house tonic 5
DESCRIPTION
This issue is all about the recent Soho House Group bar summit in New York, which House Tonic Ambassadors from every venue worldwide attended; mostly work, with a little late-night research thrown in. We've also got results from the latest inter-house cocktail comp, judged by Simon Difford from Class magazine, reports from Puerto Rico and Argentina, a round up of bartenders' favourite cocktail books and a drinker's guide to Los Angeles. All that, plus loads more besides!TRANSCRIPT
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HOUSE
TONIC
Bartender Summit in New York Boozy news Cocktail Competition
Wine School Puerto Rico Argentina Insider's Guide to LA
Soho houSe’S Drink Magazine
Issue 5
Big Apple
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Editor’s LetterWelcome to the fifth issue of House Tonic – a magazine for bartenders and people who love bars.
We’re passionate about the drinks we serve in all our venues, from the Soho Houses in New York, London, Berlin, West Hollywood and Miami, to Shoreditch House, Pizza East Schoreditch, Cafe Boheme, BKB, The Electric, High Road House, Pizza East Portobello, Hoxton Grill and Dean Street Townhouse in London, as well as at Babington House in Somerset and Cecconi’s restaurants in LA, London and Miami. Whether it’s the perfect cup of tea, a cocktail party for a thousand guests, or an iced glass of water on a scorchingly hot day, we take it all seriously. And when we’re not working, we don’t mind the odd drink ourselves, either.
This issue is all about the recent Soho House Group bar summit in New York, which House Tonic Ambassadors from every venue worldwide attended; mostly work, with a little late-night research thrown in. We've also got results from the latest inter-house cocktail comp, judged by Simon Difford from Class magazine, reports from Puerto Rico and Argentina, a round up of bartenders' favourite cocktail books and a drinker's guide to Los Angeles. All that, plus loads more besides!
Cheers!
sohohouse.com/housetonic
twitter.com/HouseTonic
Cover photograph: Juan Sevilla and Felix Perez, House Tonic Ambassadors from Soho House New York
-4-Aperitifs
Booze News
-6-Aperitifs
In-House Competition
-8-AperitifsShorts
-10-At The Bar
Your Friendly Bartender
-18-At The Bar
Wine School
-20-At The Bar
A Bartender's Guide to LA
-22-At The Bar
Best Cocktail Books
-12-At The Bar
Bartender Summit in New York
-26-Digestifs
Cocktail Competition in Puerto Rico
-24-At The Bar
Golden Globes Party
-28-Digestifs
Argentine Wine
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Rising Stars
Editor: Rebecca Seal Design and Art Direction: Plus Agency Publisher: Dan Flower Thanks to: Caroline Boucher, Phoebe Strawson, Kat Hartigan, Chris Ojeda, Dylan Murray, Jessica Hopkins,
Oli Juste, Chris Hudnall, Tom Kerr, Michael Frohnwieser, Nathan Dixon-Jones, Richard Arnold, Damian Samuels, Paul L Mang, David Greig, Shannon Beattie, Ann Tunnerman, Ben Carlotto, Jay
Newell, Paul Mott, James Mitchell, Ashley Lent, Lilaj Battista, Jacki Spillane, Amanda Middlebrooks, Gareth Jones, Eliot Sandiford, Dai Williams, Simon Difford, Hannah Sharman-Cox and Arthur
Woodcroft Front Cover Photograph by Stephen Toner
Contents
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Wine tasting at Concrete, Shoreditch
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NEWS
Wine eventsMembers! Keep an eye out for
some more of Christopher Cooper's
excellent wine events, particularly
Life After Sauvignon, which is all
about alternatives to this ubiquitous
wine, or his ABC evenings (Anything
But Chardonnay). He's also got more
of his popular How to Impress in
Seven Wines nights to come, and
cigar and wine pairing sessions on
the roof at Shoreditch House. Check
www.houseseven.com for more info.
Cocktail of the MonthEvery month, Grey Goose designs
a special cocktail just for Soho
House Group. You can get it in any
of the venues. This month it's a dry,
fruity number inspired by a classic
French cocktail from the era of silent
cinema. The Artist’s special cocktail
was first created in the 1920s at the
Artists’ Club on Rue Pigalle, Paris.
40ml Grey Goose vodka
20ml fino sherry
10ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
10ml redcurrant syrup
2 dashes of cherry bitters
Combine all the ingredients in a
cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake
and strain into a chilled coupette.
Short Straws“new York has joined the effort to reduce plastic waste. after learning at the Summit (see page 12) that the uk houses don't automatically serve drinks with straws, we're also trying to cut down on using them here,” says Juan Sevilla, bars manager at Soho house new York.
Prosecco at Cecconi’s MayfairAfter casting the net wide and lots
of fiddling around with the cellars
and taps in the restaurant Cecconi's
Mayfair is now serving prosecco
by the glass from the tap. This is a
different and more delicate aperitif
compared to the bottle equivalent;
according to sommelier Christopher
Cooper it’s perfumed, delicate
and very refreshing. “Far too easy
drinking!” he said. A huge relief was
felt once the first glass was poured
by Cecconi's long-standing GM
Giacomo.
Europe's new House Tonic Ambassador
Congratulations to Tom kerr, who is now house Tonic ambassador for Soho house's British and european sites. Tom is currently head bar manager at electric house and will be based there but will also be helping creative bar director, Chris ojeda, with new programmes and training in europe.
Legacy Competition London Finals
We arrived at the Freemasons Hall
[writes Tom Kerr] which is an amazing
building dating back to the early
1930s. We all grabbed a cocktail,
Daiquiris were the call for the evening
and I think we even slipped in a couple
of Pina Coladas. The venue, drinks
and staff were amazing and the night
was gearing up to be a big one (we
weren't thinking about work in the
morning). Upstairs we watched as
the competitors made and presented
their cocktails to the panel of judges
which included the one-and-only
Dale Degroff, AKA King Cocktail, and
Audrey Saunders from the famous
Pegu Club in NYC. The standard was
very high all evening and the three
most promising competitors will now
promote their cocktails to bars and
the public over the next year in the
run up to the final. The overall winner
will not be known until next year and
then they'll represent the UK in the
Bacardi Legacy Global Finals. Zdenek
Kastanek was the winner last year and
he just represented the UK in Puerto
Rico. There was an after-party at
The London Cocktail Club which was
fantastic. Everyone was in high spirits
with tequila and cocktails flowing
everywhere – Bacardi and the boys
from LCC throw a wicked party. The
Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition
is growing fast and becoming
the best-known competition for
bartenders. Also, a huge well done
to Shervene Shahbazkhani, the
UK Bacardi ambassador, for her
excellent work.
In the MeantimeMeantime Brewery in greenwich was one of the first companies to experiment with artisan brewing in London back in 1999, after founder alastair hook got the beer bug. his wisdom and know-how was shared with 20 bartenders from across the group when they made the journey to the south-east banks of the Thames to see the brewery in action. (if you want to try their work, head for the greenwich union or one of the many good pubs who stock their beers.)
