nebuchadnezzar (equivalent to 21 bottles) of English sparkling wine will hit the side of P&O’s Britannia. The brand’s new ship is the biggest built for the UK market, and the fact that English fizz will be used to launch it is a huge coup for the West Sussex wine makers, Wiston Estate.

THE LONGEST CRAWL Love pub crawls? Then the latest book by Ian Marchant is for you. The bon viveur, pub singer and writer spent a month travelling from the Turk's Head pub on the Scilly Isles to the Baa Bar in the Shetlands, taking in as many as possible of the British Isles' 60,000 pubs on his way. (Bloomsbury Paperbacks, £7.99)

COCKTAIL FESTIVALS If you're craving a little more cocktail education and it feels like too long to wait until the next Tales of the Cocktail (New Orleans, July 2015) or the Manhattan Cocktail Classic (New York, May 2015), book yourself a place at the San Antonio Cocktail Conference in January, now in its fourth year, or the Golden State of Cocktails in California, also in January. (sanantoniococktailconference.com; goldenstateofcocktails.com).

Would you like to get behind one of Soho House’s bars around the world?

Email housetonic@sohohouse.com or visit www.housetonic.com HOUSE TONIC 5

FRIENDLY BARTENDER

FRIENDLY BARTENDER Brian Stewart, beverage manager, Soho House West Hollywood

My fir st ever job was serving kerbside takeaway for Outback Steakhouse in Lakewood, California. After I’d done a year of taking orders and delivering them to people as they pulled up, they asked me to be a bartender, I guess because I had the personality for it. It was great – I got to hang out behind the bar, get to know the regulars, make frozen margaritas and serve rib eye steaks. There’s nothing better! I did that for four years, which paid for college – I left without any student loans, although I was in college probably a year longer than I should have been. After that, I was hooked: I could have so much fun and earn money at the same time.

I moved from Long Beach to LA, and got a job in a fine-dining place, which was OK. One night my friends and I were in this hole-inthe-wall nightclub and I could see the bar was getting slammed, with just two people behind it, including this guy in a suit washing up. I asked if he wanted some help and he looked at me for a second like he might kill me, and then said yes, showed me what to do, and by the end of the night I had a new job.

Again, it had to be my per sonalit y that got me my first job with Soho House, because I screwed up the drink I was making in my interview so badly. I’d been working at Paul Martin’s American Bistro, where they were into fresh juices and craft cocktails – that was where I started learning everything about mixed drinks. Then I heard Soho House was going to open here on the West Coast and I really wanted to work for them. After that interview I was so sure I wasn’t going to get in, but the 6 HOUSE TONIC

phone rang and I got a shift. There, I met Chris Ojeda, who was then creative bar director, and he was a huge inspiration to me; he made me aware of style behind the bar and showed me that bartending wasn’t a job, it was a career.

Af ter that, it got really weird. People at work and in the industry started asking me for advice and caring what I thought, and I began to work with companies like Bacardi and Grey Goose. I remember saying to my then girlfriend (now fiancée), “People are prepared to fly me around the world to make cocktails.

There cannot be a better job.” I’ve been beverage manager at Soho House West Hollywood for about three months now, and it’s my job to try and be a mentor, which is new, and a challenge. But I love a challenge.

My favourite par t of the day is when I’m working on a busy night and I notice that the team isn’t even talking any more, that everything’s just flowing, everyone at the bar is having a really good time. It’s like a ballet. On a really phenomenal evening, the whole thing has a pulse.

The fir st drink I ever made was an Absolut Martini for my stepdad. When I was 13 he showed me how to do it, and from then on it was my job.

Thing is, if I made one now like I did then, I’d be embarrassed. A couple of Christmases ago, I tried to explain the science to him and made him one properly, and he just seemed really bored. About two hours later he was making one his way again – with Absolut, ice washed in vermouth and a hard shake.

My deser t-island drink? That’s a hard one. But I could drink Old Fashioneds all day long. If I could have anything I want, I’d have Black Maple Hill bourbon... or The Macallan 45!

Buffalo Trace is very dear to me too.

S ome people s ay my double-shake style looks like a flapping bird. Others say it’s a Jedi move. I like to slap the tins together to make sure they’re tight, and then shake so it sounds like a train. It’s like making love (not to get too graphic about it), you’ve got to start slow.

Also, I like to light things on fire, in homage to legendary drinks writer Jerry Thomas’ Blue Blazer. I make a drink I call the Mayan Priest, with agave, tequila and cinnamon.

There’s not really a reason to light it on fire except that it looks cool.

The L A bar tending communit y is amazing right now. It’s so hard to pick out the best places to go because there are so many. I love the Eveleigh (theeveleigh.com). If Kiowa Bryan is writing specials on the board there, I have to go and try them – she’s a bad-ass bartender and one of the best in the world for using farm-fresh ingredients. The Varnish, of course, is brilliant (213nightlife.com/ thevarnish). Honeycut is a new, really awesome place in Downtown (honeycutla. com) and if you're on the Westside, you should try Pistola, which has a fantastic bar (pistola-la.com).

Would you like to get behind one of Soho House’s bars around the world? Email housetonic@sohohouse.com or visit www.housetonic.com

FRIENDLY BARTENDER

SOHO HOUSE WEST HOLLY WOOD TEAM Devon Yong

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BAR IN LOS ANGELES? “My favourite place to have a drink is the No Name bar – it’s such a cool, rock ’n’ roll place!” 428 N Fairfax Ave

Mia Mastroianni

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BAR IN LOS ANGELES? “My go-to spot to grab a cocktail is the Eveleigh, because of its amazing farm-to-glass creations.” 8752 W Sunset Blvd, +1 424 239 1630, theeveleigh.com

PH: Chad Wilson

Matt Ellis

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BAR IN LOS ANGELES?

 "The first drink I ever made was an Absolut Martini for my stepdad. When I was 13 he showed me how to do it, and from then on, it was my job"

“I like anywhere that’s not too crowded.

I tend to head to the Village Idiot.”

7383 Melrose Ave, +1 323 655 3331, villageidiotla.com

HOUSE TONIC 7

THE TREND

HOW CANNED BEER GOT COOL Love craft beer? You’re missing out if you reject brews with ring pulls

Fourpure canned beers

"One thing canned beer drinkers should always remember – for the best flavour, pour your beer into a glass rather than drinking it straight from the can"

I

f you’re reading this in the US, you’re probably already a convert to drinking beer from cans. Europeans, however, still have unfortunate associations with a tin of beer.

It conjures up images of teenage drinkers or street-swilling at worst, and cheap, massproduced fizzy lager at best. This is steadily changing though, and rightly so. Canning beer is better for its flavour, as it protects it from light and air, and using thin metal means the packaging is endlessly recyclable. Plus it weighs less than glass so is easier to transport and it is far harder to break.

