Recipe: White Lady, a Classic Gin Cocktail

The white lady loves you more

Gin and tonic is the quintessential thirst quencher in our household, especially on those summer evenings when water is too lame as an option.  When Mark Gill, aka @TheCocktailGeek, tweeted White Lady, a tart, but refreshing classic cocktail, we made a mental note to make it as soon as a perfect spring day presented itself.  If you appreciate the idea of a citrus infused gin (with a frothy delicious, light topping), you will find White Lady a welcomed addition to your repertoire.

Prep time: 3 min
Makes: 1 fine refreshing cocktail

White Lady Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 fl. oz. Lemon juice
• 1 fl. oz. Gin, we used Tanqueray
• 1 fl. oz. Triple Sec
• 1 Egg white
• 4 cubes Ice
• 2cm strip Lemon zest

Method:

1. Pour the gin, triple sec and egg white into a cocktail shaker and shake for 5 seconds.
2. Add the ice to the shaker and shake for a further 10 seconds
3. Pour into a chilled martini glass and lay the strip of lemon zest onto the foam.

Recipe courtesy of Mark Gill a.k.a. @TheCocktailGeek on Twitter

Review: 69 Colebrook Row, a clandestine nook in Islington's buzzing night life

A perfect re-creation of the speakeasy

I find bars very tricky to review. This is because you may not get a positive vibe on your first visit but this does not mean the bar should be discredited. Why? An experience of an evening in a bar can rest on not just your company, but the interaction with those around you, the number of staff serving, choice of beverages, the type and volume of music playing, the state of the toilets, the availability of food. Then to top if off the general ambience is a huge contributor to its success.

We have to admit, we are more fussy about our bars than our restaurants in some ways. If we like a bar (or pub) there is an 100% chance we will be back.

Now to 69 Colebrook Row. 69 Colebrook Row is the Artist Formerly known as Prince or “Symbol” of London's nightlife.  It does not have a name, but has come to be known as 69 Colebrook Row. Before Christmas we spent an evening there. We had an amazing night, but as we left we had one incident which set our blood alight. On Wennie's Affairs, we operate on the basis if we do not like you, we “ignore” you. Therefore we made the decision, we would not blog about our experience.

One month later however, we have been philosophical about the incident and concluded that the spoilt evening was the result of a waitress and not the establishment itself.  Thus we returned, enabling 69 to exonerate itself.

Now that we have contextualised this review we will address the aspects which we loved.

It is possible to walk past “69” without ever knowing it is there. The facade is unassuming and discreet. The entire bar area is about 6 metres by 5 metres. It is very dark and the windows are covered with shutters which contributes to the clandestine speakeasy feel.  The decor is reminiscent of the US prohibition between the wars era when alcohol was illegal.  Soft swing music jauntily played in the background. The intermittent nutty rattle of the cocktail shaker and white coated bar men added to the sentiment of days gone by. 

The drinks array was not plentiful, but adequate. Between the two of us we must have tried the majority of the cocktails on the menu. This both says something about the length of the list and our ability to put some away. We could not fault the cocktails. They were exquisitely prepared. The mastermind behind the cocktails is Tony Conigliaro, who had previously been at the Shochu Lounge. He has been described as the Heston Blumenthal of cocktail makers.  A particular favourite was Almond Blossom and Green Apple Bellini. Effervescent and zingy, the cocktail had juicy pressed apple sediment which were bursting with flavour.

We were peckish so ordered a plate of amuse bouche, which was a cruel treat of cured meat with cheese.  The bite-sized snacks were tasty, but did not last long, hence my reference to “cruel”.

It was the penultimate Friday before Christmas when we first visited 69.  Maybe the Christmas countdown was the reason behind the buzz in the air.  Perhaps, it was the relief from being shut in (or shutting the world out) from party mania.  Whatever it was, we felt privileged as potential customers were turned away in their droves.  It is advisable to call and book to ensure a seating for you and your company. 