LA House Festival The annual house Festival in London has been such a huge success in recent years that it's time to give the uS a taste of the action. This June will see the first uS food, drink and music Festival take place at Soho house West hollywood. The 2011 gig featured Plan B, Tinie Tempah, Stereophonics, kT Tunstall, gallons of cocktails and piles of fabulous food – including hundreds of lobsters. expect an even bigger and better party stateside! Find out more about this and the uk's house Festival at www.houseseven.com.
Fire and wine Soho house Berlin's bar team have been keeping out the last chills of winter in a novel way, explains bar manager Sabina Westfal. “We've been making feuerzangenbowle, which is a traditional german alcoholic drink for which a rum-soaked sugarloaf is set on fire and drips into mulled wine. The name translates literally to fire-tongs punch”. Tasty.
Tough chapsSoho House New York is in training...
but this time it's got nothing to do
with drinks. They'll be competing
in the Tough Mudder event in New
York, "one of the toughest events in
the world”, say bars manager Juan
Sevilla – and he's not wrong: it's a 10-
mile obstacle course designed by the
British Special Forces.
get onlineCheck this out – it's our new QR code.
Just zap it with your smartphone and
you'll be taken straight to our website
(sohohouse.com/housetonic) for
loads of extra content.
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NEWS
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TOM KERRZDENEK KASTANEK
CHRISTOPHER COOPER
MEANTIME BREWERY
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APERITIFS GIN COMPETITION
Bombay gin Competition
gareth Jones reveals the winners of this quarter's Soho house group cocktail face off
Photography: Dai Williams
What a night the Bombay
Sapphire Competition
turned out to be... From
the weird and wonderful to classy
and elegant we saw the full range of
cocktails being made. Our judging
panel included the brilliant Simon
Difford from Class magazine and
Diffordsguide – a man who knows
cocktails and competitions like
nobody else. After the competition
the competitors and audience
were lucky enough to get feedback
from both him and his fellow judge
Bacardi's Ben Carlotto, which was
hugely valued by the bartenders.
After a little chat and banter and
a bit of posturing, it was time to
make some drinks and see if anyone
could knock Shoreditch House off
the top – they have won the last
two competitions, so feelings were
running high.
We kicked things off with the
comparison cocktail which was won
by debutant competitor Steven
Sunderhauf from Soho House Berlin,
who had flown in that morning for
the event. Fittingly the comparison
cocktail was an Aviation.
Next we had the signature round
with competitors bringing in
ingredients as diverse as wasabi
peas, liquid nitrogen, fennel seeds,
gunpowder tea and soya milk and
serving them in Japanese teapots and
vintage barware. Some of the drinks
were incredible and others were
more...experimental!
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AVIATION BY STEVEN SUNDERHAUF
60ml 2oz BOMBAy SAPPhIRE
GIN
15ml 1/2oz LEMON juICE
15ml 1/2oz LuxARdO
MARASChINO
5ml 1/4oz BIGALLET CRèME dE
VIOLETTE
METhOd:
ShAkE ANd STRAIN.
GARNISh
LEMON TWIST (dISCARdEd)
CANdIEd VIOLET FLOWER
(IN ThE GLASS)
JUDGE SIMON DIFFORD FROM CLASS MAGAZINE
MATT GREENLEES FROM BABINGTON AND BEN CARLOTTO FROM BACARDI
COMPARISON WINNER STEvEN SUNDERHAUF FROM BERLIN
diffordsguide.com/classmagazine
There was definitely no shortage of
ambition, plus it was great to see so
many supporters making so much
noise – Shoreditch House's event
space, the Tin, was buzzing with
people who had come along to cheer
on their colleagues.
Shoreditch House's Steve Tarr retained
the crown for the third time, throwing
down a gauntlet for the next time
(Naomi Fletcher came close second).
Congratulations to Shoreditch House
and Nathan Dixon-Jones' bar team,
a great effort all round and as always
they were the showmen.
Until next time...
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APERITIFS ShORTS
We then tried the products in a few cocktails. First alan suggested a Caipirinha with 35ml Clandestine absinthe, lime and sugar and it came out surprisingly well! equally surprising was that the drink developed in taste the longer it sat untouched, due to water being added as the ice melted.
We touched on serving suggestions also and there are a few dos and don'ts which i'm sure most people associate with absinthe. Fire: never set fire to your absinthe! This is a gimmick which came around in the 90s, not only are you burning away the alcohol but you're also burning the drink which will completely alter the product. Sugar: some people like sugar with their absinthe, this is all down to personal preference but some absinthes are sweeter than others so sugar isn't always needed. Water: always add ice-cold water. absinthe was designed to be drunk like a glass of
wine and to be lengthened with water. When water is added you open up all the aromas and flavours and if the water is ice cold you'll take away that alcohol burn. Lastly...enjoy absinthe responsibly!
after the house Tonic ambassadors made a visit to Maison Premier in Brooklyn, nY, i was inspired so much by their offering. Maison Premier is a French/new orleans style absinthe and oyster bar which boasts a 27-strong absinthe menu; with Cafe Bohème being a classic French brasserie, i want to now incorporate pastis and absinthes on my menu a lot more.
My knowledge of absinthe was limited so i contacted Francis Weier and alan Moss from Distillnation (www.distillnation.com) to arrange an absinthe training for my bar team. The guys from Distillnation took us through the history (there is a lot) as well as production and then the inevitable tasting!
We used an absinthe drip to slowly drip four parts ice cold water into one part absinthe. Pouring the water in slowly allows all of the aromas and flavours to be released. it also turns the absinthe cloudy and this effect is called the 'louche'. We tasted three different styles and strengths, each with unique aromas, colours and tasting notes. My favourite was the Butterfly absinthe which had citrus and minty notes.
Depeche Mode: It's No Good
"Time, I have all the time in the world to make you
mine..." This has a great beat and is good music for
sitting and being reflective.
Paul Kalkbrenner: Aaron
This is the epitome of the Berlin lifestyle: partying in
a cheap but chic environment with an electro/techno
soundtrack. Very laid back and chilled.
Chris Isaac: Wicked Game
Great for sipping something like a Negroni
or Old Fashioned and being nostalgic
about unrequited love or a bitter and
twisted old flame.
Hotel Côstes: London in the Rain
This is a great tune for being with friends...
Perfect for sipping a drink while the
heavens open up in vibrant London town –
while you're not there of course.
Zoo Brazil: There is Hope
Such an upbeat and feelgood track. It makes you
feel amazing after just a few seconds and is a perfect
antidote for a cold Berlin winter.
Fairy NiceJay Newell from Cafe Bohème gets into absinthe and pastis
The Playlist: Music To Drink To
Bartenders know how to create an atmosphere, so who better to recommend the best
tunes to accompany an evening's drinks? In this issue, we asked Soho House Berlin's
bar staff to share their perfect playlist
Funnel of Love: RocknRolla Soundtrack
Quintessentially British rock and roll that some
Berliners love.
