Kyrö Spirits at Opium - Beer & Cheese with Comté - London Cocktail Week Preview - Balcony Booze

Today on the blog, booze and cheese from France to Finland via my balcony plus a look at upcoming London Cocktail Week.

Wednesday 23rd September - I went along to the UK launch of Kyrö Distillery Company at Opium in Chinatown. That’s Kyrö, not Cairo, folks - watch your pronunciation!

Kyrö Distillery Company started distilling rye-based whisky and gin in 2014 in a beautiful old dairy in Isokyrö, Finland.

Former stand-up Mikko (”Two Ks, One Beard” - not to be confused with Mikka or Miko) told us that they hope to be the best known rye distillery by 2022, and they’re off to a flying start with four fantastic products.

Let’s start with the Napue rye gin, named after a fairly disastrous battle for the Finnish back in 1714. It’s a 46.3% beast with 12 dry botanicals plus 4 special extras - meadowsweet, sea buckthorn, cranberries and birch leaves. These are added in distillate form in order to guarantee consistency from the unpredictable foraged botanicals. 

It makes a great G&T - they recently won Best Gin & Tonic at the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) after an exhaustive blind-tasting process. It also stands up well in a Tom Collins and a Negroni - my kind of gin.

Then there’s the Koskue - a 42.6% barrel-aged gin that’s more suited to sipping and an Old Fashioned. Meadowsweet is dominant again here.

Juuri (meaning “origin”, or a starter dough for bread) is a 46.3% unaged, new-make whisky, but don’t let that put you off. It’s full of flavour (I got honey on toast mostly) and is best treated like Grappa or Pisco. Sours all the way then.

Finally there’s Verso (or “sprout”) - a 46.5% whisky, aged in white American oak for 4 months in small casks. Expect more honey and rye notes with some oak and sweetness on the nose.

They’ve certainly come a long way since Googling “How to make gin” a couple of years ago. I expect we shall be seeing a lot more of Mikka, Mikko, Miko and co. at Kyrö Distillery Company in the future. For now, pick some of their classy bottles up at The Whisky Exchange or order online at Master of Malt.

Rye Rye!

www.kyrodistillery.com

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Tuesday 22nd September -  Now for some photos and words on an evening of beer and cheese matching with Comté Cheese at La Cave à Fromage in South Kensington, hosted by “curd nerd” Patrick McGuigan.

Comté is a protected cheese from the Jura mountains in East France. Cows produce milk in idyllic conditions - each one must have a minimum of 2.5 acres of pastureland to graze in the warmer months, and they eat local hay in winter, leading eventually to two distinct styles of cheese.

Photo provided by Comté PR

3000 or so small farms supply raw milk (unpasteurised) for around 170 small dairies. Here, the fruitières must craft the milk into cheese within 24 hours. They create curds with rennet, cut them into smaller pieces, and bring them up to 55°C. They are then poured into moulds, and the liquid whey is drained and left out. A few hours later, you have cheese!

Photo provided by Comté PR

However, there’s still a long way to go with Comté, as the cheese is then sent off to affineurs, masters of cheese maturation. They keep the Comté in affinage cellars at varying temperatures from 4 months up to 24 months, using all of their senses (and occasionally little hammers) to ensure that each cheese realises its potential, X-Factor style. A rind is also created here by regularly rubbing the wheel with salt.

Photo provided by Comté PR

After ageing, each wheel (about 80lbs & 3ft in diameter) is graded out of 20. 15-20 gets a green “Extra” label for being rather superior. 12-14 gets a brown label, and usually has some small defect e.g. a crack. Anything below 12 sadly cannot be called Comté and will most likely end up as cooking cheese.

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Now on to the beer & cheese matching. After a few glasses of Wild Beer Co’s celebratory Ninkasi (fittingly made on a cheese farm next to Westcombe Dairy), we tucked in to five pairings with a variety of brews and a mix of summer and winter Comté cheeses (all supplied by The French Comté).

