Sal's Kitchen: Cocktails and Canapés at 155 Bar & Kitchen

Recently the fabulous About Time Magazine relaunched their website (it’s beautiful, check it out here) and as part of their new set-up, they started a network of their favourite 20 bloggers, which I am pretty chuffed to be part of! It also includes some of MY favourite bloggers, so you should really go over and have a look at them too.

Anyway, one of the great things about being part of this network is the opportunity to attend some pretty cool events in London, so last week I hopped on the train to the big city to see a few clients and try out the new 155 Bar and Kitchen in Clerkenwell (formely the Clerkenwell Collection) with the About Time ladies. It’s a gorgeous space, combining warm neutral tones, funky lighting and some beautiful vintage touches, especially when it comes to their barware. Explore a little further and you find their shop, which is a warren of rooms around and underneath the bar, filled with designer artisan goodies from gorgeous print cushions to bespoke fragrances.

We were tucked away in a cosy room behind the main bar, with comfy low-slung chairs, soft lighting and a tiny but well-stocked circular bar where the 155 team plan to conduct their cocktail masterclasses. We started out with a Lavender Refresher – a gin cocktail with homemade lavender syrup, garnished with fresh lavender and served in the most fabulous copper mugs. I’ve got to admit that I’ve never had a lavender cocktail before but I liked it – top marks for refreshment. Next up was a Buffalo Berry, with Buffalo Trace bourbon, lemon, apricot, fresh strawberries and basil, served with some pretty awesome smoked salmon canapés. This one was a really easy drinker – one of those cocktails you can have four of without quite noticing that they’re alcoholic.

Our third cocktail was Catch the Cherry, a pretty explosive combination of Tequila Casco Viejo Blanco, Cherry Heering cherry brandy and Drambuie, mixed with apple juice, rosemary tincture and lime juice. I have to admit that this one was too strong for me, but I did enjoy the incredible Scotch egg canapés that came with it – perfectly tender pork, a velvety egg yolk and a sprinkling of coarse sea salt. The next cocktail was probably my favourite, although it blew my mind a tiny bit – a martini made with Black Cow’s incredible pure milk vodka. The milk from their cows is separated into curds and whey, with the whey fermented into a beer and then triple distilled to create vodka. The martini at 155 is garnished with a cracker topped with Black Cow cheese (that’s where the curds come in) to make the most fabulous combination – the vodka and the cheese work together in beautiful harmony. I don’t know how to say that the vodka recalls the taste of the cheese without making it sound disgusting, which it definitely isn’t. It just works. See? Mind. Blown.

We finished up with a Pinkster Bakewell Tart – a combination of Pinkster gin, raspberry liqueur and Amaretto, with almond cream floated on top and garnished with a fresh raspberry. To be completely honest I don’t think I would’ve picked it from the menu, but I’m really glad I got to try it because it was absolutely delicious.