We hope the fact that we had a bad experience and still returned is worth something.  If you are not convinced, may we add a second incident which took place upon our return.  A group of customers walked into the bar in a flurry and in an act of clumsiness knocked over Keith's almost drained cocktail.  Within seconds a man descended with paper towels to mop up the spillage and Keith's drink was replaced.  Commendable handling from the staff.

If you enjoy conversing with your company where you are not shouting above music, impeccably prepared cocktails and a sensual atmosphere, 69 will be for you.

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All a foodie wants for Christmas

All I want for Christmas is food…

…and drink.  Not fussed which.

We have not done any of of Christmas shopping as of yet as we have been so involved with work and our Christmas Party last week.  We started to compile our list of Christmas treats, some of which we have and some of which we want (hint, hint).  We thought we would share them with you.

1. Le Creuset 24cm cast iron Casserole

We have pots galore in the Wennie household! However, we have had our eyes on the Le Creuset 24cm cast iron pot for quite sometime.  The dish is heavy duty, durable and a fancy way of serving of tasty stews, casseroles and other oven dishes.  That said Keith has made his way through two porcelain pots whilst making his no knead bread. Enter stage left Le Creueset pot.

Richmond Cookshop £88.99 (Free Delivery)

2. Breathable glasses

Keith's late uncle and aunt own a vineyard in the Saint-Emilion region (like you do).  They unfortunately could not attend our wedding as it was the grape harvest (of course it was).  However, when Keith and I got engaged his Uncle and Aunt gave us two enormous, breathable Bordeaux glasses. We decant our wine, but these superb glasses ensure we maximise the potential of every drop of wine drunk in the Wennie household.  Not only are the glasses impressive looking, but they provide a practical purpose.

3. A food experience

For Keith's birthday I bought him (and myself, how cheeky am I?) a food gift experience.  There are so many experiences, courses and events to get involved with and not enough free days.  We like Buy a Gift and Tastours.

Buyagift

Tastours

4.  Gourmet Food hamper

The food hamper's reputation was destroyed in the 1980s when all you could expect to find in your hamper was some cheap fizz pretending to be a champagne (with giant bubbles), shortcake, which if you were lucky were Walkers and a Christmas pudding which you were expected to boil yourself.  Thankfully we have moved on leaps and bounds in the hamper department in the last thirty years.  Lewis & Cooper allow you to create your own hampers from scratch.  We love the fact that you can veto what is chosen for the hamper and not get stuck with the weird jellied sweets destined to send you into a diabetic coma. Thanks t'internet.

Lewis & Cooper

5.  Wine club, copious choice of wine

Wine clubs provide you with an opportunity to expand your palate and experiment with non-supermarket wines.  They also can provide you with an opportunity to receive a discount from buying in “bulk”.

Sunday Times Wine Club

6.  Barware set, a la Tom Cruise in Cocktail

In our barware set we have all the accessories; Cocktail shaker, bar tool set, shot measurer, ice bucket, serving tray.  Our definition of a cocktail is not juice with a shot of spirit.  We love a well made cocktail and buying the kit is the first step in being able to produce an expertly made cocktail.

Amazon have a great range of barware from £15 

7.  Offensively massive pepper mill

Finding just the right offensively large pepper mill has been the bane of our lives for about ten years.  Part of the problem was when it was on our minds and we would walk into a shop to buy it, find the label on the shelf and there would be nothing there.  There is obviously a shortage of offensively large pepper mills and very high demand (hint, hint peppermill producers).

Richmond cookware have a 40cm pepper mill with a 25 year guarantee.  

8.  An Apron fit for youself

We love our aprons in the Wennie household.  An apron obviously performs a practical purpose in protecting your clothes, but is also an opportunity to stamp your own personality not just on your food, but visibly in your chef attire .  Check out Zazzle's range where I bought Keith's “Les Paul” and “You can never have too many guitars” aprons.