Eminem: Lose Yourself
A motivational song with positive energy that gives
a room a great buzz. Great for a sing-a-long or
rap-a-long.
Girl You'll Be a Woman Soon: Pulp Fiction
soundtrack
Chilled song that is just great with a group
of chicks.
Nosowska Unplugged (with Chylinska):
Angelene
Putting a Polish accent on our list: two
great Polish singers, two different voices
and styles bringing back an old song of PJ
Harvey's. Great next to the fireplace with a
glass of good red.
Florida: Good Feeling
A massively positive song, vibrant, with a good beat. It
will keep you up!
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With the opening of Little house in the next few months, plus Soho houses in Toronto, istanbul and Mumbai over the next year, Soho house group is recruiting. To find the best bartenders, gareth Jones, house Tonic recruitment manager, devised Master glass – if you want to work behind a Shg bar, all you have to do is come along and make some drinks. The day is run much like a traditional cocktail competition with
Master Glass
“Everyone had an Old Fashioned as they
arrived. We started by explaining a little
of the history of bitters; their medicinal
properties and how they were later used
for flavouring and balancing cocktails.
We had a long table with bowls full of several
different ingredients – lemon, orange and
grapefruit peels, anise, cinnamon, black
-9-
pepper, cardamom, fennel, rosemary –
mason jars, and high-proof grain alcohol.
Each guest filled a jar and they're now in
our storage room infusing. We will finish
the product and announce which bitters we
thought were the best and display them at
our bar. The process takes about 30 days.
Watch this space for news of who won and
for the winning recipe...”
a Touch of BitternessJuan Sevilla from Soho House New York on the make-your-own bitters evening
he held for bartenders and members
your ability to speedily and elegantly make classic cocktails and show off your individual style put to the test. The best competitors in each session will be offered a job. if you'd like to find out more about Master glass, including dates and venues for the next sessions, get in touch with gareth Jones on +44 (0) 20 7851 2569 or [email protected].
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a place that serves simple, classic cocktails. A lot of the
bars over here get rammed and have too much going on. I
want something easy and basic with good music and good
drinks.
The first job I got in London was as a waitress in Mash on
Great Portland Street, which is now closed. The biggest
challenge I’ve had to face yet was probably there as I
wanted to work the bar but my manager at the time told
me he would never have a girl behind the bar. Another
person might have left and gone to work somewhere else
but that’s not who I am: I had to prove myself, prove him
wrong and make great drinks, which is what I did. As it
happened, when I spoke with him about it much later he
said it wasn’t because he didn’t want a girl behind the
bar but because he didn’t want to lose me as a waitress
because I was the best he had!
The main thing that I love about this job is that you can be
whoever you want to be behind the bar. There is definitely
a bit of acting to bartending, a bit like you are on stage
and everyone is looking at you and listening to you. In
fact most of the time you can tell people what to drink,
although this is harder in Germany. It’s my mission to get
the German people drinking good cocktails. There seems
to be a throwback to the 80s still, with the way Germans
like their cocktails: sweet and colourful – not so great! So I
want them drinking more classic cocktails, ones that are a
little more sophisticated. If I can achieve that I will
be happy!
If you’d like to work and learn behind our bars email: [email protected]
AT ThE BAR PROFILE
I’ve been working for Soho House Group for about two
and a half years now, starting in Shoreditch House as
a bartender before coming over to Berlin. I lived in
London for about five years so I do miss it, but it was a
good decision for me to move to Berlin. The pace here
is very different, people aren’t in a rush like they are in
London and I really notice it now when I go back there
to visit. Berlin now is how London was ten years ago; it’s
filled with artists and young people and the bar scene still
feels new and exciting.
I’m originally from Poland and the bar scene there is totally
different to Berlin or London: there aren’t really bars; there
are pubs and you just pour beer. But the social aspect of it
is what I enjoyed, it was fun and I got to be with different
people all the time, which is much better than just working
the boring 9-5.
While I was working in the pubs I was actually studying
Physical Education with Rehabilitation to become a
physiotherapist, but I quit my studies to move to London.
I wanted to improve my English and I really wanted more
money: the economic situation in Poland wasn’t great and I
always dreamed about buying a motorcycle, which I finally
did when I got to Berlin.
As soon as I got to London and started working in bars I
never considered picking my studies back up because I
realised that what I really wanted to do was to eventually
open my own place. I had it in my mind for a while that I’d
like a small Tiki place in Thailand, but I think that would
be too hard, all things considered! Now I’m thinking Berlin
would probably be the best place to do it, one day. I want
Your Friendly Bartender
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Sabina Westfal, 27, Bar Manager, Soho house Berlin
interview: Jessica hopkins
“The main thing I love about this job is that you can be whoever you want to be
behind the bar”
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SuMMIT dIARyAT ThE BAR
Soho House Bartender Summit
in New York§
It was hard to be taken seriously by my friends when they asked me: “What does running the House Tonic summit mean?” Spending five days in New York City with some of the best bartenders Soho House has to offer – our Ambassadors – tasting cocktails and talking about what they are most passionate about…It was difficult to
make it sound like hard work.
CAPTIONTHE HOUSE TONIC AMBASSADORS IN NEW YORK
Photography: Brian Park and Jolene Siana
Diary by Oli Juste
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So at a time when most people start detoxing, there I was, embarking on a cocktail extravaganza in NYC. (Two of my New Year’s resolutions were to lose
weight and save money. Somehow, I knew this was not going to be successful.) When we met at 8am on Tuesday, January 4th at the top of the escalators in Paddington station, I was ready for an interesting trip. And when the air steward served me the most disgusting Bloody Mary I have ever had, I also knew that things could only get better. After a long trip with the winds against us we finally made it to the Soho House New York Pantry Bar, and after a couple of Negronis I was suitably ready for bed.
Wednesday 5th
My good friend Pierre, (who also happens to be SHNY
general manager) welcomed us to our second House
Tonic summit (the first summit took place in January
2011 in Shoreditch House in London). Then the fabulously
charismatic, super-knowledgeable, extra-enthusiastic,
mister Chris Ojeda (also known as Bar Papi, Soho House
creative bar director) and my good self warned our House
Tonic Ambassadors of what lay ahead for them over the
next few days. This was work after all!
By then all I wanted was to get started, but I should take
you back to last year’s summit for you to understand my
excitement. It really was the most inspiring week of my
11 years at Soho House. Never before had I been
surrounded by so many talented, bright, articulate and
fun individuals; I just knew that the new team (some of the
original House Tonic Ambassadors plus a few new ones)
were not going to disappoint me this year. I was so thirsty
for knowledge (and tequila).
After spending a little time getting to know each other
again, the Ambassadors presented their views on how the
House Tonic programme has had an impact on their sites
- from product quality to sales, ice to glassware, training
programmes to recruitment, plus our UK Master Glass
recruiting days and much, much more. Christine from LA
also made us taste some of Soho House West Hollywood’s
Casa Noble their very own single barrel tequila. Seriously
gorgeous, and a must if you are in LA visiting.
