The Cocktail Lovers

To tie-in with the latest issue of our magazine, this episode sees us going unapologetically geeky on numbers. We start with our two products: Dewar's Double Double 21-Year-Old anda series of three gorgeous artisanal products from The London Vermouth Company.

The five-star Atrium Bar at the Four Seasons hotel in Florence gets our thumbs up – not just because it fits the theme but because it's blooming gorgeous and definitely one you should have on your list if you're Florence-bound. We then explore Bloody Marys aplenty – 100 or so in fact – in Brian Bartel's The Bloody Mary, the lore and legend of a cocktail classic with recipes for brunch and beyond, which does exactly what it says on the tin.

Our interview is with Giuseppe Gallo, founder of Ital Spirits, creator of Italicus and Savoia and the brains behind the Roma Bar Show. We talk to him about the show's success as it enters its third year, why Roma is the place to be if you're serious about cocktails, what it means to the Italian bar community and the addition of the Roma Bar Show Awards.

What we're mixing:

Corpse Reviver No. 2

30ml London Dry Gin

30ml Lillet Blanc

30ml Cointreau

30ml freshly-squeezed lemon juice

5ml sugar syrup (optional)

5ml absinthe

Orange peel to garnish

Method:

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until very cold. Strain into a chilled Martini or Coupe glass, garnish with a twist of orange peel.

Atrium Bar, Four Seasons Firenze

Dewar's Double Double 21-Year-Old

Ital Spirits

The Bloody Mary – the lore and legend of a cocktail classic with recipes for brunch and beyond by Brian Bartel's

The London Vermouth Company

Roma Bar Show (29-30 May)

To nominate yourself or your favourite bar in any of the categories below, visit Roma Bar Show/awards

Italy's Best Bartender

Italy's Best Cocktail Bar

Best New Cocktail Bar

Best Hotel Bar in Italy

Best Food Programme

Best Social Media Presence

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There’s something different and altogether rather special about this episode’s theme. It’s all about PATRÓN Tequila and more specifically about PATRÓN Perfectionists. As the name suggests it’s a celebration of the very best in tequila, education and cocktail creation.

Once again the global final took place at the home of Patrón, the stunning Hacienda PATRÓN in Jalisco, Mexico. And we were fortunate enough to be there to follow the action and join the judging.

We talk with previous global winners Giulia Cuccurrullo (2020) and Harrison Kenney (2022) about their experiences in the competition and what they were looking for as judges this year; taste one of the Challenge Champion drinks with Max Macauley and catch up with Lauren Mote, (title), who explains the aims of PATRÓN Perfectionists and what the program means for the competition’s bartenders and their guests.

Along the way we share our tasting of a beautiful PATRÓN Tequila cocktail and mix up a lux version of a Paloma.

Tune into join us at the Patrón hacienda.

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There’s no particular rhyme or reason for what’s on our agenda this week, save for the fact that each item has either piqued our interest or seriously rocked our boat.

Product-wise we’re championing Sake Sling, a new ready-to-drink sake-based cocktail developed by the late Wayne Collins. But if you’re in the mood for something stronger, London Rye from the East London Liquor Co should definitely do the trick.

Our book choice is A Sense Of Place, a veritable treasure trove of beautiful prose and stunning photography zoning in on the lesser known delights of the whisky world – and because we know you so well now, we’re letting you in on one of our favourite lesser known bars, the truly delightful 45 Jermyn Street. 

Speaking of true delights, we’re thrilled to have Claridges Director of Bars Denis Broci guesting on the podcast this week. Tune in to hear what’s on the menu in the three bars he presides over and why they should definitely be on your radar.

What we're mixing:

Art de Vie

40ml Martell VS Cognca

20ml freshly brewed filter coffee

20ml sugar syrup (2:1)

Grated chocolate (minimum 70%)

Method:

Shake the first four ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.

45 Jermyn Street

A Sense of Place: A Journey Around Scotland's Whisky

Claridge's

East London Liquor Co London Rye Whisky

Sake Sling

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We start this week’s episode with a classic cocktail recipe and end it with a modern classic - a woman who is destined to be written about in cocktail history books…

But first, our products, both a little bit different… We start with Tia Maria, not the coffee version but the more recent Matcha Liqueur, then move on to Charmed Circle Strong Waters from those clever folk at the Holyrood Distillery.

Our bar review sees us enjoying the New Orleans-inspired goodies at the Alligator Bar at Louie London, and we dip into the archives for our book choice this week, Tom Sandham’s The World’s Best Cocktails - 500 Couture Cocktails From The World’s Best Bars and Bartenders.

