Moments in Cocktails - Armistice

   Over a year ago, I found myself pondering how to get around the requirement of paying the price of a London cocktail in order to enjoy a cocktail whilst living in London. The answer is weirdly simple: acquire a cocktail sensei and obsessive tendencies. Adjust to taste

   Mixologists, practicing or otherwise, naturally develop signature peccadilloes and mine tend towards the sour, like my opinion of metropolitan humanity on a Thursday night, and the dry, like my humour. The Armistice cocktail, in a near-totemic manner, embodies the latter

   It's not intended to (sweetly) charm and the already endearing result is all the more so for it. It is calibrated for one who is content to drink alone, or in rare company - the sort that only offers trenchant remarks and observations, once every so often.  Despite the vaguely esoteric combination - Last Word/Final Ward stalwarts Green Chartreuse and Maraschino plus the latter's Brooklyn bedfellows, dry vermouth and rye - it is not fancy, but rather a base-heavy aromatic that produces pensive pleasantry through its mixture of herbals (no recipe puts the ever-distinctive Green Chartreuse in the corner) anchored by the rye (alright, a little fancy - quietly so). With this one, it's all in the aftertaste

• Created by Erik Hakkinen, Zig Zag Café, Seattle
• 1 1⁄2 oz Rye (Rittenhouse100) 
• 1⁄2 oz Dry vermouth (Noilly Prat, 'officially;' Cocchi Torino, in my case)
• 1⁄4 oz Green Chartreuse 
• 1⁄4 oz Maraschino Liqueur
• 2 ds Bitters, Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged

   Stir it with ice, strain it, drink it. And ponder

Metal Lust Object No.5

Vintage Italian solid silver caviar dish via Vintage Kitsch. A modern model with added depth and seahorses is offered at Asprey. Some food experiences should go all the way, no?

V D is for Lovers

   At Chittleborough & Morgan the other day, Joe Morgan and his staff were ever so slightly agog regarding the ancient hunter/warrior practice of eating another's heart. My relish was altered when Nutters alum Mr. Morgan revealed to me that the object in question was in fact a heart shaped cheese - with concomitant biscuits, no less - courtesy of Piccadilly's perennial and genteel gourmet department store, Fortnum & Mason

   So, for those of you that have a touch of romance in your lives - and are in London this weekend - I can think of few more charming endeavours for Valentine's Day than to indulge in some bloodpump styled delicacies at one of their in-house dining establishments, or picking up one of their widely renowned hampers, which tend to be so much better than real presents at Christmas, I've noticed. And if you want to make this special day that little bit more exquisite - or the meal isn't sufficiently spicy - don't forget that Soho and its assortment of shops are right around the corner

   There, like Fortnum's, they know how to put the love into their work

   One last tip for you Jermyn Street types: nothing demonstrates affection at this time of year quite like gifting your paramour with a luxury bath rack and tumblers from Czech & Speake. Sanitary Edwardiana starts in the bathroom

   This post is brought to you by the humble ampersand

A Death in the Afternoon

  

   I freely admit that I am not a champagne connoisseur on account of a lack of enjoyment of its  relentless effervescence and the unexpected removal of my tastebuds' functions that comes with it

   Champagne cocktails, on the other hand, are a beverage class I'm more amenable to. Most recently at a gathering in London, I was seen sampling a few of the literary-pedigreed concoction known as a Death in the Afternoon. It strikes me as one of Ernest Hemingway's more undersung contributions to mankind's progress - probably because it's overshadowed by the book - and dates back to a celebrity cocktail recipes collection published in 1935

   Traditionally served in a champagne flute, one shot or ounce of absinthe is normally recommended for the beguiling, milky green result. Personally, I err on the side of "mix to taste;"  the usual result is that one only half notices the champagne, since the merge between its liquid sweetness and the ludic smoothness of the absinthe is rather effortless. For champagnes, I suggest a cava or a cheaper brand in order to avoid disrupting their better qualities. Curiously, I recall that it more or less cured a migraine I'd been nursing through the night - truly, a gift that keeps on giving

Psych Couture

The Afternoon Tea at Yumchaa

   Should you ever find yourself stuck for an interesting teahouse to visit in Soho, this little charmer is ready to serve you. It has a wide variety of delectable and individual rooibos blends, charming surroundings and cool staff at the counter. I recommend the Chilli Chilli Bang Bang brew, myself

   And one can't deny that the decor is just a little photogenic