After brainstorming about how to up our game in-House
and in new cities around the world to attract more like-
minded people to join us, we decided it was time to crawl
around a few dark bars between the Meatpacking District
and the East Village and relax, sorry…research.
Thursday 6th
With an extra layer of cashmere and a thick scarf, I met
a bunch of zombie-like Ambassadors for ‘kaaufee’ at the
Blue Bottle in Williamsburg at 8.45am. The Blue Bottle
coffee shop first opened in San Francisco and recently
opened in New York. I think the staff there might have
been overwhelmed (maybe even scared) when we arrived.
But crossing the East River from Manhattan makes all
the difference and everyone was just that little bit more
friendly.
After a hearty diner breakfast we were back in business
and in the House, doing more work on tea, coffee,
garnishes, fresh juices and straws. Training and defining
clear learning objectives for the 2012 House Tonic
Programme were also big subjects.
That night, Raj Nagra, Bombay Sapphire's global brand
Ambassador, and Ben Carlotto from Bacardi (our honorary
House Tonic Ambassador) organised drinks at Madam
Geneva and then dinner at Saxon + Parole (316 Bowery
at Bleecker, New York, saxonandparole.com), hosted by
the wonderful general manager, Linden Pride. I wanted
to make sure I was not going to leave my dignity at the
bottom of a martini glass so I drank celery gimlets instead,
which turned out to be perhaps the best cocktail I’ve ever
had.
We ate downstairs in a dining room decorated with empty
wine bottles and horseshoes – the restaurant is named
after two racehorses – and were served the most beautiful
dinner. Phil Abram, Saxon + Parole's sommelier, introduced
us to a wonderful Californian Gewürztraminer called
Navarro, from Philo in Mendocino County. Hand harvested,
there is a fairly limited supply, so if you want to try it
you'll have to hurry. We all had a really great time in this
unpretentious and sexy restaurant. A $6 cab journey later,
we found ourselves downing shots in the Summit Bar (how
appropriate!) between the East Village and Alphabet City.
The bar was fantastic, with a great vibe, cute staff, good
music and, of course, brilliant cocktails.
Friday 7th
After a quick presentation from Chris Ojeda, the boys
and girls started brightening up when we directed them
to where they belong…behind the bar. We poured, we
mixed, we shook, we poured and shook some more; we
tasted, using straws to start with, but quickly adopting
my favourite method – straight from the glass. Putting
together the four cocktails that will make the final 2012
House Tonic list is not an easy task, but after tasting and
arguing (a little), we are delighted with the result. Watch
this space!
Then we spent some of the afternoon playing alchemist,
going over molecular science. I felt like we were back
in physics or chemistry class. (And the closest I came
to chemistry as a child was filling up my dad’s bottle of
whisky with water after my friend and I had gone through
his drinks cabinet.) Don’t worry though, you won’t find any
Nitro-Martinis or smoking-hydrogen-Bloody-Marys on our
menus. But Chris Ojeda reckoned this extra knowledge
was indispensable in order for our Ambassadors to grow.
SuMMIT dIARyAT ThE BAR
“it really was the most inspiring week of my
11 years at Soho house. never before had i
been surrounded by so many talented, bright,
articulate and fun individuals”
OLI JUSTE
BY JAY NEWELL
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Nathan Dixon-Jonesi'll never forget Chris ojeda and Ben Carlotto going head to head behind the bar in a session designed to improve the speed of service. Between Ben's shaking hands and Chris rolling a negroni onto the floor missing the tin altogether it was hilarious.
Jay Newell, Café Boheme, LondonSunday 8th January 2012The day started quite sensibly by going for coffee at possibly the smallest coffee shop in the world with a few of the other hTas. once the caffeine had kicked in and breakfast had been eaten, the day started to gain pace. We took a cab to Maison Premier, Brooklyn where we met up with a few other industry guys and the Bombay Sapphire lot. The Bombay company card was tossed behind the bar and an immense amount of oysters, cocktails and tequilas were ordered – but we stayed away from all of the 27 absinthes they had! We then took another cab back to Manhattan to watch the sunset from the top of a hotel. The hotel was The Standard, and on the top floor is The Boom Boom room! if there is a more beautiful bar to drink in then i have to see it. Shockingly, none of us could afford the $3,000 for a table so we headed straight to the bar for Bombay east Martinis. Drinking martinis with a panoramic view of nY, watching the sun go down from the Boom Boom room in such great company was a very, very surreal moment. and one i won't forget!
Sabina WestfalFor me it was a chance to go to the uS for the first time in my life, so i was extremely excited. i had the worst time getting there though – the day i flew was really windy, so my connecting flight didn't land at heathrow, but Stansted instead. Then because of really strong wind and trees falling on the rails the Piccadilly line wasn't running to heathrow. i made it in the end though!
it was a great experience and we learnt a lot from each other. Brainstormings were great, we found out how the other sites work, about the differences in drinking and serving between the houses. We also came out with standards that will apply to all. Thanks to the summit we became friends, exchanged ideas, experiences and gossip between the houses. We helped each other with finding solutions and giving advice. it's always good to have an opinion of someone from Soho house group, but outside our own house. For me, one of the most exciting parts of the summit was the speed test. There we could see how other people work under pressure, how clean and organised they are behind the bar and how the drinks are presented. it was really challenging, Ben picked up on everything and gave us amazing feedback. i think it helped some of us to improve a lot.
Juan Sevilla, Soho House New Yorki will not forget seeing Chris ojeda and Ben Carlotta go head to head in a speed round of making cocktails. This was not planned as they were the trainers. after constant critiquing of all of the ambassadors we challenged them to get behind the bar. They struggled and showed a bit of nervousness like many of us.
We asked the other House Tonic Ambassadors what they'd never forget from their trip to New York...
SuMMIT dIARyAT ThE BAR
Saturday 8th
This was our last day, and a lot had to be covered. Chris
and the team went through the cocktails that will make up
our revised 2012 compendium; it looks like it’s going to be
a good year. Next, we had a speed competition between
the Ambassadors, which felt like extreme-cocktail making.
I’m sure you would like to know the winners and losers
but my sense of camaraderie is forcing me not to drink
and tell. We also finalised all the training programmes that
the ambassadors will run throughout the year: there will
be monthly bar training calendar, a bar school and maybe
even a bar academy.
Finally, we were lucky enough to have a visit from Giles
Woodyer, House Of Bombay and Prestige Brand Managing
Director and his team. They concluded the summit with a
few inspiring words and affirmation of their partnership
with us in the future.
The week was about raising our profile and preparing
ourselves for a great 2012 through training and passion.
We want to share this knowledge and generosity to all our
staff working for us, but also to our friends on the other
side of the bar. We want to up our staff profiles so they
feel great about themselves, and through this, we’ll attract
passionate staff who love what they do, whether that's
making “the first coffee of the day, or the last
drink at night”.