Then it’s on to our chat with the ever-inspiring Monica Berg to talk all things Tayer +

Elementary and why being behind the bar is her happy place.

What we’re mixing:

White Lady

45ml London Dry Gin

22ml Cointreau

22ml lemon juice

15ml egg white (optional)

Method:

Add all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake over ice. Pour into chilled coupe glasses.

For details of the people, products and places featured in this week’s episode, please find links to their websites below:

Alligator Bar at Louie London

Charmed Circle Strong Waters

Tayer + Elementary

The Thinking Drinkers

The World’s Best Bartenders - 500 Couture Cocktails From The World’s Best Bars and Bartenders (available from The Thinking Drinkers, above)

Tia Maria Matcha Liqueur

The Cocktail Lovers theme music is by Travis ‘T-Bone’ Watson

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We’ve gone unashamedly female-focused in this episode. Why? Because there are amazing women doing great things every single day in the world of hospitality (and also, yesterday was International Women’s Day).

Our first product is Appleton Estate 8-Year-Old Reserve Rum created by the legend that is Master Blender Joy Spence. That’s followed by Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru Murcian Lemon Gin, conceived by Dr Anne Brock at Laverstoke Mill. 

Mallory O’Meara’s award-winning Girly Drinks – A World History of Women and Alcohol is our book of choice and we check out Giulia Cuccurullo’s first class drinks and five star hospitality at the Artesian Bar in London.

Last but by no means least, we head over to Miami for a chat with the powerhouse that is Christine Wiseman to talk about how she’s kicking some serious ass as beverage Director at Bar Lab Hospitality.

What we’re mixing:

Gin, Gin Mule

60ml gin

2 slices root ginger

15ml lime juice

12-15 mint leaves

7.5ml sugar syrup

Ginger beer

Lime wedge to garnish

Method:

Muddle the mint and ginger in the bottom of a shaker tin. Add sugar syrup and gin, then shake vigorously. Double strain into a chilled Collins glass filled with ice. Top with ginger beer and garnish with lime wedge.

Created by Audrey Saunders

Appleton Estate 8 Year Old Reserve Rum

Artesian Bar

Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru Murcian Lemon Gin

Girly Drinks – A World History of Women and Alcohol

For details of Christine Wiseman’s projects, see Bar-Lab Hospitality

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What better time to kick off the brand new season of The Cocktail Lovers podcast than the eve of World Bartender Day? To celebrate, we're focusing on bartender-owned treats, starting with our choice of cocktail to kick off proceedings: the totally tropical, crowd-pleasing Porn Star Martini created in London by the late, very great Douglas Ankrah.

Then it's on to our two product choices – a non-alcoholic aperitivo called Amarico made in Italy and Orange Botanical Liqueur 'Triple Sec' from the Aperitivo Co based in Bristol. Our bar review finds us soaking up the good times and great cocktails on the menu at Joe and Dan Schofield's eponymous hot spot in Manchester and our reading matter is Lauren Mote's A Bartender's Guide To The World – cocktails and stories from 75 places.

Lastly, we're joined by Giacomo Giannotti and Margarita Sader from Paradiso in Barcelona, currently number one in The World's 50 Best Bars list.

World Bartender Day is on 24th March 2023 #worldbartenderday

Porn Star Martini

2 Martini glasses, preferably frozen, and tall shot glasses for Champagne on the side

80ml vanilla vodka

15ml Passoa (passionfruit liqueur)

Flesh and seeds of 4 passionfruit

5 teaspoons vanilla sugar

100ml Champagne

1 passionfruit, halved

Hard ice cubes

Method:

Shake all the ingredients except the Champagne, the halved passionfruit and 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar in a Boston shaker, then strain into Martini glasses. Separately, pour out 2 glasses of Champagne and dust the halved passionfruit with the remaining sugar. Dunk the passionfruit in the Martini glasses, with spoons: the idea is to fish out the fruit, eat it with the spoon, drink the Champagne and then enjoy the cocktail at leisure.

Created by Douglas Ankrah. Recipe from 'Cocktails, shaken and stirred' by Douglas Ankrah

For more from The Cocktail Lovers, visit thecocktaillovers.com

For the products featured in this episode, see websites below:

A Bartender's Guide To The World – cocktails and stories from 75 places by Lauren Mote

Amarico Aperitivo

Ms Bar Trends

Orange Botanical Liqueur 'Triple Sec'

Paradiso

Schofield's Bar

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Are you doing 'Dry' this January? If so, we've got your back. In our last episode in this season we're putting the growing non-alcoholic category very much in focus and trust us, we were very impressed.

