Latest news with #MaxVenning
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Batch cocktails: the summer party lifesavers
What batch cocktails are best for summer parties?Ella, by emailFirst things first: stand down that cocktail shaker. When you have more than a handful of people over, you need drinks that scale up easily. And a paloma never fails to hit the hot weather happy-hour spot, says Max Venning, director of Three Sheets bars in London and co-author of Batched and Bottled Cocktails. 'It's great for a garden party, because you just whack it all in a jug and into the fridge in the morning, then all you need are iced glasses and soda water.' Combine 350ml good-quality blanco tequila ('Ocho or Volcan are my go-tos'), 250ml fresh pink grapefruit juice, 10ml tomato vinegar ('or white balsamic') and two tablespoons of caster sugar, stir until the latter dissolves, then chill. 'While you're waiting for your guests, coat half the rim of your glasses with a mix of salt, a touch of ground black pepper and a sprinkle of ground cumin: wipe half the outside rim with grapefruit, put the salt mix on a small plate and gently press the wet part of the glass into the salt, so it sticks.' When you're good to go, fill each glass with ice, fill halfway with the paloma mix, top with soda and stir gently: 'Garnish with edible flowers or a grapefruit slice.' Another party starter, says Alex Lyonness, bar manager at Luca in London, is a naked and famous, which, happily, is 'quick to batch because it's equal parts mezcal, Aperol and yellow chartreuse, and quick to build because it's 60ml of that mixed with 20ml lime juice'. Sandia Chang, meanwhile, would lean more towards a 'lighter' negroni: 'We often pre-batch a cocktail that's a cross between an americano and a white negroni, which is equal parts Lillet Blanc and Suze,' says the co-founder of Bubbleshop and Kitchen Table, who serves that mix of classic French aperitifs over ice and topped up with soda. If you're looking to bung things together a little further in advance, try a cherry americano, Venning says: 'Mix 300ml Campari, 300ml sweet vermouth and 100ml cherry cordial, and store in a clean, sealed wine bottle in the fridge.' To serve, pour 50ml of the mix over ice, top with soda water and garnish with an orange slice. Or, if you're feeling fancy, pour 30ml into a flute, top with sparkling wine and garnish with an orange twist. If you're heading out, though, perhaps to the park or beach, Venning's batch drinking concept (to be consumed in moderation, naturally) would be a 'British coastal negroni': It's lighter than the classic, and a perfect sundowner. Mix 200ml Campari ('or, for a brilliant British take on it, Forgotten's ultrasonic bitter aperitivo'), 200ml red vermouth ('I use Vault Aperitivo's Forest', staying on the British theme), 200ml gin ('Hepple, for preference'), 20ml blackcurrant cordial, 100ml water and two drops of optional orange flower water, then tip that into a Thermos with a handful of ice cubes. Of course, cocktails don't necessarily mean booze: 'When I was pregnant, Chang recalls, 'I often made delicious, flavoured iced teas to take to the park, and a particular favourite was hojicha tea infused with slices of lime, mint and a little brown sugar.' She also recommends iced green tea with honey and apple marigold. Now that's sure to keep everyone sweet. Got a culinary dilemma? Email feast@
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Batch cocktails: the summer party lifesavers
What batch cocktails are best for summer parties?Ella, by emailFirst things first: stand down that cocktail shaker. When you have more than a handful of people over, you need drinks that scale up easily. And a paloma never fails to hit the hot weather happy-hour spot, says Max Venning, director of Three Sheets bars in London and co-author of Batched and Bottled Cocktails. 'It's great for a garden party, because you just whack it all in a jug and into the fridge in the morning, then all you need are iced glasses and soda water.' Combine 350ml good-quality blanco tequila ('Ocho or Volcan are my go-tos'), 250ml fresh pink grapefruit juice, 10ml tomato vinegar ('or white balsamic') and two tablespoons of caster sugar, stir until the latter dissolves, then chill. 