HouseTonic11 Web

HOUSE TONIC 1
HOUSE
TONI C
Mary Mary!
SOHO HOUSES DRINK MAGAZINE
Issue 11
HOUSE TONIC 3 2 HOUSE TONIC
Soho Diners Julep
Editors Letter
W
elcome to the autumn 2013 issue of House Tonic a magazine for bartenders and
people who love bars.
In this issue, meet our friendly bartender, Myles Donneky from Shoreditch House, we
catch up on all the cocktail competitions our bartenders are competing in, both within
Soho House and with brands like Campari and Bombay Sapphire. As part of our focus on
speed-of-service, House Tonic also has a new speed bartending competition on thego
find out here how the heats are going. Bloody Mary Sundays are hugely popular at our
venues around the world, and now we have two more Marys to whet the appetite, made
with beetroot and hoisin sauce. Check em out on page 16.
We also have all the drinks news from Soho House around the world.
If you'd like to join one of our bar teams around the world, email
housetonic@sohohouse.com.
Cheers!
House Tonic covers: Soho Houses New York, Toronto, London, Berlin, West Hollywood and Miami,
Shoreditch House, Cafe Boheme, The Electric House and Diner, Soho Diner, High Road House, Pizza
Easts Portobello, Kentish Town and Shoreditch, Hoxton Grill, Little House, Dean Street Townhouse,
Babington House, Cecconis in LA, London and Miami, Chicken Shop and both Dirty Burgers.
Editor: Rebecca Seal Design and Art Direction: Plus Agency Publisher: Dan Flower Thanks to: Sophie
Roche-Garland, Caroline Boucher, Phoebe Strawson, Chris Ojeda, Dai Williams, Steven Joyce, Jolina Hoang,
Tom Kerr, Marcin Liwarski, Jamie Bevan
Cover image: Jamie Bevan; facing page: Steven Joyce.
12
At The Bar
Dessert Island Drinks
Contents
4
Aperitifs
Booze news
8
At the Bar
Myles Donneky
10
At The Bar
Perfect Picnic Competition
11
At The Bar
Anatomy of an Ingredient:
Apples
13
At The Bar
Craft Beers
14
At The Bar
The Need for Speed
16
At The Bar
Bloody Marys
22
At The Bar
Toronto Film Festival
24
At the Bar
Visiting Pisco and Tuscany
28
Digestifs
Bottlegreen Barbecue
20
At The Bar
What to drink this autumn
HOUSE TONIC
www.housetonic.com housetonic@sohohouse.com twitter.com/HouseTonic
29
Digestifs
The Playlist
30
Digestifs
Rising Stars
Negroni at Soho Diner
Soho Diners Julep
Editors Letter
W
elcome to the autumn 2013 issue of House Tonic a magazine for bartenders and
people who love bars.
In this issue, meet our friendly bartender, Myles Donneky from Shoreditch House, we
catch up on all the cocktail competitions our bartenders are competing in, both within
Soho House and with brands like Campari and Bombay Sapphire. As part of our focus on
speed-of-service, House Tonic also has a new speed bartending competition on thego
find out here how the heats are going. Bloody Mary Sundays are hugely popular at our
venues around the world, and now we have two more Marys to whet the appetite, made
with beetroot and hoisin sauce. Check em out on page 16.
We also have all the drinks news from Soho House around the world.
If you'd like to join one of our bar teams around the world, email
housetonic@sohohouse.com.
Cheers!
House Tonic covers: Soho Houses New York, Toronto, London, Berlin, West Hollywood and Miami,
Shoreditch House, Cafe Boheme, The Electric House and Diner, Soho Diner, High Road House, Pizza
Easts Portobello, Kentish Town and Shoreditch, Hoxton Grill, Little House, Dean Street Townhouse,
Babington House, Cecconis in LA, London and Miami, Chicken Shop and both Dirty Burgers.
Editor: Rebecca Seal Design and Art Direction: Plus Agency Publisher: Dan Flower Thanks to: Sophie
Roche-Garland, Caroline Boucher, Phoebe Strawson, Chris Ojeda, Dai Williams, Steven Joyce, Jolina Hoang,
Tom Kerr, Marcin Liwarski, Jamie Bevan
Cover image: Jamie Bevan; facing page: Steven Joyce.
12
At The Bar
Dessert Island Drinks
Contents
4
Aperitifs
Booze news
8
At the Bar
Myles Donneky
10
At The Bar
Perfect Picnic Competition
11
At The Bar
Anatomy of an Ingredient:
Apples
13
At The Bar
Craft Beers
14
At The Bar
The Need for Speed
16
At The Bar
Bloody Marys
22
At The Bar
Toronto Film Festival
24
At the Bar
Visiting Pisco and Tuscany
28
Digestifs
Bottlegreen Barbecue
20
At The Bar
What to drink this autumn
HOUSE TONIC
www.housetonic.com housetonic@sohohouse.com twitter.com/HouseTonic
29
Digestifs
The Playlist
30
Digestifs
Rising Stars
Negroni at Soho Diner
4 HOUSE TONIC
NEWS
Grey Goose Seasonal Cocktail
This fabulous cocktail was created in honour of Soho House
and Grey Gooses involvement with the Toronto Film
Festival. It wont appear on the menus, but you can get it at
any of the UK Soho House venues.
Torontini
35ml / 1oz Grey Goose
35ml / 1oz apricot juice
15ml / 1/2oz lemon juice
10ml / 1/3oz maple syrup
5ml / 1 bar spoon crme dabricot
dash of French absinthe
Tasting notes: avoursome martini with hints of apricot,
lemon and maple syrup
Method: Shake and strain, garnish with an orange zest.
Prosecco on draught
If you fancy a scrumptious glass of prosecco, make haste to
Cecconis West Hollywood, where prosecco is now available on
draught theres no compromise on quality and the sparkle is
perfectly maintained. It keeps each pour fresh, were going to
use it in cocktails for weekend brunches and its the rst of its
kind in California, says creative bar director Chris Ojeda.
Molinari and Limoncello
House Tonic took over the Electric
Cinema for an afternoon of
Limoncello and Molinari. Hosted
by Account Manager Hazel and
her team, we learnt a little more
about the story of the Molinari
and Limoncello brands, the secret
recipes behind them, and drinking
Italian style (a dash of Molinari
with your morning coffee). Thanks
for a great training!
Bombay Sapphire Worlds Most
Imaginative Bartender
Bombay Sapphire Worlds Most Imaginative Bartender programme is a global
bartending competition which celebrates the power of imagination in cocktail making.
The gin brand is currently working with Soho House in the US to support staff to
enter the competition. Initially staff from each unit competed against each other, then
the winners of the heats faced off and nally the overall winner will attend the nals in
Las Vegas.
Wine for Autumn in Los Angeles
Jaimee Anderson chooses three wines for US members and staff to try. First up,
the 2011 Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulee de Serrant from the Savennieres AOC of
Loire Valley. Along with the rest of the surrounding appellation of Savennieres,
Clos de la Coulee de Serrant must be 100% Chenin Blanc. When most people
think of Chenin Blanc they often expect light and crisp tropical expressions of
South Africa or the slightly sweet renditions from Vouvray, but I assure you, you
have never tasted a Chenin Blanc like this. On the palate it is viscous and
glycerol-like. It hits you like a bag of bricks, or more like rocky stones drenched
in quince, ginger and beeswax. Second, the 2011 Heinrich Red from Burgenland,
Austria. This is a blend of 60% Zweigelt, 30% Blaufrankish, and 10% St. Laurent.
Perfect for fall as you can transition from the Gruner Veltliner youve been
drinking all summer, to a lovely Austrian red to warm you up...and third, the
2011 Cultivar Cabernet Franc from Napa Valley. This wine project was started
by sommelier Dan OBrien and grape grower Jody Harris. Their goal: to produce
cult style wines without the hefty price tag. I love and recommend this wine
because of its elegant feminine qualities and its versatility in food pairing. On the
nose you nd mint, violet, and lavender with subtle layers of vanilla and clove,
great with roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, and all the xins that go along with
Thanksgiving dinner.
APERITIFS
Sipping with salad
Cookhouse House Tonics foodie twin magazine and House Tonic came
together in a pairing competition to match the perfect cocktail and wine with
a special spring salad. The teams met in Pizza East Portobello for the nal of
the competition, having been whittled down by venue, and for what was to be
a very difcult decision for the judges. The calibre of all three menu items was
spectacular. Soho House-style salads were plated up, with cocktail pairings to
match. The judges found it so tough that after a long discussion they came to
the conclusion that they had to have more than one winner: Jess Marshall from
Babington House won best salad, along with Aimee Gayle from Dirty Burger; best
House cocktail went Shoreditch Houses Antonio Pescatori and his cocktail Fiona
May and joint rst place for best cocktail goes to Ledi Castro for a wonderful
Watermelon Sour. The best combination of salad, cocktail and wine was created
by Pizza East Portobello: Alvaro Nevado for his salad, Tatia Merebashvilis choice
of wine and Damian Szyjduks Portobello Bridge cocktail.
A big congratulations to everyone!
UKBG Heats
UKBGs national cocktail competition, sponsored by Benedictine,
took place this summer at the Primo Bar, Park Plaza Hotel. Three of
our bartenders, Michal Buben, Hideyuki Saito and Paolo Lazzarich,
were among the 30 competitors taking part. All the competitors
were of a very high standards and the selection of cocktails was
outstanding. Out of the 30 contestants, 12 made it to the nal,
including our very own superstars Michal Buben and Hideyuki Saito.
Although they didnt win, they both performed brilliantly.
4 HOUSE TONIC
NEWS
Grey Goose Seasonal Cocktail
This fabulous cocktail was created in honour of Soho House
and Grey Gooses involvement with the Toronto Film
Festival. It wont appear on the menus, but you can get it at
any of the UK Soho House venues.
Torontini
35ml / 1oz Grey Goose
35ml / 1oz apricot juice
10ml / 1/3oz maple syrup
5ml / 1 bar spoon crme dabricot
dash of French absinthe
Tasting notes: avoursome martini with hints of apricot,
lemon and maple syrup
Method: Shake and strain, garnish with an orange zest.
Prosecco on draught
If you fancy a scrumptious glass of prosecco, make haste to
Cecconis West Hollywood, where prosecco is now available on
draught theres no compromise on quality and the sparkle is
perfectly maintained. It keeps each pour fresh, were going to
use it in cocktails for weekend brunches and its the rst of its
kind in California, says creative bar director Chris Ojeda.
Molinari and Limoncello
House Tonic took over the Electric
Cinema for an afternoon of
Limoncello and Molinari. Hosted
by Account Manager Hazel and
her team, we learnt a little more
about the story of the Molinari
and Limoncello brands, the secret
recipes behind them, and drinking
Italian style (a dash of Molinari
with your morning coffee). Thanks
for a great training!
Bombay Sapphire Worlds Most
Imaginative Bartender
Bombay Sapphire Worlds Most Imaginative Bartender programme is a global
bartending competition which celebrates the power of imagination in cocktail making.
The gin brand is currently working with Soho House in the US to support staff to
enter the competition. Initially staff from each unit competed against each other, then
the winners of the heats faced off and nally the overall winner will attend the nals in
Las Vegas.
Wine for Autumn in Los Angeles
Jaimee Anderson chooses three wines for US members and staff to try. First up,
the 2011 Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulee de Serrant from the Savennieres AOC of
Loire Valley. Along with the rest of the surrounding appellation of Savennieres,
Clos de la Coulee de Serrant must be 100% Chenin Blanc. When most people
think of Chenin Blanc they often expect light and crisp tropical expressions of
South Africa or the slightly sweet renditions from Vouvray, but I assure you, you
have never tasted a Chenin Blanc like this. On the palate it is viscous and
glycerol-like. It hits you like a bag of bricks, or more like rocky stones drenched
in quince, ginger and beeswax. Second, the 2011 Heinrich Red from Burgenland,
Austria. This is a blend of 60% Zweigelt, 30% Blaufrankish, and 10% St. Laurent.
Perfect for fall as you can transition from the Gruner Veltliner youve been
drinking all summer, to a lovely Austrian red to warm you up...and third, the
2011 Cultivar Cabernet Franc from Napa Valley. This wine project was started
by sommelier Dan OBrien and grape grower Jody Harris. Their goal: to produce
cult style wines without the hefty price tag. I love and recommend this wine
because of its elegant feminine qualities and its versatility in food pairing. On the
nose you nd mint, violet, and lavender with subtle layers of vanilla and clove,
great with roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, and all the xins that go along with
Thanksgiving dinner.
APERITIFS
Sipping with salad
Cookhouse House Tonics foodie twin magazine and House Tonic came
together in a pairing competition to match the perfect cocktail and wine with
a special spring salad. The teams met in Pizza East Portobello for the nal of
the competition, having been whittled down by venue, and for what was to be
a very difcult decision for the judges. The calibre of all three menu items was
spectacular. Soho House-style salads were plated up, with cocktail pairings to
match. The judges found it so tough that after a long discussion they came to
the conclusion that they had to have more than one winner: Jess Marshall from
Babington House won best salad, along with Aimee Gayle from Dirty Burger; best
House cocktail went Shoreditch Houses Antonio Pescatori and his cocktail Fiona
May and joint rst place for best cocktail goes to Ledi Castro for a wonderful
Watermelon Sour. The best combination of salad, cocktail and wine was created
by Pizza East Portobello: Alvaro Nevado for his salad, Tatia Merebashvilis choice
of wine and Damian Szyjduks Portobello Bridge cocktail.
A big congratulations to everyone!
UKBG Heats
UKBGs national cocktail competition, sponsored by Benedictine,
took place this summer at the Primo Bar, Park Plaza Hotel. Three of
our bartenders, Michal Buben, Hideyuki Saito and Paolo Lazzarich,
were among the 30 competitors taking part. All the competitors
were of a very high standards and the selection of cocktails was
outstanding. Out of the 30 contestants, 12 made it to the nal,
including our very own superstars Michal Buben and Hideyuki Saito.
Although they didnt win, they both performed brilliantly.
6 HOUSE TONIC
APERITIFS
Courvoisier
training
Rebecca from Courvoisier
hosted a Cognac history
and tasting in the Library
of Electric House. The
packed-out talk covered
Courvousiers history and
production. The training
was nished with a tasting
of VSOP, Exclusif and XO,
with cheese and dessert
pairings.
In the press
West Hollywoods venues have been getting
great press recently. Cecconis Affogato al
Negroni dessert cocktail and creative bar
director Chris Ojeda featured in LA Weekly
and Los Angeles Magazines blog; the same
site included bar manager Kate Grutman from
Soho House West Hollywood in an article about
what it means to be a female bartender. The
new Art Beyond the Glass event was featured
on LAist website too its a multi-faceted night
that includes cocktails, art, and music entirely
created and performed by local bartenders,
including Soho House bartenders Chris Ojeda,
Kate Grutman and Mia Mastroianni; a piece of
Kates artwork accompanied the piece. (Zagat
and LA Weekly also wrote about the event and
the SHWH teams contributions). Chris Ojeda
made it into print once more with a mention
in Bon Appetit, which also ran Soho Houses
Picante de la Casa recipe.
Tuscany
A group of our managers led Liz Lowe of
Liberty Wines took an awe-inspiring trip round
the vineyards of Tuscany. Look out for new
wines on lists very soon (Read more on
page 24)
Pinot Noir
Romanian Pinot Noir sales are soaring thanks to
knowledgable staff and open-minded consumers
at Hoxton Grill, Soho House and Shoreditch
House and of course its reasonable price!
Twisted Negroni
Marianna Pia and Tony Araujo from Soho
House London both entered the Campari
Twisted Negroni competition. The aim of the
comp is to create a classic cocktail like Negroni
that could stand the test of time. Marianna
infused Mirto with English breakfast tea
and Italian cherries and combined that with
Hendricks and Campari. Tony took inspiration
from Sam Kershaw (at the Electric) and used a
Kamm & Sons strawberry infusion and a touch
of prosecco. Both have been selected for the
nal from the 3,500 people who entered just
35 were chosen for the nal, which Salvatore
Calebrese judged; well done Tony who came
fourth!
NEWS
Soho Diner
Londoners! If you havent already experienced Soho Diner, what are you waiting
for? The newest Soho House venue is now open, right in the heart of the West
End, on Sohos Old Compton Street, serving up brilliant dishes from a short,
focused menu (we love the sticky chicken and the ham and cheese toasted
sandwich, the best sarnie youll have, anywhere, we reckon). Its the second Soho
House site to serve cocktails on tap, with Negronis and Cosmopolitans available
for bartenders to pour from taps. The quality is excellent and everything is freshly
made, plus speed of service is better than ever.
New opening
South Londoners rejoice! Dirty Burger is now
open in Vauxhall, serving brilliant burgers and
lovely craft beers.
6 HOUSE TONIC
APERITIFS
Courvoisier
training
Rebecca from Courvoisier
hosted a Cognac history
and tasting in the Library
of Electric House. The
packed-out talk covered
Courvousiers history and
production. The training
was nished with a tasting
of VSOP, Exclusif and XO,
with cheese and dessert
pairings.
In the press
West Hollywoods venues have been getting
great press recently. Cecconis Affogato al
Negroni dessert cocktail and creative bar
director Chris Ojeda featured in LA Weekly
and Los Angeles Magazines blog; the same
site included bar manager Kate Grutman from
Soho House West Hollywood in an article about
what it means to be a female bartender. The
new Art Beyond the Glass event was featured
on LAist website too its a multi-faceted night
that includes cocktails, art, and music entirely
created and performed by local bartenders,
including Soho House bartenders Chris Ojeda,
Kate Grutman and Mia Mastroianni; a piece of
Kates artwork accompanied the piece. (Zagat
and LA Weekly also wrote about the event and
the SHWH teams contributions). Chris Ojeda
made it into print once more with a mention
in Bon Appetit, which also ran Soho Houses
Picante de la Casa recipe.
Tuscany
A group of our managers led Liz Lowe of
Liberty Wines took an awe-inspiring trip round
the vineyards of Tuscany. Look out for new
wines on lists very soon (Read more on
page 24)
Pinot Noir
Romanian Pinot Noir sales are soaring thanks to
knowledgable staff and open-minded consumers
at Hoxton Grill, Soho House and Shoreditch
House and of course its reasonable price!
Twisted Negroni
Marianna Pia and Tony Araujo from Soho
House London both entered the Campari
Twisted Negroni competition. The aim of the
comp is to create a classic cocktail like Negroni
that could stand the test of time. Marianna
infused Mirto with English breakfast tea
and Italian cherries and combined that with
Hendricks and Campari. Tony took inspiration
from Sam Kershaw (at the Electric) and used a
Kamm & Sons strawberry infusion and a touch
of prosecco. Both have been selected for the
nal from the 3,500 people who entered just
35 were chosen for the nal, which Salvatore
Calebrese judged; well done Tony who came
fourth!
NEWS
Soho Diner
Londoners! If you havent already experienced Soho Diner, what are you waiting
for? The newest Soho House venue is now open, right in the heart of the West
End, on Sohos Old Compton Street, serving up brilliant dishes from a short,
focused menu (we love the sticky chicken and the ham and cheese toasted
sandwich, the best sarnie youll have, anywhere, we reckon). Its the second Soho
House site to serve cocktails on tap, with Negronis and Cosmopolitans available
for bartenders to pour from taps. The quality is excellent and everything is freshly
made, plus speed of service is better than ever.
New opening
South Londoners rejoice! Dirty Burger is now
open in Vauxhall, serving brilliant burgers and
lovely craft beers.
AT THE BAR FRIENDLY BARTENDER
YOUR FRIENDLY BARTENDER
Myles Donneky
Bars Manager, Shoreditch House
Portrait by Dai Williams
I
started bartending a long time before I should have really, well be-
fore I was legally allowed to serve (or drink) alcohol. I joined a ca-
tering company doing weddings every weekend when I was 15 and
watching the team on the bar, it always looked much more fun than the
floor or the kitchen I mean, there was booze (which was enticing of
course because I wasnt allowed any) and interaction with the guests
too. When I was 16 and still not allowed to serve alcohol I got a job
in a pub and learnt a lot about draft beers, how to kick out forty-year-
olds whod drunk too much and how to break up fights. When I was 17
I got a job in a nightclub where I definitely wasnt allowed! and I
loved that too. I think people risked it because I was good at it. I got
people home safely if necessary, calmed down people whod drunk too
much and got them water. I was caring towards our clients.
When I was 18 I got my personal licence straight away and got into
flair bartending, which at the time I really liked. But then I got inter-
ested in actual drinks and cocktails and writing cocktail menus. So I
moved to London and worked in various places before finding a job
at Saf, a raw-food bar and restaurant. Joe McCanta, who is now Grey
Goose vodkas international brand ambassador, was the bar manager
and sommelier there. Then he left, leaving a void that needed filling
and I got to step into it. Working at Saf was one of the best experiences
of my life. Because it was a raw-food restaurant, there was no meat
or cheese taking up space in the cellar, just herbs, fruits and spices
that I could use in drinks. I was lucky enough to be working with
great people there not just Joe, but also John Clay, who is now
Bols Global Ambassador, Amit Sood who is now head of training at
Shaker Bar School and Dav Eames, who now runs the bar at the Gilbert
Scott in St Pancras.
After Saf, I joined Shaker Bar School as a trainer, teaching bar-
tenders about etiquette, uniforms, how to pour, stir and shake and the
importance of understanding the products on their front and back bar.
I wanted people to remember were in the service industry to serve, to
make sure guests leave smiling. I also helped them open Shaker and
Co., the companys first bar, so I got to help build the bar itself.
I joined Soho House 18 months ago, first at Soho House itself,
then High Road House and now Im at Shoreditch House. I love it here.
Its by far the biggest challenge of my career. It helps that I have an
awesome team who know how hard it is to run so many bars. With the
fifth floor opening we have eight bars in the building now, which is a
big operation it used to be six and now we have 45 bar staff, 22 or 23
on shift at any one time. When I joined it felt like not enough attention
was being paid to the people behind the bar. I hope that Im making
them feel a bit more loved.
If you want to learn about bars, drink in every bar you can and go
to every new opening. Speak to the bartenders and ask questions we
all love it when people are interested in what we are doing. Dont steal
the menu, but take a photo of it so you can really analyse it later. You
dont have to have more than one drink or even spend a lot of money.
Dont go with big groups of mates and get smashed; its our profes-
sion so go to learn not booze. Read plenty of books, magazines and
websites, especially Cocktail Virgin Slut, a blog out of Portland in the
USA, Bitters and Twisted and Jeffrey Morgenthaler.
Want to join one of our bar teams around the world? Email
housetonic@sohohouse.com or see www.housetonic.com
HOUSE TONIC 9
AT THE BAR FRIENDLY BARTENDER
YOUR FRIENDLY BARTENDER
Myles Donneky
Bars Manager, Shoreditch House
Portrait by Dai Williams
I
started bartending a long time before I should have really, well be-
fore I was legally allowed to serve (or drink) alcohol. I joined a ca-
tering company doing weddings every weekend when I was 15 and
watching the team on the bar, it always looked much more fun than the
floor or the kitchen I mean, there was booze (which was enticing of
course because I wasnt allowed any) and interaction with the guests
too. When I was 16 and still not allowed to serve alcohol I got a job
in a pub and learnt a lot about draft beers, how to kick out forty-year-
olds whod drunk too much and how to break up fights. When I was 17
I got a job in a nightclub where I definitely wasnt allowed! and I
loved that too. I think people risked it because I was good at it. I got
people home safely if necessary, calmed down people whod drunk too
much and got them water. I was caring towards our clients.
When I was 18 I got my personal licence straight away and got into
flair bartending, which at the time I really liked. But then I got inter-
ested in actual drinks and cocktails and writing cocktail menus. So I
moved to London and worked in various places before finding a job
at Saf, a raw-food bar and restaurant. Joe McCanta, who is now Grey
Goose vodkas international brand ambassador, was the bar manager
and sommelier there. Then he left, leaving a void that needed filling
and I got to step into it. Working at Saf was one of the best experiences
of my life. Because it was a raw-food restaurant, there was no meat
or cheese taking up space in the cellar, just herbs, fruits and spices
that I could use in drinks. I was lucky enough to be working with
great people there not just Joe, but also John Clay, who is now
Bols Global Ambassador, Amit Sood who is now head of training at
Shaker Bar School and Dav Eames, who now runs the bar at the Gilbert
Scott in St Pancras.
After Saf, I joined Shaker Bar School as a trainer, teaching bar-
tenders about etiquette, uniforms, how to pour, stir and shake and the
importance of understanding the products on their front and back bar.
I wanted people to remember were in the service industry to serve, to
make sure guests leave smiling. I also helped them open Shaker and
Co., the companys first bar, so I got to help build the bar itself.
I joined Soho House 18 months ago, first at Soho House itself,
then High Road House and now Im at Shoreditch House. I love it here.
Its by far the biggest challenge of my career. It helps that I have an
awesome team who know how hard it is to run so many bars. With the
fifth floor opening we have eight bars in the building now, which is a
big operation it used to be six and now we have 45 bar staff, 22 or 23
on shift at any one time. When I joined it felt like not enough attention
was being paid to the people behind the bar. I hope that Im making
them feel a bit more loved.
If you want to learn about bars, drink in every bar you can and go
to every new opening. Speak to the bartenders and ask questions we
all love it when people are interested in what we are doing. Dont steal
the menu, but take a photo of it so you can really analyse it later. You
dont have to have more than one drink or even spend a lot of money.
Dont go with big groups of mates and get smashed; its our profes-
sion so go to learn not booze. Read plenty of books, magazines and
websites, especially Cocktail Virgin Slut, a blog out of Portland in the
USA, Bitters and Twisted and Jeffrey Morgenthaler.
Want to join one of our bar teams around the world? Email
housetonic@sohohouse.com or see www.housetonic.com
HOUSE TONIC 9
How to have a
PERFECT PICNIC
The Perfect Picnic competition was a combined Cookhouse and House
Tonic event, with teams competing to create the best outdoor food
and drinks. Phoebe Strawson reports back.
E
ach team had to present three picnic
dishes and a Hendricks gin cocktail
or punch to match. As with any pic-
nic, all the food dishes had to be prepared in
advance (with only finishing touches needed
on the day). Eleven sites took part and the cal-
ibre was outstanding! Picnics galore, and the
presentation and thought that the competitors
put into their picnics was really impressive.
The judges were Sophie Roche-Garland, who
manages Cookhouse and House Tonic, Ron-
nie Bonetti, creative executive head chef, Tom
Kerr, assistant general manager at Shoreditch
House, Duncan McRae, Hendricks gin brand
ambassador and Kristian Aiken, national ac-
count manager for First Drinks.
It was a tough job for the judges to pick
just one winner and eat all those sandwich-
es! and in the end we had to have joint win-
ners: well done to Babington House and High
Road House.
From Babington House, Dave Gerrans
and Rhys Couldrake presented the most
beautiful picnic with three delicious dishes:
lobster with baby gem, avocado and Marie-
rose dressing, a Scotch egg with celery sauce
and Western Cheddar with quince and chut-
ney. Their cocktail was presented in a flask
and named Babington to Paddington. It was a
refreshing pink gin and tonic with homemade
vermouth, rose petals, fortified wine and hon-
ey. They paired perfectly.
From High Road House, Lin Rousseau,
Tatiana Brown and Alberto Ercoli created an
equally delicious picnic with another three
fantastic dishes and a very energetic presenta-
PERFECT PICNIC
Would you like to get behind one of Soho
Houses bars around the world? Email
housetonic@sohohouse.com or visit
www.housetonic.com
tion: gazpacho, made with red peppers, toma-
toes, cucumber and tomato juice, marinated
for 24 hours with sherry, salmon en croute
(fresh salmon wrapped in smoked salmon and
then in pastry) and a quails egg salad with cu-
cumber, cumin and yoghurt dressing.
Their cocktail was perfectly paired with all
the ingredients from the salad. The Back to
Berry included cucumber, basil, berry syrup,
gin, lime juice, a cumin spirit, cucumber and
rose.
Well done everyone!
01
02
03
01
02
03
Hoxton Grills Picnic
Soho House Picnic
Paolo Lazzarich, Pizza East Shoreditch
HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?
Every issue we like to focus on a seasonal ingredient and
how to use it. This autumn were all about apples.
T
here are 7,500 different types of apples grown worldwide in
China, Turkey, the USA, India, Poland and Italy, and pretty
much anywhere else where the climate suits. Wild apples
first grew in Central Asia, where they were cultivated before prob-
ably being brought to what is now eastern Turkey by Alexander the
Great. In Norse and Germanic mythology, apples symbolised youth
and fertility, whereas in Greek and early Christian stories, apples are
forbidden fruit.
Apples can be made into anything from hard cider or brandy to
cakes, preserves or desserts. Great flavours to try with apple include:
almonds, beetroot, blueberry, clove, mango, hazelnut, pear, sage and
vanilla. How does the House Tonic team like their apples?
Sam Kershaw, Electric
My favourite. As a West Country lad, cider has always been less than
an arms reach away. My first alcoholic drink was a bottle of Natch
(down the park, aged about 15). My youth was misspent in a haze of
Strongbow, Blackthorn and K. Now a tad more respectable and with
a much more experienced palate, it pleases me more than anything
to see that this humble fruit and the liquids it produces are as tasty
and varied as ever. The last few years especially, Ive been a massive
fan of Burrow Hill blended and bottle-fermented ciders and Somer-
set aged cider brandies, produced by the delightfully eccentric Julian
Temperley. In particular, I like his pot-still produced cider brandies,
the three-year-old (fiery, young and raw) and the 10-year-old (perfect
balance of apple and oak). The three-year-old Royal makes a fantas-
tic mule with homemade ginger syrup and a few dashes of something
smoky like Laphroaig whereas the 10-year-old is perfect on its own
once its limbered up a bit. Gert lush!
Tom Kerr, assistant general manager, Shoreditch House
I really like apples because the Apple Martini (pictured above) was
the first cocktail I was taught to make and the first cocktail I ever
mastered. Apples give off fantastic and elegant acidic flavours that
combine really well and are also very versatile with other ingredients
John Kamel, Bar Supervisor, Soho House Berlin
I love making Johnnys Incider calvados, lemon juice, a cinnamon
stick, ice and topped up with cider. The combination of all ingredients
pair perfectly. Its a great drink all year round.
Sophie Roche-Garland, Cookhouse and House Tonic manager
Did you know when St Patrick came to Ireland he planted hundreds
of apple trees? Well, thats a good enough reason for me to drink cider.
Sebastian Price, Chicken Shop
The apple pie we serve in Chicken Shop is quite possibly the best ap-
ple pie in the world, no bias of course. Its made using Bramley apples,
which have a lovely tartness to them but are complemented delight-
fully by cinnamon. It is made with a sweet cobbler dough, very rich in
butter, that brings out the Bramley flavour. They are perfect to cook
with as they hold their shape once baked.
APPLES
P
h
o
t
o
:

