London Whisky Weekender - Peg + Patriot - East London Liquor Company

Sunday 18th May - What's better than a boozy Sunday? A gloriously sunny boozy Sunday, that's what.

The sun well and truly got its hat on last Sunday, so I skipped out of my flat in my finest pair of shorts and made my way to Bethnal Green where local Taro was waiting, sunglasses at the ready.  We ambled up Cambridge Heath Road to the impressive Oval Space, home to London Whisky Weekender for 3 days.

Oval Space in Hackney

We attached our wristbands and collected some under "under the counter" tokens (for tasters of extra special drams) before making our way into the main room where all of the distillery stalls were set up. Diving straight in at the deep end, we started by working through most of the wonderfully peaty Laphroaig range, including the brand new (and very approachable) Laphroaig Select.  I used one of my magic tokens to try some of the fantastic 18 Yr which didn't disappoint.

We ran into Amanda from Berry Bros. & Rudd (BBR) who pointed us in the direction of their Islay malts and some pretty funky rums - the 10 Yr Fijian Rum took us both by surprise.  BBR have got quite a collection going now with the likes of No.3 Gin, Pink Pigeon Rum & King's Ginger to their name.  Time for them to open a bar?

We continued to dip in and out, sipping wee drams from the likes of Auchentoshan, Glen Garioch, Bowmore and Old Pulteney (a personal favourite), whilst appreciating some superb blues and rock & roll bands that were centre stage for a music heavy Sunday session.

There was plenty else to do on site, with Jameson taking over the Pickle Factory space serving up Jameson Picklebacks, cocktails & a BBQ, as well as more drinks in the Oval Space terrace bar, and street food out in the courtyard.

Deeney's and Original Fry Up Material both impressed with their haggis wraps & smokey burgers. Deeney's can be found at various markets including Broadway Market just round the corner from Oval Space, whereas Original Fry Up Material are currently residing in The Three Compasses pub in Dalston.

Taro enjoying an Original Fry Up material burger

It's a shame that Whisky Weekender isn't on every weekend, but Oval Space will be running many more events throughout the summer and opening up their attractive terrace bar.  Keep your eyes on Whisky Lounge who organised this party, as they have lots of great ideas up their sleeves. 

Oval Space terrace bar

Going strong, Taro and I wandered over to Patriot Square in Bethnal Green, home to the Town Hall Hotel which has recently mixed things up with an exciting new bar & restaurant double act.  

It used to be the home to Viajante with head chef Nuno Mendes, who's now having a grand old time with all the celebs at the [insert overhyped or sensational] Chiltern Firehouse.  In its place comes The Typing Room with Jason Atherton alumnus Lee Westcott in charge of the kitchen.  I have only heard good things so far, but I hope to check it out myself soon.

Anyway, we were already full of haggis & beef so we only had eyes for Peg + Patriot, the new bar from the Talented Mr Fox team.  TMF is one of my favourite spots for a cocktail in London, so expectations were very high.

They toyed with the name Peg & Riot before deciding on Peg & Patriot, with peg referring to an informal unit of alcohol measurement.  

We settled down at the bar and cast our eyes over a bonkers cocktail menu that features salt beef beigels, coal oil and irn bru.  They distill all sorts of bizarre liquids on a little piece of kit that sits at the back of the bar, including the Dog's Nose Hop Gin which they sell under their Moonshine Kid moniker. Garnishes receive similar levels of attention with addictive pieces of fried olive brine & beeswax coated cherries the pick of the bunch.

Distilling timetable in the background

Fried Olive Brine

Beeswax Coated Cherries

We started with two summery drinks - a playful Pimm's style Riot Cup Number One made with White Port, O'Clock Sugar, Cucumber Phosphate & Ginger Ale, and an exotic Pina Colada inspired Barley Legal with Burnt Pineapple Rum, Buttered Banana, Barley, Cultured Coconut and Lime.  Both refreshing & refreshingly different at the same time.

Ally Martin from Talented Mr Fox was a few seats away doing some quality control Sunday drinking.

Bartender & Martin Miller's Gin brand ambassador Ally Martin - boss man at Talented Mr Fox, One Leicester Street

My cunning plan to overlap my enablers failed as Caroline was running an hour late and Taro had to dash off to a concert in town.  Luckily, two more drinks enthusiasts turned up for a drink and we tried a few more concoctions.  Rich Woods (Cartizze / Duck & Waffle) and Sean Ware (Brand Ambassador for Bombay Spirits) joined me at the bar, enjoying an evening off before running a week long Bombay Sapphire Imaginarium popup at Callooh Callay (which ends 24th May).

I moved on to a Pho Money Pho Problems made with Pho Spirit, Pak Choi & Lime Leaf, & Lime, garnished with an aromatic pile of ingredients.  It was a effectively a Daiquiri with a savoury Vietnamese twist - an acquired taste but right up my street.  On the side, I had a non-alcoholic Campari & Soda - get your head around that! They have also created booze-free Gin & Tonics. Better than it sounds!

