Drinks: Must Try Cocktails in London

It’s the weekend of London Cocktail Week, so there’s no better time to check out our two-part series on the capital’s best new takes on classic cocktails and raise a cheers to the pioneers of mixology.

Sours

Okay, so a sour isn’t just one type of cocktail: it’s a whole glorious medley. A sour is technically just a liquor mixed with citrus and a sweetener like juice. That covers a lot of beverages so we’re going to narrow it down to one particular type: the egg-white sours.

If you’ve never had the pleasure of sipping on the soft white foam of an egg-white sour, you’re probably not tempted by the idea. Since childhood we’ve been told raw egg is bad but it’s in lots of everyday things, from chocolate mousse to mayonnaise. Why worry now and miss out on mouthwatering mixers?

Whiskey, Amaretto and Pisco (brandy) are common sour bases but there are many versions. Try Hawksmoor’s apple brandy and apricot “Delicious Sour”, The Oriole at Old Street’s Kathmandu Sour with tangerine egg white or a liquorice whiskey sour at 69 Colebrooke Row.

The Folly at Monument has a range of whiskey, Pisco or Calypso rum and lime sours but if you want weird then the Worship Street Whistling Shop does a crazy concoction with wheat beer, banana and clove vinegar and toasted seeds.

Martini

They’re the best-known cocktails around the world thanks to James Bond’s predilection but his methods are somewhat unorthodox.

Traditional martinis use gin (not vodka) and they’re rarely shaken. According to a 1948 ultimate cocktails guide, a shaken Martini is actually called a Bradford. Doesn’t sound quite as slick does it?

Martinis are garnished with lemon peel or olives in a cocktail glass. Dry martinis, unsurprisingly, use dry vermouth while dirty ones have a splash of olive brine. Despite their infamy, proper martinis aren’t the easiest thing to drink – they’re entirely alcohol. With no mixer to soften the gin and vermouth hit, they’re not for the faint-hearted or sweet-toothed.

Thankfully mixologists have made some delicious alternatives like the popular Pornstar and Espresso Martinis for the masses to enjoy. Head to Dirty Bones for a delicious Lavender Martini, Soho’s Bar Termini for a sweet marsala version or try a beautifully infused Earl Grey Mar-Tea-Ni at the Holborn Dining Room.

If gin isn’t your drink, head to Seven At Brixton for a vodka-based Watermelon Martini.  However if you want to be brave, go for breakfast at The London Cocktail Club and order the baffling Bacon and Egg Martini.

Manhattan

Manhattans are probably the least-known classic on our list. A Manhattan evokes old-time America, as if Don Draper should be carrying one wherever he goes (actually he prefers an Old Fashioned).

Traditional Manhattans are made with rye whiskey, bitters and sweet vermouth – an Italian aromatic, fortified wine – all served up in a traditional cocktail glass with a maraschino cherry.

When it’s made with Scotch whiskey it’s called a Rob Roy and unlike Bond’s martini, Manhattan’s are always stirred not shaken.

Legend has it the cocktail was born at the NYC Manhattan Club for a banquet held by Winston Churchill’s mother. True or not, this cocktail once took the world by storm. Now it’s due a comeback and there are plenty of places in London giving it a helping hand. Angel’s 69 Colebrooke Row has riffed on the original by adding maraschino cherry liqueur to the mix.

New Orleans-inspired NOLA’s phenomenal Banana Manhattan has absinthe and Creme de Banane while the Rosario from Callooh Callay in Shoreditch is a sweet explosion of rhubarb liqueur with raspberry and rose syrup.

Margarita

One of the most popular yet most dangerous cocktails on earth thanks to one word: tequila. Margaritas mix the strong Mexican alcohol with lime juice and orange liqueur (either triple sec or Cointreau) which is then poured into a sugar or salt-rimmed glass that is named after the cocktail.

Margaritas have a widely-disputed history; more than one bar claima to have invented it. One story says a Tijuana barman created the cocktail for a customer, an actress called Marjorie King who was allergic to all alcohols except the unusual agave-based tequila.

The accommodating barman whipped up something sweet, salty and sour that was named after her. However cocktail historians believe England’s near-identical Picador was the prelude to the margarita.

Whoever invented it has been responsible for decades of good times (and bad). While Americans love the frozen slush version, Brits tend to favour a more classic approach. You can take your pick on a whole menu of margaritas at Soho’s El Camion including apricot jam and pomegranate versions.

For something classy, opt for a Mexican Lavender Margarita at Joel Robuchon in Covent Garden or the pineapple sage take at Brixton’s Three Eight Four.

by Jo Davey

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