J
a
m
i
e

B
e
v
a
n
How to have a
PERFECT PICNIC
The Perfect Picnic competition was a combined Cookhouse and House
Tonic event, with teams competing to create the best outdoor food
and drinks. Phoebe Strawson reports back.
E
ach team had to present three picnic
dishes and a Hendricks gin cocktail
or punch to match. As with any pic-
nic, all the food dishes had to be prepared in
advance (with only finishing touches needed
on the day). Eleven sites took part and the cal-
ibre was outstanding! Picnics galore, and the
presentation and thought that the competitors
put into their picnics was really impressive.
The judges were Sophie Roche-Garland, who
manages Cookhouse and House Tonic, Ron-
nie Bonetti, creative executive head chef, Tom
Kerr, assistant general manager at Shoreditch
House, Duncan McRae, Hendricks gin brand
ambassador and Kristian Aiken, national ac-
count manager for First Drinks.
It was a tough job for the judges to pick
just one winner and eat all those sandwich-
es! and in the end we had to have joint win-
ners: well done to Babington House and High
Road House.
From Babington House, Dave Gerrans
and Rhys Couldrake presented the most
beautiful picnic with three delicious dishes:
lobster with baby gem, avocado and Marie-
rose dressing, a Scotch egg with celery sauce
and Western Cheddar with quince and chut-
ney. Their cocktail was presented in a flask
and named Babington to Paddington. It was a
refreshing pink gin and tonic with homemade
vermouth, rose petals, fortified wine and hon-
ey. They paired perfectly.
From High Road House, Lin Rousseau,
Tatiana Brown and Alberto Ercoli created an
equally delicious picnic with another three
fantastic dishes and a very energetic presenta-
PERFECT PICNIC
www.housetonic.com
tion: gazpacho, made with red peppers, toma-
toes, cucumber and tomato juice, marinated
for 24 hours with sherry, salmon en croute
(fresh salmon wrapped in smoked salmon and
then in pastry) and a quails egg salad with cu-
cumber, cumin and yoghurt dressing.
Their cocktail was perfectly paired with all
the ingredients from the salad. The Back to
Berry included cucumber, basil, berry syrup,
gin, lime juice, a cumin spirit, cucumber and
rose.
Well done everyone!
01
02
03
01
02
03
Hoxton Grills Picnic
Soho House Picnic
Paolo Lazzarich, Pizza East Shoreditch
HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?
Every issue we like to focus on a seasonal ingredient and
how to use it. This autumn were all about apples.
T
here are 7,500 different types of apples grown worldwide in
China, Turkey, the USA, India, Poland and Italy, and pretty
much anywhere else where the climate suits. Wild apples
first grew in Central Asia, where they were cultivated before prob-
ably being brought to what is now eastern Turkey by Alexander the
Great. In Norse and Germanic mythology, apples symbolised youth
and fertility, whereas in Greek and early Christian stories, apples are
forbidden fruit.
Apples can be made into anything from hard cider or brandy to
cakes, preserves or desserts. Great flavours to try with apple include:
almonds, beetroot, blueberry, clove, mango, hazelnut, pear, sage and
vanilla. How does the House Tonic team like their apples?
My favourite. As a West Country lad, cider has always been less than
an arms reach away. My first alcoholic drink was a bottle of Natch
(down the park, aged about 15). My youth was misspent in a haze of
Strongbow, Blackthorn and K. Now a tad more respectable and with
a much more experienced palate, it pleases me more than anything
to see that this humble fruit and the liquids it produces are as tasty
and varied as ever. The last few years especially, Ive been a massive
fan of Burrow Hill blended and bottle-fermented ciders and Somer-
set aged cider brandies, produced by the delightfully eccentric Julian
Temperley. In particular, I like his pot-still produced cider brandies,
the three-year-old (fiery, young and raw) and the 10-year-old (perfect
balance of apple and oak). The three-year-old Royal makes a fantas-
tic mule with homemade ginger syrup and a few dashes of something
smoky like Laphroaig whereas the 10-year-old is perfect on its own
once its limbered up a bit. Gert lush!
Tom Kerr, assistant general manager, Shoreditch House
I really like apples because the Apple Martini (pictured above) was
the first cocktail I was taught to make and the first cocktail I ever
mastered. Apples give off fantastic and elegant acidic flavours that
combine really well and are also very versatile with other ingredients
John Kamel, Bar Supervisor, Soho House Berlin
I love making Johnnys Incider calvados, lemon juice, a cinnamon
stick, ice and topped up with cider. The combination of all ingredients
pair perfectly. Its a great drink all year round.
Sophie Roche-Garland, Cookhouse and House Tonic manager
Did you know when St Patrick came to Ireland he planted hundreds
of apple trees? Well, thats a good enough reason for me to drink cider.
Sebastian Price, Chicken Shop
The apple pie we serve in Chicken Shop is quite possibly the best ap-
ple pie in the world, no bias of course. Its made using Bramley apples,
which have a lovely tartness to them but are complemented delight-
fully by cinnamon. It is made with a sweet cobbler dough, very rich in
butter, that brings out the Bramley flavour. They are perfect to cook
with as they hold their shape once baked.
APPLES
P
h
o
t
o
:

J
a
m
i
e

B
e
v
a
n
CRAFT BEER
More and more, discerning drinkers are on the look out for craft
beers, supplied in modest quantities by small local breweries.
Knowing that members and guests want to try these brews as well
as drink their favourite big brands, Soho House sites around the
world have included craft lagers and ales on their drinks list.
We take a look at whats on offer.
If you had to choose one drink, your favourite one, to drink forever,
what would it be? We asked our bar teams and front-of-house staff
what their desert island drink would be.
A
t Pizza East Shoreditch Alex Cassano
says, We serve Bethnal Green pale
ale from Redchurch brewery, which is
literally round the corner. Truly genuine and
unfussy ale brewed by young East End entre-
preneurs. At nearby Dean Street Townhouse,
Ben Fitzgerald says, The newest addition to
our selection is Harviestoun Sciehallion lager
from Alva, Scotland. A great refreshing lager
with hints of grapefruit and honey. Perfect
paired with the recent fine London weather.
At Pizza East Kentish Town, beers from Cam-
den Brewery are available. Camden Pale Ale
is a really amazing American-style ale, says
Michele Ardu. Sparkling, aromatic, cold, re-
freshing and exotic. It sells really well due to
its versatility. It is a bit heavier than a lager
but still way easier to drink than traditional
ales. Its a great product. Camden Brewery
also make a really good lager, really elegant
and well balanced.
In New York Juan Sevilla has led trips
to visit breweries like Brooklyn (which from
small beginnings is now a big operation). We
serve Brooklyn Lager, the brewerys flagship
label, brewed to a pre-Prohibition recipe that
dates back to the days when Brooklyn was the
brewing capital of the East Coast. We also
have beers from Goose Island Brewery, from
Chicago, Illinois, and their IPA is a hop lovers
dream.
Green and Pleasant
Founded by two Every House members fol-
lowing a late night conversation on the roof
at Shoreditch House, Green & Pleasant is a
a clean and just hoppy-enough craft brew,
served at the Electric.
I wondered why all the beer brands that
I loved were associated with heavy, flat beer,
says co-founder Jamie Anley. And why lager
CRAFT BEER
drinkers were getting second best. It was dif-
ficult to find a UK lager which was produced
by hand in small batches and I wanted to
know why, as a nation with a brewing tradi-
tion, we were still importing so much.
The answer came through partnering up
with Fleur Emery, a brand designer.
I was introduced to Fleur at Shoreditch
House and put the same question to her. She
set out to find the answer and along the way
discovered a beautiful family-owned brewery
in the heart of England, which we ended up
going into partnership with. A year later, here
we are with our own lager and lemon shandy
behind the bar.
Would you like to learn about beers
while working behind our bars? Email
www.housetonic.com
01 Fleur Emery and Jason Avery from Green and Pleasant 02 Green and Pleasant being made
DESERT ISLAND DRINKS
Paul Cowlishaw, Soho House Toronto
Bourbon old fashioned. Lately I have been
fascinated with all things bourbon and when
you add it to a classic cocktail like an Old
Fashioned, nothing is more perfect.
Jaimee Anderson, sommelier,
Soho House West Hollywood
Im going with Krug on this one, anything
and everything they produce, whether it be
Grand Cuvee, Vintage, Collection, Clos du
Mesnil, etc. Beggars cant be choosers!
Christopher Cooper, UK sommelier
I just adore Riesling so I would probably have
to choose one from Germany, possibly Rhein-
gau or from Pfalz. Either that or an enormous
bottle of Krug!!
Id have to go with the quintessentially
British G &T. Specifically, Portobello Road
gin & Fever Tree tonic water. Assuming Im
stranded in the Caribbean, there should be
plenty of fresh citrus fruit around to spruce
the thing up; and I could happily sip away
while waving my Union Jack aloft hoping for
a rescue vessel to come along...
Linus Axing, assistant general manager,
Cafe Boheme
Depends on which island Im stranded on. If
its one in Stockholms archipelago, Ive been
to many and they always seem to have Akva-
vit (herbal spiced vodka) on them. Strange
that. I would bring a bottle (ice cold) because
it goes amazingly well with raw fish!
Matt Sloper, Little House
For me a Daiquiri. Crisp, clean and refresh-
ing. Itd make me forget I was stranded.
Alex Cassano, Pizza East Shoreditch
Its got to be Deuchars IPA from Caledonia,
simply because it tastes like heaven and is
the most thirst-quenching beer I have
ever tried.
Ben Fitzgerald, Dean Street Townhouse
Id go for a Palermo cocktail. Strong, bitter,
sweet and refreshing. Perfect for a hot and
lonely stint on a deserted island.
Alex Ghalleb, general manager,
High Road House
A Tommys Margarita because its sour but
sweet and refreshing. A perfect sunshine
cocktail.

Michael Burke, assistant general manager,
Pizza East Kentish Town
An Old Fashioned for me. Hard, yet easy go-
ing like the island!

Kelly Taylor, general manager, Shoreditch House
Cold vintage champagne. Bella epoque. For
obvious reasons.

Mervi Lehtinen, manager, Electric Diner
Campari spritz to add some sparkle, and Id
die happy.
Francesco Del Prete, floor manager,
Shoreditch House
Eastern standard, I wont die thirsty!!
Rafal Reinholz, waiter, Soho House Berlin
Belvedere Vodka with sparkling water, a
little bit of lime with pepper on top. It is
a drink I have whenever I go back to my
hometown. It really wakes me up. Its the
starter drink to a good night and also the best
hangover drink.
Alex Farrey, senior sous, Cafe Boheme
Whiskey Sours, I can drink them all day,
every day. Uncomplicated and clean flavours,
Im a simple fella!

Nick Antonopolous, floor manager,
Cafe Boheme
A Daiquiri zesty and refreshing and I could
probably find the ingredients. Wait.do we
have ice...??

Carlo Valdiserri, bartender, Cafe Boheme
Guinness, I like it with everything. With
food, without food. On an island, off
an island.
Tom Kerr, assistant general manager,
Shoreditch House
A Paloma because its refreshing, a fantastic
balance of flavours and can be drunk any
time of the day, anywhere in the world. It
makes me feel good and if I was all alone
on a desert island, that is what I would want
from whatever I was having to drink.
Haemish McBeth, bartender, Soho House Berlin
Negroni, because its my favourite drink, it
has the best balance of alcohol, sweetness
and bitterness. And its a barmans drink!
Juanita Ellen Hard, bartender,
Soho House Berlin
Rum Zacapa, with lime and ice. Because I
grew up with Pirates of the Caribbean, so it
seems very fitting.
Hamish White, bartender, Soho House Berlin
Id go for a Mai Tai, as its simple, nice and
very refreshing! Obviously It must come
served with an umbrella if Im on desert
island though!
CRAFT BEER
More and more, discerning drinkers are on the look out for craft
beers, supplied in modest quantities by small local breweries.
Knowing that members and guests want to try these brews as well
as drink their favourite big brands, Soho House sites around the
world have included craft lagers and ales on their drinks list.
We take a look at whats on offer.
If you had to choose one drink, your favourite one, to drink forever,
what would it be? We asked our bar teams and front-of-house staff
what their desert island drink would be.
A
t Pizza East Shoreditch Alex Cassano
says, We serve Bethnal Green pale
ale from Redchurch brewery, which is
literally round the corner. Truly genuine and
unfussy ale brewed by young East End entre-
preneurs. At nearby Dean Street Townhouse,
Ben Fitzgerald says, The newest addition to
our selection is Harviestoun Sciehallion lager
from Alva, Scotland. A great refreshing lager
with hints of grapefruit and honey. Perfect
paired with the recent fine London weather.
At Pizza East Kentish Town, beers from Cam-
den Brewery are available. Camden Pale Ale
is a really amazing American-style ale, says
Michele Ardu. Sparkling, aromatic, cold, re-
freshing and exotic. It sells really well due to
its versatility. It is a bit heavier than a lager
but still way easier to drink than traditional
ales. Its a great product. Camden Brewery
also make a really good lager, really elegant
and well balanced.
In New York Juan Sevilla has led trips
to visit breweries like Brooklyn (which from
small beginnings is now a big operation). We
serve Brooklyn Lager, the brewerys flagship
label, brewed to a pre-Prohibition recipe that
dates back to the days when Brooklyn was the
brewing capital of the East Coast. We also
have beers from Goose Island Brewery, from
Chicago, Illinois, and their IPA is a hop lovers
dream.
Green and Pleasant
Founded by two Every House members fol-
lowing a late night conversation on the roof
at Shoreditch House, Green & Pleasant is a
a clean and just hoppy-enough craft brew,
served at the Electric.
I wondered why all the beer brands that
I loved were associated with heavy, flat beer,
says co-founder Jamie Anley. And why lager
CRAFT BEER
drinkers were getting second best. It was dif-
ficult to find a UK lager which was produced
by hand in small batches and I wanted to
know why, as a nation with a brewing tradi-
tion, we were still importing so much.
The answer came through partnering up
with Fleur Emery, a brand designer.
I was introduced to Fleur at Shoreditch
House and put the same question to her. She
set out to find the answer and along the way
discovered a beautiful family-owned brewery
in the heart of England, which we ended up
going into partnership with. A year later, here
we are with our own lager and lemon shandy
behind the bar.
Would you like to learn about beers
www.housetonic.com
01 Fleur Emery and Jason Avery from Green and Pleasant 02 Green and Pleasant being made
Paul Cowlishaw, Soho House Toronto
Bourbon old fashioned. Lately I have been
fascinated with all things bourbon and when
you add it to a classic cocktail like an Old
Fashioned, nothing is more perfect.
Jaimee Anderson, sommelier,
Im going with Krug on this one, anything
and everything they produce, whether it be
Grand Cuvee, Vintage, Collection, Clos du
Mesnil, etc. Beggars cant be choosers!
Christopher Cooper, UK sommelier
I just adore Riesling so I would probably have
to choose one from Germany, possibly Rhein-
gau or from Pfalz. Either that or an enormous
bottle of Krug!!
Id have to go with the quintessentially
British G &T. Specifically, Portobello Road
gin & Fever Tree tonic water. Assuming Im
stranded in the Caribbean, there should be
plenty of fresh citrus fruit around to spruce
the thing up; and I could happily sip away
while waving my Union Jack aloft hoping for
a rescue vessel to come along...
Linus Axing, assistant general manager,
Cafe Boheme
Depends on which island Im stranded on. If
its one in Stockholms archipelago, Ive been
to many and they always seem to have Akva-
vit (herbal spiced vodka) on them. Strange
that. I would bring a bottle (ice cold) because
it goes amazingly well with raw fish!
Matt Sloper, Little House
For me a Daiquiri. Crisp, clean and refresh-
ing. Itd make me forget I was stranded.
Alex Cassano, Pizza East Shoreditch
Its got to be Deuchars IPA from Caledonia,
simply because it tastes like heaven and is
the most thirst-quenching beer I have
ever tried.
Ben Fitzgerald, Dean Street Townhouse
Id go for a Palermo cocktail. Strong, bitter,
sweet and refreshing. Perfect for a hot and
lonely stint on a deserted island.
Alex Ghalleb, general manager,
High Road House
A Tommys Margarita because its sour but
sweet and refreshing. A perfect sunshine
cocktail.