Zazzle http://www.zazzle.co.uk/custom/aprons

9. Fancy schmancy Cheese board kit

When we moved in to our (soon to be beautiful) Edwardian home !8 moths ago, my university friends bought us a wonderful quirky cooking board which we use as our cheese board.  We love cheese, all our friends love cheese, the dog loves cheese.  Therefore, it is essential for cheese to be show cased as it deserves.  The below website has an excellent range of unusual cheese utensils. We constantly have nightmares in our household, but it is so worth it.

http://www.culinaryconcepts.co.uk/category.asp?CtgID=18270

10. Magazine Subscription

There are a multitude of foodie magazines available to buy.  I honestly believe I could look at food and read about it all the time.  Therefore, why not ensure that you are receiving all the food news, tips and recipes straight through your letter box every month.

We love Olive (the BBC food magazine)

Review: Mews of Mayfair Bar and Restaurant

I know I keep you a-mews-ed but I feel I'm being used

Tucked behind the bustling roads of Mayfair is a tiny winding alleyway where Mews of Mayfair resides. We were out on Friday night, celebrating two of our closest friends’ birthdays at this dapper bar. We had been to Mews briefly for London Cocktail Week in October and were eager to take it for a full spin.

The fact that Mews is in this tiny almost clandestine nook of the world makes it a special place. The dark, sombre, moody tones are sultry. Sexy, serious and a cut above a regular bar, Mews...oozes “it”. Then there was Keith and I. We had a curtain pole emergency and were forced to pit-stop at John Lewis. We arrived late looking like Merlin and Gandalf on a night out. I was worried that the Mews bouncers may have prevented us from entering with two 1.8m curtain poles. I had a repertoire of excuses ready ("We thought it was a themed party. He's Rod Stewart, I'm Roman Polanski"). I was prepared for combat and practised a few light sabre-esque moves with my pole on the down escalators in JL. However, you may-be surprised to discover it is shockingly easy to go drinking in London with a pole. We waltzed straight in.

When we arrived, my friends laughed at us with subdued a-Mews-ment when they saw our poles. They're used to my weirdness. They signalled to one of the cavelike, intimate alcoves that adorn the lower floor, where we could relieve ourselves of the poles. An obvious "staff room" snipe was uttered.

De-robed of our burdens, we immediately hit the bar. The English Summer Garden was the flavour of choice for me, whilst Keith hit the Royale Mojito. These drinks were swiftly made and dangerously delicious. It's quite possible I drank it as quickly as it had been prepared. My friends eyed my champagne cocktail and the next second I spied a round being ordered.

There was another Berry (very berry cocktail) and then disaster- Veuve Cliquot!

It was one of those nights where you feel like you are freewheeling downhill on a bike, but with no brakes. You know you should care, but for those few minutes you want to see where it will go! The service continued to be swift, which was also mighty dangerous. I eyed the jeroboam of Cristal behind the bar and pondered. Realising that an uncontrollable situation was arising, I figured I had better order food. The menu seemed strange to me. You may have expected for there to have been a choice of platters or sharing dishes. However, most snacks were individual in nature. I remember wondering who at 11pm would choose a lettuce salad with boiled egg and bacon or fish and chips. Confused and champagne fuelled, I haphazardly ordered enough to at least feed five (and some). I chose the steak sandwich, halloumi, two club sandwiches and chunky chips.

The food was prepared and served very quickly. I was impressed by the service. My club sandwich hit the spot. The steak sandwich looked impressive. The halloumi was my least favourite. Halloumi does not need to be fried, rather a minute in a griddle pan, a squeeze of lemon and chopped parsley is all it needs. The menu did not say that the club and steak sandwiches were served with chips, and I ordered extra on top of that. It would have been helpful to have known.

We must have been in a vortex, because the next time I checked my watch, it was dangerously close to our last train. Reluctantly, poles in hand we left and waded home. We had a fabulous time in Mews of Mayfair. I can say with certainty that we will return.

Related Posts

• London Cocktail Week 2010

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Cocktail Recipe: 3 Kings - Trio of Royale (Champagne) Christmas Cocktails

We Three Kings

 There are moments when blogging can take its toll on you.  Tonight has not been one of them.  We are in count down mode to our Christmas Party on Saturday and for the next few nights we will be writing about our trials and tribulation (aka disaster and victories) as we move closer to our impending celebration!

