Eventually, offering a commodity, these services falter. A freezer full of granules, a bathroom cabinet full of unused shaving foam, a waistline billowing over your belt. And I’m paying for this ‘privilege’?!
At its simplest, Shaken deliver a monthly cocktail set, with all the ingredients you need (except ice) to replicate a decent cocktail bar at home.
Shaken is different though. It’s more a club than a service; one providing interest and expertise, rather than commodity. The ingredients are chosen, not just thrown together. They’re thought through: alcohol picked from the best producers, mixers selected specifically (and in some cases developed) to create that (dreaded phrase) ‘wow factor’.
Take the set we were sent. It’s a gin, but not any gin – East London Liquor Company‘s Batch 2: a drink produced in a tiny distillery at Mile End, with eleven botanicals that deliver a complex and fragrant flavour profile. I know, as I’ve drunk it with the Head Distiller (name dropping there).
Inside the box, spiced Curaçao, white port, lillet blanc and an infusion of spices. Not a can of tonic or a slice of lemon in sight. There’s the thought, right there. These aren’t ingredients you’ll pluck out of the air, bundle in a package, and send off to customers. None of your Dirty Martini Moscow mules or White Russians here.
That said, I imagine that Shaken might offer these drinks, but eleborate variations of them – at least you can guarantee that it won’t be a ‘standard’ experience. Something far more interesting and adventurous will be wedged inside that box.
With a new box every month, it’s going to be a voyage of delicious alcohol discovery for every Shaken customer. Something to impress guests, friends and other visitors with, as opposed to that mountain of Kenyan pure.
Want food, not drink?
– Celebrate Chinese New Year with a 10-course Culinary Journey Through China.
– Catch a shark with Marco Pierre White at Fortnums.
– Escape for a weekend of foodie excellence at Titchwell Manor.