Michael Burke, assistant general manager,
An Old Fashioned for me. Hard, yet easy go-
ing like the island!

Kelly Taylor, general manager, Shoreditch House
Cold vintage champagne. Bella epoque. For
obvious reasons.

Mervi Lehtinen, manager, Electric Diner
Campari spritz to add some sparkle, and Id
die happy.
Francesco Del Prete, floor manager,
Shoreditch House
Eastern standard, I wont die thirsty!!
Rafal Reinholz, waiter, Soho House Berlin
Belvedere Vodka with sparkling water, a
little bit of lime with pepper on top. It is
a drink I have whenever I go back to my
hometown. It really wakes me up. Its the
starter drink to a good night and also the best
hangover drink.
Alex Farrey, senior sous, Cafe Boheme
Whiskey Sours, I can drink them all day,
every day. Uncomplicated and clean flavours,
Im a simple fella!

Nick Antonopolous, floor manager,
Cafe Boheme
A Daiquiri zesty and refreshing and I could
probably find the ingredients. Wait.do we
have ice...??

Carlo Valdiserri, bartender, Cafe Boheme
Guinness, I like it with everything. With
food, without food. On an island, off
an island.
Tom Kerr, assistant general manager,
Shoreditch House
A Paloma because its refreshing, a fantastic
balance of flavours and can be drunk any
time of the day, anywhere in the world. It
makes me feel good and if I was all alone
on a desert island, that is what I would want
from whatever I was having to drink.
Haemish McBeth, bartender, Soho House Berlin
Negroni, because its my favourite drink, it
has the best balance of alcohol, sweetness
and bitterness. And its a barmans drink!
Juanita Ellen Hard, bartender,
Soho House Berlin
Rum Zacapa, with lime and ice. Because I
grew up with Pirates of the Caribbean, so it
seems very fitting.
Hamish White, bartender, Soho House Berlin
Id go for a Mai Tai, as its simple, nice and
very refreshing! Obviously It must come
served with an umbrella if Im on desert
island though!
The need for
SPEED
This years 9/10 project, all about making Soho House
better in all aspects, means that speed is a major focus for
kitchens, bars and front-of-house.
T
he goal is to serve every guest su-
per fast, using the mantra 3 8 10,
meaning drinks should arrive within
three minutes of ordering, starters within
eight minutes of ordering and mains within
ten minutes of starters being cleared.
To help encourage the teams to think
about speed, a Europe-wide speed bartend-
ing competition, the Speed Match, has taken
place and the hardcore training ran in Eu-
ropean venues all summer, led by Tom Kerr,
AGM of Shoreditch House and Joey Medring-
ton from Bacardi. Tom explains more.
The speed match training is all about
teaching our bar staff about service, prepara-
tion, efficiency, speed and how to set up for
success. During the first part of the training
we do a brainstorming session where we break
down the process under three subheadings:
yourself; the bar station; service.
Then the bar staff come up with ways
in which we could fully prepare for the next
service under each heading. I find some very
interesting ways in which to prepare come up,
which is great. I find its mostly about them-
selves being prepared or not prepared, and
thinking about how improve this.
Next we move onto looking at drinks that
are durable versus drinks that are fragile. This
is all about understanding drinks in that red
wine is durable, and Daiquiris are fragile. Es-
sentially, what drinks can last the longest with
out ruining or changing in any way through
temperature shifts or ice diluting.
Then we move onto our chosen six
drinks, all of different styles. The bartender
has to make these six drinks at the same time,
by using the following structure:
1. Prepare all glassware you will need.
2. Prepare all garnishes you will need.
3. Start building the drinks (i.e. all the sugars,
then all the citrus, then all the accompani-
ments).
4. Ice.
5. Prepare (shake, strain etc).
6. Finish (garnish and serve).
What we want is to get to a point where for
every order we make drinks this way, so all
the drinks are ready to be served at once and
the quality of our drinks is never affected by
waiting and nothing spoils. Its also the quick-
est way to get drinks into our guests and
AT THE BAR THE NEED FOR SPEED
members hands. We want to teach staff about
the quality of the product while also being
smarter and more efficient behind the bar.
Bartenders are timed on how fast they
can make their drinks, and how efficiently. As
part of the training, bartenders competed for
a place in the speed comp final which took
place at Pizza East Shoreditch. Each bar-
tender had to serve a gin and tonic, bottle
beer, red wine, mojito, sweet Manhattan and
a Daiquiri. The winner was Murat Celik from
Soho House, who made six really great tast-
ing drinks in 1:58mins his prize is ride in a
Ferrari around Silverstones fantastic circuits.
Coming in at a close second was Eduardo Del
Moral from Pizza East Shoreditch, at 2:36mins;
his prize is a fantastic Champagne tour with
Collet in September. A special thanks to Ka-
mil Turalski, who won the Berlin Heat and
flew over especially for the competition.
Well done everyone!
01 02
03
04
05 06
Drinks should arrive within three minutes of ordering, starters within eight
minutes of ordering and mains within ten minutes of starters being cleared
01
02
03
04
05
06
Martina Marini
Chris Weller and Mark Foynes
Falvio Jayasinghe and Tomek Biszczkanik
Saele Valese in Soho House Berlin
Eduardo del Moral
Rory Martin, Pizza East Shoreditch
www.housetonic.com
The need for
SPEED
This years 9/10 project, all about making Soho House
better in all aspects, means that speed is a major focus for
kitchens, bars and front-of-house.
T
he goal is to serve every guest su-
per fast, using the mantra 3 8 10,
meaning drinks should arrive within
three minutes of ordering, starters within
eight minutes of ordering and mains within
ten minutes of starters being cleared.
To help encourage the teams to think
about speed, a Europe-wide speed bartend-
ing competition, the Speed Match, has taken
place and the hardcore training ran in Eu-
ropean venues all summer, led by Tom Kerr,
AGM of Shoreditch House and Joey Medring-
ton from Bacardi. Tom explains more.
The speed match training is all about
teaching our bar staff about service, prepara-
tion, efficiency, speed and how to set up for
success. During the first part of the training
we do a brainstorming session where we break
down the process under three subheadings:
yourself; the bar station; service.
Then the bar staff come up with ways
in which we could fully prepare for the next
service under each heading. I find some very
interesting ways in which to prepare come up,
which is great. I find its mostly about them-
selves being prepared or not prepared, and
thinking about how improve this.
Next we move onto looking at drinks that
are durable versus drinks that are fragile. This
is all about understanding drinks in that red
wine is durable, and Daiquiris are fragile. Es-
sentially, what drinks can last the longest with
out ruining or changing in any way through
temperature shifts or ice diluting.
Then we move onto our chosen six
drinks, all of different styles. The bartender
has to make these six drinks at the same time,
by using the following structure:
1. Prepare all glassware you will need.
2. Prepare all garnishes you will need.
3. Start building the drinks (i.e. all the sugars,
then all the citrus, then all the accompani-
ments).
4. Ice.
5. Prepare (shake, strain etc).
6. Finish (garnish and serve).
What we want is to get to a point where for
every order we make drinks this way, so all
the drinks are ready to be served at once and
the quality of our drinks is never affected by
waiting and nothing spoils. Its also the quick-
est way to get drinks into our guests and
AT THE BAR THE NEED FOR SPEED
members hands. We want to teach staff about
the quality of the product while also being
smarter and more efficient behind the bar.
Bartenders are timed on how fast they
can make their drinks, and how efficiently. As
part of the training, bartenders competed for
a place in the speed comp final which took
place at Pizza East Shoreditch. Each bar-
tender had to serve a gin and tonic, bottle
beer, red wine, mojito, sweet Manhattan and
a Daiquiri. The winner was Murat Celik from
Soho House, who made six really great tast-
ing drinks in 1:58mins his prize is ride in a
Ferrari around Silverstones fantastic circuits.
Coming in at a close second was Eduardo Del
Moral from Pizza East Shoreditch, at 2:36mins;
his prize is a fantastic Champagne tour with
Collet in September. A special thanks to Ka-
mil Turalski, who won the Berlin Heat and
flew over especially for the competition.
Well done everyone!
01 02
03
04
05 06
Drinks should arrive within three minutes of ordering, starters within eight
minutes of ordering and mains within ten minutes of starters being cleared
01
02
03
04
05
06
Martina Marini
Chris Weller and Mark Foynes
Falvio Jayasinghe and Tomek Biszczkanik
Saele Valese in Soho House Berlin
Eduardo del Moral
Rory Martin, Pizza East Shoreditch
www.housetonic.com
BLOODY MARY SUNDAYS
Every Sunday, Soho House venues around the world specialise in
Bloody Mary cocktails the perfect combination of tart tomato
and lemon, spicy heat, savoury horseradish and a touch of vodka,
to kickstart life after a big night out. There are lots of variations
to be made, though, and just a little light competition between
the sites, to see who can have the best Bloody Mary trolley or
station. Here, we recap who is doing what.
B
loody Marys are hugely popular at weekends in Soho House
venues everywhere. Sam Kershaw, bars manager at the Elec-
tric and House Tonic Ambassador, explains, Truthfully, this
was never my favourite cocktail. However, since working in the US
(weekend brunch shifts a blaze of tomato juice and olives) and then
with Soho House in the last couple of years my appreciation of them
has grown a lot. The Bloody Mary we serve in the Electric Diner is
nothing short of epic, garnished with a mountain of bread and butter
pickles. Recently, the UK House Tonic Ambassadors (Tom Kerr, Jay
Newell, Myles Donneky and myself) have been working on changing
the Sunday Marys and trying new twists on this hangover cure to beat
all hangover cures! We have also been engaging the bar managers to
make their Bloody Mary trolleys and displays the best in the group!
The competition is pretty hot, you cant rest on your laurels with
these guys.
On Sundays only, there are three special Marys to try alongside
the classic: the Hair of the Dog is a twist on the classic but with freshly
grated horseradish giving it intense spice; the Bloody Beetroot Mary is
a lighter, more refreshing style of Bloody Mary, made with Grey Goose
Citron, cucumber juice, beetroot juice, vinegar and cherry tomatoes;
and the Hoisin Mary contains lemon grass-infused Grey Goose vodka,
orange and tomato juices, hoisin sauce, green Tabasco and coriander,
so its easy to drink with a nice spice balancing the sweetness.

At Hoxton they make a classic version. Or you can have a Red Snap-
per, substituting gin for the vodka, or a Detox Mary, replacing half
the tomato juice with carrot juice, which has lovely balance, says
bar manager Jamie Lehane. At Pizza East Portobello, you can get a
classic Mary, or a Bloody Caesar: Which replaces the tomato juice
with clamato juice - a combination of tomato and clam juices. Superb,
says Alex Ghalleb, High Road Houses general manager.
At Babington House in Somerset, We do a walled garden-in-
spired Bloody Mary, says head bartender Dave The Hat Gerrans.
It would be a waste if we didnt use the resources at our finger-
tips. We use our house-made walled garden vermouth, and garnish
with whatever wild flowers and herbs are blossoming in the garden
that morning.
Meanwhile in the US, Cecconis West Hollywood brings out the
Bloody Marys on special occasions like Fathers Day, using freshly
grated horseradish, while Soho House Torontos Paul Cowlishaw
mixes up the classic recipe by swapping out the base spirit for gin,
tequila, mezcal, rye or bourbon. Members also have the option to
make it smokey by swapping out the Chicken Shop hot sauce we use
for the smokey sauce instead. We also use McClures Bloody Mary
mix: a kosher-certified, gluten-free blend of chopped garlic, hot
peppers, fresh cucumber juice, dill, tomato paste, vinegar, salt and
fresh black pepper.
AT THE BAR BLOODY MARY SUNDAYS
01
BLOODY MARY SUNDAYS
Every Sunday, Soho House venues around the world specialise in
Bloody Mary cocktails the perfect combination of tart tomato
and lemon, spicy heat, savoury horseradish and a touch of vodka,
to kickstart life after a big night out. There are lots of variations
to be made, though, and just a little light competition between
the sites, to see who can have the best Bloody Mary trolley or
station. Here, we recap who is doing what.
B
loody Marys are hugely popular at weekends in Soho House
venues everywhere. Sam Kershaw, bars manager at the Elec-
tric and House Tonic Ambassador, explains, Truthfully, this
was never my favourite cocktail. However, since working in the US
(weekend brunch shifts a blaze of tomato juice and olives) and then
with Soho House in the last couple of years my appreciation of them
has grown a lot. The Bloody Mary we serve in the Electric Diner is
nothing short of epic, garnished with a mountain of bread and butter
pickles. Recently, the UK House Tonic Ambassadors (Tom Kerr, Jay
Newell, Myles Donneky and myself) have been working on changing
the Sunday Marys and trying new twists on this hangover cure to beat
all hangover cures! We have also been engaging the bar managers to
make their Bloody Mary trolleys and displays the best in the group!
The competition is pretty hot, you cant rest on your laurels with
these guys.
On Sundays only, there are three special Marys to try alongside
the classic: the Hair of the Dog is a twist on the classic but with freshly
grated horseradish giving it intense spice; the Bloody Beetroot Mary is
a lighter, more refreshing style of Bloody Mary, made with Grey Goose
Citron, cucumber juice, beetroot juice, vinegar and cherry tomatoes;
and the Hoisin Mary contains lemon grass-infused Grey Goose vodka,
orange and tomato juices, hoisin sauce, green Tabasco and coriander,
so its easy to drink with a nice spice balancing the sweetness.