Beer in cans never left the shelves of course, but it did become progressively less popular during the 1990s, as the most interesting brews were sold in bottles. The brand which started to use tins in a genuinely desirable way was Oskar Blues in Colorado, where, well over 8 HOUSE TONIC

a decade ago, their canned beers started winning awards. This prompted other innovative brewers to follow suit, leading to a snowballing, country-wide US trend – in 2014, craft beer can sales rose between 70 and 80 per cent year on year.

In the UK, the shift is more recent, with award-winning breweries Camden Town, Fourpure and Beavertown recently buying micro-canning kits from Cask, a Canadian canning line company. “In our first month,” Fourpure co- founder Daniel Lowe has said, “our cans doubled our historic bottle sales. The second month they quadrupled them.”

Logan Plant of Beavertown agrees. “Cans have already become 65 per cent of our sales, while bottles are just 7 per cent.” (It

was Cask who got Oskar Blues into canning in the first place.)

Canned beer is now so cool, there's even a book about the best-looking tins and their designers. One for the uber-fan only, Canned!

by Russ Phillips (Schiffer Publishing) has over 1,000 pictures of the prettiest on the market.

Even if you are already convert, there is one thing canned beer drinkers should always remember: for the best flavour, pour your beer into a glass rather than drinking it straight from the can. But you didn't need us to tell you that, did you?

Would you like to get behind one of Soho House’s bars around the world? Email housetonic@sohohouse.com or visit www.housetonic.com

IN SEASON

4

IN SEASON...

HANGOVER CURES Your head feels like it’s about to explode, your mouth is as dry as the Sahara and you are sure everyone hates you. But is there anything you can do to ease into the morning after?

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ou knew it was coming, but you had no idea it would be this bad. That night of over-indulgence has left you with a cracking headache, dodgy stomach, exhaustion, dizziness, and general low-level paranoia and guilt. Apart from lying in a puddle of self-pity with a duvet over your head – not an option if you need to make it into work – is there anything to be done about it?

Well yes, but first, it helps to understand what a hangover actually is, as avoidance is always better than cure. Of course, some people just don't get them at all – up to a quarter of the population are resistant (enviable, but not necessarily a good thing – after all, fear of the next day’s nightmare is often the only thing that makes us put down the tequila and wobble our way to bed).

Alcohol may not affect your ability to get to sleep, but it does affect the quality of your rest, irritates the stomach, dehydrates and causes your body to lose salts. (You can lose around four times as much water from your body as the alcoholic drinks you are putting in.) This also messes up your sodium and potassium levels, making you feel rougher, and confuses your body into turning glycogen into glucose and then peeing it out, meaning you have less energy. It also suppresses production of glutamine, a stimulant, which bounces back as soon as the alcohol is gone – hence waking up only a few hours after you went to bed, wide awake but feeling like you

Hangover cure? A bacon sandwich

could sleep for a week and may have eaten a tramp's socks (if only you could remember).

There's some evidence to suggest that drinks with more congeners in them (brown spirits, red wine) increase the intensity of a hangover, although the last study (in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 2010) suggested that congeners don't make the functional aspects of a hangover any worse. That is, you may think you feel worse after a night on the bourbon over one on vodka, but your ability to concentrate (or not) is affected in the same way regardless of what you drink.

Another theory is that drinks which contain acetaldehyde, like brandy, red or fortified wines, make you feel worse because they may promote inflammation. Acetaldehyde is also created in the liver as alcohol is processed; the body is good at dealing with it only as long as you don't give it too much of the stuff.

When it comes to cures, there are no magic pills (sorry). Taking an anti-inflammatory painkiller (the lowest possible dose) before bed, may help ease the effects of acetaldehyde in the morning, but may also irritate your stomach even more. Paracetamol is kinder to your stomach, but not your liver.

Coffee (or caffeine in general) can temporarily relieve a headache, but it also dehydrates you further, so you can feel worse when the effects wear off. Greasy breakfasts seem to work for

some, but too much fat can upset an already tender stomach - far better to eat something hearty before drinking, as that will slow alcohol down as it tries to enter your system.

Eggs, on the other hand, might actually be useful, as they help the body deal with acetaldehyde. Eating things containing potassium or sodium may also help – the healthiest option is a banana.

Researchers at Newcastle University announced in 2009 that bacon sandwiches really do help soothe hangovers, because of the combo of energy-giving carbohydrate in bread, and the protein in bacon, which turns into amino acids in the body and then helps to counter the effects of the booze.

Some cures sound worse than the hangover itself: in Turkey, Armenia and Romania, a powerfully smelly tripe soup is eaten at the end of the night; from Mongolia to Poland, pickles are the cure of choice, anything from fruit to herrings.

A 2005 meta study of all the available studies on hangover cures concluded nothing works except moderation or abstinence. If you drink one (or fewer) average-strength alcoholic drinks per hour, plus a glass of water, you might just get away without a hangover, if you're lucky.

However, that doesn't mean you can drink six Long Island Iced Teas in six hours and expect to escape having any symptoms the next day.

HOUSE TONIC 9

COCKTAIL COMPETITION

B

COURVOISIER COCKTAIL COMPETITION Our quarterly cocktail competition saw a Courvoisier takeover at Shoreditch House, when bartenders from around the company gathered to shake or stir their way to victory Photography by Michele Ardu

I

n 2014, Courvoisier brand ambassador Rebecca Asseline joined House Tonic for a series of masterclasses, to explain its flavour profile and how the drink is made. This culminated in a competition where 11 bartenders joined judges Rebecca and House Tonic Manager Lauren Shaw. Their challenge was to concoct a twist on a classic cognac cocktail. The judges were looking for creativity, a clean presentation and good etiquette, strong product knowledge, a clever name and of course a great-tasting drink.

As the competitors and their supporters filled the Library, champagne cocktails flowed and Parisian music hummed in the background.

The stakes were high, as the first prize was a trip to Paris and Cognac to visit the Courvoisier château.

As ever, the presentations were polished and cocktails creative. Thom Solberg from Hubbard & Bell kicked things off with confidence and verve, using pomegranate shrub, orange juice, Courvoisier Exclusif, Fernet Branca and 10 HOUSE TONIC

Angostura bitters in his creation. Electric House’s Fabrizio Comelli presented a wellbalanced Electric Sidecar and Giulio Valdiserri from Café Boheme concocted a twist on a Sazerac using amaretto and chocolate.

Dominykas Smagurauskas of Shoreditch House, despite this being his first competition, spoke eloquently about his ideas, chipped his own ice cubes from a block and served his cocktail in a glass dusted with chocolate. Elis Carriero of Soho House combined a Sidecar and a Mint Julep to produce an impressively complex and fresh result.