1. Harbour Brewing Co. Pilsner with 10 Month Summer Comté

2. Thornbridge Chiron American Pale Ale with 12 Month Winter Comté

3. Tiny Rebel Brewing Co. Cwtch Amber Ale with 18 Month Summer Comté

4. Siren Craft Brew Liquid Mistress Red IPA with 24 Month Summer Comté

5. Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout with 24 Month Summer Comté

Harbour’s Pilsner was crisp and clean, almost palate cleansing, making you go back for more of the 10 Month Summer Comté. Thornbridge’s Chiron was a touch fruitier, going well with the nutty, less floral 12 Month Winter Comté. The beers got more serious as the cheeses got older and more complex, and Siren’s punchy 6.8% Liquid Mistress was the perfect foil for a 24 Month Summer Comté. We finished off fittingly with a Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout, which has lactose added to prevent the yeast from fermenting, leading to a sweet, creamy beer.

I was more than a bit cheesed out by then end, and I’ll tell you about the dreams another time, but it was a very enjoyable exercise. Beer & cheese are fine bedfellows, and Comté is an approachable, subtle cheese with a fascinating, artisan production process. Get some for yourself and see!

Patrick’s final words of wisdom: If you keep your cheese in the fridge, put it in a paper bag in the vegetable draw so that the cold air flow doesn’t dry it out before you get to enjoy it!

Comté Cheese - www.comtecheese.co.uk

La Cave à Fromage - www.la-cave.co.uk

Patrick McGuigan - www.cheesechap.com

The Comté was supplied by www.thefrenchcomte.com

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Right, time to get serious. Next week (October 5th-11th) is London Cocktail Week. For seven days, London goes cocktail crazy, with popup bars, boozy events, masterclasses, tastings, guest bartenders, collaborations, and most importantly, £5 drinks, all over the city.

What you need to do:

1. Cancel all your plans for the week, and send your boss a bottle of [insert vice here].

2. Start making new cocktail-based plans for the week - check out my top tips below.

3. Buy a wristband for £10 here to take part in all the fun and to be eligible for £5 cocktails at 275+ participating bars.

4. Stock up on Ohayo in preparation for hangovers (or pick some up in the LCW Village during the week)

5. Once the week is under way, pick up your wristbands and guidebooks at one of the two main London Cocktail Week 2015 hubs, or one of three new "micro hubs":

- Soho - World Class London Cocktail Week Hub - 51 Poland Street, London, W1F 7LZ

- Spitalfields - The London Cocktail Week Village - Old Spitalfields Market, E1 6EW
- Micro Hubs - East London Liquor Co., Portobello Star, Ladies & Gentlemen

6. Spend all your Christmas money. You were only going to buy booze and socks anyway.

Matt The Tips:

There's so much to choose from that it's all a little bit daunting, especially to a first timer. If you are feeling keen, trawl through the LCW events page, and plan some self-guided cocktail bar tours here. There are plenty of free events which you will have access to with a wristband.

Here's what I'm looking forward to, vaguely in date order:

The London Cocktail Week Village - Old Spitalfields Market, E1 6EW

Old Spitalfields Market will be transformed in to a bustling drinks market full of bars, brands and booze. You can come here to pick up your wristband before heading out on a bar crawl, but you might never make it outside! Chivas Whisky Blending sessions, Bar Termini masterclasses and Soda Stream x Mr.Lyan pop-ups await. Upstairs you'll find The House of Angostura, a pop-up house party overlooking the cocktail village.

The World Class London Cocktail Week Hub - 51 Poland Street, W1F 7LZ

Last year, the central hub was in Seven Dials, but it's made the big move to Soho for 2015 and joined forces with World Class. You will enter speakeasy-style through a record shop to find all sorts if temporary treats and bars from the likes of Tanqueray, Ketel One and Haig Club with plenty of opportunities to make your own cocktails.

The Dead Parrot Presents "The Flying Circus" - 5th-11th Oct, Midday-11pm, 2 Ely's Yard, Old Truman Brewery, Hanbury St, E1 6QR

It's always worth popping in to one of Monkey Shoulder's crazy creations. This year, the team from The Dead Parrot bar in Sussex have created a bar themed on The Flying Circus in the Old Truman Brewery. What's not to love?