At Hoxton they make a classic version. Or you can have a Red Snap-
per, substituting gin for the vodka, or a Detox Mary, replacing half
the tomato juice with carrot juice, which has lovely balance, says
bar manager Jamie Lehane. At Pizza East Portobello, you can get a
classic Mary, or a Bloody Caesar: Which replaces the tomato juice
with clamato juice - a combination of tomato and clam juices. Superb,
says Alex Ghalleb, High Road Houses general manager.
At Babington House in Somerset, We do a walled garden-in-
spired Bloody Mary, says head bartender Dave The Hat Gerrans.
It would be a waste if we didnt use the resources at our finger-
tips. We use our house-made walled garden vermouth, and garnish
with whatever wild flowers and herbs are blossoming in the garden
that morning.
Meanwhile in the US, Cecconis West Hollywood brings out the
Bloody Marys on special occasions like Fathers Day, using freshly
grated horseradish, while Soho House Torontos Paul Cowlishaw
mixes up the classic recipe by swapping out the base spirit for gin,
tequila, mezcal, rye or bourbon. Members also have the option to
make it smokey by swapping out the Chicken Shop hot sauce we use
for the smokey sauce instead. We also use McClures Bloody Mary
mix: a kosher-certified, gluten-free blend of chopped garlic, hot
peppers, fresh cucumber juice, dill, tomato paste, vinegar, salt and
fresh black pepper.
AT THE BAR BLOODY MARY SUNDAYS
01
BLOODY MARY SUNDAYS
08
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
Dean Street Townhouse
Hoisin Mary
Soho House New York
Soho House London
Soho House Berlin
Beetroot Mary
Pizza East Portobello
Electric
Babington House
07
09
We use our house-made
walled garden vermouth,
and garnish with whatever
wild flowers and herbs are
blossoming in the garden
www.housetonic.com
Wherever you are in the world, be
sure to check out your local version.
Beetroot Bloody
Mary
4 cherry tomatoes (muddled)
50ml / 1 3/4oz Grey Goose Le Citron
50ml / 1 3/4oz beetroot juice
25ml / 3/4oz fresh cucumber juice
15ml / 1/2oz balsamic vinegar
10ml / 1/4oz house spice mix
Shake and strain over ice. Garnish
with a cucumber ribbon and a pinch
of Maldon sea salt.
AT THE BAR
Wherever you are, be sure to check
out your local Bloody Mary Sunday.
Soho House Classic
Bloody Mary
2oz/50ml Grey Goose vodka
4oz/105ml tomato juice
oz/15ml lemon juice
3 dashes of Tabasco
teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of pepper
2-3 dashes of celery bitters
freshly grated horseradish or creamy
horseradish to taste
Roll from tin to tin with ice to
combine all the ingredients. Strain
over fresh ice into a Collins glass and
garnish with 1 thinly sliced celery
stick, 2 skewered olives and top with
freshly ground black pepper.
02
04
03
06
05
BLOODY MARY SUNDAYS
08
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
Dean Street Townhouse
Hoisin Mary
Soho House New York
Soho House London
Soho House Berlin
Beetroot Mary
Pizza East Portobello
Electric
Babington House
07
09
We use our house-made
walled garden vermouth,
and garnish with whatever
wild flowers and herbs are
blossoming in the garden
www.housetonic.com
Wherever you are in the world, be
sure to check out your local version.
Beetroot Bloody
Mary
4 cherry tomatoes (muddled)
50ml / 1 3/4oz Grey Goose Le Citron
50ml / 1 3/4oz beetroot juice
25ml / 3/4oz fresh cucumber juice
15ml / 1/2oz balsamic vinegar
10ml / 1/4oz house spice mix
Shake and strain over ice. Garnish
with a cucumber ribbon and a pinch
of Maldon sea salt.
AT THE BAR
Wherever you are, be sure to check
out your local Bloody Mary Sunday.
Soho House Classic
Bloody Mary
2oz/50ml Grey Goose vodka
4oz/105ml tomato juice
oz/15ml lemon juice
3 dashes of Tabasco
teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of pepper
2-3 dashes of celery bitters
freshly grated horseradish or creamy
horseradish to taste
Roll from tin to tin with ice to
combine all the ingredients. Strain
over fresh ice into a Collins glass and
garnish with 1 thinly sliced celery
stick, 2 skewered olives and top with
freshly ground black pepper.
02
04
03
06
05
FALLTERNATIVES
what to drink this autumn
Christopher Cooper, European
sommelier for Soho House, on
different wines to try this
Autumn.
Jaimee Anderson, sommelier at
Soho House West Hollywood,
on her favourite wine for fall,
Nebbiolo.
I
ts too early to start tucking into dirty Bor-
deaux or big Aussie Shiraz but as the nights
draw in and menus become more autumnal
then consider some of the great middleweight
champions of wine. We may be into the firm
fall favourites, like Viognier, Chardonnay,
Pinot Noir and Zinfandel and dont get me
wrong, these are some of the greatest wines in
the world and I love them dearly but there
are plenty of awesome alternatives out there
at pretty reasonable prices.
For whites, why not look at Pinot Gris?
This isnt Pinot Grigio, as generally Pinot
Gris are a bit heavier and have much more
richness and depth compared to the Grigio
styles of Italy. Pinot Gris comes from Alsace
and often from Oregon and New Zealand, as
well as from Germany where its local name
is Grauburgunderbit of a mouthful but an
amazing wine and the most popular in Soho
House Berlin. (Available at Caf Boheme,
Electric Diner, Soho Diner, Little House and
many others.)
Or what about Riesling? This brilliantly
versatile grape goes from the entirely bone-
dry styles of Australia all the way to super-
sweet dessert wines of Germany; yet its the
styles in between that work best when match-
ing wines with richer dishes. Look at New
Zealand and Washington State for interesting
styles, and dont be afraid to go back to where
it all began Germany. (Available at Babing-
ton House, Dean Street Townhouse and Soho
House Berlin.)
Lastly, try Furmint. It may be the princi-
pal grape that goes into the legendary Tokaji
dessert wine, but increasingly dry Furmint is
served as a Chardonnay alternative. Richer
and more nutty in flavour, these wines are
perfect with white meats or simply guzzling
during the late evenings of an Indian summer.
(Available at Hoxton Grill.)
And for the reds, think about Zweigelt,
the most widely planted grape in Austria
(theres some in Canada too), a Pinot Noir
alternative. This smooth yet earthy red is
perfect for more delicate autumnal root veg-
etables and tomato-based dishes. (Available at
Soho House Berlin.)
Sangiovese is the king of grapes in Italy
and difficult to pin down in terms of flavour
because of the variety and differences be-
tween the wines and the regions. For autumn
WINE
I would stick to decent Chianti and the king
that is Vino Nobile de Montepulciano. For a
seriously good wine go to Dean Street Town-
house and sample Le Difese, an alternative
label from the same producers of the legend-
ary Sassicaia. (Sangiovese is available at all
Pizza Easts, all Clubs and Cecconis.)
Mencia pronounced men-theea is an
amazing alternative to Rioja. We all know and
like Rioja but Im sure weve all tasted some
stinkers too, and if youre tired of Tempranillo
then this is a more reasonable yet punchier
alternative from Bierzo, in north west Spain.
Great with tomato dishes and spicy sausage.
(Available at Shoreditch House, High Road
House and Dean Street Townhouse.)
M
y wine recommendation for fall is Neb-
biolo. The most famous examples of
this grape are from Barolo and Barbaresco of
the Piedmont region. And yes, these are ex-
cellent wines, but some lesser-known Nebbi-
olo-producing regions of Northern Italy are
often overlooked, so lets shine some light on
them. I want to showcase two in particular:
the Donnas DOC and the Valtellina Superiore
DOCG. These appellations not only show off
the range of Nebbiolo, but they also offer a
unique expression of it. Furthermore, theyre
tailor-made to pair with the seasonal dishes
that come along at this time of year.
What makes Nebbiolo capable of pro-
ducing such interesting wines? The grape is
naturally thin-skinned and high in acidity and
tannins. It buds early and ripens late, requir-
ing a long growing season. Its an extremely
difficult grape because it responds poorly to
most soils and climates, yet somehow works
in the most unexpected places. It performs
better in cooler regions, preferring only to
ripen properly in tiny areas where adequate
sunshine and drainage exist.
The Donnas DOC is in the region of Val-
le dAosta. It sits on the border with France,
just northwest of Piedmont.It is home to the
highest vineyards in Italy, and with that come
great challenges. Soils range from sand to
granite to clay, providing different pockets
suitable for different grapes. In fact, this re-
gion nourishes several indigenous grapes that
over time have got used to the severe condi-
tions. Higher elevations and sandy soils have
also protected these isolated parcels from the
devastating phyloxxera pest, so unusually
many grapes come from vines grown on their
original rootstock.Nebbiolo or as its called
here, Picotendro must make up 85% of the
final wine, allowing producers to add either
Freisa or Neyret to the blend. This addition
of fruit helps to round out the harshness of the
acidity and tannins too. The wines usually
have an earthy, spicy fragrance with almond
flavours mixed with black fruit and granite.
These are very different to those found in
Piedmont, where tar and rose flavours are the
norm. Nonetheless, some have deemed this
appellation the mountain equivalent to Baro-
lo. Ill leave that for you to decide, but you can
always trust the wines from this area to be
true to their terroir.
Another lesser-known Nebbiolo-produc-
ing appellation is Valtellina Superiore DOCG,
and here Nebbiolo is called Chiavannesca.
Valtellina Superiore is in Lombardia, a re-
gion better known for sparkling wine. Here a
minimum of 90% Chiavannesca is required,
allowing producers to add small amounts of
other local grapes. Extremely steep slopes
mean that winemaking has to be done on a
smaller scale. The rough terrain slows the
vines, leading to lower yields. This results in
complex wines, and they illustrate the stag-
gering differences between producers, plus
the influence climate has. Like other Nebbio-
lo-producing regions, the vineyards are south
facing. The stony soil helps to retain heat
and disperse it into the vines at night and the
nearby mountains also help to trap heat. All of
these unique elements contribute to a femi-
nine, perfume-y style of Nebbiolo. Valtellina is
also known for its five sub-zones which
all carry their own reputation. Of the five,
keep an eye out for Sessella and Inferno.
Would you like to learn about wines
www.housetonic.com
AT THE BAR
Change your drinking habits and try something new this autumn.
Christopher Cooper and Jaimee Anderson recommend wines to
tempt you as the weather cools down.
FALLTERNATIVES
what to drink this autumn
Christopher Cooper, European
sommelier for Soho House, on
different wines to try this
Autumn.
Jaimee Anderson, sommelier at
Soho House West Hollywood,
on her favourite wine for fall,
Nebbiolo.
I
ts too early to start tucking into dirty Bor-
deaux or big Aussie Shiraz but as the nights
draw in and menus become more autumnal
then consider some of the great middleweight
champions of wine. We may be into the firm
fall favourites, like Viognier, Chardonnay,
Pinot Noir and Zinfandel and dont get me
wrong, these are some of the greatest wines in
the world and I love them dearly but there
are plenty of awesome alternatives out there
at pretty reasonable prices.
For whites, why not look at Pinot Gris?
This isnt Pinot Grigio, as generally Pinot
Gris are a bit heavier and have much more
richness and depth compared to the Grigio
styles of Italy. Pinot Gris comes from Alsace
and often from Oregon and New Zealand, as
well as from Germany where its local name
is Grauburgunderbit of a mouthful but an
amazing wine and the most popular in Soho
House Berlin. (Available at Caf Boheme,
Electric Diner, Soho Diner, Little House and
many others.)
Or what about Riesling? This brilliantly
versatile grape goes from the entirely bone-
dry styles of Australia all the way to super-
sweet dessert wines of Germany; yet its the
styles in between that work best when match-
ing wines with richer dishes. Look at New
Zealand and Washington State for interesting
styles, and dont be afraid to go back to where
it all began Germany. (Available at Babing-
ton House, Dean Street Townhouse and Soho
House Berlin.)
Lastly, try Furmint. It may be the princi-
pal grape that goes into the legendary Tokaji
dessert wine, but increasingly dry Furmint is
served as a Chardonnay alternative. Richer
and more nutty in flavour, these wines are
perfect with white meats or simply guzzling
during the late evenings of an Indian summer.
(Available at Hoxton Grill.)
And for the reds, think about Zweigelt,
the most widely planted grape in Austria
(theres some in Canada too), a Pinot Noir
alternative. This smooth yet earthy red is
perfect for more delicate autumnal root veg-
etables and tomato-based dishes. (Available at
Soho House Berlin.)
Sangiovese is the king of grapes in Italy
and difficult to pin down in terms of flavour
because of the variety and differences be-
tween the wines and the regions. For autumn
WINE
I would stick to decent Chianti and the king
that is Vino Nobile de Montepulciano. For a
seriously good wine go to Dean Street Town-
house and sample Le Difese, an alternative
label from the same producers of the legend-
ary Sassicaia. (Sangiovese is available at all
Pizza Easts, all Clubs and Cecconis.)
Mencia pronounced men-theea is an
amazing alternative to Rioja. We all know and
like Rioja but Im sure weve all tasted some
stinkers too, and if youre tired of Tempranillo
then this is a more reasonable yet punchier
alternative from Bierzo, in north west Spain.
Great with tomato dishes and spicy sausage.
(Available at Shoreditch House, High Road
House and Dean Street Townhouse.)
M
y wine recommendation for fall is Neb-
biolo. The most famous examples of
this grape are from Barolo and Barbaresco of
the Piedmont region. And yes, these are ex-
cellent wines, but some lesser-known Nebbi-
olo-producing regions of Northern Italy are
often overlooked, so lets shine some light on
them. I want to showcase two in particular:
the Donnas DOC and the Valtellina Superiore
DOCG. These appellations not only show off
the range of Nebbiolo, but they also offer a
unique expression of it. Furthermore, theyre
tailor-made to pair with the seasonal dishes
that come along at this time of year.
What makes Nebbiolo capable of pro-
ducing such interesting wines? The grape is
naturally thin-skinned and high in acidity and
tannins. It buds early and ripens late, requir-
ing a long growing season. Its an extremely
difficult grape because it responds poorly to
most soils and climates, yet somehow works
in the most unexpected places. It performs
better in cooler regions, preferring only to
ripen properly in tiny areas where adequate
sunshine and drainage exist.
The Donnas DOC is in the region of Val-
le dAosta. It sits on the border with France,
just northwest of Piedmont.It is home to the
highest vineyards in Italy, and with that come
great challenges. Soils range from sand to
granite to clay, providing different pockets
suitable for different grapes. In fact, this re-
gion nourishes several indigenous grapes that
over time have got used to the severe condi-
tions. Higher elevations and sandy soils have
also protected these isolated parcels from the
devastating phyloxxera pest, so unusually
many grapes come from vines grown on their
original rootstock.Nebbiolo or as its called
here, Picotendro must make up 85% of the
final wine, allowing producers to add either
Freisa or Neyret to the blend. This addition
of fruit helps to round out the harshness of the
acidity and tannins too. The wines usually
have an earthy, spicy fragrance with almond
flavours mixed with black fruit and granite.
These are very different to those found in
Piedmont, where tar and rose flavours are the
norm. Nonetheless, some have deemed this
appellation the mountain equivalent to Baro-
lo. Ill leave that for you to decide, but you can
always trust the wines from this area to be
true to their terroir.
Another lesser-known Nebbiolo-produc-
ing appellation is Valtellina Superiore DOCG,
and here Nebbiolo is called Chiavannesca.
Valtellina Superiore is in Lombardia, a re-
gion better known for sparkling wine. Here a
minimum of 90% Chiavannesca is required,
allowing producers to add small amounts of
other local grapes. Extremely steep slopes
mean that winemaking has to be done on a
smaller scale. The rough terrain slows the
vines, leading to lower yields. This results in
complex wines, and they illustrate the stag-
gering differences between producers, plus
the influence climate has. Like other Nebbio-
lo-producing regions, the vineyards are south
facing. The stony soil helps to retain heat
and disperse it into the vines at night and the
nearby mountains also help to trap heat. All of
these unique elements contribute to a femi-
nine, perfume-y style of Nebbiolo. Valtellina is
also known for its five sub-zones which
all carry their own reputation. Of the five,
keep an eye out for Sessella and Inferno.
Would you like to learn about wines
www.housetonic.com
AT THE BAR
Change your drinking habits and try something new this autumn.
Christopher Cooper and Jaimee Anderson recommend wines to
tempt you as the weather cools down.
TIFF AT THE BAR
AND.....ACTION!
For the fifth year in a row, Soho House partnered with Grey Goose
Vodka to host party after brilliant party at the Toronto International
Film Festival. House Tonic gets the low down.
S
oho House Toronto was back-to-back,
wall-to-wall parties over the five days
of Toronto International Film Festival.
On the opening night of the festival, producer
of The Fifth Estate Michael Sugar held an ex-
clusive shindig on the Houses Club Floor, and
was joined by cast members Benedict Cum-
berbatch, Alicia Vikander and Daniel Brhl.
On the second night two private parties were
held. The first celebrated the world premiere
of Horns, and actors Daniel Radcliffe and
Juno Temple were in attendance with pro-
ducers Joey McFarland, Riza Aziz and Cathy
Schulman. The second party was thrown by
the team behind Parkland; guests included
Zac Efron, Tom Welling, Paul Giamatti, Colin
Hanks, Bitsie Tulloch, James Badge Dale and
Jacki Weaver.
Even more parties took place over subse-
quent nights keeping Soho House Torontos
bartenders and chefs on their toes! Matthew
Weiner, writer/director of You Are Here, was
joined for a glamorous get-together by produc-
ers Jordan Horowitz and Scott Hornbacher,
and after walking the red carpet, the films
cast members Amy Poehler, Laura Ramsey
and Lauren Lapkus joined in. The Pretzel
Bell Bar was taken over by the filmmakers
and cast of Night Moves, including Dakota
Fanning (and boyfriend Jamie Strachan), Jes-
se Eisenberg and Katherine Waterston. Jason
Bateman, Ewan McGregor and Jennifer Mor-
rison also dropped by to celebrate the film
as you do.
The biggest party of the lot was thrown
on the Monday night of the Festival by Soho
House Toronto, Grey Goose, The Weinstein
Company and Entertainment One to cel-
ebrate the world premier of August: Osage
County. Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Juliette
Lewis, Dermot Mulroney, Abigail Breslin,
Chris Cooper, Julianne Nicholson and director
John Wells were all in attendance, along with
Soho House founder and owner Nick Jones,
Taylor Swift, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Bateman,
Jennifer Morrison, Tom Felton, Felicity Jones,
Melissa George and Jared Harris.
Along with the Torontini (see the recipe
on page 5), the stars sipped beautiful drinks
designed by Grey Gooses Global Brand
Ambassador Joe McCanta, alongside Soho
Houses bar teams. Top choices were the
Canadian Crush, made with blackberries,
sage and Grey Goose Cherry Noir vodka; the
Goose Glacier, containing Grey Goose La
Poire, fresh apple and lemon juices, ice wine,
amaretto and grapefruit zest, plus the classic
Grey Goose Le Fizz, with bottlegreen elder-
flower, lime and soda.
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
Benedict Cumberbatch and
Michael Sugar
Joey McFarland, Juno Temple,
producer Cathy Schulman, Daniel
Radcliffe
Julia Roberts and Taylor Swift
Ewan McGregor
Katherine Waterston and
Jesse Eisenberg
Joe McCanta and Nick Jones
Juno Temple and Daniel Radcliffe
Chris Ojeda
Grey Goose
01
02 03
04
05
06
07
08
09
TIFF AT THE BAR