And guess what? On the return flight my Bloody Mary
was perfect.
DEvISING NEW DRINKS AT SOHO HOUSE NEW YORK
one of the nights when we all split up we were given the challenge of finding a new drink or a type of drink we could base a new house Tonic cocktail on. i was paired with Chris hundall and rick nani who are both outgoing crazy Miami boys. We started at a place called Mayahuel, which is a great little Mexican bar/restaurant. But before we could get in we had to wait an hour. So we put our names down and walked to a little pub on the corner and started on beers and tequila (a lot of tequila actually). Back at Mayahuel we were seated in a booth upstairs which was small and sweaty. The menu was all about mezcal, tequila and chartreuse cocktails – the drinks tasted great!
next we ventured to Death & Co. as Chris knew one of the bartenders. This cocktail list was more advanced and a lot longer and set out in categories. Death and Co. was nice and relaxed, and a bit snug and funky.
on Sunday Ben Carlotto, Chris ojeda, Jay newell (from Café Boheme London) and i visited a coffee shop that had been recommended to me called abraco. i started learning about coffee in australia and i can see that the new York coffee scene is starting to really take off. The shop was only big enough to fit about three people inside and the line was out the door. We stood in the cold and drank the coffee and it was fantastic.
in the early afternoon we jumped in a cab and shot off to Willamsburg to a place called Bar oysters – which was exactly as the name suggested. it had a real new orleans feel, with absinthe and about 33 different kinds of oyster fresh every day. eric, the bartender, looked after us extremely well. The bar has only been open for 7 months but it looked like it had been there for about 50 years!
We then met up with raj from Bombay and he took us to the Standard hotel which has the most incredible views of the sunset over new York. We finished our night there. The views were amazing – even the bartender was wearing sunnies
Tom Kerr, House Tonic Ambassador for the UK and Berlin, also toured New York's bars during the summit – all in the name of research of course...
“an immense amount of oysters, cocktails and tequilas were ordered – but we stayed away
from all of the 27 absinthes they had!”
If you’d like to work and learn behind our bars email: [email protected]
-19--18-
AT ThE BAR WINE SChOOL
Wine School
§
group sommelier Christopher Cooper introduces his new initiative – Wine School,
aimed at giving every member of front-of-house staff a solid knowledge of wine
Photograph: Dai Williams
It's fair enough to say that the world is at our fingertips
today, with iPads, apps, Google and the like, but there’s
no written substitute for knowing what wines taste like
and why they taste like they do. Not everybody can have
the breadth of knowledge that a sommelier has, but all
sommeliers like me started somewhere and even now I’ll
still use that world of written information when necessary.
So we combined some of that information with my
collection of thoughts on wine and created Wine School
to empower Soho House Group staff and re-energise their
passion for wine: while we’re refreshing the wine lists, why
not also refresh our minds and our knowledge?
Wine School isn’t about making mini sommeliers out
of everyone – we're not actually teaching anything
most people don't already know – but rather is about
reiterating the knowledge that we already have, giving
us all confidence in our assumptions and realising that
actually we know more than we thought. We’re not only
driving House staff forward in their knowledge of wines
in general but also in the flavours of the wines on the lists
themselves. ‘Is this a light or a heavy wine?’ ‘What is that
smell? Is it mango or is it lychee?’ If we’ve actually tasted
it and can tell guests what it tastes like, and if we even like
the wine ourselves, then we’re all going to be a winner.
I tell so many of the staff members that they should ‘be
confident, because you’re right in what you think’.
It’s a difficult thing as we all have different levels of
knowledge and we all learn at different rates, but we
only go as fast as the slowest person because it has to
be inclusive. And to cover all the front-of-house at the
Soho House Group is a tall order, but not beyond us. It's
an exciting time to be working for the Soho House Group
and also an exciting time to be our guest, as we’d all love
to know more about wine. With Wine School in place and
Wine Academy on the way, we’re building on everyone’s
wine knowledge whether they be bartenders, waiters,
managers or hosts.
We want to get to a stage where everybody is on the road
to wine knowledge and there is access to the next level of
learning for any staff in any venue.
Ultimately wine can be quite a dreary subject to teach
but it's so sexy when we know what we’re talking about…
so very impressive and so sophisticated. But talk too
much and we all switch off, so it’s a very delicate subject
to get right. You may be informed and know a great deal
about wine, but as I say to everybody at Wine School,
don’t become a bore! Don’t talk too much about wine,
don’t become one of those people we all dislike talking to,
don't use 20 words when three will do; and please, please,
please don’t become one of those nauseating sommeliers
that we all really hate!
The three magic words – the three words to remember about every wine that help you describe it succinctly
Build up your portfolio – think about the flavours that we taste and smell every day and apply them to the wines you taste
You’re not wrong – if it tastes of apples then say it tastes of apples! There are no wrong answers
Be honest – don’t be afraid to say you like or dislike something but remember, is it you that’s drinking it?
Thinking while drinkingChristopher Cooper's top tips for front-of-house staff on how to become more
confident about wine
§
Wine events The wine clubs have kicked off in earnest since the new Year with one every week somewhere. They have gone through a bit of a makeover as we become more creative and are not even called wine club any more…! open to all with traditional and new
attendees alike, the new wine events will draw from the creativity of each house and their wine departments to create bespoke events to suit all houses. Watch this space for Christopher’s next trip to a house near you, where you may see him at the next
event or just hanging out. all his events are also listed at www.houseseven.com
WILL FULLER, A WAITER AT SHOREDITCH HOUSE, AT WINE SCHOOL
It's not rocket science – wine isn’t something that’s beyond anyone’s grasp so stick at it and often you’ll be surprised how much you do know
-20- -21-
AT ThE BAR BARTENdER'S GuIdE TO LA
Los Angeles is split up into
sections like most cities are
but the difference is we have
to drive to get from one to the other.
So for cocktails I like to visit places
that are in particular areas. I grew up
visiting Downtown LA and it's a big
source of inspiration for me; I often
venture there for a fantastic cocktail.
Being one of the few born-and-bred
Angelenos in LA, I take great pride in
seeing Downtown being restored into
a proper city.
Start with Seven Grand because they
were the first to do classic cocktails
in LA and have one of the largest
whisk(e)y selections around, with
270 on offer from different countries.
Marcos Tello and Damian Windsor,
close friends of mine, opened it so I
always knew I was going to find a bar
where I could get a proper whiskey
sour with egg white, which wasn't
happening anywhere before them.
Bartender's Guide to LA
§
The best cocktail bar in the city hands
down is The Varnish, which sits inside
Cole’s French Dip Restaurant and
is the West Coast's Milk and Honey.