The Happiness Sessions - 5th-10th Oct, 3.30pm / 4.45pm, £20, Happiness Forgets, 8-9 Hoxton Square, N1 6NU

For one hour (and £20), you will be looked after by the world-renowned team at Happiness Forgets in an intimate group, drinking specially created Fords Gin cocktails and tasting spirits from The 86 Company. Book ahead for sessions starting at either 3.30pm or 4.45pm via reservations@happinessforgets.com.

Buffalo Bourbon Empire - 5th-10th Oct, 5pm-late, 1 Kingsland Road, E2 8AA

Buffalo Trace Bourbon always put on a good show in London Cocktail Week, and this year they have a pop-up bar in Shoreditch from 5pm til late, from 5th-10th October. There are several free events & masterclasses there during the week including a chance to sample this year's Antique Collection - more details here. Book now to secure your spot!

Auchentoshan & Ales Workshop - 5th-9th Oct, 5.30pm-9.30pm, Translate Cafe Bar , 12-14 Kingsland Road, E2 8DA 

From 5.30pm-9.30pm Monday-Friday, LCW wristband wearers can drop in for free workshops with Glasgow-based Auchentoshan whisky. Guests will learn about the distilling process, make their own cocktails, and pair Auchentoshan whiskies with beers provided by Clapton Craft. You also might get to take home your own bespoke cocktail kit. All for free? Yes please. Email auchentoshan@whitelabeluk.com to book.

The Art of the Old Fashioned - 6th-10th Oct, 6pm-11pm, 347 Old Street, EC1V 9LP

Woodford Reserve Bourbon have created a pop-up bar in Shoreditch for LCW celebrating the Old Fashioned. Top bartenders including Jack McGarry of Dead Rabbit NYC and Marion Beke of Nightjar have contributed to a menu full of unique takes on the Old Fashioned, each priced at £5 for wristband wearers.

Oriole Pop-Up with The 86 Co. Spirits & Gin Mare - 6th-7th Oct, 8pm-10pm, £20, Bear Gallery, 8A Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3NT

The Nightjar team will be previewing 4 drinks from their hotly anticipated Oriole bar at a pop-up space in Shoreditch for two nights only. £20 all in. Oriole will launch in Smithfield Market on 20th November.

Bar Termini Masterclasses - 8th-10th Oct, 2pm, Bar Termini Stand, Old Spitalfields Market, 16 Horner Square, London , E1 6EW

Time your lunch break correctly and you can go along to some fabulous free masterclasses at 2pm at the Bar Termini stand in Old Spitalfields Market towards the end of the week. Just turn up on the day and join in to learn more about coffee cocktails, Italian aperitivo culture, or the increasingly popular Amaro category.

Ocho Tequila Vintage Tasting with Tomas Estes - 8th Oct, 4pm-6pm, Bear Gallery, 8A Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3NT

Living legend Tomas Estes (Tequila Ambassador for Europe and brand owner of Ocho Tequila) is holding a tasting session taking you through the Ocho Tequila vintages for free on Thursday afternoon. Book ahead or beg for a place if they are all gone.

Courvoisier : The Toast of Paris -  8th Oct, 6.30pm-10.30pm. £10, Looking Glass Cocktail Club, 49 Hackney Road, London, E2 7NX

Courvoisier are taking over at Looking Glass Cocktail Club for one night only, transporting guests back to Paris' Golden Age. There will be live music, cocktail demonstrations, entertainment, prizes and more. The £10 ticket includes one cocktail. Book yours here.

Last Great Malts at Mussel Men - 9th Oct, 5pm-midnight, 584 Kingsland Rd, E8 4AH 

Brand amassador Jamie Mac will be introducing Dalstonites & LCW travellers to the awesome Last Great Malts range of whiskies (Aberfeldy, Aultmore, The Deveron, Craigellachie, Royal Brackla) that I had the pleasure of tasting from the source last year. Take my advice and book an £18 ticket for the masterclass at 6pm on 9th October, or go along for £5 cocktails throughout the evening. Get a dram of Craigellachie 19yo if you can.

