Northbank in BLOOM

I was blessed with visiting Northbank Restaurant today in the bright sunshine. The views are stunning and expansive with the Tate Modern right opposite - across the Thames of course. The restaurant is tucked in at the North side of the Millenium Bridge and has a suberb food and drink offering. Check out their website at http://www.northbankrestaurant.com/ just in case you need convincing.

I met up with Graham Scott the head bar tender who created a fantasticly simple yet extremely tasty new BLOOM cocktail.

Northbank in BLOOM
25ml BLOOM Gin

10ml Coconut Syrup

30ml Pineapple Juice

Shake all ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a fresh raspberry.

As I said very simple to make and yet tastes really great, sometimes back to basics does work!

Jenssen Cognac - Inaugural UK Event

On Friday 18th June, Jenssen Cognac sponsored a Rolls Royce event at Goodwood House in Sussex which represented the first outing of Jenssen in the UK. As the Rollers and Bentleys pulled up on the lawn the guests were invited to an aperitif of Jenssen's entry level Cognac 'Carte Blanche' an XO with an average age of 12 years.

The 150 plus guests wandered through the opulent surroundings of Goodwood House enjoying the artwork and various artifacts until dinner was called in the ballroom at 8pm. After the speeches and toasts to various Heads of State, the smoked salmon and caviar blinis were followed by lamb shanks and a dessert of raspberry coulis, all to the melodic sounds of a string quartet. The coffee and petite fours were accompanied by Jensen's second Cognac - an XO with an average age of 25 years.

With dinner out of the way more speeches and a raffle ensued after which the guests were invited to partake in the other Cognacs in the exceptional Jenssen portfolio. The Hors d'Age is a single cask with about 55 years ageing, the L'Epiphanie comes in a beautiful decanter and is a blend of several eaux de vie with an approximate age of about 50 years and finally, the Arcana - the pinnacle of the Jenssen portfolio. The Arcana comes dressed in a wooden shrine and bottled in an exclusively designed, French, hand blown carafe. The liquid itself comes from a very limited source and consequently each Arcana is numbered and comes with a statement of authenticity.
As the event wore on new friends may have been made and lost but Jenssen Cognac remained a firm favourite amongst everyone.

We are already planning the next outing for Jenssen Cognac , it may involve chocolate, it may involve cigars, if you have a view/preference please let us know....?

http://www.jenssen.fr/

http://www.vanquishwine.com/

Also soon to be found on not only on these pages but also Facebook and Twitter - but trust me, there's nothing quite like the Jenssen website for the most up-to-date news...

BLOOM Cocktail - 'BLOOMsbury Set' by Tristan Lobb @ Vanilla

Vanilla is the sort of place I think you should take a first date. Tucked away in Great Titchfield Street it's unlikely your muse would've been here before. Inside, the decor is uber cool white, everywhere - the walls, drapes, curtains, tables, chairs - I did say everywhere! with cristal drop chandeliers tastefully floating above the tables and bar. The lighting tone can be changed at the flick of a switch - check out the gallery pictures at http://www.vanillalondon.co.uk/

Matt Destandau is the General Manager and Tristan Lobb is the Head Bar Tender. Both are really great guys and I'm certain they'd spoil you rotten if you let them know you're on that first date!

Tristan really worked on this BLOOM recipe and it's well worth the wait! There's another recipe in the pipeline too....

BLOOMsbury Set
I should say that Tristan did want to call this cocktail
'London in BLOOM' - which is perfect but sadly the name has already been taken.

2.0 BLOOM Gin
0.75 Grapfruit Juice
0.50 Chamomile and Honey Syrup (Homemade)
0.50 Egg White

Shake all ingredients over ice and fine strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with an edible flower - in this instance a purple pansy.

I love this cocktail because the BLOOM really shines through! Initially a big hit of floral and chamomile, the grapefruit and the honey balance the drink out perfectly and the egg white provides a lovely mouthfeel. Overall a perfectly constructed and well blanced drink that's actually really easy to make! Assuming you can make the odd syrup....

BLOOM Gin Cocktails by Simon Thompson @ Hilton, Green Park.

Tiger Green is currently the name of the bar at Hilton, Green Park. It's a friendly place, recently done up with good work still in progress. The Hotel is tucked away in Half Moon Street, Mayfair so it's pretty easy for me to pop over from our new Vanquish office, also in Mayfair.... The bar will have a Gin slant so BLOOM Gin is a natural contender. Simon has come up with a real couple of gems!

BLOOMing Capello

25ml BLOOM Gin
25ml Pimms No. 1
25ml Martini Rosso
Dash Orange Bitters

Add all ingredients together and stir for dilution over ice. pour into an Old Fashioned glass, orange zest and twist.

Simon's perfect serve is with a giant round ice cube which has orange rind frozen into it - it sits perfectly in the old fashioned glass, which is rounded. Sadly I'd got there so promptly it wasn't quite frozen yet so we just made do with loose ice - I'll be back....

A BLOOMing Capello is a twist on a Negroni but the Pimms adds real fruitiness that just doesn't normally come through. The Orangey notes also really compliments the Pomelo in the BLOOM and the floral notes still shine through - smooth and delicious.

Basil 'n BLOOM Martini

70ml BLOOM
Fresh Basil
2 x Lucques Olives
Noilly Prat - Dry

Muddle the olives and basil. stir the Noilly over ice and pour out then add all the ingredients and stir. Double strain into a frozen Martini glass and garnish with a basil leaf.

This Martini is very dry and herbal, the basil works really well with the floral notes of BLOOM and the olives add a real salty note. With 70ml of BLOOM in it, it's not for the faint hearted.... although as I said to Simon and Mohseen "sadly, I can't just sip here all afternoon!"


Simon and Mohseen with the Basil 'n BLOOM Martini, Tiger Green (for now) at The Hilton, Green Park.

BLOOM Cocktail - Thriller In Perilla by Oskar Kinberg @ The Cuckoo Club

Thriller in Perilla

50ml BLOOM Gin

15ml Creme de Violette

20ml Lemon Juice

2 Dashes Grapefruit Bitters

3 Bar Spoons Sugar

3 Perilla/Shiso Leaves

Whisk with crushed ice in a Julep Cup

Garnish with a straw and Perilla/Shiso leaf

Shiso is Japanese for Perilla and the herb is often known as Japanese Basil or 'The Beefsteak Plant'. The flavour is quite distinct - it's a bit like a cross between mint and fennel. You can see on the bar a Perilla leaf which Oskar was showing me.....

Innovation truly at it's best!