Intro

KEEP IN MIND :
that this is a BLOG about cocktails and its culture. Purpose of this blog is to give you an idea and a description, whether the place is good or not from the point of you of a customer as well as bartender.
This blog should show you a way how to appreciate the bar, cocktails and its way of preparation, if you are a tourist or a visitor searching for a good place.
If you are a Bartender, Barmaid or Barmanager, you may find some useful informations about the VALUES of bartender´s job.
However, keep on mind, that this is a blog and only one person is writing it. There are many places i haven´t visited (yet) or I visited only once. My experience may be different from yours.
Enjoy responsibly.

Sunday, 25 January 2015

Be at One Bar, London

The lost Lost Society and Be at One Bar

No, it is not a mistake, that the word ´´lost´´ in the title is written twice. I should meet another friend of mine in the central London, but at the end she was working, so I ended up on my own and very lonely in the city center. As I do not have a smartphone and no connection to the internet on public places, I have realized that London is a very, very big city. I've got the whole day and the Lost Society is opening later, so I was just roaming around the city and I've seen some very famous places and landmarks and a few amazing street exhibitions, I've been eating on a many different places and after at least 7 hours of walking around, I noticed by comparing the size of the city and the amount of people on the streets, that there is a huge lack of public toilets. In fact, there are none. Even on an underground stops, You will not find any. Except of one station, somewhere in the heart of London. I would love to tell You the name of it, in case You will find yourself in the same situation as me, but it was closed by the time I had to make my desperate visit, so I didn't really have time to try to notice where exactly it was or what was the name of it.

You would tell me, to go to a first possible café or restaurant or bar or anything and actually I was thinking about doing it too, but fortunatelly I've managed to hold it long enough. As I was hopelessly passing through the streets close to the Towerbridge, I've noticed a cocktail bar on my right. It wasn't just any bar. It was the Be At One cocktail bar. It had a huge windows, great desing of the actual bar display and beatiful chandeliers…

´´Ok, this is the place George!´´ The voice in my head shouted – Actually, it wasn't really my inner voice… Or at least, that voice was definetely not in my head...

Well, at least I can check the map, how to get to the Lost Society in a warm place,  in case that the bar will not be as nice as it seems to be.

So I entered and I didn't sit down on the bar for one simple reason. They didn't have any barstools, there. But I didn't want to go to the table, as I didn't want to miss anything, so I was just standing there, and after all – I came there just for one drink…

That idea got smashed in the next following second. I've realized, that I left the map in my friend's house!  And then the bartender, who was originally from Lithuania explained to me, that because of the happy hour, I will get 1 drink + another one for free. Honestly, I hate this promotion. I don't even know why I hate it, but it just seems… too cheap, to be good.

So I ordered a Boulevadier (as almost always – I know, I am sorry) and as I was watching the bartender preparing my cocktail, I've realized with what kind of a cocktail bar I have the honor. All bartenders are using perfect freepouring and most of the times that evening I've seen them flairing, because there were not so many guests and they simply had enough time and atmosphere to do so…

So as I was drinking my cocktail, I was enjoying the bar as never expected. Then I had to ask, where are the toilets and the bartender said, that I have to go down to the second bar underneath and to the first doors on the left. Second bar? That drew my attention. I've been told, that Be at One Bar is not just one bar, but it is a chain of the bars, something like TGI Fridays, but without the restaurant. And some of them have even two floors, becasue especially on weekends they are totally full. All bars look the same and in all of them, they have the same ´´position leveling´´ - that means, that no matter who You are, You will always start as a cleaner, then You will become waiter and then You will become bartender and so on. If You will start their training, they will give You an amazing opportunity to work in a fantastic bar and a full education of a proper bartender. That's what I call a great management.
I had to ask the personell, if they know where is the Lost Society Bar, because by now I didn't have any idea where am I or where to go. They didn't knowabout that bar and they asked me, why I need the directions. I explained them my blog-situation and my story. They've been very helpful and they've searched the adress and told me, that it is really far from this bar and that I should probably get a taxi, otherwise it is another one hour of walking… And I would have to remember all the way there, which was not so easy, either.

So as I didn't have any other option than to take a taxi or drag my tired body to the other side of London with not very secure ending, I've decided to stay where I was, because the Be at One Bar is a truly enjoyable place with great entertaining way of work, amazing music as AC/DC or The Heavy (how do you like me now) or a soundtrack from the movie RocknRolla (Black Strobe – I am a man), and because I don't miss anything here. Except of hooks under the bar desk for your coat, barstools or at least some metal rail at the bottom of the bar for your feet.

Then I had 2 cocktails more.  One of them was a simple Manhattan with a twist in a form of 1cl of gingerbread syrup. You would be surpised, how well that goes together. It was an interesting  idea and the result was great, but my last and the best cocktail I had, was prepared by Valencia (if i remember well) who was é spanish barmaid. Her way of work was brilliant, clean and fast and very precise.

Unfortunatelly, most probably You will not meet her there anymore, as she was planning to move back to é spain… Pitty, because she made me this cocktail called Giant Bruce Killer :

Giant Bruce Killer

-        El Dorado 8 years old Rum

-        Chilli pineapple syrup

-        Apple concentrate

-        Lime juice

-        Vanilla bitters

-        Angostura bitters

She said, that this is her most favourite cocktail. So it is mine, from now on. Basically, imagine Pina Colada with more fruity taste, based on dark spicy rum which is supported by additional spices and when you breathe out, a little amount of vanilla aroma is going to slowly close your experience from the sip…

This cocktail was great, refreshing, still strong and spicy and still smooth like velvet. Perfect end for my visit here. My apologies, that I didn't make it to Lost Society, but after Giant Bruce Killer I regret nothing. This cocktail has everything. As well as the bar.


Maybe the ´´speedmixing´´ is not  exactly the masterclass level of working, but if You want to have a great, funny, entertaining night in London city center, with a great cocktails, You will find it here. And most probably, you will find me here too. Drinking Giant Bruce Killer. Or You will find me in Lost Society, making the review. Finally.

No comments:

Post a Comment