24 Hour Bar Build - 10th Oct, 6.30pm-late, £35, N&C Showrooms, 3-10 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6PG

This sounds awesome. 24 of the world's best bartenders are splitting in to 4 teams representing New York, London, Paris and Singapore. Their mission is to conceive, design and build a cocktail bar & menu in 24 hours inspired by either Patrón Tequila, Bombay Sapphire Gin, Grey Goose Vodka or Bacardi Rum. The bars will open for one night only on Saturday 10th October from 6.30pm, and a £35 ticket (snap one up here) gets you access and 5 tokens for cocktails. Additional tokens for food and booze can be purchased at the venue.  The winners will be announced at 10pm.

London Cocktail Week Wrap Party - 11th Oct, midday-midnight, East London Liquor Company, Unit GF1, Bow Wharf, 221 Grove Road, London, E3 5SN

Finish off the week in style at East London Liquor Company with oysters and bloody cocktails all day long. LCW wristband wearers can get their first G&T on the house. See you there.

On Trade - If you are lucky enough to own an on-trade wristband, and be largely free during the day time, then there are events galore for you. Imbibe have made a fine round-up here, and there's a dedicated page on the LCW website here. Your main issue will be deciding which World's 50 Best Bars after-party to go to - Trick Dog & Callooh Callay or Glass After Dark? Both?

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I'd like to finish with a new Matt The List segment - Balcony Booze.

I discovered last week that drinks look pretty great on my edgy, urban, industrial, unkempt balcony, so I've started taking snapping some beers, cocktails, and the occasional bottle that gets sent my way to share with you all.

Balcony Booze #1 - This week we have one of my favourite British beers, The Wild Beer Co.'s Modus Operandi - a glorious, tart, 7% old ale, oak aged for 90 days with wild yeast. Go and pick some up at your nearest #craftbeerwanker shop and thank me later. Try Beer Boutique, Hop Burns & Black or We Brought Beer for starters.

We also have the first in a series of Mr Black cocktails. Mr Black is a cold press coffee liqueur from Australia that was kindly sent my way, and I'll be showcasing it in a few cocktails this month. First up is the Black Negroni, a drink developed by Mr Black head distiller, Phillip Moore. You need:

1 part Mr Black // 1 Part Gin // 1/2 Part Campari // 1/3 Part Sweet Vermouth.

Stir with plenty of ice in a mixing glass, and strain into a rocks glass. Top with a citrus twist. I used Cocchi di Torino for my sweet vermouth, and Portland Dry Gin 33 from New Deal Distillery in Portland, Oregon. I've made several more since.

London Cocktail Week 2014

Here we go.  It's London Cocktail Week again.  Rather than write it up two months later like last year, I'm going to try and keep this updated during the week (let's see how that goes) so do check back again for more news.

Tuesday 7th September - Where to begin? Seven Dials of course, the real home of London Cocktail Week.  

There are now several "hubs" where you can pick up your wristbands (£15 once the week has started to qualify for £4 drinks & special events) - Chelsea, Spitalfields, London Bridge and Covent Garden are your starting points.  

Seven Dials has the most popup bars near it, and we made a beeline for The Cowbell on Monkey's Shoulder.

Monkey Shoulder Whisky ran "The Ultimate Bartender Challenge" to find a team capable of running a pop-up bar during London Cocktail Week.  The winners (Stuart Bale, Abigail Clephane and Ervin Trykowski) decided to pay homage to their favourite Saturday Night Skit, "More Cowbell", with a Glaswegian party bar complete with cowbells for you to play.  The fact that the three of them have cowbell tattoos tells you they mean business.

We worked our way through a Lord Wellington (Monkey Shoulder, Raspberry, Elderflower), Mr Berlusconi's Love Child (Monkey Shoulder, Amaro, Creme de Peche) and Curdled Colada - a Mr.Lyan special made with Monkey Shoulder, Coco Lopez and Pineapple that he invented whilst out and about with Monkey Shoulder brand ambassador, Dean Callan.  

The drinks were on the sweet side but had enough of a boozy kick to keep me interested.  Head over to 9 Shorts Gardens this week to see for yourself.