AND.....ACTION!
For the fifth year in a row, Soho House partnered with Grey Goose
Vodka to host party after brilliant party at the Toronto International
Film Festival. House Tonic gets the low down.
S
oho House Toronto was back-to-back,
wall-to-wall parties over the five days
of Toronto International Film Festival.
On the opening night of the festival, producer
of The Fifth Estate Michael Sugar held an ex-
clusive shindig on the Houses Club Floor, and
was joined by cast members Benedict Cum-
berbatch, Alicia Vikander and Daniel Brhl.
On the second night two private parties were
held. The first celebrated the world premiere
of Horns, and actors Daniel Radcliffe and
Juno Temple were in attendance with pro-
ducers Joey McFarland, Riza Aziz and Cathy
Schulman. The second party was thrown by
the team behind Parkland; guests included
Zac Efron, Tom Welling, Paul Giamatti, Colin
Hanks, Bitsie Tulloch, James Badge Dale and
Jacki Weaver.
Even more parties took place over subse-
quent nights keeping Soho House Torontos
bartenders and chefs on their toes! Matthew
Weiner, writer/director of You Are Here, was
joined for a glamorous get-together by produc-
ers Jordan Horowitz and Scott Hornbacher,
and after walking the red carpet, the films
cast members Amy Poehler, Laura Ramsey
and Lauren Lapkus joined in. The Pretzel
Bell Bar was taken over by the filmmakers
and cast of Night Moves, including Dakota
Fanning (and boyfriend Jamie Strachan), Jes-
se Eisenberg and Katherine Waterston. Jason
Bateman, Ewan McGregor and Jennifer Mor-
rison also dropped by to celebrate the film
as you do.
The biggest party of the lot was thrown
on the Monday night of the Festival by Soho
House Toronto, Grey Goose, The Weinstein
Company and Entertainment One to cel-
ebrate the world premier of August: Osage
County. Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Juliette
Lewis, Dermot Mulroney, Abigail Breslin,
Chris Cooper, Julianne Nicholson and director
John Wells were all in attendance, along with
Soho House founder and owner Nick Jones,
Taylor Swift, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Bateman,
Jennifer Morrison, Tom Felton, Felicity Jones,
Melissa George and Jared Harris.
Along with the Torontini (see the recipe
on page 5), the stars sipped beautiful drinks
designed by Grey Gooses Global Brand
Ambassador Joe McCanta, alongside Soho
Houses bar teams. Top choices were the
Canadian Crush, made with blackberries,
sage and Grey Goose Cherry Noir vodka; the
Goose Glacier, containing Grey Goose La
Poire, fresh apple and lemon juices, ice wine,
amaretto and grapefruit zest, plus the classic
Grey Goose Le Fizz, with bottlegreen elder-
flower, lime and soda.
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
Benedict Cumberbatch and
Michael Sugar
Joey McFarland, Juno Temple,
producer Cathy Schulman, Daniel
Radcliffe
Julia Roberts and Taylor Swift
Ewan McGregor
Katherine Waterston and
Jesse Eisenberg
Joe McCanta and Nick Jones
Juno Temple and Daniel Radcliffe
Chris Ojeda
Grey Goose
01
02 03
04
05
06
07
08
09
TASTING TRIPS
Soho House loves to send its staff on tasting trips, often all over the
world. Alex Ghalleb and five other managers went to Tuscany tasting
wines, while Chris Ojeda got the chance to try pisco in Chile.
I
ts not every day that you get summoned
by the wine gods to fly to Italy on a 48-
hour tour of beautiful Tuscany and sample
some of its finest wineries, but as this was
our calling in turn, who were we to say non,
grazie?
Packing lighter than a trip to the mar-
ket and moving faster than a busy Saturday
brunch at Pizza East Portobello, the Soho
six hit Stansted at 9am. We stopped only for
an airport pub brekkie and refreshment be-
fore the quick two-hour flight to Pisa and the
Wacky-Racer-esque turbo-Tuscan tour we
were destined for.
Landing in Pisa we were met and greeted
by Sir Franco taxi driver and running com-
mentator/compere for our trip he was soon
to prove he was a one-man encyclopedia of
all things no one else knew about: in short, a
legend. Born and raised in Siena, he was unre-
lenting in telling us about all there was to see
as we tore down the east coast.
Passing Livorno, we burned on down in
34C heat through the stunning landscape of
Bolgheri, passing the world famous Sassicaia
vineyards and Poggio al Tesoro winery of the
famous Allegrini Group, whose other winery
Many a tipple in Tuscany
Alex Ghalleb, High Road House
in Montalcino we were en route to visit that
very evening.
Two and a half hours later, with groggy
heads and numb backsides, we arrived in stun-
ning Montalcino. A quick stop at our hotel digs
not really an apt description for the beauti-
ful chateau-like stronghold a frenzied fresh-
en up and we were back once more with Sir
Franco. Next stop the San Polo vineyard on
the south east hill of Montalcino.
On the verge of trying some absolutely
cracking wines, it was almost too much to take
as we drove down the long rocky road to the
main house. Great wine, superb food, wine,
wine, wine, more awesome food, and a vine-
yard of more wine please this was gonna be
good. Really good.
Giulia Gecchele, the marketing and PR
rep for the San Polo brand of the Allegrini
Group, met us at the house and took us on
a tour of the vineyard. Walking through the
sun-kissed southeast hill vines en route to the
production plant, we reached what can only
be described as a scene from The Hobbit.
Upon entering Hobbit Mansion, Brunello-
ville, and expecting to find an army of hob-
bits tuning the finest Sangiovese grapes into
Super Brunello, we found one of the most so-
phisticated production plants in Italy. Huge
concrete maceration tanks of varying sizes
depending on the varietal a large temper-
ature-controlled cooling room to keep the
ageing barrels at a consistent level, all lined
by a natural humidity corridor designed to
maintain exposure to the natural elements
provided by the terroir (soil) of the hill. A very
intense and impassioned speech from Giulia
about the individuality of this plant and we
were all both interested and sold.
The proof of this set-up, however, had to
be in the tasting so we sped off to the main
house to work our way through the first tast-
ing menu of the double day spree. It didnt
disappoint and neither did the outdoor four-
course dinner that went with it. Brunello
Bliss. And the Vermentino was excellent too.
Tick. Boom. Done. Next!
We woke up early the next morning to
move onto the next winery Cantina di Mon-
talcino. Different from the last, in that they
do not produce their own wine specifically,
but rather make wine from an amalgamation
of many local producers. As there are hun-
dreds and hundreds of mini-vineyards and
producers the crop was both varied and large;
large enough in fact to produce four million
bottles of wine for sale in the US alone per
year, not to mention the rest of the world.
After sampling another 12-15 wines at
the Cantina, obviously spitting (hahah!) we
zoomed off with Franco in his Mystery Ma-
chine bound for Chianti and our final two
wineries Fontodi and Selvapiana.
We would have to pass close to the
TRIPS AT THE BAR
01
02
TASTING TRIPS
Soho House loves to send its staff on tasting trips, often all over the
world. Alex Ghalleb and five other managers went to Tuscany tasting
wines, while Chris Ojeda got the chance to try pisco in Chile.
I
ts not every day that you get summoned
by the wine gods to fly to Italy on a 48-
hour tour of beautiful Tuscany and sample
some of its finest wineries, but as this was
our calling in turn, who were we to say non,
grazie?
Packing lighter than a trip to the mar-
ket and moving faster than a busy Saturday
brunch at Pizza East Portobello, the Soho
six hit Stansted at 9am. We stopped only for
an airport pub brekkie and refreshment be-
fore the quick two-hour flight to Pisa and the
Wacky-Racer-esque turbo-Tuscan tour we
were destined for.
Landing in Pisa we were met and greeted
by Sir Franco taxi driver and running com-
mentator/compere for our trip he was soon
to prove he was a one-man encyclopedia of
all things no one else knew about: in short, a
legend. Born and raised in Siena, he was unre-
lenting in telling us about all there was to see
as we tore down the east coast.
Passing Livorno, we burned on down in
34C heat through the stunning landscape of
Bolgheri, passing the world famous Sassicaia
vineyards and Poggio al Tesoro winery of the
famous Allegrini Group, whose other winery
Many a tipple in Tuscany
Alex Ghalleb, High Road House
in Montalcino we were en route to visit that
very evening.
Two and a half hours later, with groggy
heads and numb backsides, we arrived in stun-
ning Montalcino. A quick stop at our hotel digs
not really an apt description for the beauti-
ful chateau-like stronghold a frenzied fresh-
en up and we were back once more with Sir
Franco. Next stop the San Polo vineyard on
the south east hill of Montalcino.
On the verge of trying some absolutely
cracking wines, it was almost too much to take
as we drove down the long rocky road to the
main house. Great wine, superb food, wine,
wine, wine, more awesome food, and a vine-
yard of more wine please this was gonna be
good. Really good.
Giulia Gecchele, the marketing and PR
rep for the San Polo brand of the Allegrini
Group, met us at the house and took us on
a tour of the vineyard. Walking through the
sun-kissed southeast hill vines en route to the
production plant, we reached what can only
be described as a scene from The Hobbit.
Upon entering Hobbit Mansion, Brunello-
ville, and expecting to find an army of hob-
bits tuning the finest Sangiovese grapes into
Super Brunello, we found one of the most so-
phisticated production plants in Italy. Huge
concrete maceration tanks of varying sizes
depending on the varietal a large temper-
ature-controlled cooling room to keep the
ageing barrels at a consistent level, all lined
by a natural humidity corridor designed to
maintain exposure to the natural elements
provided by the terroir (soil) of the hill. A very
intense and impassioned speech from Giulia
about the individuality of this plant and we
were all both interested and sold.
The proof of this set-up, however, had to
be in the tasting so we sped off to the main
house to work our way through the first tast-
ing menu of the double day spree. It didnt
disappoint and neither did the outdoor four-
course dinner that went with it. Brunello
Bliss. And the Vermentino was excellent too.
Tick. Boom. Done. Next!
We woke up early the next morning to
move onto the next winery Cantina di Mon-
talcino. Different from the last, in that they
do not produce their own wine specifically,
but rather make wine from an amalgamation
of many local producers. As there are hun-
dreds and hundreds of mini-vineyards and
producers the crop was both varied and large;
large enough in fact to produce four million
bottles of wine for sale in the US alone per
year, not to mention the rest of the world.
After sampling another 12-15 wines at
the Cantina, obviously spitting (hahah!) we
zoomed off with Franco in his Mystery Ma-
chine bound for Chianti and our final two
wineries Fontodi and Selvapiana.
We would have to pass close to the
TRIPS AT THE BAR
01
02
O
ur destination was the El Aqui valley in
Chile, which, it turned out, was a really
magical place, with very few people and steep
mountains surrounding the valley floor. Its
very serene like a bigger and more peace-
ful Napa Valley. The distances between the
distilleries were immense it took a couple of
days to travel between them.
Pisco Disco
Chris Ojeda on his journeys
around Chile in pursuit of pisco
TRIPS AT THE BAR
famous Tuscan town of Siena en-route to
Chianti, and with Mr. Siena 1969 leading the
charge, he (Franco) took us on another his-
torical interlude straight through its centre
instead. Good lad Siena was stunning!
Once wed visited his house, his Mums
house, his second nephews house and the
dogs house we dropped by the very famous
Piazza del Campo where the 700-year-old
medieval horse race Palio di Siena (the most
dangerous horse race in the world) takes place
every year. Absolutely stunning to say the
least and a must to visit for all who can go
but, We must go Franco theres wine to be
drunk in them there hills!
After another two-hour drive and a
cheeky nap we arrived at the awe-inspiring
Golden Shell (Conco dOro) region of Panzano
in Chianti. It is here that all Chianti Classico is
made and where the Fontodi vineyard makes
its bed. It was here that we met Giovanni
owner of Fontodi, remarkable Richard Gere
lookalike and general champion wine maker.
The hospitality here was exceptional as
Ricardo Gere took us via 4x4s through one of
his many high-quality, high-yield vineyards.
He had a clearly deep passion and closeness
with his production from start to finish. The
business had been passed down to him by his
father who had done nothing but pursue the
best quality wines, since the family had em-
barked on this way of life many moons ago.
To sample the wines we drove up to a res-
taurant high on the hill. We sat at a stunning
table with a remarkable view over the edge of
the cliff top and down onto the main part of
the shell-shaped landscape. The food menu
was superb and we were all in our element. I
had an amazing sea bass crudo followed by a
main course of pigeon. As for the wines, they
were just as high quality as the surroundings
and the food.
Our final decadent dabble was in the
Rufina region of Chianti at the Selvapiana
vineyard. A very old and different winery to
the previous three, it was steeped in history
and remained very much in the traditional
way of doing things. Our host was charming
and told us about his wine-making family as
he took us all down to look at the wine cellar.
Thousands of bottled wines that dated from
the brand-spanking-new, right back to the
late 1930s.
We ended on a bottle from an outstand-
ing year (when I was born) 1982. It had a
very orange complexion and was much
more watery than I had originally expected
but its taste was sensational, both complex
and smooth.
The drive back to the airport was a
silent one as the six of us thought about
the last two days. Too much and too
little at the same time, Tuscany had been
the perfect trip (Franco said). My heart-
burn said Id had too much Tuscan red wine.
I say, never!
We actually arrived during the grape har-
vest pisco is a kind of grape brandy and so
we got to see the fruit being de-stemmed and
crushed, and the whole process beginning.
One distillery we visited was Le Mistral,
where they produce an aged pisco that is a
really good ingredient. (Better known Peru-
vian piscos are not aged, so these were quite
different.) Claudia Olmedo, a pisco somme-
lier who is in charge of educating people in
South America and the US about pisco, set us
up with a mini cocktail competition. As there
were 10 bartenders on the trip, from New
York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phila-
Great wine, superb food, wine, wine, wine, more
awesome food, and a vineyard of more wine please
this was gonna be good. Really good.
There isnt a huge cocktail culture in Chile a lot of pisco is
drunk in the Piscola, which is just pisco and cola
delphia, some pretty cool cocktails were the
result, including a pisco Bloody Mary. There
isnt a huge cocktail culture in Chile a lot
of pisco is drunk in the Piscola, which is just
pisco and cola so it was great to show the
makers our appreciation for what they do and
how versatile it is. I think some of the Chil-
eans might have been a bit blown away by our
pisco Sours!
We had a really incredible and certainly
very inspiring time.
03
05 06
07
08
04
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
Wine ageing in Cantina de Montalcino
Fontodi
Tuscan vineyards
Team supper
Selvapiano
El Aqui Valley
Pisco ageing in wood
Pisco Sour
www.housetonic.com
O
ur destination was the El Aqui valley in
Chile, which, it turned out, was a really
magical place, with very few people and steep
mountains surrounding the valley floor. Its
very serene like a bigger and more peace-
ful Napa Valley. The distances between the
distilleries were immense it took a couple of
days to travel between them.
Pisco Disco
Chris Ojeda on his journeys
around Chile in pursuit of pisco
TRIPS AT THE BAR
famous Tuscan town of Siena en-route to
Chianti, and with Mr. Siena 1969 leading the
charge, he (Franco) took us on another his-
torical interlude straight through its centre
instead. Good lad Siena was stunning!
Once wed visited his house, his Mums
house, his second nephews house and the
dogs house we dropped by the very famous
Piazza del Campo where the 700-year-old
medieval horse race Palio di Siena (the most
dangerous horse race in the world) takes place
every year. Absolutely stunning to say the
least and a must to visit for all who can go
but, We must go Franco theres wine to be
drunk in them there hills!
After another two-hour drive and a
cheeky nap we arrived at the awe-inspiring
Golden Shell (Conco dOro) region of Panzano
in Chianti. It is here that all Chianti Classico is
made and where the Fontodi vineyard makes
its bed. It was here that we met Giovanni
owner of Fontodi, remarkable Richard Gere
lookalike and general champion wine maker.
The hospitality here was exceptional as
Ricardo Gere took us via 4x4s through one of
his many high-quality, high-yield vineyards.
He had a clearly deep passion and closeness
with his production from start to finish. The
business had been passed down to him by his
father who had done nothing but pursue the
best quality wines, since the family had em-
barked on this way of life many moons ago.
To sample the wines we drove up to a res-
taurant high on the hill. We sat at a stunning
table with a remarkable view over the edge of
the cliff top and down onto the main part of
the shell-shaped landscape. The food menu
was superb and we were all in our element. I
had an amazing sea bass crudo followed by a
main course of pigeon. As for the wines, they
were just as high quality as the surroundings
and the food.
Our final decadent dabble was in the
Rufina region of Chianti at the Selvapiana
vineyard. A very old and different winery to
the previous three, it was steeped in history
and remained very much in the traditional
way of doing things. Our host was charming
and told us about his wine-making family as
he took us all down to look at the wine cellar.
Thousands of bottled wines that dated from
the brand-spanking-new, right back to the
late 1930s.
We ended on a bottle from an outstand-
ing year (when I was born) 1982. It had a
very orange complexion and was much
more watery than I had originally expected
but its taste was sensational, both complex
and smooth.
The drive back to the airport was a
silent one as the six of us thought about
the last two days. Too much and too
little at the same time, Tuscany had been
the perfect trip (Franco said). My heart-
burn said Id had too much Tuscan red wine.
I say, never!
We actually arrived during the grape har-
vest pisco is a kind of grape brandy and so
we got to see the fruit being de-stemmed and
crushed, and the whole process beginning.
One distillery we visited was Le Mistral,
where they produce an aged pisco that is a
really good ingredient. (Better known Peru-
vian piscos are not aged, so these were quite
different.) Claudia Olmedo, a pisco somme-
lier who is in charge of educating people in
South America and the US about pisco, set us
up with a mini cocktail competition. As there
were 10 bartenders on the trip, from New
York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phila-
Great wine, superb food, wine, wine, wine, more
awesome food, and a vineyard of more wine please
this was gonna be good. Really good.
There isnt a huge cocktail culture in Chile a lot of pisco is
drunk in the Piscola, which is just pisco and cola
delphia, some pretty cool cocktails were the
result, including a pisco Bloody Mary. There
isnt a huge cocktail culture in Chile a lot
of pisco is drunk in the Piscola, which is just
pisco and cola so it was great to show the
makers our appreciation for what they do and
how versatile it is. I think some of the Chil-
eans might have been a bit blown away by our
pisco Sours!
We had a really incredible and certainly
very inspiring time.
03
05 06
07
08
04
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
Wine ageing in Cantina de Montalcino
Fontodi
Tuscan vineyards
Team supper
Selvapiano
El Aqui Valley
Pisco ageing in wood
Pisco Sour
www.housetonic.com

