The Cocktail Lovers Magazine Launch Issue

LAUNCH ISSUE AUTUMN/WINTER 2011

THE COCKTAIL LOVERS INGREDIENTS FOR MORE THAN JUST GREAT DRINKS

ON THE COVER: Zetter Townhouse style with Tony Conigliaro and Camille Hobby-Limon Glasses of distinction Gin’s the thing in London How to be the perfect host 25 reasons to be a cocktail lover this season

IN-tro

There’s a whole lot of cocktail loving going on...

When a major supermarket beginning with ‘S’ introduced a dedicated cocktail aisle to its key stores earlier this year, it confirmed that mixed drinks have hit the big time. Not that we needed proof, mind; true to our name we’re passionate about cocktails, whether they’re served in one of our favourite bars or shaken up at home.

But like most cocktail lovers we appreciate other things too. Such as razor-sharp outfits, beautiful glassware, good food and an intoxicating mix of interesting venues.

Which is why we’ve launched The Cocktail Lovers – a magazine with the ingredients for more than just great drinks.

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We know we’re not the only people shallow enough to value the quality, originality and sheer enjoyment of lovingly-created libations and all the trappings that go with them. And we’re sure we’re not alone in wanting to see a consumer magazine dedicated to all aspects of cocktail lifestyle.

Each quarter we’ll bring you fun and informative features, the best bits of kit, a shot of style with the latest fashion collections, a look at what’s going on in other cities, plus news and events, all from our side of the bar.

So raise your glasses, dip in and enjoy.

Ms S & Mr G

IN-the know

25 reasons to be a cocktail lover this season Drinks by the fire, manicures and Martinis, pimping up the bubbly and other great ways to while away the next three months

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IN-the spotlight

London Pride Why London’s bars are the best in the world

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IN-focus

The Gin Compass North, south, east and west, there’s a gin that captures the spirit of every pocket of London. We put them to the taste (and postcode) test

On the cover: Camille wears gold silk scarf dress, £315

by Anglomania; Tony wears black velvet suit jacket, £1,095, and white bib shirt, £245, both by Lanvin (trousers and bow tie, Tony’s own). Available from the new season’s collections at Harvey Nichols, 109-125 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7RJ. T: 020 7235 5000. harveynichols.com/shop.harveynichols.com Editors Gary Sharpen, Sandrae Lawrence

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Smashing Glasses What the best dressed home bars are wearing

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Design Joe Ewart at Society

Tony Conigliaro and Camille Hobby-Limon style it out in the key trends from Harvey Nichols

Illustration Wilfred Jones Photography Lawrence Watson; Johnnie Packington

For all editorial and advertising enquiries, please contact: mail@thecocktaillovers.com 020 7242 2546 07801 932 941/07816 202 547 thecocktaillovers.com Reproduction in whole or part of any contents of The Cocktail Lovers without prior permission from the editors is strictly prohibited.

Issue No. 1 October–December 2011 PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

IN-style

Get the drinks in at… The Zetter Townhouse

Contributor Jody Monteith

With thanks to: Jamie Hughes, Siena Packington, Travis Watson

IN-dulge

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IN-house

Esquire’s Handbook For Hosts 12 reasons why you need to get your hands on a copy

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IN-the mix

This season it’s all about… Cognac Great recipes to warm up your winter evenings

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IN-sider’s guide

City Focus What’s hot in Manchester, by Jody Monteith of The Liquorists

IN-the know

25 reasons to be a cocktail lover this season Liquid desserts, killer hats and pimping up the bubbly – just a few things on our radar during the next three months

1 Kicking back with cocktails

10 Matching spirits with

by the fire… at home or in bars like Bassoon (corinthia.com), LVPO (lvpo.com) and Apartment 195 (apartment195.co.uk) – anywhere with a fireplace at its heart.