Pizza East Portobello’s Marco Ciccone shook up a fragrant vanilla take on a Sazerac and Sonny Delido from Pizza East Shoreditch presented a board of blackberries, almonds and mint with homemade biscuits to accompany his blackberry-infused cocktail (the judges always love an edible treat to go with their tastings). Enrico Bettio from Pizza East Kentish Town closed the show with a seasonal twist on a classic cognac cocktail.

Toma Norgilaite from Hoxton Grill was awarded third place having impressed the judges with the homemade elements of her Blazer, and she took two bottles of Courvoisier Exclusif home with her. So close was the call, the judging panel were split between Ivan di Giovanni, from Dean Street Townhouse, and Matt Warder from Babington House, and so awarded them joint first. Matt used a unique mix of ingredients to support a strong concept for his cocktail, Monteleone’s Share, and Ivan wowed with a wonderfully boozy winter warmer. Congratulations to them both and we look forward to hearing about their Courvoisier trip in 2015.

A big thank you to everyone who competed on the day and of course to Rebecca Asseline and Courvoisier.

Would you like to get behind one of Soho House’s bars around the world? Email housetonic@sohohouse.com or visit www.housetonic.com

COCKTAIL COMPETITION

JOINT 1ST PL ACE MAT T WARDER, BABINGTON HOUSE

JOINT 1ST PL ACE IVAN DI GIOVANNI, DEAN STREET TOWNHOUSE

MONTELEONE’S SHARE 35ml/1oz Courvoisier VSOP Exclusif 15ml/0.5oz Wyborowa Exquisite 20ml/0.7oz French merlot (Terred d’Azur) 6ml/1 teaspoon herb and botanical syrup 1 bar spoon Benedectine 1 dash Angostura bitters 2 dashes Creole bitters dehydrated apple slices

JOSEPHINE’S SECRET ROSE 40ml/1.5oz Courvoisier VSOP Exclusif 20ml/0.7oz Benedectine 1 barspoon Chartreuse Green 1 drop Mozart dark chocolate bitters Garnish: thyme sprig sprayed with rose liquor (for the aroma); orange-oil mist

Add everything except the apple into a mixing glass. Place the apple slices in a vintage perfume bottle and smoke them. (Note: if you pre-heat the inside of the bottle with a flame, smoke will be drawn in.) Once the bottle is filled with smoke from the apple, seal. Then stir down the drink with ice until suitably diluted.

Once the drink is ready, remove the lid of the perfume bottle and immediately pour into the bottle. The coldness of the drink will push the smoke out, creating a micro infusion. Reseal the bottle for a few moments and serve the drink in a port glass.

For the dehydrated apple slices; wash and thinly slice apples, arrange on a backing tray, place in an oven on the lowest heat and leave for about 15 hours.

Or use a dehydrator.

Fill two metal pots with handles with hot water (to warm them up). While they are warming, spray the rose liquor on to the thyme sprig. Discard the hot water. Pour all the ingredients into one metal pot and, using a blow torch, light the ingredients, then very carefully pour the contents from one pot into the other pot. Do this two more times. Pour the liquid, still on fire, into a vintage martini glass and spray some orange oil on it. Gently blow out the fire and serve with the garnish.

HOUSE TONIC 11

TRUE BREWS

Wynwood beers



TRUE BREWS From pale ale to wheat, the breadth of new brews is dizzying.

Here are our House tasters' favourite boutique beers

Thom S olberg, Hubbard & Bell Norway has seen a huge number of microbreweries popping up in the past couple of years, and two of my favourites have produced beers that are tremendous and very different. The Ægir brewery in Aurland has an Amercian-style India pale ale with floral hoppiness and a nice citrus structure. Nøgne Ø, Norway's biggest new brewery, collaborates a lot, but Tosho Ishi, the beer made with Yoho Brewing in Japan, is a highlight. It’s the most beautiful double IPA and can sometimes be purchased at Utobeer in Borough Market, London. No more words – just try it. flamsbrygga.no/en/aegir-brewery; nogne-o.com Jack Colombo, S oho Be ach House Miami We have two particularly great local beers on tap right now at Soho Beach House.

Wynwood’s La Rubia is a lovely light blond 12 HOUSE TONIC

ale specially brewed for the Miami climate, which goes well with “fresher” foods like fish and salads. Funky Buddha, which started small in Boca Raton, has been going since 2010 and has become known for its love of bold flavours. You get a distinctly different experience from the caramel tones found in its Hop Gun IPA, which really comes into its own when the weather cools. wynwoodbrewing. com; funkybuddhabrewery.com L aura Mellander, Elec tric House The beer I prefer at any given moment depends on the occasion, my mood and the season. My all-time favourite, however, is a Falcon Bayerskt. There was always some in the fridge in my parents’ house back in Sweden. It’s perfect for any type of BBQ or just to be enjoyed by itself in the afternoon summer sun. Even in the extremely cold winter, it’s a drink that heats up my heart. carlsberggroup.com

 "If I were to drink only one beer for the rest of my life I would choose Thornbridge Jaipur. At first you’ll notice tropical fruit and citrus notes, then along comes a good hoppy punch finished with a touch of honey"

PH: Halkin Mason Photography

TRUE BREWS

PH: Colin Ecke

Dogfish Head Brewery

Ægir Brewery

Ægir Brewery

L auren Shaw, S oho House

especially curry. So much so that we added it to the beer list at Shoreditch House for curry night on Tuesdays. thornbridgebrewery.co.uk

When summer comes around, I’m always looking for a saison beer [a style of ale].

Brewed for farm labourers to enjoy over the hot summers, it is a complex style with a lot of fruit and spice notes, and just a touch of sourness. The perfect drink to welcome in the warmer weather. And I will always enjoy a Peroni. It was my post-shift beer when I was bartending so a bottle of that always puts me in a good mood! peroniitaly.com Todd Glore, S oho House If I were to drink only one beer for the rest of my life I would choose Thornbridge Jaipur.

At first you’ll notice tropical fruit and citrus notes, then along comes a good hoppy punch finished with a touch of honey. This makes for a great drinking beer – you can’t just have one! An India pale ale, Jaipur is one of those expertly crafted beers that goes well with food,

Chris Tomset t , S oho House One beer that I always go for when it’s available is Anchor Steam from San Francisco.

Brewed using the city's unique steam process, it’s not technically a pale ale but shares a lot of those characteristics. It has a brilliant cloudy amber colour, and a punchy malt and burntcaramel aroma to go with it. The flavour is fruity and hoppy but cleaner than the nose suggests and it certainly goes down easily. I love it, and if you haven’t tried it, get involved.

It’s not found everywhere in London but I’m happy to say it’s on draught at our new opening, Hubbard & Bell. anchorbrewing.com Alex Prout y, S oho House New York Since I moved from London to New York my

craft-beer horizons have been broadened and I’ve been enjoying some amazing IPAs. More often than not, however, the IPAs are too hoppy or overpowering for me to handle more than a couple.

