Drinks: London’s New Take On Classic Cocktails

Everyone’s heard of classic cocktails like Tom Collins and Manhattans but these old-time aperitifs are often passed over for shiny, exciting newcomers to the mixologist’s menu. Well no more; for London’s Cocktail Week we’re doing a two-part series to show you just how fabulous these “fuddy-duddy” drinks can be by looking at new takes on old tipples.

Tom Collins

A Tom Collins is about as old-fashioned as it gets – without being an Old Fashioned that is. This mix of gin, lemon juice, sugar and sparkling water was made famous in the US back in 1876 but like all good gin drinks, variations of the Tom Collins had been making the rounds in London at the beginning of the 19th Century.

The name is undoubtedly odd. One suggested origin comes from a waiter at a Mayfair bar who gave his name to the similarly-called, identically-made Jim Collins back in the 1860s. The recipe used Old Tom gin, which is how the name changed, according to drinks historians. The Collins then gave its name to the familiar tall glass it’s served in.

A Tom Collins has always been seen as an American classic but the uncertain origin has lead to some heated and unsolved debates.

While others are fighting it out, we think it’s worth sitting back and sipping on a new mix of the enigmatic Tom Collins. You can catch an original version at The Hawksmoor in Seven Dials with an added dash of Campari but for something new, try the Peach Collins at The Breakfast Club or a sumptuous Sloe Collins at Mark’s bar at Hixter Bankside

Old Fashioned

This one’s for the whisky lovers. An Old Fashioned is made by muddling sugar with some form of bitters then mixing it with whisky. The resulting mix is served on the rocks and garnished with a twist of lemon rind. Much like the Tom Collins, this drink gave its name to its tumbler – the recognisable short glass with a thick, heavy bass.

The cocktail is exactly as its name suggests – an antique. Cocktails were originally a simple mix of spirits, bitters, sugar and water but they soon took on a flamboyant life of their own. All kinds of unusual liqueurs were added before the older, basic recipe eventually came back in style. This revived version was appropriately named an Old Fashioned.

Since then, Old Fashioneds have been given plenty of makeovers. Manetta’s Bar in Mayfair has a Trinidadian take with orgeat syrup and zany Seymour’s Parlour in Marylebone tries out cocoa butter and dandelion. Speaking of which, Dandelyon at the Sea Containers – voted the world’s best cocktail bar for 2017 – does an Oak Island Old Fashioned with rum, coconut, cacao and little-known labdunum while Dirty Bones has a deliciously loose take called Mutt’s Nuts with cinnamon and vanilla maple syrup. To top it off, Old Street’s The Oriole has a phenomenal Korean twist called the Sanshin Old Fashioned with port, brownie and tonka bean – it’s Old gone bold.

 Bellini

Unlike many classic cocktails, the Bellini didn’t originate in the US. This beautiful mix of prosecco and peach puree was born in Venice. The Bellini was created in the infamous Harry’s Bar by its founder and was served seasonally in tall champagne flutes to patrons like Humphrey Bogart and Ernest Hemingway.

The name comes from the Italian Renaissance artist Giovanni Bellini: the colour of the drink reminded its creator of the peach tint often used in his paintings.

Harry’s Bar had a branch in New York so the Bellini soon found itself stateside and from there gained a place in classic cocktail history. You don’t have to head to New York or Italy to channel your inner Bogart – London has reworked the Bellini in every way possible.

Drift Bar on Liverpool Street does a traditional Bellini with added peach liqueur and it’s definitely worth trying out London Cocktail Club’s version with lemon and thyme. The real show-stealer however is at 69 Colebrooke Row: a practically perfect white almond Bellini.

Mojito

Ah, mojitos – the ultimate cocktails of sizzling summer days. Technically this Cuban classic is a highball (a single spirit with mixer) but it has a little more flair than a scotch and soda. Mojitos are made by mashing together sugar, lime and mint before adding white rum, sparkling water and pouring the result over crushed ice in a Collins glass.

Legend has it that mojitos were offered to Sir Francis Drake and his men to ward off scurvy and dysentery. It may not have worked but it no doubt improved morale.

The mojito’s versatility has found loyal fans in the UK – it was named Britain’s favourite cocktail in 2016. Find out why with Soho Grind’s Chilli Mojito, a blackberry version at Ruby’s in Dalston and Ridley Road Market Bar’s Ginger Mojito.

Seven at Brixton ups the ante by adding basil to its ginger interpretation while just down the road Three Eight Four offers a watermelon variety. If you feel like one classic cocktail isn’t enough, go to award-winning Artesian bar near Oxford Circus. These master mixologists have created an Old Fashioned/ Mojito mix called the Old Cuban: Bacardi, mint, lime, bitters and Champagne. Whoever said classic was boring?

 

by Jo Davey

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