Tonight, we decided to have some fun with our extensive drinks cabinet and experiment to come up with 3 sensational Royale champagne cocktails.  Whilst we have used champagne (Lanson), there is no reason why you cannot use a prosecco or cava as less expensive alternative… sparkling is the name of the game.

Merry Gin-ger Royale

We wanted to have a gingery cocktail and make it look wonderfully festive.  The underlying sentiment was to chrimbo-ise the French 75.  Here it is folks:

As per usual, below serves 2:

• 4 mint leaves, torn
• 1 shot of gin
• ½ shot of ginger syrup (available in Waitrose)
• 2 morello cherries
• 2 sugar cubes
• Champagne

1. In a cocktail shaker mix the mint leaves, gin and ginger syrup. 
2. Muddle (ie crush and stir) the mint leaves  
3. Pour into a champagne flute
4. Drop your cherries in and then the sugar cubes
5. Top with champagne

Cooled Mulled Royale

This cocktail is a twist on gluwein (German mulled wine), which we adore.  Can we also recommend the apple cider stall in Borough Market.  Their spice apple cider is to die for!

• 1 shot of Cranberry
• 1 shot of Apple juice
• ¼ shot of sugar syrup (i.e. 50% water, 50% sugar)
• 1 shot of Absolut Raspberry vodka
• ½ tsp allspice
• 1 sliver slice of red apple, halved
• Champagne

1. In a cocktail shaker add the cranberry juice, apple juice, sugar syrup (to taste), vodka and allspice. Stir.
2. Pour into a champagne flute
3. Add the sliver of apple
4. Top with champagne 

Clementine Royale

Clementines are a seasonal citrus fruit worth taking advantage of.  It is related to the orange, but it is much sweeter.  We sourced our juice from Morrisons, but you could use orange juice if you could not find any.

• 1 shot of Rum
• 1 shot of Martini Rosso
• A dash of Angostura Bitter
• 1 ½ shot of Clementine juice
• Champagne
• 2 long, curled strip of orange zest

1. In a cocktail shaker add the Rum, Martini Rosso, Angostura Bitter, Clementine juice.  Stir.
2. Pour into a champagne flute
3. Top with champagne
4. Add the orange zest

The above cocktails have been created using imagination and a wonderful array of booze!  It’s enormous fun experimenting with flavours.  Cheers all!

Review: Fireworks Night at Galvin's on the 28th Floor at the Hilton Park Lane, London

Baby you're a firework, Come On, Let your colours burst

Congratulations to us. Wennie’s Affairs has been up and running for one month. I do not know if impetuous us understood the hard work that blogging would entail, the very first night we embarked on this voyage. Tonight's post is therefore a celebration of bonfire night and one month of us proving we can (somewhat) survive.  Since it was Bonfire night, only a lofty dais, ample champagne and good company would be the winning formula.

The Hilton on Park Lane is an icon in London. Tall and ugly, it epitomises the 1960s concrete jungle. In stark contrast the interior is like warm milk and honey. Situated on the 28th floor is Galvin at Windows. Renowned for its superior breath taking views over London, it would play host to our evening. We had some trouble getting seated and had to wait. We were a trifle irritated having called twice to ensure a swift entrance and being told reservations were not required. However, once we were in the bar and seated, we started to relax and separate our work and weekend beings. It was definitely a champagne night and we settled for a Henriot.

I cast my eye around the joint and soaked in the atmosphere. Hypnotic chillout grooves played softly in the background. The room was dimly lit, so that one could inhale the night skies. The décor was bordering on frapper. Amber shades filled the bar, creating a calming glow. I eyeballed the clientele. They were mainly your city suits, mature types and an old guy who was topping one hundred with a forty year old trophy girlfriend (not bad going grandpa).

