Author Archives: Kesh

Celebrate the Night Tube with Late Night Dining at Gaucho

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The nation’s favourite Argentine Steak restaurant are about to make Londoners a whole lot happier. As if we didn’t have enough to celebrate with the arrival of the night tube, FINALLY, Gaucho Piccadilly will be the first to give you one incredibly important reason to stay out late. Executive Chef Jamie Robertson has curated a tantalisingly, tasty new menu of sharing dishes to celebrate the occasion. Available between 10pm-1am Weds-Saturday, this feast will feature signature Gaucho beef empanadas, tuna ceviche spoons, chunky truffle chips and of course, no Gaucho feast would be complete without their winning steak. The feasting menu will be priced at £25 per head, so with a selection of delicious morsels to try, Gaucho might just be your new late night hangout. Of course the cocktails and plethora of fine Argentine wines will also be on offer until closing.

The Late Night Menu at Gaucho Piccadilly will launch on Friday 26th August, and will be offered from Wednesday to Saturday nights.

For more information, visit: www.gauchorestaurants.co.uk

La Maison Rémy Martin are the Hosts with The Most

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To celebrate the buildup of hotly anticipated private members’ club La Maison Rémy Martin, we were invited to The Rumpus Room at Mondrian London for “A Night of Olympic Talent”. The evening is one of many to be hosted by La Maison Rémy Martin where the element of surprise and exploration of craftsmanship is very much at the forefront, much like the mystère of the brand itself.

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We had the privilege of meeting Olympians Jade Johnson, Dalton Grant and Peter Wilson MBE to hear their unique and insightful stories on their Olympic journeys and current lives whilst enjoying a selection of specially curated Rémy Martin cocktails including Rémy Grand Tonic, 1738 Royal Side Car and XO Old Fashion. All cocktails were a Rémy take on old classics and were a welcome change to the old favourites. Created with the iconic Rémy Martin we were immersed in the brands allure of luxury and surprise. Whilst kicking back on the plush leather sofas of the Rumpus Room, it was a joy to hear the Olympians’ highs and lows as well as hearing Peter Wilson MBE answer our burning question of how much partying he did after winning, needless to say, he couldn’t recall much from the week after. The evening was a relaxed affair and incredibly inspirational to hear such wise words from these winning athletes. If this is how La Maison Rémy Martin do all their events this is certainly a club I would love to be a part of. We finished our evening perfectly with Rémy Martin neat providing a gold finish to an already winning evening.

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For more info and for upcoming events visit;

http://www.remymartin.com/uk/

Little Bat – Neighbourhood Bar and Kitchen

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Pan Am

“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Bat! How I wonder what you’re at!” – Lewis Carroll

The weird and wonderful musings of Alice in Wonderland have been an inspiration to many in the past. Never going out of fashion, things have just got a little more ‘wonderfuller’. From the utterly genius team who brought us Callooh Callay in Shoreditch, their latest offering comes to us in the form of Little Bat. Located on a residential street off the hustle and bustle of Upper Street, Little Bat is a haven of calm serving up an abundance of innovative and scrumptious cocktails worthy of any Alice In Wonderland tea party. As well as their award winning cocktail menu, this bar does not fail to serve up an assortment of dishes which could whet the appetite of even the most discerning diner.

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Franklin Whey + Bombay Cocktail

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Bathtub Sour + Hedgerow Smash

It’s rush hour outside but inside, the laid-back, super chill vibes of Little Bat really do take the stresses of the day away. The lay out of the place has been created with feng-shui in mind with moodier, more intimate areas of the bar adorned with comfy booths, to light and airy areas. There is something in here to suit everyones taste from the foliage to the darn impressive cocktail list. We headed first to the sours and worked our way to Whisky. I must admit, someone had recommended the Pan Am to me before I had visited, good shout. I’m not usually a fan of rum, but cocktail mastermind Barney Toy has created the Pan Am with sherbet in mind and this is sherbet in liquid form. I would happily have had seconds or thirds of this but a good start all the same. In fact, we then tried all of the sours on the list and each and everyone is surprising and subtle in it’s own way. Don’t be fooled, they’re all boozy, but with these cocktails each robust and rounded flavours from every ingredient comes through. The Bombay Cocktail was also surprising, the presence of Chardonnay in a cocktail is enough to send anyone into a mental hangover but again, this cocktail is more healthy green juice than booze coma with cucumber making it one of your five-a-day. Don’t quote me on that one! The only mistake was completely self-inflicted, hastily moving onto the Whisky cocktails before we had tried dinner, we recommend you stick to the sours or collins first. Be warned, they pack a punch. There are a mix of different strengths when dealing with the Whisky cocktails, but perhaps try a Franklin Whey before a Hedgerow Smash for example. The clue is in the name.

