London, where to find the best cocktails

[bloviatrix]

The May 24th issue of Forbes reports that London has surpassed New York as the best place to drink cocktails.

Liquid Masterpieces

The mohawked, metal-studded bartender at the Met Bar in London lavishes love on the making of an old-fashioned. He delicately places a cube of sugar dead-center on a black napkin laid over the mouth of a glass. Splashed with Angostura bitters, the sugar drops to the bottom, where it mingles with a thimbleful of Bulleit bourbon and a cube of ice. The bartender "muddles" this mix for five minutes with a metal implement, until all sugar granules have dissolved. Then in goes more bourbon, more ice. A freshly cut orange peel is twisted and the citrus oil rubbed around the rim.

Such painstaking craftsmanship helps explain why London, in the opinion of Audrey Saunders, beverage director at Manhattan's Carlyle Hotel, has wrested drinkmaking laurels away from New York. "You'd be surprised," she says, "but we still don't have bars here that use a lot of fresh, daily squeezed lemon and lime. You go over there, and the standards are raised--it's the norm. When you use fresh ingredients, the end product is 1,000% better."

[JAZ]

Such painstaking craftsmanship helps explain why London, in the opinion of Audrey Saunders, beverage director at Manhattan's Carlyle Hotel, has wrested drinkmaking laurels away from New York.

Thanks for the link. It's always nice to see our eGullet members in print (for those who don't know, Audrey is libationgoddess here on the forum).

[DrinkBoy]

Just don't let the folks at Bartender Magazine know about this... :->

http://www.usbartender.com/article-barmag-spring04.htm

-Robert

[slkinsey]

Just don't let the folks at Bartender Magazine know about this... :->

http://www.usbartender.com/article-barmag-spring04.htm

The site says:

In the Summer of 2004, we will launch our new site, US Bartender.com!

This is the start of a new group, organization, and/or club that is open to:

         ALL U.S. BARTENDERS

Mixologists, master mixologists, bar chefs, or cocktailians need not apply. (Emphasis mine)

Well, okay then. Why would anyone be interested in this? Why don't they call it "beer-and-a-shot, we're proud to use sour mix monthly"?

I see that you are dismissed as someone who "hosts websites." Whatever.

[JAZ]

Why would anyone be interested in this? Why don't they call it "beer-and-a-shot, we're proud to use sour mix monthly"?

Hey! That could be their slogan:

US Bartenders -- We're Proud to Use Sour Mix ™

or how about

Gimlet? That's With an Onion, Right? ™

[trillium]

That's just a sad thing.... and revolting in a very strange nationalistic way. Maybe they need to come up with a Freedom Cocktail? Southern Comfort and Coke?

regards,

trillium

[beans]

Such painstaking craftsmanship helps explain why London, in the opinion of Audrey Saunders, beverage director at Manhattan's Carlyle Hotel, has wrested drinkmaking laurels away from New York. "You'd be surprised," she says, "but we still don't have bars here that use a lot of fresh, daily squeezed lemon and lime. You go over there, and the standards are raised--it's the norm. When you use fresh ingredients, the end product is 1,000% better."

I agree. In support, I seem to remember:

Flavored liquor tickles the creative and talented bartender’s fancy. My European cohorts are fashioning and serving up very exciting flavor combinations of herbal and spiced infusions to coordinate with various flavored syrups and purées. The results are nothing short of a well-constructed cocktail that is satisfyingly spectacular. These marvelous drinks are entering into a very decided non-sweet, almost savory category of cocktails. Innovative/creative European bartenders are looking to classic cuisine’s tried and true flavorful combinations -- i.e., herbal infusions served along with tomato and pepper purées for inspiration. Also prevalent are Thai influences of hot peppers, lemon grass and ginger as well as the usual love affair with loads of fresh, seasonal berries and the sublime tropical fruits such as mangos, papayas, lychees and passion fruit. Even homemade flavored sugars (usually vanilla) and soft, sweet brown sugar appears in cocktail preparation recipes. These professionals are the best at what they do -- again, all from scratch and made with the best, seasonal and freshest ingredients to order!

Evolving Cocktails

However, I am disappointed that Lab wasn't listed. From my European bartender friends, that is one of the bars to get your drink on. (ROSS!!!! I hope you are reading this!!! )

[beans]

Re: US Bartender

That's just a sad thing....

Indeed!

[DrinkBoy]

An interesting side-note to add here...

A lot of the energy surrounding great cocktails in London can be fairly closely traced to when Dale DeGroff started doing consulting work for several of the now-leading bars over there. Perhaps he is "the" reason, or perhaps he was just able to help fan the flames. Either way, I find it amusing that an American is at least partially to blame for London beating America at its own cuisine.

-Robert

[beans]

Perhaps he is "the" reason, or perhaps he was just able to help fan the flames. Either way, I find it amusing that an American is at least partially to blame for London beating America at its own cuisine.

Robert,

Dale DeGroff is to blame for my passion for well crafted cocktails, rediscovering some fantastic classics and enjoying many of the new variations. I shamelessly quoted and used his work as inspiration for eGCI.

Well, perhaps this blame ought to be shared with George (who is thinking), Q and you.

God bless Webtender.

[NulloModo]

I spent a winter in London a year and a half ago studying cathedrals, and while I enjoyed many an alcoholic beverage, I don't recall every going for a new cocktail, still, it was wonderful.

Drinking gin and tonics (hey, I was in London, I had to) in the hotel bar of the President Hotel (which is where I was living) while discussing the days adventures with friends was awesome. As was downing hard ciders and whatever ale the local pubs had on tap...

[Libationgoddess]

I agree, Beans.....I love Lab Bar as well. I posted my London diary on Drinkboy's

website last summer, and definitely made sure it was included in the mix.

By the time we talked, however, the writer had already done his homework

for this article.

The work that is going on over there is just incredible; as if all the ideas we

share here in this forum have come to life. Truly inspiring.

Audrey

[DrinkBoy]

For anybody interested in reading the report that Audrey mentions above, you can see it here.