Pho Money Pho Problems

Alcohol free Campari & Soda

I also sampled the Scottish Porn Star (Passionfruit Hops, Thyme, Super T, Lime, Shot of Irn Bru) and the Peg Martini (Yeast - aka Marmite, Koniks Tail Vodka, Fried Olive Brine), which had great flavours to match the quirkiness.  The Peg Martini was worryingly drinkable and probably would have lasted about 3 sips if I had been left alone with it.

Scottish Porn Star

Peg's Martini

Don't be fooled by the comedy names & nutty ingredients, these are serious drinks made by obsessive bartenders. Prices are reasonable with all drinks coming in at £10 or less.  The back bar (or top shelf) is full of great spirits including the excellent core Compass Box Whisky range, and top local bottled beers from Beavertown, Redchurch & London Fields are there if you need them.  If you get peckish, Iberico Pork + Fois Gras Sliders from across the hall are available.  Set aside an evening for Peg + Patriot, you won't want to leave.

Last but not least, once Caroline finally arrived (20 minutes before she was meant to be turning up for a date round the corner), we dashed over to East London Liquor Company (ELLC), a new bar and distillery in Bow Wharf just south of Victoria Park.

East London Liquor Company bar with distilling kit visible in the background

Let's just call this a first look at ELLC, as it really was a flying visit, and they haven't actually started distilling yet.  Jamie Baxter is the distilling man with a plan, fresh from making City of London Gin at CoLD Bar.  There are plans for whisky, rum & vodka, though first they need to unwrap the new equipment which is visible through glass behind the bar.

The lovely airy bar is already worth visiting though, with cocktails under £10, plenty of great spirits and some fine bottled beers.  Alongside Camden Hells, Pale Ale & Ink on draught, they also have a rotating guest tap which has started with the awesome Rogue Yellow Snow all the way from Oregon. This is less surprising when you realise ELLC is the latest Barworks venue.  They are the guys responsible for the 5CC cocktail bars and top pubs such as Exmouth Arms, Harrild & Sons, Electricity Showrooms (soon to get a 5CC) and the new Three Johns in Angel.

Going for a slightly scientific feel with all the kit on show in the background, our drinks arrived in a simple but attractive beakers.  I was extremely happy with my Ginger Tommy's (Quiquiriqui Mezcal, Lime, Ginger) and Caroline was equally content with A Rose by any Other Name (Gin, rose shrub, white wine) which was whirled together in front of us in an oversized mixing glass.

Ginger Tommy's

A Rose by any other name

There's no kitchen on site but grilled sandwiches & meat and cheese plates will fill the void along with marinated sardines and smoked almonds.  They also open for breakfast (10am Mon-Sat, 12pm Sun) with Granola, Toasted raising bread, Caravan coffee and T2 teas.

I'll be back again, hopefully with some in-house spirits emerging, and possibly coupled with a trip to Victoria Park and Victoria Park Village, both of which I have never properly explored.

The Bethnal Green openings are not stopping anytime soon with Dead Doll's Club (opening 30th May), Craft Cocktail Co and a 2nd Sager & Wilde joining the likes of Mother Kelly's, Satan's Whiskers and Redchurch Brewery in one of London's most exciting up-and-coming areas for food & drink.  Exciting times ahead!  Keep track of them all on The List Map.

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In other news... I have just launched Matt The Tumblr - a tumblr account for quick photo posts from various jaunts and events to deal with some overflow.  This may well be what I update for fun trips abroad to the likes of New York, Chicago, Toronto, Minneapolis, Edinburgh and Isle of Islay that are coming up this summer. Take a look and follow me if you wish!

Latest tumblr posts - Civilised Chelsea pub crawl // Luxardo at Dead Doll's House // Anspach & Hobday collaboration beer launch // Bacardi Bats at Shoreditch Grind

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House of Peroni - El Nivel

Friday 2nd May - May got off to a great start with a rambling pub-bar-bar-pub route around Holborn and Covent Garden, talking in two old favourites and a couple of new joints.

The evening started with a quick pint in the Holborn Whippet with Max & Felix who mostly watched Team List from afar last year whilst posted in Lithuania & Afghanistan respectively.  I'm still waiting for a guest blog from their travels...

The Holborn Whippet is a cracking pub in the same family as Euston Tap & Pelt Trader, and is nicely tucked away on the often overlooked pedestrianised Sicilian Avenue near Holborn.  Lagunitas IPA, Redwell IPA and Beavertown 8-Ball impressed as usual.

From there, we decided to drop in to The House of Peroni which had conveniently just opened that day round the corner in Lincoln's Inn Fields.  Four floors of an elegant townhouse have been converted into a celebration of Italian style & culture for the month of May, inspired by the spirit of 1963 - a year when Italian style became renowned across the world, and Carlo Peroni created Peroni Nastro Azzurro beer.  The house is free to enter (for ages 18+), Monday to Saturday (and occasional Sundays) until 31st May from 12 noon til late.

Vibrant colours in the entrance

We decided to start at the top, popping our heads in to the temporary home for Bottega Wapping restaurant.  You need to reserve a spot to eat & drink in this incredibly funky dining room.  Bizarrely, Creative Director Lorenzo Di Francesco and Head Chef Daniele Miconi have reimagined traditional Italian cuisine through the music of 1963 Italy! I'm not entirely sure what that means.