Deeney's Scottish Street Food at The Cowbell

Next stop was the Ketel One Vodka hub in Earlham Street.  When you pick up your wristband here, you get a free token which can either be for a drink, a Bloody Mary workshop, or an immersive Zacapa rum experience:

"A fully immersive flavour experience will await guests that locate the secret Zacapa tasting chamber. Guided on a sensory journey, rum lovers will ‘travel’ to Zacapa’s origins in The House Above The Clouds, 2300m above sea level in the Guatemalan rainforest and experience the story of Zacapa through all five senses."

That sounds pretty special, but it was rather busy at the time so we stuck to some Momo Sassy's Punch - Ketel One Vodka, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and blackberry & Earl Grey tea, served over ice with lemon and nutmeg 

Momo's Sassy Punch

Our third and final pop-up of the evening was The El Dorado Lost City of Gold on Monmouth Street. They have gone to town on the décor here - we loved the treasure map menus in particular.  I suspect you could also get rather sloshed off the El Dorado rum fumes.

Impressively, there are four £4 London Cocktail Week drinks on offer here - I recommend a Pineapple Pepper Daiquiri or a Dante's Sour.  Liquid Gold shimmered away in the glass, but didn't have the taste to match.  The wide range of drinks did seem to be slowing service down a little, and a taster of El Dorado 15yr old set us back an unexpected £10 (we just wanted a sip!) but it's a fine vintage!

They are also running rum & food pairing events amongst other things - read more here. Definitely worth dropping in.  

Liquid Gold and Pineapple Pepper Daiquiri

El Dorado 15yo

All pop-upped-out, we sauntered over to Opium, the wonderful Dim Sum & Cocktail parlour tucked away in Chinatown.  The bouncer is still there to ruin first impressions, but the three story climb past candles and wonderful smells gets you back on side.

Their £4 cocktail is the fiery Down to the Baijiu: Baijiu, Vodka infused Oolong tea, fresh lemon and pomegranate juice, a secret habanero kick and almond syrup, served in an adorable teacup.  Baijiu is a deadly distilled spirit - our bottle was only 52% but it often goes a few notches higher.  Grab a taste while you are there. And some dim sum if you know what's good for you.

Baijiu

Down To The Baijiu

Opium Cocktail No.5 - I think I had No.2 last year...

The last stop of our first outing was LAB - the classic party bar on Old Compton Street who are serving up £4 LAB Lemonade: Vanilla and fresh passion fruit laced with Stolichnaya Vanil vodka, lemon, LAB vanilla sugar, soda and finished with a Passoã float.  Easy going drinking to end the night.  They were running a DIY-lemonade session earlier on, but we arrived too late.

LAB Lemonade

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Wednesday 8th September -  Round 2 kicked off with a trip to the Angostura Butterfly House popup in Shoreditch:

"When the butterflies dance, the sugar cane is ready for harvesting. An array of butterflies will be dancing to the tune of Trinidad’s legendary rum and bitters in a specially created tropical garden for London Cocktail Week.

Take a laid-back stroll through the plantation, press your own sugar cane juice and let Mike Tomasic and a team of bartenders send you fluttering into the night."

That's right, live butterflies and rum, at the same time.

I took along biologist geek Cassie who tried (and failed) to play it cool in front of the butterfly experts.  We spent a fair amount of time inside the butterfly enclosure, though it's a sweaty affair. The lighting required to keep the butterflies happy doesn't flatter the rest of the room, but after a few Angostura rum concoctions you probably won't notice.

View more photos on Matt The Tumblr

All the drinks (named after butterflies) are made with Angostura Rum (either with 1919, 5 year old or Reserva) and freshly made sugar syrups.  Swallow Tail Flutter, Owl Butterfly and Blue Morpho Elixir are all fairly interchangeable fruity drinks laced with rum, available for £7.  Heliconius Dream is an odd mix of Angostura, Antica Formula, Campari, Sugar Cane, Egg & Nutmeg which grew on me as it went along.  

