69 Colebrooke Row

69 Colebrooke Row

London
N1 8AA

It is a mark of the quality of this blog that I don't understand how my first cocktail at 69 Colebrooke Row was made. The Almond Ramos lists its ingedients as Beefeater gin, almond milk, lemon, lime, maraschino liqueur and orange blossom, but what came out (above right) was a magical concoction of foams and flavours so light the glass felt like it was empty (which it was, soon enough). I suspect egg white may have been involved. M chose the Gonzales (above left), which mixed tequila (Gran Centenario) with caramel liqueur, honey water "tuberose hydrosol" (a scented plant used in the perfume industry, apparently), and a lemon twist - another revelation. J picked a non-alcoholic citrussy drink which the waitress described as a Sherbert Dip in a glass.
Next up both M and I went for a Liquorice Whisky Sour (pictured left), a drink I've had here before, made with Cutty Sark Whisky, lemon juice and liquorice syrup (and probably some more egg white), and served with a dusting of grated liquorice - a perfect balance of sweet and sour. To finish, and with our critical gaze slightly less focused, we went for the 'Dry' Martini, featuring Beefeater gin, Martini Extra Dry vermouth and something called Dry Essence, the details of which were explained to me and promptly forgotten.The bar itself is a wonderfully secluded little venue off Essex Road, near Angel tube station, with great service and a fine jazz soundtrack. A mention must go to the master drinks creator, Tony Conigliaro, booze's answer to Heston Blumenthal, who has already secured the place Time Out's Best Bar 2009 award.

The drinks are not cheap, at £8 each, but for a special occasion such as, say, the launch of a new blog, this bar provides great value. Call to book if you want to guarantee a table, especially at weekends.