Four Roses Hide and Speak bar at Shaker & Company
I’ve lost faith in the pop up trend recently. I quite often find out about them in PR emails which contain the words ‘natch’ and ‘fab’… the mere sight of which makes me lose the will to live.
However, when Dan Priseman and his beard tell you about one, using words like ‘bourbon’ and ‘Four Roses’, it is a different matter, and so BarLifeUK were looking forward to the opening night of Hide and Speak last week.
For the month of February, downstairs at Shaker & Company has been transformed into a real-deal speakeasy.
Descend the stairs and poke your head round the staff only door, and you will find a small, softly-lit room that smells of sawn wood (thanks to the Four Roses crates used as tables) and candle wax.
The place was very busy on opening night, but we were able to grab five minutes with Four Roses ambassador, Dan Priseman and his beard, and he told us:
“These days speakeasies have come to be quiet places with a list of rules and elaborate drinks. But back during prohibition, they were places to go and let your hair down. Have fun. We wanted to recreate this and this speakeasy is all about having fun.”
Lubricated with some very fine drinks, the patrons were indeed having fun and the atmosphere was very conducive.
You can find Hide and Speak downstairs at Shaker & Company for the month of February only, so get your skates on and try some of these tasty bourbon beverages:
Hide and Speak Cocktail List
Scofflaw
- 50ml Four Roses Small Batch
- 25ml Dry vermouth
- 15ml Lemon juice
- 10 or 15ml Grenadine
Shaken, served up (coupe or martini) with a lemon twist
Manhattan
Served as the guest requests, but we suggest sweet:
- 50ml Four Roses Small Batch
- 15ml Sweet vermouth (martini rosso)
- 5ml Maraschino
- 2 Dashes Angostura
Stirred, coupe, cherry garnish
Old Fashioned – two styles on offer
Prohibition style old fashioned
- 50ml Four Roses Single Barrel
- Barspoon sugar
- 1 Cherry
- Slice of orange
Muddle sugar, cherry and orange together in a rocks glass and add ice, slowly add the bourbon while stirring and topping up with ice. Finished with a cherry and an orange twist
Classic style old fashioned
- 50ml Four Roses Single Barrel
- Barspoon sugar
- 3-4 Dashes angostura bitters
Break the sugar and bitters down in the base of a rocks glass (with a splash of water if required). Slowly add bourbon and ice while stirring until proper temp and dilution is achieved.
Sour Flower
- 50ml Four Roses Small
- 10ml Lemon juice
- 20ml Pink grapefruit juice
- 20ml St. Germain Elderflower liqueur
Shaken and served up in a sugar rimmed coupe and garnished with a grapefruit twist
Prohibition Punch – A sharing drink served in a teapot.
- 100ml Four Roses Small Batch
- 40ml Lemon juice
- 30ml Green tea syrup
- 4 Cardamom pods
Muddle the pods with the green tea syrup and add remaining ingredients and shake well. Pour into teapot filled with cubed ice and add dry ice to creating ‘steaming’ effect. Garnish with mint sprigs coming out of the top of the pot and serve with 2 teacups or jam jars.
Bourbon and ginger
- 50ml Four Roses Yellow Label
- Ginger beer
- Half a lime
- 2-3 Dashes angostura bitters
In a jam jar filled with cubed ice, combine four roses, juice of half a lime and top with ginger beer. Finish with a few dashes of angostura over the top and a lime wedge garnish
Capone Cobbler
- 40ml Four Roses Yellow Label
- 20ml Sherry
- 20ml Orange juice
- 15ml Maraschino liqueur
Combine ingredients in a wine glass and fill with crushed ice, churn, top with more ice and garnish with mint and berries (red currents if possible)
Remember the Maine
- 50ml Four Roses Small Batch
- 15ml Sweet vermouth (martini rosso)
- 5ml Cherry Heering
- 2 Dashes Angostura
Stir and serve in an absinthe rinsed coupe, garnish with a lemon twist.
Boulevardier
- 50ml Four Roses Small Batch
- 25ml Sweet vermouth
- 25ml Campari
Stirred, straight up with an orange twist.
Black Cherry Julep
- 50ml Four Roses Small Batch
- 2 Heaped barspoons black cherry jam (Wilkin and Son available at Sainsbury’s)
- 8 – 10 Mint leaves
In a jam jar combine all ingredients and churn well with crushed ice (no need to muddle the mint it will get bruised during churning). Top with more crushed ice and garnish with plenty of mint sprigs.