Hawksmoor - anyone tried it ?

[gethin]

Have any other London based e-gulleteers been to Hawksmoor yet ? What did you think ?

I dropped by there on Thursday for a pre dinner cocktail or two and tried :

a Gin and Pine (Beefeater with a splash of Monin liqueur de Sapin) - pleasant enough , if very slightly reminiscent of pine scented disinfectant)

a Tom Collins with lemon verbena syrup (made with Junipero , which was probably the wrong gin for this , something citrussy might have worked better).

a Hawksmoor Fizz, a sort of Ramos Gin fizz with homemade rhubarb syrup.

a Puritan (beefeeter, Noilly prat and orange bitters)

a shot of eau de vie de gentian to settle my stomach before climbing on the back of a motorbike (as a passenger) feeling slightly light headed.

Despite an interesting cocktail list (mainly early 20th C classics), almost everyone else there was drinking Anchor Steam beer , which seemed a real shame, but it meant I got to chat most of the evening to the two guys behind the bar , who were both really enthusiastic about what they are doing and interested in trying out new stuff.

We had an interesting discussion about the proper recipe for an Aviation and I'm planning to return this Thursday with some creme de violette to try to persuade them that a mix of maraschino and creme de v,. produces an even better drink.

I'm not a great fan of most London cocktail joints- other than Trailer Happiness - (You pay a fortune, for a drink that you could make far better at home , and have to put up with ghastly people while you drink it), but I enjoyed Hawksmoor.

Anyone else been ? what did you think ?

Gethin

[eje]

[...]

Despite an interesting cocktail list (mainly early 20th C classics), almost everyone else there was drinking Anchor Steam beer , which seemed a real shame, but it meant I got to chat most of the evening to the two guys behind the bar , who were both really enthusiastic about what they are doing and  interested in  trying out new stuff.

[...]

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Off topic, a bit, sorry...

Anchor Steam?

As much as I think Anchor Steam is an outstanding and important beer, why on earth would you drink it in London? I've heard there are some wonderful beers native to your little island. Well, at least they are not drinking Corona, PBR, Coors, or Bud.

PS. Liqueur de sapin, (I tried Un Sapin from Pontarlier,) also reminds me of Pine Sol (an American pine scented floor cleaner). Leave it to the French. If you want to try an outstanding pine liqueur, give Zirbenz from Austria a try. Much more interesting and complex.

Edited August 21, 2006 by eje (log)

[Friend of the Farmer]

I was planning on going here while on biz in November. The Hawksmoor fizz is already my first order, but us yanks can't get a sloe gin fizz without taking flight.

I'd second eje on serving the zirbenz (zirbenschnaps) in lieu of the liqueur de sapin. You can find the Zirbenz in London at Berry Bros & Rudd, and maybe only there. I'll be there to select some very special holiday gifts.

Who are the bartenders to meet while at Hawksmoor? Always best to go straight to the source.

[Bill Poster]

Have'nt been yet. Its just around the corner from me. I heard a few negative things with the positives but thats probably down to a new bar finding its feet. Gethin, have you been to Gary's(legit) new establishment? Its THE place to hang out in east London.