Moving down through the house with a pint that didn't compare too well to the Holborn Whippet's finest, we got distracted by several fun & impressive installations.  

The bars are also part of the design party - The Black and White Bar is a striking nod to Franco Grignani's monochrome designs, and The Concrete Bar is set out like a miniature concrete cityscape that illuminates at night.. Drinks are different on every floor, with several cocktails making use of Peroni Nastro Azzurro in some way.  They have also taken this opportunity to launch a new Piccola bottle, their first innovation in bottle design since 1963.

Felix using all of his army training to move some coloured lights around a wall

Max controlling the world.

What would the army think of you, Felix?

The Black and White Bar

Federico Riezzo's Negroni Bottiglia

The new "Piccola" bottle

We eventually made it down to the al fresco Terrace area outside the entrance, where rotating street food traders will serve up quick eats & The Pavilion Bar is handling drinks.  We had a fantastic round of Orecchiette with Spicy N'Duja Sausage and Tenderstem Broccoli from Pasta e Basta.

Alongside the food, drink & art, there are several workshops to get involved with including Become an Italian Barista, The Art of Gelato and Create your own Silk Scarf which all need to be booked in advance.

Whilst the beer itself isn't much of an attraction, the house most certainly is - get down there before the end of May!

House of Peroni

Our next stop was a short walk away in Covent Garden.  Hidden above Maiden Lane mainstay La Perla, you will find their new sister bar dedicated to all things agave called El Nivel.  Antojitos (small plates) lie in wait to soak up all of the tequilas, mezcals, sotols, bacanoras & raicillas on offer.

We were warmly welcomed by Massi & his bar team, who started us off with some superb Tequila Ocho to sip.  Little did we know, Tomas Estes, Creator of Tequila Ocho, International Tequila Ambassador for the National Chamber of the Tequila Industry. Owner of Cafe Pacifico, La Perla and El Nivel (phew), and all round good egg, was across the room.  We were in safe hands.

Moving temporarily away from sipping, we got a round of cocktails in (all £9-13).  I went for a Siesta, a twist on the contemporary classic from PDT, the New York speakeasy that is high on my American summer holiday to-do list.  El Nivel's Siesta is a refreshing blend of AquaRiva premium Reposado, fresh lime and grapefruit juices, almond syrup, Campari & Merlet apricot, churned over crushed ice.

Max, sporting a medal from working at the Lithuanian embassy, couldn't resist getting a Diplomat's Downfall - Tapatio 110, fresh lemon and orange juices, lemon thyme and pineapple syrups, pimento dram, churned over crushed ice with a port float. Delicious.

Best of the bunch though was the Felix's Mezcal Fix featuring QuiQuiRiQui mezcal, roasted pineapple syrup, fresh lime, Cynar and saltwater spray.  I had such cocktail envy that I ordered it for myself later.  QuiQuiRiQui mezcal is owned by Melanie Symonds who you might spot boozing away in Catrina, her Mezcal ambulance, or in the QuiQuiRiQui mezcaleria which is due to reopen permanently underneath Golden Grill kebab shop on Hackney Road after a popular stay there in 2013

Due to the nature of their license, you have to eat something with a knife and fork at some point during your stay at El Nivel, so we ordered some Guacamole & Hummus.  Make that President Carter's Hummus and Guacamole "Yim Fun Ho" (with fresh strawberries, mango, jicama, topped with pomegranate seeds, served on an edible Shiso leaf, accompaned by Chinese pancakes).  If you are feeling fancy, you can go for the Roasted lobster & monkfish tail, served with lobster bisque and sangrita reduction or the Fillet of Beef Barcelona Style with caramelised onions and seared foie gras.

After our first round, Massi brought Tomas Estes over for a chat, which bizarrely led to a comprehensive Vestal Vodka tasting as William Vestal had recently dropped off some of his finest bottles.  Vestal are leading a vodka revolution in the UK (expect more to emerge this year).  Hunt some down - it will really surprise you.

Vestal Vodka

The Tequila Ambassador book by Tomas Estes

Moving back to agave, we sipped on the QuiQuiRiQui Matatlan and San Juan del Rio, even better served neat.  Following Tomas' advice, Max finished with La Poderosa - Vida mezcal, agave nectar, lime juice, cardamom and lavender bitters, topped with sparkling wine.  I wasn't convinced that mezcal and sparkling wine would be a winning combination, but I was very much in the wrong.  What do I know anyway?

QuiQuiRiQui Mezcal

La Poderosa

El Nivel is one of my favourite new finds.  The location is obviously excellent and the hospitality was second to none, but most importantly, the spirits collection is fantastic and the cocktails were consistently impressive.  I'll be back soon.

Completing the pub-bar-bar-pub route, we couldn't walk to Charing Cross without dropping in to The Harp for a couple of beers.  Still one of the best pubs in London despite the new wave of craft beer bars, and a great spot in summer when the doors are opened up.  Read more here.

Thanks to (soon to be) Captain Felix & (kind of) Ambassador Max for keeping me company this time around.