One local hidden gem that has recently grabbed my attention is the Nine Lives Bar, which spills out from its basement location on Holyrood Street just across from one of London’s original Industrial Revolution rail lines. This is a bartender’s bar with interesting and high quality cocktails designed by owners Allan Gage, Emma Hutchison and Tim Soden along with the team of tastemakers at Sweet&Chili (arguably one of the hottest drinks agencies in the world). The cocktail list is inventive, extensive, nearly all top-shelf, and completely reflective of how you prefer to spend. For example the ‘House’ Vodka is Ketel One but for a nominal budget increase you can go ‘Special’ with Circo, Reyka or Zubrowka and if you are feeling flush you might skip to ‘Premium’ with Absolut Elyx, Beluga, Belevedere or Grey Goose vodkas. This same cocktail construct informs each category be it Gin, Rum, Tequila, Bourbon or Scotch. A great cocktail takes time but your patience will be handsomely rewarded!
On the night we started with an Espresso “Cat’s Whiskers” Martini which gave a nice kick-start to the evening with a mellow blend of Ketel One Vodka, White port, Amaro, Bergamot and Kuka Cold Brew. We followed that up with a ‘Kelross’ Daiquiri, which was a deliciously well-balanced blend of honey, Bramley apple juice and Bacardi Quatro rum. The wine list is brief, but bar manager Melanie Hubbold tells me they plan to add more premium and natural wines to the menu. An overarching theme of sustainability flows throughout Nine Lives’s activities with their own veg & herb garden providing the bar with its botanical extras and a compost system reducing waste and in turn feeding the veg garden.