|
|
UK Cocktail Culture
By Jen Karetnick
July, 2006
The Americans invented the cocktail, but exactly 200 years later, the English have perfected it. Never is that more clear than in London, where bartenders are the bailiwicks of cosmopolitan society: They measure who drinks what, why and how, and prepare both classic and creative drinks from fresh, raw ingredients as exactingly as a chef does from his mise en place.
For instance, if you’re a modern young thing, the mixers and shakers at the new Montgomery Place, might advise you to sip head bartender Ago Perrone’s Mexican vacation-inspired Esencia, a blend of Don Julio Reposado, prickly pear liqueur, fresh lemon juice and pomegranate syrup. If you’re a sophisticate, the Damson French 75 at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze, a flute of Plymouth Damson, Plymouth gin and lemon juice topped with Champagne, would suit. And a traditionalist, they say, should always find himself at the Savoy or Dukes Hotel, where martinis are studiously, famously mixed -- and fabulously comfortable beds await, besides.
Granted, it may take you twenty minutes to receive your cocktail and only two minutes to drink it. So here’s a tip from a recently visiting Miamian, grateful for the upgrade in quality but used to a faster lift in spirits: Order two at a time.
Resources:
|
|
|
|
|