The Henriot was like sipping bursts of spring. We tasted cantaloupe melon and a hint of grapefruit, a very refreshing choice. We were home. Then the fireworks began. At first short bursts of light appeared in the corners of our eyes like a mirage. Our table was virtually in the middle of the room facing the windows over west London. The fireworks were raining over Fulham, Chelsea, Kensington and Bayswater. Chards of light pierced the sky like a joyous Armageddon. Fountains of fire reigned over the sky. Keith and I “oooed” and “ahhhed” appropriately, pointing like ten year olds. Chandelier earrings were hanging delicately from the heavens. Balls of duplex lights exploded one within the other. As London lovers, it is a powerful image to see our capitals skies aflame with orbs of bursting technicolour lights. The temptation to stay for another bottle of champagne was too great given our front row seats, so we opted for “Galvin’s” own. The taste was similar to Lanson, but to be frank the Henriot had been more interesting and lighter. Although the service was bordering on too attentive in terms of topping up our glasses, better that than waiters standing around nonchalantly contemplating how to tie shoelaces and “my little ponies”.

Despite the wait to be seated, we would return to Galvin’s, either for another fireworks celebration or as a retreat from west end shopping. The amazing, stunning view over London makes this bar a crowd pleaser for the toughest customer, even if there was a resident stinky camel which spat and pooped in the corner. I have no doubt that we will be back. View Larger Map

London Cocktail Week 2010

Club Tropicana drinks are free

There was a time, many eons ago, when as lowly students Keith and I began our journey as cocktails lovers. That era involved happy hour in Zoo Bar in Leicester Square, where by 7pm we would be sitting  with a jug each of cocktail, half ice, three straws, red bull. Then one day we had a proper cocktail and the whole world changed. A well-made cocktail is the equivalent of a course in a meal. Thank the world and its people that London is home to probably the most innovative cocktails in the world. London Cocktail Week celebrates that ingenuity and promotes our fabulous bars. We had to be a part of that.

We began our evening in Gordon's in Selfridges (yes the department store). When we are shopping in town, we normally seek solace (ok, wine!) in The Balcony Bar. Gordon's by contrast was alive with after work weekend excitement and banter. For London Cocktail Week, they were promoting a number of cocktails each of which had a twist of re-engineering. Out of the 3 establishments we frequented, this bar offered the best value for money at a special offer price of £4 (normally £7.50). I had a French 76 and Keith went off piste with an Old Fashioned, which was whisky, Benedictine with a sprinkling of cocoa.

The next bar we visited was Mews in Mayfair.  By contrast Mews was sombre but in a sexy way. Hidden in the back pocket of Mayfair, Mews had the hallmarks of a pretentious bar. Except it wasn't. It was flirty, cool and atmospheric. The cocktails were prepared with a tremendous amount of precision and effort. I chose a Pomegranate Martini and Keith opted for a Chilli Cuddle, which was stole the show.  This cocktail was a blend of Stolichnaya vanilla and krupnick honey vodka, shaken with chilli jam and lime juice.  It was smooth and delicious.  The zing of the lemon and spiciness of the chilli was subdued by the mellowness of the vanilla.  It was highly drinkable.

Our final bar visit was St James at the Sofitel. There was nothing contentious about this bar. This was because they followed the very formulaic “how to succeed as a hotel bar handbook”. The staff were attentive and friendly. The colonial decor was appealing- dark and broody. I could have stayed in the comfy high backed chairs chatting until kicking out time. The differentiating factor of St James's was their risk-taking cocktails. Today’s special was "pink surprise".  Surprise was one word you could use.  Knock me off my seat, flabbergasted were the others. This cocktail comprised of fresh salmon (yes the fish), crème de peche (peach, and not fish), vodka, pinch of pepper and fresh lemon and apple juice,  Keith was excited by the experience.  He totally fell in love with the concept.  I settled for a conventional but ultra-delicious Kir Royale Deluxe (served with a chocolate).

Overall, London Cocktail Week provided us with a perfect excuse to partake in a little bar hopping, and get involved with the Capital’s mixologists’ quest to prepare the perfect cocktail!  Ching! Ching!