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When it comes to what culinary delights were served up, Little Bat really did good when sourcing their kitchen controllers. From smaller plates to larger plates, we recommend the Lobster Mac n Cheese, The Jerk Chicken and even their Green Bean salad was divine. The quality really does come through in all the elements that make up Little Bat and with the majority of the cocktails priced at £8 it just goes to show that sometimes the best things are in ‘Little’ packages.

For more info check out;

www.littlebatbar.com

@LittleBatBar

It’s Time for Tea

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Tea is magic elixir we have sworn by since the beginning of time. Who knew that boiling various leaves could create such a groundbreaking staple of society. It is a drink which is enjoyed in many different forms globally and there is no denying tea has a very special place in the heart of British Culture. Brit’s on average drink enough tea to fill two bathtubs each year and as a nation of Tea-Lover’s, Frost were interested to see how tea is enjoyed today. We wanted to create a special feature which steered away from the traditional, and focused on the unique and innovative uses of tea, so we’ve handpicked a selection of treasures which pay homage to the humble cuppa.

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A Unique Tea and Kombucha Paired Tasting Menu at The Frog E1

Overseen by inventive young chef Adam Handling, his team have once again put their creative nature to the test and this time they have paired up with Newby Teas to create a tasting menu paired with tea and kombucha. Kombucha, is a slightly fermented tea which has been hailed as the latest ‘super-drink’ believed to aid digestion and general wellbeing. With that in mind, Adam and his development Chef decided to create a menu paired with a selection of teas and kombucha which left you feeling good. Expect dishes such as Adam’s intricate Crab and Apple served alongside a fragrant jasmine kombucha, a flowering tea served with Hake and Limestone and an Assam Tea consommé to accompany Roast Lamb and Black Garlic. Expect attention to detail, quality and a menu designed to make you feel good from the inside out.

The Kombucha and Tea Paired Tasting Menu will be available until July 30th at The Frog E1. Lunch and dinner inclusive and is priced at £45pp

http://www.thefrogrestaurant.com

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Bluebird Tea Co.

A couple of months ago we had the pleasure of attending a workshop with the UK based expert Tea Mixologists. Indeed, blending tea is a complete art form and a science mastered by very few and the innovation and creativity can certainly be seen  at Bluebird Tea Co. They really love their tea and wanted to create something for tea lovers alike. Bluebird has the largest range of creative tea blends in the UK and create them from pretty much anything. They in turn allow you to enjoy their blends or in fact create your very own with their mixology expertise. They now have shops in Brighton and Tunbridge Wells and also pop-up in various festivals, events and run a thriving Notonthehighstreet.com franchise. Their website features a host of tea-related paraphernalia as well as tea itself and enables you to learn about their various workshops taking place around the country, at festivals and in their stores. They were kind enough to allow us to publish one of their tantalising drink recipes with a touch of tea for you to try at home.

Sangria

Sangria Punch Bowl

Makes: 1 Sangria Punch Bowl, Serves: 12

What you will need:

1 sample pouch (20g) Sangria Tea concentrate
1 1/3 bottles of red wine
10 cinnamon sticks
Honey – we use our locally sourced Brighton RAW Honey
1.5l of hot water
Fruit for decoration – 1 lemon & 1 orange
1 punch bowl
What to do:

1. Start by brewing 20g of Sangria Tea (our sample pouches are perfect sizes), in 1.5l with hot water or alternatively, you can cold brew the sangria for a few hours in your punch bowl.

2. Whilst the tea is still warm, add your cinnamon sticks and leave to cool. If you’re cold brewing add the cinnamon sticks at the beginning of the process.

3. Once your Sangria tea is cool, strain your tea and then add the red wine to the bowl and mix.

4. Taste the Sangria and if desired add honey to sweeten, we normally add 4 teaspoons and then stir until the honey has dissolved.

5. Once you have found your perfect tasting Sangria, it is now time to get decorative. Cut up your orange and lemons and add to the punch. Now it’s time to enjoy your Sangria punch!

http://bluebirdteaco.com/uk_en/

Earl Grey Gin + Glass

T.E.A Tea Enriched Alcohol

Because no tea feature would be complete without Tea Enriched Alcohol. Handcrafted in the UK, this multi-award winning brand distill Vodka and Gin using the best tea leaves to create T.E.A – Tea Enriched Alcohol. Made with the finest tea and botanicals sourced from around the globe, T.E.A produces premium, 100% natural, gluten free Earl Grey Gin, Jasmine Gin, Earl Grey Vodka and Jasmine Vodka. T.E.A recommend you try the The Earl Grey Gin with an orange twist, while lemon zest suits the Jasmine infused spirits. The spirits are distilled just once and remove the ‘heads and tails’ of the batch ensuring you are enjoying the smoothest part of the spirit. You can find T.E.A exclusively at Fortnum and Masons and served in Soho’s Urban Tea Rooms – which is owned by the founders of T.E.A. So we think you should take quintessentially British to the next level this summer by combining Gin and Tea. Chin Chin.