food… Keeper of the Quaich Brian Silva pairs cheeses with whisky at The Capital Hotel in Chelsea (capitalhotel.co.uk), Nuno Mendes whips up quality canapés to go with the fab cocktails at Viajante (viajante.co.uk) and Michel Roux Jr teams Nibbles & Tipples at Roux at Parliament Square (rouxatparliamentsquare.co.uk)

5 Zhushing up winter wardrobes with cocktail hour accessories… ladylike clutch bags, long leather gloves, cocktail rings and diamante bracelets for her; dandy-esque cravats, bow ties and pocket handkerchiefs for him, all from Jaeger. jaeger.co.uk

2 Seeking out limitededition gift packs… like this lush velvet Bombay Sapphire Keepsake bag designed by House of Hackney, just in time for Christmas. £40, available exclusively at Selfridges. selfridges.com

4 Going for sensory overload… with top-notch cocktails, fancy nibbles, evocative scents, carefully matched visual references and a history lesson to boot, at the Cocktail Emporium at The Worship Street Whistling Shop. whistlingshop.com

11 Getting creative with buttercream… no, not like that! We’re talking adding a drop or two of a liqueur like Cointreau or Grand Marnier to a basic buttercream recipe, then smothering it over a batch of cupcakes. Yum!

Shake the first four ingredients on ice, and double strain into a chilled Martini glass. Whisk the cream slightly to lighten it a little, then pour over the drink using the back of a spoon.

3 Striking a pose in a killer hat… old-school trilbies tilted just-so, from James Lock for the fellas (lockhatters.co.uk), and all manner of perfectly chic millinery confections for the laydees, from The Hat Gallery (hat-gallery.co.uk)

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Drinking decadent desserts and not feeling guilty… indulge in this Christmas Pudding Martini by Andy Campana of The Loft in Clapham (and don’t even think about the calories) 40ml Auchentoshan Three Wood Scotch Whisky 10ml honey 10ml Nocino 10ml Grand Marnier Cream

8 Enjoying a manicure and

6 Upgrading the pre-mix… forget inferior ready-made cocktails and try these V.I.P. blends from The Handmade Cocktail Company. The six drinks include The Negroni and The World’s Best Cocktail. £29.95-£40 for 70ml, from masterofmalt.com

martini or a pint and a pedicure… 30 minutes of unadulterated bliss before a big night out. £45 each at So Spa at the Sofitel St. James hotel. sofitelstjames.com

9 Hotfooting it down to Hawksmoor Guildhall… for great steaks and off-the-scale cocktails – if it’s half as good as the other two branches in the portfolio, it’ll be the hottest new opening of the season. thehawksmoor.co.uk

12 Outsmarting hangovers... with Faust’s Potions natural remedies. Packed with enough vitamins, minerals and herb extracts to slap you back to normality, take Asleep before going to bed and Awake the day after and bam!, you’ll be pretty much sorted. faustspotions.com

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Having a cheeky nip from the Astor hip flask… a winter warming blend of bourbons aged in a five litre oak barrel for at least three months then strained into an English-made hip flask.

Available at Good Godfrey’s. waldorfhilton.co.uk

16 Going ga-ga for vintage…

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Glamming it up on Saturday afternoons… (one for the girls): enjoy makeovers, vintage hairdos, cake, chocolate, bubbly and cocktails, alongside masterclasses in the arts of cocktail making, kissing, dating and dancing, courtesy of Coquette at Kettners in Soho. kettners.com

seeking out granny-style punch bowls, mixing jugs and glasses in which to showcase the most sociable drinks for the party season (see Esquire’s Handbook For Hosts) from Judith Michael & Daughter. judithmichael.com

21 Crooning along with our favourite Young Gun… George Michael’s voice + full symphonic orchestra = the perfect soundtrack for cocktail drinking. Check him out at one of his hugely anticipated UK dates, from 26 October-19 December, in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Dublin. georgemichael.com

14 Becoming gin geniuses… learn about the history of gin and check out the artefacts at Jake Burgher’s small but perfectly formed Ginstitute opening at The Portobello Star in November, then pop up to the Still Room and make your own blend to take home. portobellostarbar.co.uk

23 Fantasy gift-shopping…

17 Genning up on drinks recipes… particularly the classics and party faves on the pages of Cocktails, the brand new book from Bompas and Parr (Pavilion Books).