We start by tasting two new products, High Point Ruby Aperitif made in Cornwall and Savyll, a range of ready-to-drink cocktails from London.

Lyaness is our bar of choice. Why? Because we love the way they put as much creativity, care and attention into their 'boozeless' concoctions as they do their boozy counterparts. And book-wise, it's all about Kingsley Amis's cocktail essays, 'Everyday Drinking'.

Last but by no means, we head to Club Soda Tasting Room & Shop to talk to Laura Willoughby MBE who's on a mission to make the world a better place for people who are drinking less or not at all.

LLB (Lemon, Lime & Bitters)

150ml lemonade/soda or lemon & lime soda

15ml freshly-squeezed lime juice

4-5 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters

Lime to garnish (optional)

Method:

Pour lemonade and lime into an ice-filled Collins glass. Add 4-5 dashes of bitters and garnish with lime (optional). Serve with metal straw and stir bitters into the drink.

Club Soda

Club Soda Shop

Everyday Drinking by Kingsley Amis

High Point Ruby Aperitif

Lyaness

Sayvll Beverage Co

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Our penultimate episode sees us looking back on some of our favourite people, places and products from the past 12 months including:

Amaro

Common Decency

Himkok

Line

Seed Library

Velvet

Beefeater Crown Jewel

Capreolus Distillery

Fords Sloe Gin

Nixta Corn Liqueur

Woven Whisky

Simone Caporale & Marc Alvarez

Drew Fleming

Giacomo Gianotti

Dan & Joe Schofield

Chicago

15ml cognac

15ml triple sec orange liqueur

2 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters

1 brown sugar cube

100ml Champagne or sparkling wine to top

Orange peel garnish

Method:

Drop the sugar cube into a champagne coupe or flute and a couple of dashes of the Angostura Aromatic Bitters on to it. Add the cognac and and triple sec. Carefully top up with the Champagne or sparkling wine. Squeeze the orange peel over the drink to express the oils and discard.

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Hands up if you've still got the Christmas shopping to do? Yup, us too… Don't worry, there's still time to get your Santa on (Royal Mail permitting) and to help you, we've picked out a list of gifts for the cocktail lovers in your life – from £10 and under to blow the budget.

What we're mixing:

Julie's Sherry Cobbler ( 1 large or 2 small serves)

90ml Lustau East India Solera Sherry

30ml dark rum

15ml double cream

15ml simple syrup or cinnamon syrup)

1 small egg

Grated nutmeg to garnish

Method:

Combine the sherry, rum, cream, syrup and egg in a shaker and shake without ice (30-45 seconds) to emulsify the egg. Add ice to the shaker and shake again, until chilled. Strain into a wine glass over fresh ice and garnish with grated nutmeg.

Taken from The Craft Cocktail Party – Delicious Drinks for Every Occasion by Julie Reiner

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Martini anyone? Whether you're a gin or vodka fan, we've got a winning base for you. In the vodka corner we have Elit, smooth-as-you-like thanks to its signature freeze-filteration process, and representing gin we have the re-released Beefeater Crown Jewel, weighing in at a hefty 50% ABV.

Martinis feature in our book choice, 'Cocktails, A Still Life', written by Christine Sismondo and James Waller and starring stunning oil paintings by Todd M. Casey, while artfully made drinks are on the menu at Line in Athens, the latest offering from Vasilis Kyritsis, Nikos Bakoulis and Dimitri Dafopoulos.

In the hotseat we have Dawn Davies, Buying Director at Speciality Drinks and The Whisky Exchange. Who better to ask how to buy, what to try and what we'll be drinking in 2023.

The Franklin

30ml dry vermouth

75ml London Dry Gin

1 dash Orange Bitters

2 green olives

Method:

Add the vermouth to a mixing glass filled with ice and stir. Discard the vermouth, then add the gin to the ice with Orange Bitters and stir. Strain into a chilled Martini or Nick & Nora glass, add the two olives and serve.

For more from The Cocktail Lovers, visit thecocktaillovers.com

For the products featured in this episode, see websites below:

Beefeater Crown Jewel

Cocktails, A Still Life

Elit Vodka

Line Athens

Speciality Drinks

The Whisky Exchange

The Cognac Show – 10-11 March 2023

The Rum Show – 14-15 July 2023

The Whisky Show – 29 Sept-1 October 2023

The Champagne Show – November 2023 dates tbc

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