Not so with my favourite beer of the summer, 60 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head. You still have the citrusy hops and full flavour associated with IPAs but it’s balanced out beautifully to leave a less heavy finish, which means you can easily work through a six pack!

The name comes from the fact that the beer is continuously hopped with Warrior, Amarillo and Simcoe during the 60-minute boil period – over the course of the hour it sees more than 60 hop additions. Delicious! dog fish.com

Would you like to get behind one of Soho House’s bars around the world? Email housetonic@sohohouse.com or visit www.housetonic.com HOUSE TONIC 13

ICE COLD

ICE COLD A key ingredient in most cocktails, ice is often overlooked. We explore the science of frozen water Main photographs by Steven Joyce

Drinks styling by Simone De Luca

14 HOUSE TONIC

ICE COLD

"I shake with my eyes closed because you need to listen to the ice in the tin and feel the coldness with your hands"

HOUSE TONIC 15

ICE COLD

Kris Bahamondes' ice balls with flowers

"A bartender that really understands dilution, temperature and how it effects each drink will work miracles and create truly great cocktails."

An icy Mint Julep

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it is easy to take ice for granted. You can buy it in a sack from the supermarket, make it in a tray in your home freezer, maybe your fridge even rumbles and clanks it out for you every day, or you can grab a bucketful from the Kold-Draft machine at your bar. It seems to come so naturally that we don’t even think about. So it may come as a surprise to learn that in fact, just one man, working in the first half of the 19th century, is responsible for the way we use ice in drinks today.

Frederic “The Ice King” Tudor spent 20 years and a considerable amount of energy trying to work out how to ship ice from ponds in Massachausets to the tropics without it melting, so that he could sell it. Despite scepticism from potential investors, a spell in debtor’s prison and a whole lot of melting (he lost most of the ice he shipped in the first four years) he ultimately succeeded in working out how to insulate frozen water and transport it. Initially, he sold his product 16 HOUSE TONIC

to doctors and scientists who could see the benefits of chilling their medicines, but then he began to convince wealthy expats that they’d enjoy their gin and tonics more if they were cold. His greatest triumph came when he managed to transport ice as far as Calcutta, at which he point he finally realised his twodecades-long aim – to become “inevitably, unavoidably rich”. While natural ice had been used by ancient civilisations for millennia, Tudor was the first person to take it global.

Competitors joined in the trade, and soon it was unthinkable to have a lukewarm beverage, no matter where you were in the world.

Ice is now ubiquitous, but despite this its usage is still sometimes misunderstood. “Many bartenders don’t quite grasp the importance of ice behind their bars or the many forms it can come in,” says Tom Kerr, Soho House’s global bar manager. “A good bartender can make decent drinks with any ice and will adjust their technique in order to regulate

dilution. However, a bartender who really understands dilution and temperature, and how these affect each and every drink, will work miracles and create truly great cocktails.”

Brian Stewart, bar manager at Soho House West Hollywood, agrees. “It’s often overlooked in bars. I’ve done consults for places where the owners have spent millions on the bar, but cut corners on the ice. Bartenders need to understand that ice is the salt and pepper of the drinks world and to appreciate how it breaks down in the shaker and dilutes the cocktail.” Stewart is so passionate about ice that his team sometimes take the mickey. “I know they’re thinking, ‘Oh man, Brian’s freaking out about the ice again’, whenever I start talking about it! And people make fun of my shake too – I do it with my eyes closed because you need to listen to the ice in the tin and feel the coldness with your hands. I’m waiting for the sound of the ice breaking down to know that it’s ready.

ICE COLD

WHY DOES ICE FLOAT? Water is unusual in that, unlike most substances, it is less dense in its solid, frozen state than when it is liquid. When water freezes, the positive and negative charged atoms within the water molecules are held apart by particular kinds of bonds; these create a lattice effect – ice. This means ice is less dense than water, so it floats.

This is a good thing, not only because it means that your ice won’t sink like a stone when you add it to a glass or jug filled with liquid, but also because it means that ice floats when it forms in the

I spend a lot of time with my team on their shakes and I get them to taste after they’ve shaken – then they can tell the difference and learn about how to adapt their method.”

Stewart got into ice properly at the 2009 Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans.

“There were three classrooms dedicated to ice that year. That was when it became a big deal. After that, my girlfriend would laugh at me because there would be nights when I'd be up until 2am, reading about ice.”

You can have a lot of fun with ice too, as Kris Bahamondes, bar manager at Soho House Toronto explains. “Infused ice is very impressive,” he says. “I like to make large cucumber- or basil-infused cubes.

You want a balance between colour, flavour and structure. If you used just cucumber juice the structure of the ice would be very weak, so you need some pure water to give it structural integrity. Go for about 1/8 or

natural world, too, so that water-dwelling life can get on with living below, without being crushed or freeze-framed, even when the surface of their lake or river has frozen solid.

IS BIG ICE BEST? Not always. Although the mantra is that larger ice cubes mean less surface area, slowing down melting and leading to less dilution (crushed ice has lots more surface area, so melts far quicker), this only holds true if the ice is submerged in the drink. If the ice is capping the drink or is poking out of the top of the liquid, then the ice chills the surrounding

1/6 cucumber juice, and the rest water. In the past I’ve made cherry cubes, coffee and tea cubes and I’ve even made crystal-clear ice spheres with wild flowers suspended in them (you serve them in a glass with the cocktail in a carafe on the side). It’s one of my favourite things to do, but logistically it’s tricky in a high-volume bar, because you need a freezer right there, or a glass chiller, which is pretty rare when space is at a premium.”

So what makes good basic ice? Ryan Chetiyawardana, AKA Mr Lyan, is owner of Dandelyan at the Mondrian Hotel in London and a stand-alone bar, White Lyan, where he doesn’t actually use ice. “Ice should be dry and hard. Store it dry and cold. If you’re putting a machine in a bar, Hoshizaki and Kold-Draft are the ones to go for. Ideally your ice will have a good mineral composition so that it actually tastes nice as it melts too. You can make drinks with mediocre ice, but it’s just much harder and it’s less forgiving in

air rather than the drink, but still melts, giving more dilution, but no added chilling.

DO SHAKING AND STIRRING DILUTE DRINKS IN THE SAME WAY ?

No. In tests, shaken drinks can lose as much as half of their alcohol by volume, as the ice does a far faster job of diluting and chilling, whereas stirred drinks drop by just around a third. (That doesn't mean the alcohol disappears of course, it means that there's less of it as a ratio to the water added. 60ml/2oz of vodka is always 50ml/2oz of vodka.)

terms of control.” You can make decent ice at home, he says. “Devote a tray of your freezer to it. Use large ice-cube trays and simply freeze. If you want to get fancy, use mineral water, although heavy water can go furry.”