Absinthe Suisesse
10 mint leaves, muddled
50ml / 1 3/4oz absinthe
20ml / 3/4oz orgeat
20ml / 3/4oz double cream
20ml / 3/4oz milk
mint sprig
Shaken hard and served in a rocks glass
4. Tropic of Cancer - More Alone
(Ghostly International)
I love Tropic of Cancer, its a
fresh dark-wave sound, similar
to the great Manchester band Joy. Tropic Of
Cancer is the solo project of Camella Lobo.
She teamed up with the Birmingham label
Downwards, owned by Karl OConnor (Regis)
and Peter Sutton (Female), two masters of
the Techno World. Watch out for releases on
the label Blackest ever Black. Highly recom-
mended. I will be on Tour With DVA Damas.
They play in Berlin 24th September at Urban
Spree, Revaler Strae 99, Berlin. I will be out-
side drinking a Paloma.
Paloma
50ml / 1 3/4oz Tequila Don Julio
75ml / 2oz fresh grapefruit juice
25ml / 1oz lime juice
15ml / 1/2oz agave syrup
Top up with soda
Salted rim garnish
Shaken and served in a high ball.
5. Raime - Told and Collapsed
(blackest ever black)
Blackest ever black is one of the
great underground labels coming
from London, founded by Kiran Sande. Watch
out for this label in the next couple of years. It
is growing each day. I have chosen the Penicil-
lin because its a great drink for the Monday
after a heavy weekend. Colds and sore throats
are cured with this beauty of a drink. A classic
cocktail, well balanced with a smoke kick to
the nose and a kick of ginger.
Penicillin
50ml / 1 3/4oz Johnny Walker Black Label
15ml / 1/2oz ginger syrup
10ml / 1/4oz honey water
Laphroaig mist
2 ginger candy a for garnish
Shaken and served in a rocks glass
Every issue we ask a drinks expert to put together their perfect playlist
of music to drink to. This time, its the turn of Mitch Counsell, barman at
Soho House Berlin.
THE PLAYLIST
I feel sorry for people that dont drink. When
they wake up in the morning, thats as good as
theyre going to feel all day... Frank Sinatra
1. Maurizio - M-7
Moritz von Oswald, who was one
half of both Basic Channel and
Maurizio, is a German multi-
instrumentalist who went on to become one
of the most influential record producers of
techno music in the 1990s. Von Oswald was
born in Berlin, Germany. You can catch Mori-
tz Von Oswald at Tresor Kpenicker Strae
70 Berlin.
I remember driving through Scotland
and taking the coastal roads and listen-
ing to this. Good times. It was always nice
after a long drive. I would sit down and have a
Negroni, one of Sohos biggest sellers. Ive
made my own twist on the Negroni and added
Monkey 47 Gin from the Black Forest in Ger-
many. We serve it in Soho House Berlin.
Copper Illusion
75ml / 2oz monkey 47
35ml / 1oz Campari
35ml / 1oz Cointreau
Chunk of orange for garnish
Stirred and served in a Rocks glass
2. Marcel Fengler - Chi Twine
(Ostgut Ton)
Marcel Fengler shows opposites
attract. Ambient and electronica
are equal parts of his sets that owe as much
to the progressive school of relentless techno
as they do to that special Berghain sound. He
is one of the best of Berghains resident DJs,
and being one of them since day one, Fengler
made his very own and self-confident con-
THE PLAYLIST
tribution to that sound. He really knows his
craft. You can see Marcel Fengler at Berghain,
Am Wriezener Bahnhof, Berlin. I enjoy listen-
ing to this at home and making my self a Cu-
ban Tea Lady, another great drink from Soho
House Berlin.
Cuban Tea Lady
4 sage leaves
50ml / 1 3/4oz Barcardi Superior
20ml / 3/4oz Chai Tea Syrup
25ml / 3/4oz fresh lime juice
30ml / 1oz fresh pineapple juice
3 dash grapefruit bitters
1 sage leaf for garnish
Shaken and served in coupe glass
3. Alien Rain 3 - Alienated 3b
(Alien Rain)
Ive chosen this track because it
sums Berlin up at the moment,
the industrial sound resembling the rawness
of Berlin but also the construction of the city
is increasing. Its such a contemporary city
with so much history. The main man be-
hind Alien Rain is Berliner Milton Bradley.
Born and raised in Berlin, Milton Bradley has
been influenced by this versatile and ev-
er-changing city. The late 80s brought
acid house into his world, along with early
Belgian techno. This he soon developed into
a record collection and by 1991 he had turned
from customer to DJ.
Miltons sets vary from dark experimen-
tal techno to the deepest industrial sounds
and the most iridescent textures, fully en-
compassing the last 20 years of musical his-
tory. You can see Milton Bradley playing at
Grounded Theory at Stattbad, Gerichtstrae
65, Wedding, Berlin.
www.housetonic.com
BOTTLEGREEN
BOTTLEGREEN
and barbecue
To celebrate Soho Houses partnership with Bottlegreen
drinks, a party was thrown for members in the roof
garden at Shoreditch House.
E
xceptional food was prepared by head
chef Michele Nargi and his team,
who cooked veal and pepper skew-
ers, seafood and chicken thighs with tzatziki
over a roaringly hot grill, as well as fresh crab
bruschetta.
Guests also got the chance to design
their own drinks. Bottlegreen has been going
for 25 years, using local spring water in the
Cotswolds, and the company is famous for el-
derflower cordials and presses. But they also
have a big range of more unusual flavours
like Coxs apple, lemon & lime leaf, cranberry
& orange and acacia blossom. Teaming up
with Grey Goose vodka meant that members
could make their own cocktails up, choosing
either regular vodka or LOrange, Le Citron
or La Poire, all beautifully served up by the
Shoreditch bar crew.
Our drinks are made using wine-mak-
ing processes, explained Amanda Grabham
from bottlegreen. And that makes them suit-
able for adult palates, and means that they
pair with both alcoholic ingredients and food
very well. They have light, fresh and clean
flavours, so they go with foods like these
perfectly. The chefs even took inspiration
from the drinks flavour notes to create mari-
nades for the meat and fish dishes they were
cooking.
www.housetonic.com
01
02
03
04
05
Barbecue in Shoreditchs garden
The drinks choices
Fun on the roof
Guests trying new flavours
Late summer sun
28 HOUSE TONIC
01
02
03 04
05
HOUSE TONIC 29

