eat + drink
drinking outside the box
Bespoke shochu, akvavit with a twist, and violet liqueur… Navigating cocktail lists has got a lot more challenging
London goes Japanese
London bars are big on Japanese spirits at the moment. The hip Shochu Lounge serves more than 40 flavours of shochu (a distilled spirit similar to vodka) and now offers a bespoke service. Patrons can create their own flavoured shochus by mixing up an influsion to taste – say pine needles and ginseng – guided by an expert. They can then take the blend home or leave it labelled on the shelf for their next visit. Name labels here read like an Osaka phone directory, proving the service is a hit with Japanese Londoners. We notice there are just a few Brits, including one simply known as ‘Colin’ who keeps his rasberry shochu here. Shochu and sake both figure on the drinks list at the Sanderson Hotel’s brand new Malay-influenced Suka restaurant, too. Try the Jawa G, a pleasantly bitter cocktail based around Wokka Saki, a vodka-sake hybrid, muddled with fresh lime. SOPHY GRIMSHAW
Shochu Lounge at Roka
37 Charlotte Street, London
+44 (0)20 7580 6464, www.rokarestaurant.com
Suka at the Sanderson Hotel
50 Berners Street, London
+44 (0) 20 7300 1400, Sanderson London Hotel
Akvavit with everything
The distinctive caraway aroma of akvavit has long been synonymous with the pickled herring, marinated salmon and smoked meats at the heart of Nordic cuisine. Just passing through the gates of the famous Aalborg distillery – a short drive from Aalborg Airport – is an intoxicating experience, thanks to the pungent scent of spices that permeates the air.
If you have a few hours to spare, take in the full Aalborg distillery tour, which walks you through the production cycle from fermentation to the state-of-the-art mixing room, as well as covering the spirit’s 300-year history.
These days Denmark’s ‘water of life’ is as likely to be seen on hip cocktail lists around Europe as it is on the dinner table as a digestif. In Nordic, a Scandinavian-styled bar tucked away off London’s Newman Street, they even serve a Caipirinha Twist that includes a double shot of akvavit as well as the usual lime, brown sugar and ice. ANDREW CATCHPOLE /JULIE ALPINE
Aalborg Distillery
C.A. Olesens Gade 1, Aalborg,
+45 9812 4200, www.distillers.dk
Nordic
25 Newman Street, London
+44 (0)20 7631 3174, www.nordicbar.com
Flower flavours in Paris
If Paris is your cocktail-sipping city of choice then remember that absinthe – old favourite of Montmartre bohemians – isn’t the only drop that can make your visit (less) memorable. Although if you saw Dita Von Teese’s burlesque show at the city’s Crazy Horse cabaret club late last year, you may be spurred on to order a bottle by the mental image of her bathing in a huge glass of it, complete with sugar-cube sponge.
Speaking of the Crazy Horse, that’s the name of one of the house cocktails at Hotel Le Bristol’s bar. The drink is made with a banana-infused scotch liqueur (erm, it had to happen sometime?) with champagne and fraises des bois – tiny wild strawberries that are slightly bitter. Bar manager Pascal Havel also serves up a cocktail called simply Flowers, based around a violet liqueur. “It’s sweet and sugary,” he explains. “Then I add eau de vie de framboise: a strong, alcoholic raspberry-flavoured spirit that makes the cocktail dry and strong. It’s a bit like a dry martini.” Sounds so good, Dita might want to take a bath in it. SOPHY GRIMSHAW
Hotel Le Bristol
112 Rue Du Faubourg Sainte-Honoré, Paris
+33 (0)1 5343 4300, www.hotel-bristol.com
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