But what about those times when he doesn’t use ice? What principles does he employ then? “Exactly the same. At White Lyan we use our own filtered and re-mineralised water to set exact dilution and flavour, then control the temperature. It’s simply a more precise version of on-the-spot drinks production.”

Frederic Tudor probably wouldn’t believe his eyes if he could see where his sawdust-wrapped blocks of pond ice have taken us today.

Would you like to get behind one of Soho House’s bars around the world? Email housetonic@sohohouse.com or visit www.housetonic.com HOUSE TONIC 17

BARISTAS' BEST BEANS

BARISTAS’ BEST BEANS With the sheer variety of blends and beans on offer, how does a coffee novice know where to start? Here is an expert guide from our dedicated baristas...

Mat teo Grieco, Chicken Shop Whitechapel

Gabriel Navarro, S oho House Toronto

COFFEE FACTS

My favourite coffee is from Sant’Eustachio.

Based in Rome, right near the Pantheon, they roast their Fairtrade Arabica beans over wood using the same process as when they first opened in 1938. I’m not sure how available it is in London but there is definitely a bar in Marylebone that serves it, called Souli.

You can buy powder (for the Italian-style mocha or filter coffee) in 250g bags or beans (for grinding at home) in a kilo bag. santeustachioilcaffe.it; soulifood.com

There are three beans I use at home. I like the single-origin coffees from Bows & Arrows. Their Central American bean roasts are fantastic and I enjoy tasting and trying to guess the notes in every single sip.

TOP 5 COFFEE CONSUMERS

Daniel Thompson, S oho House I just came back from a trip to Miami, where I’m a fan of a local roaster called Panther Coffee. It specialises in small-batch roasting and does a brilliant espresso called East Coast, which packs exactly the kind of punch you want, but has a lovely creamy finish. panthercoffee.com 18 HOUSE TONIC

Based in Nova Scotia, Anchored Coffee picks small farms, which means it has more control over the beans. Roasted carefully, they create a great flavour profile.

Finally, De Mello Palheta is a local roaster in Toronto. I fell in love with its coffee from the first moment I tried it. It has a different style, a different pour. I love a blend called Butterfly Kiss, which is a mix of Ethiopian natural kochere and washed kochere. The flavour that comes out of a cup of coffee made with this is like biting a cloud from heaven. bowsandarrowscoffee.com; anchoredcoffee.com; hellodemello.com

1. UNITED STATES 2. GERMANY 3. ITALY 4. JAPAN 5. FR ANCE

33%

IT TAKES

42 COFFEE BEANS TO MAKE AN ESPRESSO

OF THE WORLD'S COFFEE IS PRODUCED IN BR AZIL 2ND MOST TR ADED COMMODIT Y IN THE WORLD AFTER OIL

COFFEE CONSUMPTION TAKES 65% OFPL ACE DURING BREAKFAST HOURS POPUL AR DRINK IN THE 2ND MOST WORLD AFTER WATER

PH: Dai Williams

BARISTAS' BEST BEANS

"I love a blend called Butterfly Kiss, which is a mix of Ethiopian natural kochere and washed kochere. The flavour that comes out of a cup of coffee made with this is like biting a cloud from heaven"

David Robson, Hubbard & Bell

Alice Nedin, S oho House

Currently, my favourite coffee is from a company called R.Dalton, grown on an estate called Finca Filadelfia in Guatemala. It’s good because care has been taken with all the steps behind the scenes on the plantation. Knowledge, passion and generations of experience have contributed to produce coffee that is sweet, clean and complex. I was lucky enough to meet the proprietor, Marta Dalton, last week while she was giving a talk in London.

Her family has been growing coffee for 144 years, and she told us about the struggles faced by coffee farmers and the importance of every stage, from planting seedlings to picking, sorting and processing the coffee. It’s very rare that a barista is able to meet a coffee farm owner and I felt very privileged to hear stories from the source. filadelfiacoffee.com

At the moment, I am really enjoying Ethiopian coffees. I have a Yirgacheffe Natural Process from Square Mile Coffee Roasters, which is delicious. The natural processing means the sugars found in the cherry fruit are allowed to penetrate the bean, leading to an intense, fruity sweetness.

I have also recently tried a variety of Costa Rican coffees from Origin Coffee Roasters. One in particular stood out for me – Lomas Al Rio, a black honey processed coffee, it’s beautifully fullbodied and rich, with a plum-like aroma. shop.squaremilecoffee.com; origincoffee.co.uk

I like to think of it as the Willy Wonka of coffee: exciting, adventurous and never the same twice! shop.squaremilecoffee.com Tony Knauf, Hubbard & Bell My favourite beans right now are from Coffee Factory in Devon. The coffee is called Rocko Mountain Reserve, and the beans are grown in the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia. Their flavour is fantastic: complex, sweet and fruity blueberry flavours with a lemon zest kick and a massive full body that just explodes in your mouth. It is great seeing someone try it for the first time.

Their eyes almost pop out of their head! thecoffeefactory.co.uk

S arah Taylor, S oho House Square Mile Coffee’s Sweetshop coffee is simply the best! It’s packed full of flavours, with a playful, sweet and fruity edge and

Would you like to get behind one of Soho House’s bars around the world? Email housetonic@sohohouse.com or visit www.housetonic.com HOUSE HOUSE TONIC TONIC 19 19

SEASONAL DRINKING

+

WINTER COCKTAILS It's the season for cocktails that soothe the soul and warm the cockles. Cheers!

Photography by Michele Ardu

MARCO CICCONE, PIZZA EAST NOVEMBER BLOSSOM 1 egg 15ml/0.5oz vanilla syrup 20ml/0.7oz lemon juice 15ml/0.5oz Chambord 45ml/1.6oz Appleton Estate rum Shake all ingredients and strain into a sour glass. Garnish with some freshly grated nutmeg and orange.

MARCO SPAGNOLO, ELECTRIC HOUSE CANNY PEAR 50ml/1.75oz Woodford Reserve bourbon 35ml/1oz pear shrub 5ml/0.2oz lemon juice 8 mint leaves pear slice and mint sprig, to garnish Combine drink ingredients in a Julep tin, clapping the mint first. Add crushed ice, churn until mixed and the outside of the tin has frosted up. Top with more ice. Garnish with the pear and mint sprig. Serve with a straw.

20 HOUSE TONIC

JOHN K AMEL, SOHO HOUSE BERLIN CHOCOL ATE PLUM

JOHN K AMEL, SOHO HOUSE BERLIN FIG RUM SOUR

50ml/1.75oz mezcal 20ml/0.7oz creme de cacao brown 20ml/0.7oz lime juice 3 muddled baby plums

½ a fresh fig, muddled 20ml/0.7oz house-made fig syrup 25ml/0.75oz lemon juice 50ml/1.75oz Mount Gay rum

Shake and double strain into a mini Manhattan glass. Top with a slice of plum as garnish.

