It certainly has been a blissfully gorgeous week of sunshine and heat – pity we have been inside the realms of the office, am I right? For us Londoners, this heat is verging on being too uncomfortable (I have been perspiring like a sinner in a church). Particularly the underground, my goodness – the feeling of dread as I step into those tubes, packed in like a can of sardines and coming out drenched… you get the picture.
So why, after a long old slog in the office, would you even dream of battling the blistering torridness that is the underground? Why would you punish yourself after a hard day’s work? Why not avoid all the hussle and bussle and treat yourself to a gorgeously cool, refreshing cocktail? Cue our friends Dirty Martini and their luscious’Dirty Summer’ menu.
Last week I did exactly that. I popped into the Bishopsgate branch of Dirty Martini after a day at the office and was greeted by this beautiful blue beacon of hope, in the form of the Dirty Summer drinks menu.
Scanning through the list, my partner went for a “G&T with a Dirty Martini Twist†– specifically the Blueberry and Pear with Elderflower tonic one. Not to be outdone, I started my night with the hilariously named’Rum Forest Rum’. I am a sucker for puns and cheesy humour, plus who can go wrong with a rum cocktail? It sounded fabulous as well “Ciroc Pineapple Vodka and Morgan’s Spiced Rum are shaken with Bold London Spirit, Briottet Crème de Banane, fresh lime juice, gomme syrup, Vita coconut water and orange bittersâ€Â.
And fear not, these drinks did not disappoint. Ok the only let down with my one was that it was so drinkable, that it was gone in no time at all. Aesthetically, they were very impressive. The G&T was served in a deep wine-glass shaped challis, loaded with blueberries, pear and ice. Fantastic for cooling off after a sweaty stint in the office. My luscious Rum Forest Rum was served in this tall copper glass, and garnished with a dried pineapple (which of course, was consumed as soon as the waitress was out of sight, classy).
Round two, and yet another hard decision to make. Sticking with the Rum based cocktails, I tried my hand at “Guana Del Rio†as described by great people at Dirty Martini, this is a blend of Havana 3year Rum, Midori and Kalani coconut liqueur stirred with guanabana juice, gomme syrup, fresh lime juice and fresh kiwi. This glorious, vibrant green concoction was served in a tumbler, again with an ample supply of crushed ice.
My partner tucked in to a “Pash Me Batida†that’s Boca Loca Cachaca and Passoa passion fruit liqueur shaken with almond milk, Monin orgeat syrup, papaya juice, gomme syrup and fresh passion fruit. This one is a bit more of a feminine long-necked cocktail glass, garnished with an orchid, yes you read that right, AN ORCHID. So chic.
Of course, fear not for the sensible drinkers among us (I wish I was more like you) for there is a fabulous selection of mocktails available which are just as fruity and delicious, simply sans alcohol.
Not such a well kept secret, as even on a Tuesday night when I visited, the place was buzzing with other like-minded individuals, sinking a couple of cocktails before even contemplating tackling the tubes. Don’t punish yourself fellow readers. You deserve to sample such delights. (plus Happy Hour is on EVERY NIGHT even until 8pm on Friday and Saturday! So no excuses now!)