I was treated to Up in smoke, made with white rum, coconut, lime, coconut water and smoked pineapple. Calum explained that this was sort of a cross between a daiquiri and a piña colada. With the first sip I understood what he meant.
The cocktail was served in a simple coupe glass with several drops of coconut oil for decoration. The guys’ philosophy, they told me, was to focus on quality drinks, rather than elaborate garnishes, and I liked that. Calum got me to taste the smoked pineapple syrup he made and used in this drink.
After I tasted it, I appreciated the complex flavours that came through this seemingly simple drink even more. My friend said that she didn’t want anything too sweet and no tequila, so for her Calum came up with Far Eastside - made with sake, pickled cucumber, mint, lime and cucumber syrup, served in a straight tall glass, and garnished with a strip of nori. My friend and I both really enjoyed this one too.
It was very different to mine, but deliciously refreshing with a hint of saltines. While we savoured our drinks, I looked around..
. I loved the long bar with slightly worn out leather bar stools and black and white walls filled with large paintings by Irish painter Stiofan Grego. While Stiofans art resembles Basquiat, my friend (who knows him well) told me that he had no Idea who Basquiat was when he started painting.
How cool is that? Back to the drinks, we decided to share one more cocktail. This time Calum came up with something that was not o.