Shake and serve on the rocks. Garnish with a slice of fig.

SEASONAL DRINKING

ERDEM K AYAL AR, SOHO HOUSE TENNESSEE PAR ADISE 50ml/1.75oz Jack Daniel’s 25ml/0.75oz spiced mixed berry shrub 10ml/0.3oz lemon juice For the shrub: 1 punnet each of blackberries, blueberries and raspberries; 10 cardamom pods, 3 cinnamon sticks and the zest of 2 oranges. Cover with sugar and place in the fridge for three days, to allow the juices to release. Add 25ml/0.75oz of balsamic vinegar and 25ml/0.75oz of Somerset cider brandy to the mixture before using.

To make the drink, shake ingredients and double strain on the rocks into a rocks glass. Garnish with a burnt cinnamon stick.

HOUSE TONIC 21

SEASONAL DRINKING

GIORDANO BARTOLINI, CECCONI’S MAYFAIR WINTER WARMER 60ml/2oz BACARDI Oro rum 30ml/1oz Graham’s late-bottled vintage port fresh cinnamon stick 1 orange twist 2 blackberries Warm a balloon glass while making the drink by filling it with warm (not hot or boiling) water. Build the drink in a latte glass: add the rum, port and cinnamon stick, then use a coffee steamer to heat, or place in a pan and warm gently (do not allow to boil).

Discard the water from the balloon glass, squeeze the orange twist over it and place in the glass with the blackberries. Double strain the cocktail mix into the balloon glass.

TOM KERR, SOHO HOUSE MULLED WINE

TOM KERR, SOHO HOUSE MULLED CIDER

3 bottles red wine (soft tannins) 150g/5oz brown demerara sugar 5 star anise peel from a whole lemon peel from a whole orange 3 pinches nutmeg 1 pinch ground ginger 4 cinnamon sticks (snapped) 100ml/3.5oz Cointreau 150ml/5oz Courvoisier Exclusif 8 cloves 50ml/1.75oz sweet vermouth

2 litres/3.5 pints good-quality apple cider 6 cloves 5 star anise 1 vanilla pod, split 4-5 tablespoons caster sugar (taste as you go) peel from a whole orange 4 pinches nutmeg 1 cinnamon stick (snapped) 100ml/3.5oz Somerset Cider Brandy 5 year old 100ml/3.5oz fresh apple juice large spoonful honey 2 cardamom pods

Add all ingredients to a large pan, give it a stir then set temperature to medium heat for an hour. Once the wine is heated up and the flavours have infused, lower the heat to keep it warm. Serve in warmed wine glasses.

Add all ingredients to a large pan, give it a good stir, then set temperature to medium/ high heat for an hour. Once the drink is heated up and the flavours have infused, lower the heat to keep it warm.

22 HOUSE TONIC

TOM KERR, SOHO HOUSE IRISH COFFEE 100ml/3.5oz fresh espresso 2 white sugar cubes 50ml/1.75oz Jameson Irish whiskey double cream Warm an Irish coffee glass. Prepare the espresso. Drop the sugar cubes into the glass, pour the fresh espresso over and mix together quickly (ensuring the cubes have dissolved). Pour in the whiskey, mix together then carefully top with double cream.

Whip the cream beforehand in a shaker for a lighter topping.

SEASONAL DRINKING

RICK NANI, CECCONI’S MIAMI WHISKE Y T WIST 60ml/2oz Jack Daniel’s 15ml/0.5oz lemon juice 15ml/0.5oz simple sugar syrup 1oz strawberry purée (house made) pinch of cinnamon lemon twist garnish Shake the ingredients and strain over ice in a rocks glass, then garnish with the lemon zest.

STOCK UP FOR WINTER 1

DOMINYK AS SMAGAUR ASK AS, SHOREDITCH HOUSE CHARENTE FLIP 40ml/1.4oz Courvoisier 20ml/0.7oz Drambuie 40ml/1.4oz half and half (half milk, half double cream) 10ml/0.3oz cinnamon syrup 2 dashes pimento bitters Dry shake ingredients, then shake with cubed ice. Double strain into a chocolate powdercovered dessert wine glass and add 1 ice cube.

TOM KERR, SOHO HOUSE HOT TODDY 50ml/1.75oz whisky 1 bar spoon honey 15ml/0.5oz lemon juice 100ml/3.5oz boiling water Warm a latte glass, add the whisky, honey and lemon. Add the boiling water, then quickly stir to combine all ingredients and dissolve honey. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a cinnamon stick.

2

3

4

1. Jameson Irish whiskey 2. Jack Daniel’s 3. Graham’s port 4. Mount Gay rum HOUSE TONIC 23

DRINK CHICAGO

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DRINK CHICAGO The Windy City always knew it had a lot to offer but now the rest of us are catching up. Hot on the heels of Soho House Chicago's opening, two members of the bar team, Jesse Katzman and Somer Perez, give us their top tips

24 HOUSE TONIC

DRINK CHICAGO

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W E S T SIDE

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113 N Green St, Chicago, IL 60607, +1 312 521 8000, sohohousechicago.com

W B EL M O N D AV E

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LONE WOLF There isn’t a huge drinks menu here (three Sgroppino cocktails and four craft cocktails) but that’s its charm: what it does, it does well. Very well. It’s worth making the effort to jostle for a stool. 806 W Randolph St, +1 312 600 9391, lonewolftavern.com THE BARRELHOUSE FL AT This great cocktail joint is owned by a Violet Hour (see right) alumni, so it’s of a similar vibe and quality. They go big on egg in the cocktails here, which is fine by us! 2624 N Lincoln Ave, +1 773 857 0421, barrelhouseflat.com

4

THE HALF ACRE TAP ROOM Half Acre was always a great city brewery for Chicago and now it’s added the Tap Room so we can enjoy its beers in the way they should be enjoyed – with friends, in a bar. 4257 N Lincoln Ave, +1 773 248 4038, halfacrebeer.com

5

HOPLEAF BAR

6

DELIL AH'S

Not for everyone but if you love hard liquor as much as you love hard music, this is the place for you. There are literally hundreds of whiskies behind the bar. 2771 N Lincoln Ave, +1 773 472 2771, delilahschicago.com

7

THE VIOLET HOUR

MARIA'S PACK AGED GOODS & COMMUNIT Y BAR This place is really more about its atmosphere and history than what it serves (mainly artisan craft beers and spirits). It’s what’s known in Chicago as a ‘slashie’ – a liquor store and bar in one, so you can sit and sup a brew on site or buy a few bottles to take home.

960 W 31st St, +1 773 890 0588, community-bar.com

8

THE RED LION PUB As “traditional” an English pub as you will find in Chicago, though we think it’s a bit bigger than the real ones. Great if you want a place to bed in for a few hours.

