Cocktails Deathmatch at Sophie's Steakhouse

The other night I discovered two great martinis at Sophie’s Steakhouse, all thanks to the recommendations of Brad Corti! But the dilemma after tasting both drinks was trying to decide which one to write about. I couldn’t decide so instead I’m going to let them fight it out here:

Cucumber and Mint  Martini	Vs	Sparkling Pear  Martini
Wyborowa vodka, fresh mint, cucumber & apple juice.	Ingredients	Pear vodka, elderflower cordial topped with champagne and a touch of orange zest around the glass rim.
More mint than anything else but not in an overpowering way. The apple juice manages to enhance the mint whilst the cucumber adds freshness to the different flavours.	Flavour	Refreshing and not oversweet. The orange zest is a great surprise when the lips touch the glass whilst the pear and elderflower deliver an element of substance to this fizzy drink.
Very easy to drink. The punch comes from the mint when it hits the palate.	Punch/Kick	There is certainly a bite to this drink, which comes after the bubbles.
In Morocco, a mint tea is called a Whiskey Berber. I wonder what they would call this drink over there?	Musings	This would make a great summer cocktail.
I could drink a jug of this stuff.	Verdict	Makes for a great liquid dessert!

 I still can't decide. Might have to try them both again! 

Rose Martini at Jak’s

The other day, I met up with the lovely POPNQ for a cocktail or two at Jak’s bar on Walton Street. The funny thing about meeting here was that I had spent so many Brompton Cross drinking hours in the permanently crammed Eclipse bar a few doors down, I had never bothered venturing a few metres away to explore Jak’s or even Vendôme for a bit of space. I knew what I liked and like the creature of habit that I am, I was happy staying put whilst being pushed around every time someone needed to get to the bar.

So the other night was a double win. Jak’s bar had space and it had a cocktail menu for me to explore for the first time.

My first drink was the Rose Martini and I really wish I had remembered to take down the specific ingredients because it was delicious. In fact, it was quite a surprise.

The Rose Martini had a subtle hint of rose as the drink touched the lips. It was enough to know that I had got what I had wanted. But as the martini hit my palate, there was also a citrus flavour that kept me wondering. With the cocktail menu on the wall, I kept promising myself to find out what the citrus flavour was. But by the time I had my second drink (a very good Dirty Martini) I had forgotten to check the board on my way out.

So without being able to deliver on the ingredients and with great apologies, all I can say is that the Rose Martini was a delicious experience. It was refreshing and flavoursome without being overpowering or too sweet. It was a delicate drink but it was also satisfying.

I am definitely going back to Jak’s and I am looking forward to discovering the rest of the menu. The Passion Fruit Martini looks very promising judging from the sip I had that night. And ultimately, I am looking forward to not being shoved about on Brompton Cross.   

Espresso Martini at Brinkley’s

Brinkley's is one of my favourite local cocktail haunts. It doesn't matter which day of the week it is, this place is always rocking at night; and just because it doesn’t have the space of a nightclub, it doesn’t stop people from dancing. The clientele at Brinkley’s is very much local and there is always a feeling here that the party is happening away from the rest of the world.

I usually go to Brinkley’s on a school night but the other week, after a day of Sunday shopping, we decided to pop in for an afternoon drink.  There was a football match on the screen (Arsenal lost!) and as two girls gossiped at the next table and a number of guys around the bar watched the football, I decided to order an Espresso Martini with the bf.

Actually, I ended up having two Espresso Martinis and by the end of the second one, I started to remember that a bar didn’t determine the quality of the drink, the bartender did.

As for the drinks I ordered, the first martini was deceptively easy to drink. It was quite sweet and very easy to knock back. The martini lacked the bitter edge that a coffee lover would appreciate whilst there was nothing to suggest this was an alcoholic drink.

The second martini was quite different altogether. It had a subtle bitterness that gave the drink edge and the experience was slowly sipping rather than mindlessly knocking back.