Absinthe Suisesse
10 mint leaves, muddled
50ml / 1 3/4oz absinthe
20ml / 3/4oz orgeat
20ml / 3/4oz double cream
20ml / 3/4oz milk
mint sprig
Shaken hard and served in a rocks glass
4. Tropic of Cancer - More Alone
(Ghostly International)
I love Tropic of Cancer, its a
fresh dark-wave sound, similar
to the great Manchester band Joy. Tropic Of
Cancer is the solo project of Camella Lobo.
She teamed up with the Birmingham label
Downwards, owned by Karl OConnor (Regis)
and Peter Sutton (Female), two masters of
the Techno World. Watch out for releases on
the label Blackest ever Black. Highly recom-
mended. I will be on Tour With DVA Damas.
They play in Berlin 24th September at Urban
Spree, Revaler Strae 99, Berlin. I will be out-
side drinking a Paloma.
Paloma
50ml / 1 3/4oz Tequila Don Julio
75ml / 2oz fresh grapefruit juice
25ml / 1oz lime juice
15ml / 1/2oz agave syrup
Top up with soda
Salted rim garnish
Shaken and served in a high ball.
5. Raime - Told and Collapsed
(blackest ever black)
Blackest ever black is one of the
great underground labels coming
from London, founded by Kiran Sande. Watch
out for this label in the next couple of years. It
is growing each day. I have chosen the Penicil-
lin because its a great drink for the Monday
after a heavy weekend. Colds and sore throats
are cured with this beauty of a drink. A classic
cocktail, well balanced with a smoke kick to
the nose and a kick of ginger.
Penicillin
50ml / 1 3/4oz Johnny Walker Black Label
15ml / 1/2oz ginger syrup
10ml / 1/4oz honey water
Laphroaig mist
2 ginger candy a for garnish
Shaken and served in a rocks glass
Every issue we ask a drinks expert to put together their perfect playlist
of music to drink to. This time, its the turn of Mitch Counsell, barman at
Soho House Berlin.
THE PLAYLIST
I feel sorry for people that dont drink. When
they wake up in the morning, thats as good as
theyre going to feel all day... Frank Sinatra
1. Maurizio - M-7
Moritz von Oswald, who was one
half of both Basic Channel and
Maurizio, is a German multi-
instrumentalist who went on to become one
of the most influential record producers of
techno music in the 1990s. Von Oswald was
born in Berlin, Germany. You can catch Mori-
tz Von Oswald at Tresor Kpenicker Strae
70 Berlin.
I remember driving through Scotland
and taking the coastal roads and listen-
ing to this. Good times. It was always nice
after a long drive. I would sit down and have a
Negroni, one of Sohos biggest sellers. Ive
made my own twist on the Negroni and added
Monkey 47 Gin from the Black Forest in Ger-
many. We serve it in Soho House Berlin.
Copper Illusion
75ml / 2oz monkey 47
35ml / 1oz Campari
35ml / 1oz Cointreau
Chunk of orange for garnish
Stirred and served in a Rocks glass
2. Marcel Fengler - Chi Twine
(Ostgut Ton)
Marcel Fengler shows opposites
attract. Ambient and electronica
are equal parts of his sets that owe as much
to the progressive school of relentless techno
as they do to that special Berghain sound. He
is one of the best of Berghains resident DJs,
and being one of them since day one, Fengler
made his very own and self-confident con-
THE PLAYLIST
tribution to that sound. He really knows his
craft. You can see Marcel Fengler at Berghain,
Am Wriezener Bahnhof, Berlin. I enjoy listen-
ing to this at home and making my self a Cu-
ban Tea Lady, another great drink from Soho
House Berlin.
Cuban Tea Lady
4 sage leaves
50ml / 1 3/4oz Barcardi Superior
20ml / 3/4oz Chai Tea Syrup
25ml / 3/4oz fresh lime juice
30ml / 1oz fresh pineapple juice
3 dash grapefruit bitters
1 sage leaf for garnish
Shaken and served in coupe glass
3. Alien Rain 3 - Alienated 3b
(Alien Rain)
Ive chosen this track because it
sums Berlin up at the moment,
the industrial sound resembling the rawness
of Berlin but also the construction of the city
is increasing. Its such a contemporary city
with so much history. The main man be-
hind Alien Rain is Berliner Milton Bradley.
Born and raised in Berlin, Milton Bradley has
been influenced by this versatile and ev-
er-changing city. The late 80s brought
acid house into his world, along with early
Belgian techno. This he soon developed into
a record collection and by 1991 he had turned
from customer to DJ.
Miltons sets vary from dark experimen-
tal techno to the deepest industrial sounds
and the most iridescent textures, fully en-
compassing the last 20 years of musical his-
tory. You can see Milton Bradley playing at
Grounded Theory at Stattbad, Gerichtstrae
65, Wedding, Berlin.
www.housetonic.com
BOTTLEGREEN
BOTTLEGREEN
and barbecue
To celebrate Soho Houses partnership with Bottlegreen
drinks, a party was thrown for members in the roof
garden at Shoreditch House.
E
xceptional food was prepared by head
chef Michele Nargi and his team,
who cooked veal and pepper skew-
ers, seafood and chicken thighs with tzatziki
over a roaringly hot grill, as well as fresh crab
bruschetta.
Guests also got the chance to design
their own drinks. Bottlegreen has been going
for 25 years, using local spring water in the
Cotswolds, and the company is famous for el-
derflower cordials and presses. But they also
have a big range of more unusual flavours
like Coxs apple, lemon & lime leaf, cranberry
& orange and acacia blossom. Teaming up
with Grey Goose vodka meant that members
could make their own cocktails up, choosing
either regular vodka or LOrange, Le Citron
or La Poire, all beautifully served up by the
Shoreditch bar crew.
Our drinks are made using wine-mak-
ing processes, explained Amanda Grabham
from bottlegreen. And that makes them suit-
able for adult palates, and means that they
pair with both alcoholic ingredients and food
very well. They have light, fresh and clean
flavours, so they go with foods like these
perfectly. The chefs even took inspiration
from the drinks flavour notes to create mari-
nades for the meat and fish dishes they were
cooking.
www.housetonic.com
01
02
03
04
05
Barbecue in Shoreditchs garden
The drinks choices
Fun on the roof
Guests trying new flavours
Late summer sun
28 HOUSE TONIC
01
02
03 04
05
HOUSE TONIC 29
HOUSE TONIC 31