Available from major book stores.

24 Puffing on cigars and drinking big boy Cognac cocktails… any excuse to get cosy in the most luxurious smoking venue in London – The Garden Room at The Lanesborough hotel. lanesborough.com

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Trying bespoke cocktails… created at the Mixology Table at The Drift. £25 for a 45-minute session, includes two unique cocktails. thedriftbar.co.uk

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Declaring official mandates… (one for the boys): The Gentlemen’s Afternoon Tea at the Sanctum Soho Hotel, with miniature hot and cold culinary treats, a tankard of Gentleman Jack and a cigar to enjoy on the roof. sanctumsoho.com

oh to be able to afford this private bar, made-to-order by Porsche Design Studio for Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

Not only is it crafted from brushed titanium and leather, it arcs to a sexy 180 degrees to reveal three bottles and four crystal glasses. 100% bar porn. Available exclusively from Harrods. harrods.com

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Pimping up the bubbly… add extra zing to plain old Champagne cocktails by steeping a Harvey Nichols’ Champagne Bundle in cognac before adding the spiced infusion to your glass – delish! £4.45 for five. harveynichols.com

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22 Entertaining in style… impress your guests by serving up cocktails from a deliciously decadent Art Nouveau absinthe fountain. £112 from absintheonline.com

Thinking and drinking… who says learning can’t be fun? Geek out on everything from art, lectures and surrealist soirées at The Book Club in Shoreditch (wearetbc.com), or get all Women’s Institute’ish with knitting needles and crochet hooks at Drink, Shop & Do, King’s Cross – all while sipping quality cocktails. (drinkshopdo.com)

IN-the spotlight

London Pride Whether you’re in the mood for uptown luxury or downtown chic, London’s vibrant bar scene has it all covered

Dick Bradsell. Photo: Ben Millar Cole at benmillercole.com

We’ve got one man to thank for London being lauded as the cocktail capital of the world; ladies and gentlemen, let’s hear it for Dick Bradsell. Before he came along and shook up the capital’s bar scene in the 1980s with ingenious creations like the Espresso Martini, the Bramble and Russian Spring Punch, your average cocktail in the Big Smoke, hotels aside, was as appealing as a creamy, umbrella-toting Daiquiri.

Fast forward 25 years or so and the capital is chock-full of quality drinking establishments, all with careerist bartenders following Bradsell’s lead. And without coming over all ‘cor blimey guv’norlike’, we couldn’t be prouder. That’s the reason we’ve chosen to launch our magazine during London Cocktail Week (7th-16th October). If there’s a better showcase for the diversity and wealth

of talent behind the bar in this fabulous city, we’ll give it all up and go teetotal.

But even after the 10-day showcase is over, the party doesn’t stop. In fact, London Cocktail Week is the aperitif that whets the appetite for an exploration of the wealth of fantastic bars within the M25. And we’re not just talking posh. Even if your budget doesn’t quite stretch to cocktails mixed by Erik Lorincz at the American Bar at The Savoy (the-savoy.com), you definitely won’t feel short changed with the quality drinks on the menu at hotspots like Purl (purl-london.com), London Cocktail Club (londoncocktailclub.com) or Graphic (graphicbar.com).

Go discover, mix it up and, most of all, enjoy.

Three top London bars

Uptown: The Connaught

Midtown: Hawksmoor Seven Dials

Downtown: Callooh Callay

(Mayfair)

(Covent Garden)

(Shoreditch)

One of the classiest joints in town, with a stunning design by David Collins Studio and award-winning drinks from Ago Perrone.

Sit back and sip an expertly mixed Martini from the decadent Art Deco trolley.

