A Cocktail Masterclass

For my 40th birthday this year, being a bit difficult to buy for, my sister decided to get me a cocktail masterclass at the infamous 69 Colebrooke Row bar and yesterday it was time to go back behind the bar.

69 Colebrooke Row, or The Bar with No Name as it is also known, is situated in Islington and known for its scientific approach to cocktail making. Ingredients for many of its drinks are created in a lab a couple of streets away where mixologists spend their days coming up with new concoctions using proper sciencey techniques such as dry freezing. They have apparatus that woodsmokes some glasses to further enhance the cocktail experience. It’s not your typical bar!

The day consists of a tutorial on the origin of certain spirits, how a cocktail is initially created, while sampling some weird and wonderful cocktails. If you find one you like the taste of, you get the chance to make it yourself guided by one of the bartenders mixologists. The added bonus is that you then get to have a whole one to yourself!

I ended up making three different ones from the full range of 10 that were demonstrated, my favourite being the simple-to-make and Christmas-in-a-glass Panettone Bellini. Provided you have some Panettone puree lying around the house!

At the end they handed round a selection of martinis to help show how different they all are. Martinis with pickled onions in, with olives, without olives. But if like me you don’t like a martini, they all don’t taste very nice.

It was a really interesting few hours and I would definitely recommend it as a present for someone who likes a drink. Don’t we all?