2446 N Lincoln Ave, +1 773 883 2422, redlionchicago.com

9

THE AVIARY

10

BIG STAR Big on tequila and mezcal, this is definitely the place to go if you’re looking for a killer Margarita. The tacos are pretty good too. 1531 N Damen Ave, +1 773 235 4039, bigstarchicago.com

We should probably not be giving away this much-loved secret but Hopleaf is one of our favourites. It’s got beer of a Belgian persuasion and a really laid back feel.

5148 N Clark St, +1 773 334 9851, hopleaf.com

Gorgeous bar, gorgeous cocktails, with unusual flavours and mixes.

We could stay here all night 1520 N Damen Ave, +1 773 252 1500, theviolethour.com

We love the crazy cocktails at the Aviary. Expect them to come straight out of a machine, spitting smoke and fire, like a science project. 955 W Fulton Market St, +1 312 226 0868, theaviary.com

Would you like to get behind one of Soho House’s bars and work at brilliant events?

Email housetonic@sohohouse.com or visit www.housetonic.com HOUSE HOUSE TONIC TONIC 25 25

BACARDÍ

B

KITCHEN CUPBOARD COCKTAILS WITH BACARDI

Amy Probasco, Jennifer Contraveos and Matt Tiddes

Want to make cocktails at home without splashing out on specialist ingredients? Easy, say Amy Probasco, assistant bar manager at Soho House Chicago, and BACARDI training manager Jennifer Contraveos Photography by Flint Chaney

GR ANDMA’S APPLE PIE Without the addition of bitters, this would be almost too sweet. But with bitters, spice and the smokiness of the Scotch, it works just perfectly.

60ml/2oz Dewar’s 12 year old Scotch 25ml/0.75oz BACARDI Oakheart rum 1 slice apple pie 1 heaped scoop vanilla ice cream 15ml/0.5oz maple syrup 15 dashes Angostura bitters 5 ice cubes fresh grated cinnamon Blend and top with grated cinnamon.

“When you’re working with drinks, you just need to use the same principles as you might when you’re cooking, while also experimenting in the same way that you can when you’re making something to eat. We had great fun creating these recipes using items that everyone will find in their pantry, like peanuts, ice cream and common herbs and spices. Don’t be afraid of trying something new – we’ve come up with great drinks using extraordinary ingredients that you never expect to work. Try Dijon mustard with 26 HOUSE TONIC

honey, or cayenne in a syrup – mixed with bourbon and raspberries it tastes delicious.

Syrups are a particularly good way of using cupboard ingredients, and are super easy to make; just mix 2:1 brown sugar and water, bring to a simmer and then add your flavours, which could be anything from marmalade to fresh herbs. You can also use things like cold coffee or vermouth left over from cooking. We love the texture you get from blending in cream cheese instead of half-and-half (cream diluted

with milk), and balsamic vinegar is brilliant at bringing out the best in strawberries. If you make sure you always have frozen berries and bananas in the freezer, then you can stick them in a blender with a spirit, and there you go, instant cocktails!”

Would you like to get behind one of Soho House’s bars and work at brilliant events?

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

BACARDÍ

PEANUT BUT TER JELLY TIME Experiment with any jam or preserve in this drink. We used lemon juice to balance out the natural sweetness of the rum and berry jam, and the Gran Lusso vermouth works because it’s rich but subtle. The egg white may sound scary, but it’s not. It gives a lovely foamy texture to the drink and means the garnish floats on top and doesn’t sink.

45ml/1.5oz BACARDI Superior rum 15ml/0.5oz Martini Gran Lusso vermouth 15ml/0.5oz lemon juice 25ml/0.75oz peanut syrup (see method below) 2 heaped bar spoons berry jam 1 egg white Shake all ingredients without ice to combine, shake a second time with ice and strain into a coupe. Garnish with crushed peanuts. (For the peanut syrup: mix 200g/7oz sugar, 250ml/9oz water and 75g/2.5oz smashed peanuts.

Bring to the boil, stir to dissolve the sugar, then allow to cool. Steep for 15 minutes, then strain.)

MARMAL ADE RUM TODDY Whisky is the traditional spirit for a Hot Toddy, but we wanted to see how it worked with rum – really well, it turns out. Add more marmalade and honey to taste, and if you like play around with some baking spices too, such as nutmeg.

45ml/1.5oz BACARDI 8 90ml/3oz boiling water 2 slices of fresh ginger 2 lemon slices bar spoon honey bar spoon orange marmalade Mix everything together and serve in a heatproof glass or cup. Top with a little freshly grated cinnamon.

HOUSE TONIC 27

DRINKS NEWS

SOHO HOUSE DRINKS NEWS

WINE SHOW 2014

HOUSE TONIC SUMMIT USA

LA MARZOCCO As part of the Soho House coffee development program, we took a group of budding baristas along to the La Marzocco training base near Old Street in London for an afternoon looking at the mechanics of the machine and a coffee cupping session.

House Tonic’s US teams made the most of the US branch of our annual drinks summit, first reaffirming our philosophy: “To unify our bars globally to a recognisable standard that is built on classic recipes and tradition; to be thoughtful about ingredients and flavours, with a focus on staff development, technique and speed; to deliver quality service and drinks.” Next the teams went on to discuss how best to set out a bar, organise the bar teams and how to work in the most efficient ways possible – from having everything you use often at arm’s reach to batching up the most in-demand drinks at the beginning of a shift. There was even time for some tastings and a little recipe development.

With the help of our fantastic wine suppliers, House Tonic took over Shoreditch House Garden for the 2014 Soho House Wine Show.

Staff from across our UK sites joined us for the two-day event, meeting our suppliers, tasting their extensive ranges of sherries, organic and biodynamic, English and fortified wines, and taking part in interactive talks and competitions. Thanks to all our suppliers: Fuller’s, Enotria, Berkmann, Liberty Wines, Armit Wines, Maison Marques et Domaines, Hush Heath Estate, Bibendum, WSET and La Credenza.

WOODFORD RESERVE MASTER DISTILLER Members of our bar teams gathered in Shoreditch House Library to listen to Master Distiller Chris Morris talk about Woodford Reserve bourbon. Our bartenders then took to the floor for a mini Old Fashioned refashioning competition. Mari Liis Lvov from Shoreditch House was voted the unanimous winner with her apricot juice and ginger syrup spin on the classic. She took home a limitededition bottle of Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection, signed by Chris Morris.

BAR CONVENT BERLIN Soho House Berlin bartenders took a trip along to Bar Convent Berlin at Station Berlin. The day was spent sampling favourites such as San Cosme mezcal, Monkey 47, Sipsmith and new Belgianbased gin brand, White Rain. There were many familiar faces from the bar world, including Ian Burrell, the renowned world rum ambassador.