Admittedly, there was a level a naivety with my first drink.  It wasn’t an innocent glass of coffee and the second martini made me realise that. Needlessly to say, I was tipsy before supper time.

Overall, the experience was delicious and as always at Brinkley's it was a great pleasure. But if I can remember the next time I come across a good cocktail, I will try to note the person who made it as well as the bar.

First Espresso Martini

Second Espresso Martini

Dirty Martini at Sophie's Steakhouse

I have a confession to make. Up until three years ago, I had never eaten at Sophie’s Steakhouse. I had nothing against red meat and had heard rave reviews about their delicious sauce but my regular presence at this Chelsea establishment was firmly rooted in the bar area. Sharing a bottle of bubbles with girlfriends or sipping on a cocktail or few seemed like a happy enough place for me. Then something happened. I started dating a man who loved steak and one day he suggested grabbing a bite to eat at Sophie’s.

Stepping into the dining area was the strangest feeling as I felt I was being taken away from my cocktail haven for a bit of food. So with martinis in mind, I set out to find a drink to accompany my steak. I knew sipping a Mojito wouldn’t cut it with a bowl of chips.

One random evening, my quest was accomplished. I think it was one of those nights just before last food orders and I had asked for a Dirty Martini. I can’t remember what dish I had ordered (something seemingly light) but I remembered that the bf had ordered steak. As I reached over to help myself to a slice of the bf’s meat, followed by a sip of my Dirty Martini, I had finally found the best food and drink combo since I first discovered Black Velvet with oysters at J Sheekey. And a few years later, this is still my drink of choice with Sophie's steak frites.

The rich olive taste of a Dirty Martini is the perfect compliment to a steak but not just any steak. The steak has to be accompanied by the two essential sauces that initially arrive with a Sophie’s steak and Sophie’s chips are perfect for added value. The steak’s flavour exudes with a well-prepared Dirty Martini whilst the drink works to indulge the palette beyond the obvious taste.

The Dirty Martini isn’t on Sophie’s cocktail menu but I truly recommend that next time you’re at Sophie’s to ask for it. This has to be one of my favourite cocktail experiences ever.

Dirty Martini Recipe.
*Please note that there is no direct relationship between Ms. Dahl and this lively Chelsea restaurant unless I'm missing out on some interesting news.*

Mexican Flip at Kosmopol

It was my first cocktail of the year and to put it bluntly, it was a huge disappointment. The so-called martini consisted of cazadores reposado, st germain elderflower liquer, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg yolk; finished off with a sprinkle of cinnamon dust.

I had never tried cazadores reposado and was also intrigued by the egg yolk, so instead of going for the safe option, I chose this. What I received was an oversweet concoction that left an unsurprising thick egg yolk aftertaste in my mouth. The cinnamon dust was like a sea of sweetened grit floating on top of a watery pond. It didn't help the drink at all.

With the Margarita being one of my favourite cocktails, I longed for a similar Mexican kick; to be expected with the description of Flip in its name. But alas, my expectations were thwarted and I left Kosmopol in a hurry, with the taste of egg yolk still in my mouth as I headed to the nearest pub.

French Martini at PJ's

So we’re in the first week of January and I haven’t had my first cocktail of the year yet. Well, I actually have but served up at home: a Horse’s Neck, but I’ll leave that for another post. This post will focus on my last cocktail of 2010 and that was a French Martini at PJ's on Fulham Road.

It was the lunchtime before Christmas Day and there was just about time to grab something to eat and have my last Chelsea cocktail of the year. And so it was destination PJ's for both its festive decoration and reliable cocktails.

To accompany my lunch, I ordered a French Martini which consisted of Stolichnaya vodka, shaken with black raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice served straight up, and it was delicious!

It wasn’t too sweet but it was sweet enough and that’s what clinched it for me. With the black raspberry liqeur and pineapple juice, the martini could have tasted sickly sweet especially given the pineapple. Or perhaps that's my hangover from my teenage Malibu and pineapple days.

The PJ's French Martini was delicate, flavoursome and most importantly, it was refreshing.