Waiting until the schools have gone back before choosing to try a seaside-themed street bar doesn’t necessarily sound like the smartest idea. However, with the capricious gods of British weather sending us a heatwave we were able to leave the usual seaside attire of a woolly jumper and umbrella at home and spend a glorious late summer’s evening at this pop-up bar in Fitzrovia.
Situated outside Bourne & Hollingsworth Bar at the top of Rathbone Place this is a collaboration between the aforementioned cocktail specialists and Lanique Spirit of Rose. This rose-infused liqueur has a history dating back to 18th century Prussia and was once a firm favourite of the European aristocracy. It was revived in 2015 and is now distilled in Jersey using rose petals handpicked in the Middle East. Bourne & Hollingworth have used this to create 3 signature cocktails utilising the unique taste of the liqueur.
In keeping with the seaside theme, we began with the appropriately named Shore Thing. This take on the daiquiri used a combination of the Lanique and a bergamot liqueur added to a Tidal rum base to create a fresh and aromatic drink. Citrus bitters provided an extra sharpness to cut through the rum, producing a very refreshing aperitif and the ideal start to proceedings.
Next up was the Rose and Grapefruit margarita. Again this expertly combined tequila with a mixture of liqueurs – grapefruit and prickly pear, in addition to the Lanique. The sweetness of the rose took some of the edges off the tartness of the grapefruit, to the relief of those of us for whom the thought of grapefruit juice conjures up sour memories of picking the wrong jug at a breakfast buffet. The result was an extremely well-balanced drink with a potentially dangerous level of drinkability.
Rather than tuck into a second margarita, we moved on to the piece de resistance, the A Rose a Day, Oysters Way. Billed as a as a fruity and floral twist on a Sgroppino and more accurately described by our delightful server as the most Instagrammable cocktail in London, this came served in an oyster shell on a bed of ice (I wasn’t quite able to decide whether the shell was real or a very realistic fake). This version separated the sorbet from the drink itself. The latter took a splash of gin, Lanique and nectarine liqueur and topped it up with prosecco. Again the balance of ingredients was exceptionally well judged, making the drink refreshing but with a hint of sourness that gave it additional body and character. The “slushie” element of the Sgroppino was provided via a side serving of rose and pomegranate sorbet. All that was left was to pour the drink from the shell as if one was eating oysters in a last days of Rome style and add a spoonful of sorbet for a marvellously decadent experience that I’m sure those European aristocrats of yesteryear would have approved of.
I doubt many of us have rose liqueur in our drinks cabinet. However, our evening showed that in the right hands, and there can be no doubt Bourne and Hollingsworth are the right hands, Lanique can be used to create complex and interesting cocktails that provide the perfect accompaniment to watching the west end go by in the late summer sun.
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