Just 15 of the drinks I sampled at Cocktails In The City - London 2018
Posted by Matt Looker, 07 Apr 2018 | Events
London's best cocktail event of the year returned to One Marylebone on 5th-7th April and I went on a personal mission to undertake the most research any single person has ever conducted for the sake of a blog post.Luckily, after attending the event for a couple of years, Cocktails In The City finally responded to all my friend requests and let me take over their Instagram feed for the night. So not only did I receive some legitimate validation from these absolute industry heroes, I was also allowed to try as many drinks as I wanted in the name of collaborative social media-ing.
Readers, I did not take this responsibility lightly.
It is no exaggeration to say CITC has given me some of the best cocktail sips I have ever tasted - this is an event in which the best bartenders for the best bars use the best ingredients to compete for Best Drink. This is the kind of incredible opportunity that deserves a thorough and comprehensive investigation in order to do it justice here.
So here's some pics I took of some drinks I had. With some details for the ones I remember. They are presented here in no particular order, although you may be able to guess the sequence in which they were consumed by the quality of the photo.
The Duchess Of Bedford (Mr. Fogg's)

ROKU Gin, lavender syrup, lemon verbena tea syrup, william pear puree, lemon, Rinomato Americano Bianco, Fentimans soda water
Get the recipe
Zen Garden (Gaucho)

This wasn't even Gaucho's main contender of the night (that's further down this list), but from the fellow drinkers hovering excitedly around the bar, this was definitely in the running as a favourite. I didn't catch the ingredients other than there was a lemongrass infusion of, I'm guessing, their partnered product Stoli, and I suspect it was very similar to - if not the same as - the Lemongrass Collins on their menu.
This um... drink (The Gibson Bar)

I don't remember anything about this one, but it was served in a lightbulb, and the bartender who served it to me is clearly very pleased with himself about this.
A Sailor's Lot (Cahoots)

Brugal 1888 Rum, Instant aged Professore Bitter, alga nori syrup, citrus spray
Cultural Martini (Cafe Moderne)

"London is a melting pot of cultures and at Cafe Moderne we work with a lot of oils and so this drink takes the classic martini with the french twist of St-Germain and the guest can choose from a range of oils - each oil inspired by a different culture from London - Indian and Jamaican."
Read an interview with Cafe Moderne and get the recipe form this and their other fine drink Á Bicylette
1743 meets Negroni (Atrium Bar - Florence)

Martini Riserva Bitter, Martini Riserva Rubino, Bombay Sapphire gin, Alkermes SMN, olive oil foam
Golden Peacock (Rock And Rose)

Disaronno, passion fruit, pineapple, citrus and gomme, bee pollen, tagete flower
Get the recipe
Wilder Things (Mark's Bar at Hix)

Freya Birch Spirit, nettle cordial, lime, basil
Rouge (Coupette)

St-Germain, Lillet Blanc, Bacardi Ocho, exotic cordial, raspberry ice
Get the recipe
The Penzance (Mint Gun Club)

Oxley, chamomile, honey suckle and cornish manuka leaf cordial
Get the recipe
YON-JU-ROKU MARK (Four Degree)

Maker's Mark 46, Japanese syrup, yuzu juice, Japanese syrup, sparkling sake
Get the recipe
Lovelace (Little Bat)

Tanqueray No.Ten, champagne & elderflower syrup, hopped grapefruit bitters, lemon, aquafaba
Get the recipe
This... Slushie (Little Nan's Bar)

I know nothing about this drink other than it came out of a big slushie dispenser, and that there was an entire section next to it that Little Nan had dedicated to a 'self-serve' garnish station filled with sweets, cocktail paraphernalia and other fun garish decorations. This understated attempt in the pic above was somehow my best effort.
A Toast To 1757 (The Bloomsbury Club Bar)

Roe & Co, homemade macadamia, pear and apple syrup, pecan tincture
Get the recipe
Rhubarb Crush (Gaucho)

Elit Vodka, Fair Acai Liqueur, spiced rhubarb syrup, lemon, egg white
So there we go. That’s about as much as... oh, god I've just remembered that I also tried some homemade bourbon whisky and chocolate sorbet. Forget everything - that’s the only thing that matters now.
Tags: Cocktails In The City, Bars