RISING STARS
Rising Stars
Thomas Benedicto
Nominated by Paul
Cowlishaw, Soho House
Toronto
Thomas joined us shortly after
opening and has since been a
pivotal member of our bartendng
team. Hes organised, fast,
consistent and versatile so we
never have to worry when he is
around as he can practically work
the entire floor by himself. His
French charm coupled with his
innovative cocktail specials are
crowd pleasing and keep them
coming back for more. Were
very lucky to have him, merci
beaucoup Thomas!
Will Rogers
Nominated by Michele Ardu,
Positive, smiling, charismatic
and charming. Will just joined
us from Pizza East Shoreditch,
bringing to Kentish Town that
artistic touch from East London.
Since the first minute we all felt
as though he always had been
part of the team.
Mike Capoferri
Nominated by Kate Grutman,
Mike moved from serving to
bartending several months ago.
He is the most chivalrous, truly
good, generous person and as
anyone who knows him will
attest. He is a genuine human
being and that translates in
his work and work ethic. Im
so grateful to have him behind
the bar. He has been a leader
and exemplary from the start. I
love his confidence, incredible
sense of humour, and his
maturity (considering he is one
of the youngest members of
the team). He jumped into the
service well, night one, head
first, and blew our minds. He
has brought nothing but charm,
rhythm, speed, positivity, and
dependability to the bar team.
He has an innate talent and
taste for creating phenomenal
cocktails and his knowledge of
spirits is always impressive. His
previous experience behind the
bar is clear. I look forward to
laughing until I cry when he is
at work and at play. The best
combination. Hes golden.
The Diner Bar Team
Nominated by Sam Kershaw
This issue I am naming a group
of rising stars; the entire Diner
Bar crew. Headed up by Marco,
supported amazingly by Gosia,
Fabrizio, Salvo, backed up by
barbacks David, Lorenzo and
Maikel. Constantly smashing
times, turning and burning, they
are ones to watch and certainly
make my life a whole lot easier.
Mateusz Sienkiewicz
Nominated by Matt Sloper,
Little House
Mateusz has recently been
promoted from barback at LH to
a bartender over at Soho House.
Hes very keen and eager to learn
and I see great potential for him
in the future.
Frank McGivern
Nominated by Ben
Fitzgerald, Dean St
Townhouse
Frank is our new head bartender
who has taken the reins with a
firm grip and is really leading
the bar to a better place. Great to
have him on board.
Matthew Drury
Nominated by Jay Newell,
Soho House London
Matthew is an Irish student on a
work placement at SH. Although
he is only with us for six months
he has brought so much to the
bar team! Everything he does,
he does with a smile on his face!
Hes always keen for trainings and
has even started doing bartender
shifts. Hes a bright lad with
promising future ahead of him
and should he decide to come
back to London in the future Id
have him back in a flash!
Casey Tizio
Nominated by Juan Sevilla,
Soho House New York
Casey Tizio has been with us for
just over a year now. She not only
holds the title of Soho House
New Yorks fastest bartender, but
shes just a great pleasure to have
on the team. Shes very reliable,
extremely hard working and
would work eight shifts a week if
I allowed her.
Aimee Corcoran
Nominated by Alex Cassano,
Pizza East Shoreditch
I would like to tell you about one
of our junior bartenders, Aimee,
she has been with us a year now
and has improved so much that
she is one of my go-to guys. She
has the ability to jump onto any
job behind the bar and do it
flawlessly making cocktails,
deep cleaning or training the
newer guys, she always gets the
job done no matter what it is.
Adrian Putkowski
Nominated by Myles
Donnekey, Shoreditch House
Adrian is a Startender. Since
being made a morning bartender
last month Adrian had upped his
game in every aspect of work!
Always going above and beyond,
no task is too much! The
happiest chap in the building
and always making people smile!
Keep it up chef!
If you'd like to join one of our bar
teams in Europe or the United States
then please get in touch: email
housetonic@sohohouse.com, visit
www.housetonic.com or call Sophie
Roche-Garland on +44 207 0741449.
We'd love to hear from you!
You can also find us on Facebook and
Twitter.
With sites in London, Somerset,
Miami, Los Angeles, New York,
Toronto and Berlin, plus more on
the way around the world, the
Soho House Group is always on the
lookout for exceptional staff. We
offer high quality training, excellent
support and you might even get the
chance to work in venues overseas.
We want to help you develop a
great career in drinks.
DO YOU HAVE
THE NOSE FOR IT?
P
H
O
T
O
G
R
A
P
H
Y
:

J
A
M
I
E

B
E
V
A
N
30 HOUSE TONIC
HOUSE TONIC 31

RISING STARS
Rising Stars
Thomas Benedicto
Nominated by Paul
Cowlishaw, Soho House
Toronto
Thomas joined us shortly after
opening and has since been a
pivotal member of our bartendng
team. Hes organised, fast,
consistent and versatile so we
never have to worry when he is
around as he can practically work
the entire floor by himself. His
French charm coupled with his
innovative cocktail specials are
crowd pleasing and keep them
coming back for more. Were
very lucky to have him, merci
beaucoup Thomas!
Will Rogers
Nominated by Michele Ardu,
Positive, smiling, charismatic
and charming. Will just joined
us from Pizza East Shoreditch,
bringing to Kentish Town that
artistic touch from East London.
Since the first minute we all felt
as though he always had been
part of the team.
Mike Capoferri
Nominated by Kate Grutman,
Mike moved from serving to
bartending several months ago.
He is the most chivalrous, truly
good, generous person and as
anyone who knows him will
attest. He is a genuine human
being and that translates in
his work and work ethic. Im
so grateful to have him behind
the bar. He has been a leader
and exemplary from the start. I
love his confidence, incredible
sense of humour, and his
maturity (considering he is one
of the youngest members of
the team). He jumped into the
service well, night one, head
first, and blew our minds. He
has brought nothing but charm,
rhythm, speed, positivity, and
dependability to the bar team.
He has an innate talent and
taste for creating phenomenal
cocktails and his knowledge of
spirits is always impressive. His
previous experience behind the
bar is clear. I look forward to
laughing until I cry when he is
at work and at play. The best
combination. Hes golden.
The Diner Bar Team
Nominated by Sam Kershaw
This issue I am naming a group
of rising stars; the entire Diner
Bar crew. Headed up by Marco,
supported amazingly by Gosia,
Fabrizio, Salvo, backed up by
barbacks David, Lorenzo and
Maikel. Constantly smashing
times, turning and burning, they
are ones to watch and certainly
make my life a whole lot easier.
Mateusz Sienkiewicz
Nominated by Matt Sloper,
Little House
Mateusz has recently been
promoted from barback at LH to
a bartender over at Soho House.
Hes very keen and eager to learn
and I see great potential for him
in the future.
Frank McGivern
Nominated by Ben
Fitzgerald, Dean St
Townhouse
Frank is our new head bartender
who has taken the reins with a
firm grip and is really leading
the bar to a better place. Great to
have him on board.
Matthew Drury
Nominated by Jay Newell,
Soho House London
Matthew is an Irish student on a
work placement at SH. Although
he is only with us for six months
he has brought so much to the
bar team! Everything he does,
he does with a smile on his face!
Hes always keen for trainings and
has even started doing bartender
shifts. Hes a bright lad with
promising future ahead of him
and should he decide to come
back to London in the future Id
have him back in a flash!
Casey Tizio
Nominated by Juan Sevilla,
Soho House New York
Casey Tizio has been with us for
just over a year now. She not only
holds the title of Soho House
New Yorks fastest bartender, but
shes just a great pleasure to have
on the team. Shes very reliable,
extremely hard working and
would work eight shifts a week if
I allowed her.
Aimee Corcoran
Nominated by Alex Cassano,
Pizza East Shoreditch
I would like to tell you about one
of our junior bartenders, Aimee,
she has been with us a year now
and has improved so much that
she is one of my go-to guys. She
has the ability to jump onto any
job behind the bar and do it
flawlessly making cocktails,
deep cleaning or training the
newer guys, she always gets the
job done no matter what it is.
Adrian Putkowski
Nominated by Myles
Donnekey, Shoreditch House
Adrian is a Startender. Since
being made a morning bartender
last month Adrian had upped his
game in every aspect of work!
Always going above and beyond,
no task is too much! The
happiest chap in the building
and always making people smile!
Keep it up chef!
If you'd like to join one of our bar
teams in Europe or the United States
then please get in touch: email
housetonic@sohohouse.com, visit
www.housetonic.com or call Sophie
Roche-Garland on +44 207 0741449.
We'd love to hear from you!
You can also find us on Facebook and
Twitter.
With sites in London, Somerset,
Miami, Los Angeles, New York,
Toronto and Berlin, plus more on
the way around the world, the
Soho House Group is always on the
lookout for exceptional staff. We
offer high quality training, excellent
support and you might even get the
chance to work in venues overseas.
We want to help you develop a
great career in drinks.
DO YOU HAVE
THE NOSE FOR IT?
P
H
O
T
O
G
R
A
P
H
Y
:

J
A
M
I
E

B
E
V
A
N
30 HOUSE TONIC
TORONTINI
CREATED BY JOE M
C
CANTA
THIS FLAVOURSOME MARTINI WITH NOTES OF
APRICOT, LEMON AND MAPLE SYRUP IS AVAILABLE
IN EVERY HOUSE BETWEEN SEPTEMBER AND
NOVEMBER JUST ASK THE BARMAN.
TO SEE HOW TO MAKE THIS COCKTAIL GO TO
WWW.HOUSETONIC.COM
For the facts drinkaware.co.uk
2013 GREY GOOSE, THE GREY GOOSE BOTTLE DESIGNS AND THE GEESE DEVICES ARE TRADEMARKS AND/OR REGISTERED TRADEMARKS.

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