Shake it up

Although I love inventing cocktails and seeing people enjoy what I’ve created, I hate public speaking and generally being the focus of attention. So I had mixed feelings last year when, as the main event at our Christmas party, I was challenged to a ‘shake off’ with the other founders of the The London Cocktail Society. On balance, I’d have more happily downed a bottle of Master of Malts’ 100,000 Scovilles – Naga Chilli Vodka. In one.

Challenging drinks

Pavel Kabina behind the bar at Cassis

Over the years I’ve acquired a fair few bottles of random booze – many of my own production. Nice to drink in themselves, their complex or strong flavours can sometimes be hard to balance in a cocktail. Which is why I was so pleased when Cassis Bistro invited me to their Challenge the Barman night – ie, a group  of drink writers bring along whatever is lurking in the back of their booze cabinet that they don’t know how to use and the barman invents a cocktail with said ingredient.

Summer sips

The birthday boy the morning after

My friend John decided to kick off his fortieth birthday celebrations with a garden party in Norfolk for family and close friends – and I was roped in to run the bar. The event was vaguely Victorian in theme (croquet and a buffet lunch of pressed tongue, whole dressed salmon, dressed crab and samphire,  ham hock and trotters terrine, tomato summer pudding and lettuce with home-made salad cream) so I decided an authentic punch might be an appropriate tipple.

Gin is (still) in

According to the press, gin is still big news. I’d be a little tired of reading this earthquake of a statement (along with the one about how speakeasy bars are really current now) if its reiteration didn’t have major benefits for us gin-loving consumers.

The soft option

WARNING: This post contains no alcohol whatsoever and is therefore not suitable for 99% of readers…