It’s a bar I used to work in and while
I only worked with the family just
under two years I credit them and
owner Eric Aperin for instilling in me
the importance of mis-en-place. The
Varnish is where other bartenders –
like Willy Shine (NYC), Ryan Magarian
(Seattle), Anu Apte (PDX) – drop in
to do a shift or two. The list is only
seven cocktails so most guests opt
for the Bartender's Choice. Right
across from The Varnish is Las Perlas
– a bar you might think was built
in Tijuana, Mexico. The cocktails
are fantastic and they have a smart
selection of tequilas. O Bar & Kitchen
has been a great place for industry
people to let their hair down and
enjoy a well-selected wine list from
small producers or great cocktails.
For those late nights when the bar
closes and you want to continue
the party I hope you end up at the
Golden Gopher because they have a
grandfathered liquor license (meaning
they can sell bottles to take away
so you can carry on your night at
home). This place always stocks great
bourbons and ryes so it’s hard to pass
up. Of course no list can be complete
without a place to have an after-work
Guinness. Try Casey’s Irish Pub.
Rivera, where Julian Cox mans the
bar, does amazing tequila cocktails
to match the food of John Sedlar.
The Blood, Sugar, Sex Magic made
with rye and the Barbacoa – smoky
with chipotle peppers and ginger –
both helped put Rivera on everyone’s
radar.
In Downtown there are a lot of shops
for tools and kit too: fabric, jewellers'
tools, knives. For the bartender who
is into cutting ice there's Little Tokyo
Creative Bar Director Chris Ojeda takes us on a bartender's tour of his favourite bits of his home town, Los Angeles – a city that has a grand, if until recently neglected, history of drinking. The town that was once home to Cocoanut Grove, Romanoff’s, the Cock ‘n Bull on Sunset, the Brown Derby on Wilshire, Chasen’s
and Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood, is rediscovering its past and becoming a great place to be a bartender again
where you'll find gardening tools,
saws and blunt knives that are great
for cutting ice. Perfume dealers
sell great vintage bottles to use as
atomizers.
In Downtown you'll also find
Handsome Coffee which is just about
to open up the first roaster and
coffee boutique in LA. The guys at
Handsome Coffee have been winning
world barista championships for a few
years now and have decided to open
their own shop.
Outside Downtown, some of my
favourite places to grab a coffee
and take in a beautiful LA afternoon
(because bartenders just don’t get
up for breakfast) are in nearby Silver
Lake – try Intelligentsia Coffee at
Sunset Junction.
And then, of course, Silver Lake
has bartender favourite Barkeeper.
Barkeeper sells everything: bitters,
small batched spirits, books and has a
great collection of vintage glassware
and bar tools. It has supplied every
place I’ve worked for the past four
years. Joe, the owner, travels all
around the country attending estate
sales and buying all the glassware he
can get his hands on.
Down the street from here you’ll
find the legendary Tiki Ti, the direct
descendants of the famous Don the
Beachcomber. The 1960s Polynesian
feel is helped out by over 80 rum-
fuelled drinks.
LAMILL coffee boutique is a local
roaster we use at Soho House. You
can order different brew methods
that bring out layers of flavours in
the coffee or order from their house
signatures. Loyal followers wait in
long lines for them or their classic
espresso offerings. It's a fantastic
place to hang out and enjoy a quality
cup of joe.
A few bars have opened with a spirit-
focused concept which has been
eye-opening for Angelenos. Thirsty
Crow in Silverlake has a bourbon and
rye selection that almost rivals Seven
Grand; La Descarga in Korea Town is
rum-centric; Edison Downtown has
the largest gin selection in the city
and they run a Thursday special with
a 35 cent gin cocktail like they did
during the Great Depression
INTELLIGENTSIA COFFEE
LAMILL COFFEE
For Seven Grand, varnish, Golden
Gopher and Casey's Irish Pub, go to
213nightlife.com; riverarestaurant.com;
handsomecoffee.com;
intelligentsiacoffee.com;
barkeepersilverlake.com; tiki-ti.com;
lamillcoffee.com; thirstycrowbar.com;
ladescargala.com;
edisondowntown.com
-23--22-
AT ThE BAR COOkING ThE BOOkS
§
Christopher Cooper, SHG Sommelier
The Art and Science of Wine by James Halliday
and Hugh Johnson – it’s a bit advanced
when it comes to talking about wine and the
processes behind it but it explains some of
the more complex stuff in a really easy and
understandable way so anyone can really get
it. This is where I started reading.
Josh Judge-Talbot, Pizza East and Concrete
Jigger, Beaker and Glass: Drinking Around The
World by Charles H Baker is a fantastic book,
first published in 1939 as The Gentleman’s
Companion. It comprises various drinks and
cocktails discovered during the author's
travels around the world during the 1920s and
30s. Every recipe has a little story about its
discovery or creation. It also comes with little “Words to
the Liquid Wise” at the beginning of each section. I wrote
these down and put them on the wall for my bar staff to
see. Here is an example:
"Just as we don’t serve mediocre acid red wine to the
delicate sensibilities of a prize gourmet friend, neither do
we give the timid and demure morning-after tummy a turn
with raw, new, bilious atrocities. Here if ever the smart host
will have a special cache of a few prize jewels – for his very
own sake. The vile odours arising from improperly aged
spirits are just about all a chap needs to set him withering
on the vine permanently...Use only the best ingredients,
for after all we don’t do these things very often, and it’s
better to be safe than sunk."
Tom Kerr, Electric and Europe House Tonic Ambassador
My favourite cocktail book is Jigger, Beaker
And Glass. It takes you on a journey around
the world drinking all kinds of concoctions
and mixed drinks. Baker gives a running
commentary throughout the book as well as
the recipes themselves, When it comes to
the business of drinking he is never without
his opinions or words to the wise. In this book he really
discovers that drinks get by on a gimmick and a cute name
and he gives some great advice: don't mix too many drinks
at once; resist the temptation to buy inexpensive liquor
and measure accurately. I really enjoyed reading this book
as I think it's not just about recipes but the stories Baker
finds behind these drinks, that feel like he has discovered
and revealed the golden era of large drinks and even
larger living.
The best bartenders are just a little bit obsessive about their craft. That means they educate themselves about drink in all its forms – so we asked our drinks teams
what books we'd find on their bedside tables Gareth Jones, House Tonic recruitment manager
Harry Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book always
gets my vote.
Jay Newell, Café Boheme
In books from the late 1800s you hear
bartenders explaining the art of serving
customers and setting up for a successful
service. Many have sections dedicated to
toasts, or even how to use different spirits
to cure your ailments. They really bring the
old world of drinking to life! It’s rare that a modern book
captures such a snapshot of drinking culture, but a couple
of months ago I picked up Jim Meehan’s PDT Cocktail
Book. It’s definitely a modern cocktail book inspired by
the best books from the past, but it successfully avoids
being a copy or imitation of the Savoy or The Bon Vivant's
Companion. It’s a great read, but the best thing about it
for me is that you can see the influence of new brands
that have launched over the years and the changing
styles of drinks that gained popularity in New York at that
time. (PDT is a small cocktail bar in Manhattan, hidden
behind a payphone in a dark corner of Crif Dogs, a famous
hotdog diner. Drinking here is one of the experiences
that every cocktail enthusiast should try!) The book takes
you through everything from the thought process behind
setting up a bar to how to make drinks at home. It’s easy
to read and it's inspiring to see every detail of the process
and how it affects the serving and enjoyment of your
drink. It feels like we are in a new golden age of cocktails
with inspiration drawn from the past, so it’s nice to think
that in a couple of generations bartenders will be able to
look back and see what trends, techniques and products
were popular at this moment in time. Our time!