Surprisingly, 1980s porn star Ron Jeremy was there too, promoting his rum brand, Ron De Jeremy. The gang also visited the Fee Brothers stand, where one of the fourth-generation Fee brothers, Joe, invited them to sample one of his delicious Daiquiris made with Aztec chocolate bitters. They were all impressed by the wide range of bitters he had to offer, from black walnut and pistachio to celery, cherry and rhubarb.

Finally, the team headed to Munich-based CREW Republic beer and sampled some of its impressive Bavarian IPAs. 28 HOUSE TONIC

Would you like to get behind one of Soho House’s bars around the world? Email housetonic@sohohouse.com or visit www.housetonic.com

MUSIC



WHAT I DRINK ON STAGE Bipolar Sunshine is the musical pseudonym of Adio Marchant, formerly a vocalist with Manchester band Kid British. Since going solo, he has showcased his take on alternative pop at festivals including Latitude and Lovebox, as well as headlining at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire. He has appeared at Shoreditch House and is touring the UK in early 2015

When I’m per forming, I have Sailor Jerry rum with some ginger beer, and sometimes a dash of lemon. I tried it at a house party and now it's my signature drink for most events, whether I’m performing or just out in a bar.

Some places have Captain Morgan instead; a reasonable substitute, but not as good.

My rider just has S ailor Jerr y, red and white wine and some beer for the crew. I don’t go in for champagne, although we did have some Cristal once, but that was bought for me as a surprise by a friend, to celebrate what we’d achieved. I don’t drink much wine, but prosecco-tipsy or champagne-tipsy, that’s a nice kind of tipsy.

When I was touring with London Grammar in Lyon, I had some proper, more mature red wine.

It was made in the early 1990s and it was really good. You could taste how different it was from the ordinary stuff you get in

the supermarket or wherever. It was so full of flavour.

In the mornings I start the day with black coffee, then move on to tea or ginger tea – I get one from Asian supermarkets that comes as little granules, and it’s really beautiful. I drink PG Tips or Tetley. I’m not a fan of teas like Earl Grey, which tastes of nothing. I suppose it’s an acquired taste, like olives.

If I’m in the studio, it’s all about tea, all day. If I’m out and about, I might grab a smoothie – there’s a little restaurant near Finsbury Park that does them just how I like. I’ve never done a green juice. Just the look of them makes me feel like they’d taste excruciating.

I like aloe vera water though. But I never drink tap water. I can’t stand that weird chemical taste.

I do drink instant cof fee, but I want to get one

of those machines that gives you a shot of espresso. Sometimes you need that little kick, and it can give you a mad buzz.

S ometimes , studios have bar s in, which are sort of about bribing people to stay late and carry on working. I often stay all night, having started work in the evening. I don’t sleep that well anyway, just four or five hours a night, so I’m quite happy to be working. I can do it for a couple of days, but you can’t carry on doing that for a week The next Bipolar Sunshine single is called Daydreamer, and is out on January 27.

Check out more of Marchant's music at bipolarsunshine.com Join the team behind one of Soho House’s bars and work at events with our guest bands and DJs. Visit housetonic.com for more information HOUSE TONIC 29

RISING STARS



HOUSE TONIC RISING STARS Every quarter, we celebrate the unsung heroes of Soho House’s drinks team.

All hail the stars of the bars!

JUNIOR NUNEZ Soho Beach House Miami Nominated by Chris Smith

ROYDEN COOPER Soho House Berlin Nominated by John Kamel

Junior is the “guy to know” at our

Royden is our newest bartender and

Ocho location. In fact he’s the face of

is always happy. Very enthusiastic

Ocho! Everyone loves to know he’ll

and disciplined behind the bar, he

be here because every weekend they

mixes his professionalism with fun,

have a guaranteed smile waiting for

impressing guests and staff with his

them behind the bar.

amazing magic tricks!

DEJAN SINADINOVSKI Pizza East Portobello Nominated by Nazzarena Cittadini

JOSH LANC Cecconi’s Miami Nominated by Rick Nani

DARIO COSTANZO Shoreditch House Nominated by Casey Sorenson

FILIPA OLIVEIRA Soho House London Nominated by Erdem Kayalar

Dejan joined us only recently but in a

Josh has been a barback for the past

A fantastic member of the bar team,

Filipa is new to the team but her

short period of time he’s had a massive

couple years and recently stepped in

Dario has recently been promoted

passion for cocktails and bars is

impact on every section he’s worked.

as a bartender, showing impressive

from barback to bartender. Very

wonderful. She’s earned a lot of

He’s willing to learn new things and

speed on the service bar. He is

organised and dedicated, he’s super

respect quickly, simply because of the

has a great attitude towards his

enthusiastic and has showed great

keen to learn and he always gets the

sheer effort and hard work she has put

colleagues. The quality he’s providing

potential behind the bar at Cecconi's.

job done. We predict a bright future

in, in such a short time. Keep up the

for him.

good work Filipa!

is priceless.

DOMINIC YAKUBINIS Soho House Chicago Nominated by Somer Perez

GORDON GERINGAS Soho House Toronto Nominated by Kris Bahamondes

ALBERTO ERCOLI High Road House Nominated by Marco Pettorossi

KRZYSZTOF NOWAK Babington House Nominated by Simon Ward

Dom was instrumental in the opening

Rising to the top of our barback team,

Every bar should have a bartender

Over the past year, while he’s been

of SHC with the work he did putting

Gordon exemplifies the House Tonic

like Alberto. Not only is he great at

working as a barback, Krzysztof has

the roof programme together. He’s now

spirit with his fantastic “Yes!” attitude.

what he does, he’s also an amazing

shown time and again that he has an

taken on beverage for events and

He studies cocktail books, learning

handyman. This guy is able to fix

unrivalled passion and talent for all

continues to impress with his work ethic

how to make syrups, tinctures and

everything, and when I say everything

things coffee. This led to his recent

and knack for organisation. He’s also a

shrubs, and will become an excellent

I mean everything! He’s a superstar,

promotion at Babington and I’m sure

fierce dancer to anything Kanye and

bartender able, to train the next

multitasking bartender.

he will go far.

has a talent for riding mechanical bulls.

generation of barbacks before long.

Would you like to get behind one of Soho House’s bars around the world? Email housetonic@sohohouse.com or visit www.housetonic.com

30 HOUSE TONIC

PH: DAI WILLIAMS

DO YOU WANT TO WORK BEHIND OUR BARS? With sites in London, Somerset, Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, Chicago and Berlin, plus more on the way in Istanbul and London, the Soho House Group is always on the lookout for exceptional staff. We offer high-quality training and 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 by visiting www.housetonic.com or email housetonic@sohohouse.com. We'd love to hear from you!

You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

HOUSE TONIC 31

GREY GOOSE DRY M A R T I N I .

A l w a y s s t i r re d . N e v e r s h a ke n .

Av a i l a b l e i n e v e r y h o u s e b e t w e e n D e c e m b e r a n d Fe b r u a r y .

32 HOUSE TONIC

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