T.E.A is available directly from here and from selected stockists

A Taste of All Things Italia at Bellavita Expo This July

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For three days, The Business Design Centre in Angel will be host to the largest Italian Food and Drink Festival in The UK. Expect to see your favourite celebrity chefs Gennaro Contaldo and Aldo Zilli and indulge in the very finest and luxurious food and drink from the best Italian producers. The show will host over 260 exhibitors offering traditional, innovative and modern Italian products and expect to leave fully educated on all that Italy has to offer right in the heart of London.

The headline chefs will be on hand offering live cookery demonstrations and sharing their expertise on the shows opening day. Across the next couple of days expect food masterclass and wine masterclasses from the very best Italian experts. Renowned Wine Expert, Anthony Rose, will also be hosting a tasting in the Bellavita Wine Theatre where consumers can try some complimentary Prosecco straight from the largest producer of Prosecco in Italy, Villa Sandi.

New to the show, you can browse and buy whatever products you wish and have them delivered straight to your door with the Bellavite E-Shop www.bellavitashop.co.uk which can be accessed at the show.

For a limited time, you can also register for a free ticket to the show using code FREEBELLAVITA at www.bellavita.com

What more could you ask for? Register now and lets all raise a glass to Bellavita. Cin Cin.

Bellavita Expo
17th – 19th July
Islington Business Design Centre – 52 Upper St, Islington, N1 0QH
10.00 am – 5.30 pm

Capturing Mumm’s Daring Spirit with New Grand Cordon Bottle

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Maison Mumm have continued to pride themselves on their innovation and their daring spirit. Being sponsors to a host of sporting events throughout their production including The Vendée Globe, Formula 1 and Le Mans to name a few, Mumm have recently become proud sponsors of The Fia Formula E Championship. In 1876 Georges Hermann Mumm decided that he would pay homage to all of his prestigious customers by adding an iconic red ribbon to every bottle representing the highest of all French Honours and encapsulating the motto of GH Mumm of “only the best”. The red sash aka the Cordon Rouge has now become synonymous with the extraordinary achievements Mumm supports today and marking their latest sponsorship with Formula E and 140 years of the iconic red sash, Mumm have revealed a brand new revolutionary bottle, Grand Cordon.

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Frost were honoured to be invited by Mumm to the Formula E final and witness the new bottle in action at the infamous Victory Podium. The origins of the Champagne spray started all the way back in the sixties where Le Mans winner Jo Siffert accidentally sprayed the crowd due to a Champagne bottle which has been left out in the sun causing a build up of pressure. The next year, another racer deliberately re-created the happy mistake and thus was born this momentous tradition. Having upgraded to Mumm’s Jeroboam bottle which is a staggering 3 litres, there is now double the amount of Champagne to soak the anticipating crowd.

Having arrived at Battersea Park with not much knowledge of Motor Sports we were given the low down on what Formula E entailed by the fantastic hosts and representatives of Maison Mumm.

Jean-Eric Vergne and Bruno Senna Mumm Grand Cordon champagne sprayEssentially, Formula E is The World’s first auto race which uses electric cars. Formula E represents a vision for the future of the motor industry and being the sponsors of the tournament, Mumm are proud to back the efforts of sustaining and maintaining a cleaner and greener future. The series started in 2014 in Beijing and is contested by ten teams of two drivers each. This year, the contest was comprised of ten races with the final being in Battersea and it has recently been revealed that next year will consist of fourteen races with the final being on the streets of Brooklyn. The drivers are divided into four groups with each group having 6 minutes to set their best lap. The five fastest drivers then go out again to determine their grid position. The race itself is over within 55 minutes with each driver changing cars once throughout, after all, they are electric cars. One of the most interesting features of the Fia Formula E is the Fanboost which allows the fans to have some power over their favourite drivers by voting for them using social media channels. The three most popular drivers receive an extra energy boost potentially changing the outcome of the race. Points are then awarded using the current standard FIA system with drivers who set the fastest lap being awarded two extra points. This years final was won by Sebastien Buemi after a thrilling final race taking the lead and spraying the anticipating crowd with GH Mumm Jeraboam.

Mumm Grand Cordon

Mumm produce Champagne’s which capture the essence of adventure and victory and their constant celebration of this has been their inspiration for their Limited Edition Victory Bottles. Each of the Mumm Champagne bottles are uniquely produced and turned by hand to remove any sediment and are monitored for over two years before they are released. The Grand Cordon bottle designed by multi-award winning designer Ross Lovegrove is inventive and creative to say the least true to Mumm’s daring style. Breaking the convention of the original bottles, the bottle has no front label, instead the G.H. Mumm signature and eagle emblem are printed in gold directly on the glass. The neck of the bottle is also unusually longer designed to encapsulate the development of the aromas of Mumm’s legendary Cordon Rouge Cuvée. The most striking addition to the new bottle is that the iconic red sash, only altered twice in as much as two centuries, has now been transformed into a genuine red ribbon which has been indented into the glass. A true celebration of over two centuries of excellence and tradition.

