hello cocktail lover!

When it comes to the idea of eating and drinking local, there are three venues that really captured my attention early on.

The first was Konstam at the Prince Albert. Talk about forward-thinking, this one opened in 2006, on the King’s Cross Road in London of all places. It was an ambitious project by an ambitious chef, Oliver Rowe, who had a vision to only use produce grown or reared within the area covered by the London tube network. It was a revelation. Who knew such a thing was even conceivable? Let alone could be so bloody tasty. For me, it was a real game changer.

So when Matt Whiley opened his bar Scout, again in London but 11 years later, I was already sold. I knew that his vision for an ever-changing menu of closed-loop drinks, all made from ingredients foraged in the British Isles, was more than doable. Particularly with his creative cocktail credentials. And he didn’t disappoint.

The next standout was Vijay Mudaliar’s Native in Singapore. Opening the bar in 2016, he cast his net wide, making magic with Asian spirits and ingredients.

These days an increasing number of bartenders are doing what Rowe, Whiley and Mudaliar did before them – taking pride in their local produce while delivering fresh experiences for their guests. In this issue we go from Australia to Peru, Brazil to Sweden to shine a light on the bars, bartenders and brands who are championing locality in their offerings. If you’re in Sydney, Lima, São Paulo or Umeå, we urge you to seek them out, but better still, resolve to support drinks businesses close to home.

Ms S

How do you define local? It might mean your neighbourhood, your home town or, perhaps, something further afield. For me it’s about an emotional connection.

When I was growing up, there were a handful of nearby shops that covered most of my family’s basic needs: butcher, baker, greengrocer, fishmonger, general store and one or two others. Importantly, the people who worked in them actually knew all their customers. The relationship went beyond practically suppling goods to providing a part of the glue that held the surrounding area together.

When I was older and started to explore more of London, despite its size, the whole city started to feel local as I felt at home in so many parts of it.

Both examples illustrate my definition of local. I felt an emotional connection to the little shops of my childhood. And as an adult I feel an emotional connection to the buildings, parks, shops, restaurants and, of course, bars of my home city.

There are even places further afield where I feel like an honorary local (I’m looking at you Athens).

So it’s a joy to welcome you to our ‘Local’ issue. We’re exploring people, bars, products and more that in some way have that all-important emotional bond with their surroundings. I hope you’ll feel that special connection to the places celebrated in these pages as much as I do. MR G

08

Amuse bouche

News, views, reviews and interviews, including the local ingredients bartenders love, where they’re drinking in Edinburgh and Sotol, could it be the next big thing?

18

11 local reasons to be a cocktail lover… Creating a buzz, becoming a gin-thusiast and supporting your neighbourhood bar – just three of the ways to drink local this season

22

In the hotseat Fabio La Pietra, Creative Director at SubAstor, São Paulo

24

Snack like a local Salty, crispy, moreish – the nibbles they serve around the world to keep your drinks company

34

Local heroes

From Australia to Sweden, China to France, Yael Weisberg checks out the bartenders who are keeping the ingredients in their cocktails close to home

38

Born in the UK

Whiskies, gins, a cider and a rum, all born and raised in the UK

28

Yes, he Cannes

Destination Côte D’Azur to learn how

Emanuele Balestra collaborates with local businesses

32

Home-grown spirits

In praise of the true taste of terroir.

By Clinton Cawood

40

Farm-to-glass bars

The bars building communities by partnering up with local farms.

By Forest Collins

50

Seek, find, drink

Millie Milliken finds how the smartest bars are teaming up with foragers to find fresh, new drinking experiences

54

Cheers!

Raising a glass to neighbourhood bars

In celebration of the venues close to home

56

The cocktail girl & guy

He’s in Sicily, she’s in London – both in search of the latest projects from their favourite bar operators

59

Liquid intelligence

Why local honey is the bee’s knees, with Jack Sotti

44

Home is where the harvest is Shining a light on the homegrown ingredients starring in some of our favourite bottles

60 Mains & Martinis

Three restaurants where the cocktails are more than a match for the food

66 62

The flavours of Lima

Why the capital of Peru is topping the taste charts

Community matters

Paradiso’s Zero Waste Lab has big ideas for the future

Issue 45

Summer 2023

Editors Sandrae Lawrence Gary Sharpen

Creative director Scott Bentley – Bentley Creative

Copy editing

Laura Hill

Cover photography Gary Smith

Contributors

Clinton Cawood, Forest Collins, Holly Graham, Juliette Laroui, Jim Meehan, Millie Milliken, François Monti, Jack Sotti, Yael Weisberg

For all editorial and advertising enquiries, please contact:

(+44) 020 7242 2546 mail@thecocktaillovers.com

Find us: TheCocktailLovers.com @cocktaillovers meet.thecocktaillovers @thecocktaillovers

Reproduction in whole or part of any contents of The Cocktail Lovers Magazine without prior permission from the editors is strictly prohibited.

All details of bars featured in this issue were correct at time of going to press. Please see individual websites for up-to-date information.

The Cocktail Lovers Magazine is printed in the UK by Stephens & George.

The Cocktail Lovers ISSN 2052-059X

© 2023. Published by The Cocktail Lovers Ltd. London, UK

Please Drink Responsibly

Forest Collins

Farm-to-glass bars: page 40

Forest Collins, founded 52martinis in 2007 to chronicle her search for the best cocktail bars in Paris and cover spirits news from France. She is the creator of the iOS app Paris Cocktails and host of the radio show and podcast, Paris Cocktail Talk Forest is the Academy Chair for France for The World’s 50 Best Bars and President of the France chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier. She’s also a pretty fun drinking partner.

In this issue: Rather aptly, Forest highlights some of the bars around the world that are teaming up with local farms.

Clinton Cawood

Home-grown spirits: page 32

Clinton has been writing about drinks since arriving in the UK from his native South Africa, having already put in time on both sides of the bar. Formerly deputy editor of Imbibe (UK) magazine, he now covers all aspects of the drinks industry for a variety of magazines, with a focus on spirits, cocktails and bars. He is partial to all things agave, and dependent on goodquality coffee.

In this issue: Clinton singles out some of the spirits brands who draw on their local surrounds for their unique characteristics and flavour.

Yael Weisberg

Local heroes: page 34

In her capacity as a strategist, Yael has 20 years’ extensive experience working across sectors such as premium spirits, consumer goods, professional services and travel. A self-confessed professional nerd, she prides herself on delivering fresh insights and inspiring content whatever she turns her hand to. Including one of her other passions – writing.

In this issue: Yael checks in with six international bartenders who are shining a light on the array of ingredients produced in their respective parts of the world.

Millie Milliken

Seek, find, drink: page 50

One of the busiest freelancers on the circuit, Millie is an award-winning drinks and hospitality journalist who contributes to a host of publications including Foodism, The Caterer, Evening Standard, Supper, Whisky Magazine and Club Oenologique. She is also head of content at OurWhisky Foundation and community manager for The Drinks Trust charity’s member platform, the Drinks Community.

In this issue: Millie learns how foragers and bartenders are working together to create seasonal, sustainable drinks.