(Read more from jay about the PdT book at www.sohohouse.com/
housetonic)
Ben Carlotto, Bacardi and House Tonic Consultant
I really enjoyed Ted Haigh's Vintage Drinks and
Forgotten Cocktails.
Cooking the Books
Simon Difford, editor of Class magazine and author of Diffordsguide (diffordsguide.com)
The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks by David
Augustus Embury is a book that no self-
respecting cocktail imbiber should be without.
First published in 1948, Embury was not a
professional bartender, but this keen amateur’s
work has become a modern day bartenders’
bible. Embury is highly opinionated throughout so, as well
as being loaded with vintage recipes, it is worth a read
for his jibes at the disco drinks of his day. Original copies
change hands for hundreds but reprints are available at
www.cocktailkingdom.com for the price of a couple of
good Daiquiris.
Paul Mott, High Road House
Shaken and Stirred by Douglas Ankrah is great.
I worked in Soho back in the early 2000s and
used to drink quite a bit in his bar, Lab. I'm
a big fan of Simon Difford as well – mainly
because back in 2001 he put a recipe of mine,
Forest Breeze, into his Sauce Guide, which was
a precursor to his current series of Diffordsguides.
Sabina Westfal, Soho House Berlin
One of the most inspiring books for me is The
Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan. It's not just
another bible with a massive amount of recipes
and nothing else. Reading this book is like
standing with Gary behind the bar and learning
from a master. He brings new understanding
for cocktail making and the book is both for
a professional bartender and an amateur. He also gives
advice and tips to bartenders – what you need to be one,
what you need to be a good one, how to treat a customer
who doesn't tip and how to tell someone he has had
enough. Regan dives into laying out the various styles
of cocktails and mixed drinks and how to understand
them in ways that focus on the proper and well-balanced
construction of each style. This book shows you that
cocktails don't need to be as confusing as they seem
-25--24-
Guillaume Jubien from Grey Goose always manage to pull
it all together. After a few market runs, they made four
dynamite cocktails: the Goose Starlight, the Golden Goose,
the Double G, and Le Fizz. Hard work, but we made it.
The stellar guest list was a total Hollywood who's who.
Guests hung out on the terrace or in the roof garden
and among many others included Leonardo DiCaprio,
Madonna, Tom Cruise and Robert De Niro. There was a din,
but a pleasing one. The moon was wrapped in clouds and
resembled a Batman movie and the scene under it was 360
degrees of Los Angeles, seen from 14 floors up. It was no
surprise that everyone looked as happy as that crowd did
AT ThE BAR GOLdEN GLOBES
Golden Globes
§
Soho House West Hollywood knows how to throw a party... but add in Grey Goose Vodka, top talent agents CAA and the
Golden Globes, and you've really got a night to remember. Bar manager Vincent LaRusso tells all...
It's tempting to say that our pre-Golden Globes party
went off without a hitch, but that'd be so boring, and
not entirely accurate. It came together though, and
became one of those enjoyable clichés – you know, when
the whole is greater than the sum.
The Grey Goose mixologists we work with inevitably
need things like...virgin guava root, grown during a
single rainstorm in a tropical desert. While I've grown
accustomed to their specific needs, I still manage to
assume that grapefruit juice can stand in for white
grapefruit juice, and passion fruit puree has to be what
to buy when someone has requested passion fruit
syrup. Wrong on both counts. But Dimi Lezinksa and
GOLDEN GOOSE
40ml 1 1/2oz GREy GOOSE
VOdkA
20ml 3/4oz MARTINI BIANCO
15ml 1/2oz SWEET GINGER juICE
5ml 1/6oz yuzu juICE
1 dASh GOLd RuSh BITTERS
TOP uP WITh SOdA WATER
METhOd:
ShAkE ANd STRAIN INTO A
hIGhBALL GLASS FILLEd WITh
ICE. TOP uP WITh SOdA WATER
ANd GARNISh WITh EdIBLE
GOLd FLAkES.
THE DOUBLE G
30ml 1oz GREy GOOSE
LE CITRON
20ml 3/4oz GRAPE juICE
10ml 1/3oz ELdERFLOWER
LIquEuR
10ml 1/3oz PEAR PuRéE
METhOd:
ShAkE ANd STRAIN INTO A
ROCkS GLASS FILLEd WITh
CuBEd ICE. GARNISh WITh
TWO GRAPES ON A COCkTAIL
PICk.
GOOSE STARLIGHT
40ml 1 1/2oz GREy GOOSE
VOdkA
50ml 2oz POMEGRANATE juICE
15ml 1/2oz PASSIONFRuIT
SyRuP
10ml 1/3oz MARASChINO
10ml 1/3oz WhITE GRAPEFRuIT
juICE
METhOd:
ShAkE ANd FINELy STRAIN
INTO A ChILLEd COuPETTE
ANd GARNISh WITh STARFRuIT
ON ThE RIM.
MADONNA AND DEMI MOORE
ASHTON KUTCHER AND JAMIE FOXX
STEvE TYLER
ROBERT DE NIRO AND SEAN PENN
TOM CRUISE AND CAMERON DIAZ
“The moon was wrapped in clouds and resembled a
Batman movie and the scene under it was
360 degrees of Los Angeles”
ROBERT DOWNEY JR AND SUSAN LEvIN
-27--26-
§
Competitive Cocktailing in Puerto rico
Puerto Rico: the spiritual home of Bacardi and where
the most awarded rum in the world is crafted. I
was there to watch the finals of the Global Legacy
cocktail competition. The first day we were free to see
what Puerto Rico had to offer so Richard Wynne (owner
of Callooh Callay in London) and I explored the old town
all day, wandering in and out of bars and drinking rum
and frozen daiquiris. Bacardi rum was everywhere and all
the locals loved and embraced everything about it and
its legacy that began in 1862 with the creation of Bacardi
superior rum by Don Facundo Bacardi Masso in Santiago
de Cuba. This competition marks the 150 years of the
world's first premium rum.
The semi-finals were held on Sunday. With a gathering of
26 of the world's best bartenders on show it was going
to be a tough competition. All of them had a chance to
have their drink placed alongside the other great Bacardi
cocktails: the Mojito (1862), the Daiquiri (1898) and the
Cuba Libre (1900). The drinks were of very high standard,
although it wasn't just about the drinks but also the
bartenders' etiquette and their own legacy and inspiration.
The semi-final dinner was held that night and the eight
winners were announced who would compete at Monday
night's final which was being held at the distillery.