Day rolls into evening quite easily here – we know, it’s happened to us. The menu takes in glorious drinks from the pre-Prohibition golden era of American cocktails – try The Dandy or the Marmalade Cocktail.

the-connaught.co.uk

thehawksmoor.co.uk

A seriously good bar which doesn’t take itself too seriously, instead it’s all about the quality of the drinks. Good times, great cocktails and excellent service are a given.

Favourites on the ever-changing menu include the Anise & Nephew. calloohcallaybar.com

IN-focus

The Gin Compass North, west, east or south, which postcode will win in the big London gin-off?

WEST JAKE BURGHER PORTOBELLO STAR 171 Portobello Road, W11 2DY T: 020 7229 8016 portobellostarbar.com Using Sipsmith Gin (41.6% ABV, RRP £27.49) sipsmith.com.

Launched: 2008 Botanicals: Ten including juniper berries, coriander seed, angelica root, liquorice root, orris root and cinnamon.

What’s the story? Produced in genuinely small batches (500 at a time) from Prudence, the first copper-pot still in London since 1820.

The ‘sipsmiths’ are Fairfax Hall, Sam Galsworthy and Jared Miller.

PRUDENCE IS A VIRTUE 37.5ml Sipsmith Gin 15ml Sipsmith Summer Cup 15ml egg white 20ml fresh lemon juice 12.5ml sugar syrup 2 small pieces of cucumber 4 drops of Bob’s Bitters Abbots Dry shake ingredients to emulsify the egg white, then cold shake with ice. Strain into a coupette, straight up. Top with four drops of Bob’s Bitters Abbotts.

Jake says: “This is a drink with roots – classically structured like the antiques market along the road but with a modern touch from the Summer Cup that reflects the spirit of the area”.

Ms S says: “Like its neighbours there’s style and complexity in this drink – nice and tart with a hint of gingerbread-like sweetness”.

Mr G says: “Sometimes you can’t put your finger on why you enjoy something, you just do. That’s what I like about this drink and this area.

In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a gin that captures the spirit of every point on London’s compass. We have Sacred, hand-distilled in Highgate representing the north; the controversial coconut and grapefruit Hoxton Gin styling it out for the east; Jensen Bermondsey Gin putting SE1 firmly on the map and Sipsmith Gin produced in small batches from a garage in west London.

And each is as different in taste as it is in attitude.

We asked four of the best bars in the capital to devise a cocktail using the gin either created in or inspired by their postcode and we judged them on originality, taste and downright sassiness.

Here are the results:

EAST TERRY CASHMAN HOXTON PONY 104-108 Curtain Road, EC2A 3AH T: 020 7613 2844 hoxtonpony.com Using Hoxton Gin (43% ABV, RRP £27.95) hoxtongin.com Launched: 2011 Botanicals: Coconut, grapefruit, juniper, iris, tarragon, ginger.

What’s the story? Hello, did you not see those first two ingredients? Purists are up in arms about calling anything with such a dominant coconut/grapefruit combo a gin but the locals don’t seem to mind – it’s as feisty as they are.

GARDEN SPRING COLLINS 50ml Hoxton Gin 20ml elderflower cordial 20ml rhubarb puree 20ml lemon juice 10ml sugar syrup Top with soda water Shake and strain first five ingredients into a 14oz Highball glass.

Top with soda water and garnish with a lemon wedge and mint sprig.

Terry says: “The recipe is classic, it’s the gin that’s controversial – it’s modern, free-spirited and fun. This area is full of creative types who wouldn’t ever drink traditional gin so we created something as original as they are.”

Ms S says: “The coconut gives this traditional recipe a tropical vibe; it’s put together to be noticed – just like those Hoxton hipsters”.

Mr G says: “Both the gin and the drink nod towards the past while being refreshingly original – a very apt creation for the era”.

“this ever-so-slightly bonkers townhouse makes you feel warm and welcome as soon as you step foot over the threshold.