'While you're waiting for your guests, coat half the rim of your glasses with a mix of salt, a touch of ground black pepper and a sprinkle of ground cumin: wipe half the outside rim with grapefruit, put the salt mix on a small plate and gently press the wet part of the glass into the salt, so it sticks.' When you're good to go, fill each glass with ice, fill halfway with the paloma mix, top with soda and stir gently: 'Garnish with edible flowers or a grapefruit slice.' Another party starter, says Alex Lyonness, bar manager at Luca in London, is a naked and famous, which, happily, is 'quick to batch because it's equal parts mezcal, Aperol and yellow chartreuse, and quick to build because it's 60ml of that mixed with 20ml lime juice'. Sandia Chang, meanwhile, would lean more towards a 'lighter' negroni: 'We often pre-batch a cocktail that's a cross between an americano and a white negroni, which is equal parts Lillet Blanc and Suze,' says the co-founder of Bubbleshop and Kitchen Table, who serves that mix of classic French aperitifs over ice and topped up with soda. If you're looking to bung things together a little further in advance, try a cherry americano, Venning says: 'Mix 300ml Campari, 300ml sweet vermouth and 100ml cherry cordial, and store in a clean, sealed wine bottle in the fridge.' To serve, pour 50ml of the mix over ice, top with soda water and garnish with an orange slice. Or, if you're feeling fancy, pour 30ml into a flute, top with sparkling wine and garnish with an orange twist. If you're heading out, though, perhaps to the park or beach, Venning's batch drinking concept (to be consumed in moderation, naturally) would be a 'British coastal negroni': It's lighter than the classic, and a perfect sundowner. Mix 200ml Campari ('or, for a brilliant British take on it, Forgotten's ultrasonic bitter aperitivo'), 200ml red vermouth ('I use Vault Aperitivo's Forest', staying on the British theme), 200ml gin ('Hepple, for preference'), 20ml blackcurrant cordial, 100ml water and two drops of optional orange flower water, then tip that into a Thermos with a handful of ice cubes. Of course, cocktails don't necessarily mean booze: 'When I was pregnant, Chang recalls, 'I often made delicious, flavoured iced teas to take to the park, and a particular favourite was hojicha tea infused with slices of lime, mint and a little brown sugar.' She also recommends iced green tea with honey and apple marigold. Now that's sure to keep everyone sweet. Got a culinary dilemma? Email feast@
Time Out
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The best bar in London for a first date, according to experts
When choosing a bar for a first date, it has to be perfect. Said drinkery shouldn't be too loud, or too ostentatious, and it ideally will provide some sort of distraction if things aren't going so well. Luckily, London has myriad cosy wine bars, romantic nooks and quirky drinking dens that will give you plenty of things to talk about should you and your date run out of conversation (it happens!). But which of these sultry spots is the best? Time Out asked industry experts including Lyaness ' Mr Lyan, Max Venning of Three Sheets, and co-owners of Rita's Missy Flynn and Gabriel Pryce, to recommend their favourite bars in the city, so that in turn we could come up with the definitive ranking of the best drinking spots for date night. Here's what they said. According to the experts, London's best bar for a first date is Three Sheets Soho. Three Sheets Soho is the second outpost of the Dalston-based cocktail bar, and opened last year. 'Three Sheets Soho is chic, buzzy and welcoming,' said Coral Anderson, managing director of Swift, a cocktail bar with branches in Soho, London Bridge and Borough. 'You will never walk in and find it dead. The seating is perfect for two people, even if it's at the bar.' Anderson recommended ordering the salted plum highball, and if you're feeling fancy 'you can get the best value glass of Dom Perignon in London'. 'Three Sheets has a little bit of everything for everyone,' said Monica Berg, co-owner of Tayēr + Elementary. 'It's a good all-rounder in a central London location. It's not too loud so it's easy to have a chat. 'It's very welcoming and relaxed, but at the same time signals that you're making an effort. 'I always start with the French 75.' Runners up included listening bar Mu in Dalston, shouted out by Carina Soto Velásquez, co-owner of Equal Parts; wine bar Bruno in Victoria Park, recommended by Exale Brewing's Stephanie Randle-Solley; Quality Wines in Farringdon, approved by Missy and Gabriel of Rita's; and 42 – the in-house cocktail bar at Michelin star restaurant Gymkhana in Mayfair, nominated by Mr Lyan, particularly for its human-sized paintings of cats. The best bars in London for 2025.