We hit the town after the semi-final dinner with some
competitors and brand ambassadors from all over the
world. While in Puerto Rico I met some of the most
influential people in the industry and I got a real sense
of togetherness between all competitors and brand
ambassadors. (And woke up with bit of a headache in
the morning.)
At the final that night the competitors were mixing and
showing off their skills and drinks outside under the
stars, with the iconic Bacardi building as the backdrop.
It was tough to pick a winner but Shingo Gokan from
Angel's Share in NYC came up trumps with his drink
Speak Low. He made an emotional presentation about
the drink's inspiration. He is Japanese but hadn't been
able to return home after the earthquake and tsunami. His
drink was based on his grandmother's tea ceremony and
explaining it reduced him to tears. However, that meant
his presentation overran for which he'd be penalised by 50
points. To avoid this, his fellow competitors rushed onto
the stage after he'd made his drink and helped him clean
down before his time was up. In that way, his winning was
a real team effort.
It was an honour to be able to travel to Puerto Rico with
Bacardi and a experience I will never forget. Congrats to
Zdenek Kastanek (London) and Hayden Scott Lambert
(Belfast) for both reaching the final eight and doing
Great Britain proud
If you’d like to work and learn behind our bars email: [email protected]
dIGESTIFS LEGACy COMPETITION
-26- -27-
by Tom kerr
“With a gathering of 26 of the worlds, best bartenders all on show
it was going to be a tough competition”
SHINGO GOKAN
SPEAK LOW BY SHINGO GOKAN
30ml 1oz BACARdI SuPERIOR
RuM
30ml 1oz BACARdI SOLERA RuM
15ml 1/2oz OSBORNE PEdRO
xIMINEz ShERRy
1TSP MATChA ANd zEST OF
yuzu
METhOd:
MIx ThE BACARdI SuPERIOR
ANd MATChA WITh A ChASEN
MATChA WhISk IN A GLASS
TuMBLER. STRAIN INTO A
ShAkER ANd Add BACARdI
SOLERA ANd ThE ShERRy.
hARd ShAkE ANd dOuBLE
STRAIN INTO OLd FAShIONEd
GLASS ANd SPRAy OF yuzu
zEST ON ThE TOP.
-29--28-
dIGESTIFS ARGENTINE WINE
-28- -29-
My trip to Argentina was very exciting, a full
immersion into Argentinian wines and wine-
making. The tour was organised by Wines of
Argentina (WOFA), a government-funded agency and I
travelled with staff from other restaurants and wine buyers
from London. We were very lucky – it was just the right
group of people; we had a lot of fun together.
I'm studying for my Wine and Spirits Education Trust
(WSET) diploma and I'm passionate about wine –
collecting it, trying it and making it. My love for wine
comes from my family – back home I used to tread the
grapes with my bare feet and use a manual press. I was
lucky that Cecconi's and head office were able to help me
make this trip.
It was a seven-day tour, with two days in Buenos Aires
and five inland and we packed in a lot, and tasted a lot of
wines! We visited 40 producers and often their neighbours
came with extra wines as well, so we're talking over 200
wines, without doubt. For me, the highlights were visiting
Humberto Canale, which is responsible for putting Rio
Negro on the map and makes good Pinot Noirs and an
interesting Riesling and our trip to Bodega Noemia which
makes 3,000 bottles a year of its top 100% Malbec. It's
a pretty small vineyard with mostly new planting but
incredible attention to detail and the best soil in the
area. It's in the middle of the desert and they couldn't do
anything without irrigation. They served us the best meal
we had as well – such hospitality. I also loved Bodega
Chacra, a biodynamic grower making Pinot Noir Trienta
y Dos, the most expensive of their wines, which shows
complexity and opulence, with rustic notes to it. For me
the star wine of the trip was their Pinot Noir Cincuenta
y Cinco which has great concentration of aromas and
flavours, great balance between acidity and alcohol and an
elegant and long length. Part of the reason for this is that
the surrounding area is very dry – that there is maximum
30% humidity and seven inches of rain per year makes
the area free of diseases. There is no pollution, meaning
that there is a high purity of sunlight and therefore great
photosynthesis. Throughout the trip we found that wines
grown on more alluvial soils tended to be simpler, while
the more interesting wines came from ground higher up,
closer to the Andes.
It was a fantastic week and I learnt so much, even if by the
end of the tour my mouth was almost cracking from all the
big juicy wines!
If you’d like to work and learn behind our bars email: [email protected]
Argentine Wine
§
Giovanni Galluccio from Cecconi's Mayfair spent a week travelling Argentina, learning
about the country's wines
“Bodega Noemia makes 3000 bottles a year of
100% Malbec”
“Humberto Canale is responsible for putting Rio Negro on the map”
HUMBERTO CANALE
BODEGA NOEMIA
-31--30-
Adam Baca from Soho House New York nominated by bar manager Juan Sevilla
“Adam Baca from New Mexico
has quickly become a rising star.
He's been with the company since
September and is hard working,
reliable, consistent and contributed
to the last cocktail menu. He has been
an excellent team player. The cocktail
pictured is a Rosemary's Affair, an
original by Adam. (1oz Bourbon,
3/4 oz of lemon juice, 2 oz Aperol,
muddled rosemary sprig. Shake
and strain over rocks and top with
Heineken beer.) He handles volume
very well, is great with customers and
his knowledge of cocktails and spirits
is growing rapidly.”
RISING STARS
rising Stars of the Bars
every issue we love to celebrate the unsung heroes of Soho house group's bars. Meet our rising stars!
Thomas Stanley from Soho House nominated by Group sommelier Christopher Cooper
“A definite star for the future at Soho
House is Thomas Stanley who is the
man to go to for an opinionated
thought on the wines on the list. Not
only does he support the beverage
team but also runs around in the
restaurant discussing our wines with
the guests getting feedback first
hand.”
If you'd like to join one of our bar teams in Europe or the United States then please get in touch: email [email protected], visit sohohouse.com/housetonic or call Gareth Jones on +44 (0) 20 7581 2569. We'd love to hear from you!
You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.
With sites in London, Somerset, Miami, Los Angeles, New York and Berlin, plus more on the way around the world, the Soho House Group is always on the lookout for exceptional staff. We offer high quality training, excellent support and you might even get the chance to work in venues overseas. We want to help you develop a great career in drinks.
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Mateusz Swiercz from Soho House Berlin nominated by bar manager Sabina Westfal
“Mateusz Swiercz is a perfect example
of how to build a career in Soho
House. He is a bartender now but he
started in Shoreditch House, working
as a busser and runner, then became
a barback and finally a bartender.
He is a superstar, great to work by
himself on a busy dispense and as a
part of the team. Mateusz is a young
bartender, but he’s got an impressive
knowledge and is passionate about
his job. Also he was in the first 20 in
the Bacardi Competition in Germany.
I’m really proud to have him in my
team, he never stops surprising me
and always makes me laugh.”
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If you’d like to work and learn behind our bars email: [email protected]