So if you would like a slice of victory on your wine rack;

Mumm Grand Cordon is now available to buy;
www.sohowine.co.uk
RRP: £39.99

Nightjar Unveil Their New Summer Cocktails

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Behind the fascinating black door with the gold bird lies one of The City’s best, hidden cocktail bars. I don’t use the term ‘best’ lightly here, coming from this part of London I have scaled the bars in the area and Nightjar is unlike any other. With a cocktail list which serves up cocktails of a bygone era and some of the most unique spirits on the market, Nightjar breaks the mould when it comes to an eye for detail and outstanding cocktails so it’s no wonder they have won World’s Best Bar on a number of occasions. It could be the exclusivity of the place, or the sexy speakeasy ambiance but here’s one thing for sure, their cocktails pretty much define what a cocktail should be. I can’t quite put it into words myself but just know this, when you visit Nightjar the possibilities are quite endless.

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Just in time for Summer, Nightjar are offering up a series of creative cocktails which use unusual fruits and flavours to evoke tropical themes. Having launched mid-May, the new cocktails are the first to have launched under the direction of new bar manager, Martina Breznanova. We were lucky enough to bag an invite to the launch of the inventive new cocktail list and were blown away by the execution, the attention to detail and inventiveness. In true Nightjar fashion they’ve used a combination of unique flavours and challenging spirits and everything possible to drift you away into a tropical sensory Heaven. The new menu is made up of four main sections, interweaving history with innovation throughout. Pre-Prohibition, Prohibition and Postwar, all of which are filled with the groundbreaking reinventions of bygone cocktails, whilst the Signature section fully embodies Nightjar’s invention and creativity.

The Tiki style drinks which feature on the new menu focus on the more tropical and exotic flavours from around the world. We recommend;

The Lei Lani Volcano;

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This Tiki style drink includes tropical ingredients such as banana bread beer and coconut blossom nectar served over peanut butter ice.

From the updated classics menu we chose

The Mayflower;

Originating from a bygone era, The Mayflower is a unique take on The Flowing Bowl (1892) which swaps out herbal Kummal for Mozart Dry chocolate spirit infused with dill pollen. This stunning cocktail is served with real dried roses.

From The Post War Era;

Cocktail a La Louisianne;

Evoking the true spirit of New Orleans, this cocktail pays homage to its musical roots and also the voodoo culture. Served in a cloud of patchouli and Palo Santo smoke, this cocktail is reminiscent of the intoxicating smells of rituals and ceremonies. Made with Johnnie Walker Gold | Mancino Rosso Amaranto | Benedictine | Orange Liqueur | Agnus Castus Berries | Nightjar Bitters | Absinthe.

So whether it’s to just satisfy your curiosity and experience some stunningly made drinks, or to soak up the ambience of this unique bar and admire the theatrics of each crafted creation, Nightjar is most certainly the bar for you.

Just to get an idea of what Nightjar are about, they have kindly offered up a recipe for Cocktail a La Louisianne for you to try yourself;

–       45ml Johnnie Walker Gold
–       30ml Mancino Rosso Amaranto
–       5ml Benedictine
–       5ml Grand Marnier
–       1 pinch Agnus Castus (Monk’s Pepper)
–       2 dashes Absinthe

Stir and serve in a cold coupette

 

Nightjar

129 City Road

London, EC1V 1JBT

0207 253 4101

www.barnightjar.com

Bookings: info@barnightjar.com

Live Music every night from 9pm

Gaucho Premieres present Ab Fab

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Yes Sweeeeety Daaaaarlings! You heard it here. Gaucho have managed to bag the hotly anticipated Absolutely Fabulous Movie and it’s set to be premiered at Gaucho O2 on Saturday 2nd July. Forget the cinema, how else could you possible enjoy Absolutely Fabulous without a cocktail in hand. Thank you Gaucho for making this one possible, expect sexy Argentine Steak and Stoli Cosmo Cocktails… no, really!!! Each guest will receive a Stoli Cosmo on arrival followed by a two-course meal before being escorted to Gaucho’s private premiere screening.

Tickets cost £55 per person

Absolutely Fabulous Movie
Saturday 2nd July
13:00
Gaucho O2

Peninsula Square
London
SE10 0DX

For more information and to book, please visit:

http://www.gauchorestaurants.com/events/event/gaucho-premieres-absolutely-fabulous/