As well as butterflies and cocktails, you get to see sugar cane syrups being prepared live on site - make sure you have a chew on some unrefined sugar cane whilst you are there.  There are also some fun masterclasses (£9) going on at the end of the week - check the LCW events site for more info,

We then went on a tequila binge for a few bars, starting with Casa Negra.  The £4 drink here was one of the best so far, a frozen margarita slushie with a spicy kick that 184 Hackney Road would be proud of.  It's a good-looking little bar - worth staying for a couple of candlelit cocktails.

Frozen Margaritas at Casa Negra

Tequila #2 came from Casita, one of my favourite Shoreditch bars as it's tiny and the atmosphere is always fantastic.  For London Cocktail Week they have been taken over by Hidden, their sister (or parent?) bar in Ibiza.

We weren't huge fans of the £4 El Fenix (Ocho Tequila, Lime, Agave, Ting, Chilli and Grapefruit) which was way too sugary for our tastes, but I could have switched on to something else and stayed here all night.  Head down there if you've never been before.

Next we sped over to the Hoxton Hotel where you can find the Jose Cuervo Hacienda popup all week:

"Jose Cuervo, the oldest and best selling tequila brand in the world, has partnered with The Hoxton, Shoreditch to create Cuervo’s Hacienda, a week-long pop up Mexican tequila garden. Cuervo’s Hacienda will give you the chance to learn about tequila, its rich history and how to make delicious drinks with the Introduction to Tequila Master Class, as well as trying the seasonal Day of the Dead inspired cocktail for just £4 with a London Cocktail Week wristband.

Cuervo’s Hacienda will transform the hotel’s atrium space into the courtyard of the famous Cuervo’s Hacienda, complete with fresh fruits, herbs & spices and mini Agave plants."

We loved the décor, and the £4 Traditional Sour made with fig jam and garnished with sugar paper went down a treat.  That's probably enough tequila for now.

Hawksmoor Spitalfields was our penultimate stop.  Their basement bar is well known for its great drinks and awesome meaty bar food, so it makes sense to combine the two for London Cocktail Week:

"The Big Macquiri combines sweet with savoury and evokes childhood memories of a certain popular burger, with a healthy measure of Havana Club 3yo to boot."

In other words, Havana 3 year old, Fernet, Cynar, Dill Syrup & Lime, with a cheeky, Haribo-style burger sweet on the side.  The table was in agreement that it was effectively a classy pickleback, and very drinkable - another LCW winner.

And we finished in style by zooming up Tower 42 to find Jason Atherton's City Social on the 24th floor.  Here we were treated to skyline views and cutely presented $ Shakes (Diplomatico Anejo Rum, split milk, chocolate yoghurt and a hint of walnut) to a smooth jazz soundtrack.  Being told about curdled ingredients and yoghurt powder may be TMI for some, but the resulting cocktail is very accessible.  Drinks here are usually £10+ so it's a clever one to visit during London Cocktail Week.

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Friday October 10th - Covent Garden - tick. Shoreditch - tick. London Bridge - cross. Round 3.

A very early start on Saturday meant that the Friday LCW outing was limited to only a couple of bars.  First up was Cecil's in London Bridge, a Matt The List favourite, who were hosting a Paris in London with Grand Marnier pop-up in their wonderful opium den speakeasy.

We were whisked downstairs by a francophile, and thereafter waited upon by Jim whose service was fantastic.  And I'm not just saying that because he brought us tiny bottles of Grand Marnier and a fancy cocktail book...

The very drinkable £4 cocktail is Grand Vintage Breakfast - Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge, Vodka, grapefruit juice, orange & tangerine marmalade, lemon juice and egg white.  You also might be tempted by a deadly Grand Tiki-la too with Grand Marnier, tequila, chilli infused agave syrup, citrus, Falernum and Absinthe...

As well as great drinks, there are Crepe Suzettes, guest bartenders and live music aplenty all week. We caught a bit of an entertaining jazz duet before we left.

Tanner & Co.

A short walk down Bermondsey Street took us to Hide Bar, where we grabbed some food and a pretty bizarre bottled concoction of Campari, Diplomatico Rum and Red Wine called "Under The Influence".  It grew on me, but the bitterness will put many off - great presentation though.

And that was it for LCW action in London Bridge.  We carried on down to 214 Bermondsey for plenty of gin, and others then went on to Bermondsey Arts Club - both are excellent cocktail bars and its a shame that they didn't make it on to the LCW list this year.

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Three trips down - what's left? I have heard great things about the Bulleit Bourbon 1950s Pop-Up at London Cocktail Club on Shaftesbury Avenue and the Nikka "51.4" bar in Seven Dials, so I may need to return to that part of town if there is time.  Then there's a whole load of silly events going on at Nola Bar all week.  Also, the Vestal Voyages floating distillery and the mobile Tipple Taxi bar sound too good to miss.

Matt The LCWishlist also includes The Luggage Room, Merchant House, Bump Caves, 5CC Exmouth Arms / Electricity Showrooms, White Lyan, Somers Town Coffee House, Pond, Peg and Patriot, Loves Company, Jones Family Project, Looking Glass Cocktail Club, Worship Street Whistling Shop, and Dishoom.

Check the cocktail tours map / list to come up with your own route, keep an eye on the events page for more fun, and sign up for daily email updates.

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P.S. Did you know that it's Chocolate Week straight after this? The fun never stops.  You won't find much better out there than Chococo's award-winning luxury hand-made chocolates from Dorset. 

This year Chocolate Week runs from Monday 13 to Sunday 19 October 2014. To help celebrate all things chocolate, Chococo has a whole range of tempting chocolate filled experiences on offer.

Founded by Claire and Andy Burnet twelve years ago in Swanage, Dorset, Chococo makes all of its fresh handmade chocolates from fine origin cocoa from the Caribbean, Venezuela, Madagascar and Vietnam. It also uses local produce, including fresh Dorset cream, to make its mouth-watering creations. Since starting the business they have won 45 fine food awards for their fine chocolates.

For Chocolate Week, Chococo are launching an exciting new chocolate that will appeal to both food and drink fans.  Pictured below, the Totally Twisted Nose is the result of a customer competition run in their Winchester shop to create a chocolate incorporating local Hampshire flavours. The winning chocolate blends the Twisted Nose watercress-infused gin from the Winchester Distillery, and fresh locally grown watercress from The Watercress Company. They will be celebrating the launch of this exciting new chocolate collaboration with a party on Monday 13 October at their Winchester shop - open to all. The party will run from 4.00pm until 6.30pm for chocolate and gin sampling.

Totally Twisted Nose - a new chocolate with watercress-infused gin and fresh locally grown watercress

And here are two more Chococo classics that have both won Gold Great Taste Awards in 2014.

- Nutty Nutmeg - milk chocolate blended with hazelnut praline spiced with nutmeg

- Kumquat Twist (seasonal) - Cointreau-infused fresh Dorset cream & white chocolate ganache topped with kumquat jelly made by Rebecca's Kitchen with Dorset-grown kumquats

Nutty Nutmeg - milk chocolate blended with hazelnut praline spiced with nutmeg 

Kumquat Twist - Cointreau-infused fresh Dorset cream & white chocolate ganache topped with kumquat jelly

Claire Burnet, co-founder of Chococo says:

"Chocolate week is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate everything that is great about fine chocolate and focus consumers on the difference between fine and mass-produced commercial chocolate loaded with sugar and other additives. We're also really proud of what we have achieved at Chococo in creating truly fresh chocolates full of local fabulous flavours and we are thrilled to be working with the Winchester Distillery and other local foodie friends in Winchester, as well as the partnerships we have built up in Dorset. This is also a week to show that great quality chocolatiers creating exciting flavours do exist outside of London!"

To see more photos, head to Matt The Tumblr (10 photos) // Facebook (20 photos)

Date for Diary - Saturday 18 October: The Chocolate Show, Olympia, London - Claire Burnet will give a talk at 4pm at the UK’s top chocolate exhibition. She’ll also be sampling the Totally Twisted Nose pictured above

To keep up to date with what Chococo is doing over Chocolate Week 2014 visit the website - www.chococo.co.uk; follow them on twitter - @chococotweet – or Facebook – Chococo Chocolates; or pop into the shops in Swanage and Winchester.