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Posts Tagged: Cocktail

CALLING ALL FASHIONISTAS – here’s a cocktail for London Fashion Week

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Cocktails and fashion go hand in hand – they’re both stylish, glamorous, and more often than not try to outdo each other on the crazy presentation.

So it only makes sense that we have some sort of offer available for all those in the Fash Pack who will be trotting around Soho in their high heels and crazy headwear – after all, this year London Fashion Week 15 is being held in the Brewer Street car park no less – a mere stone’s throw from our door!

We thought about it, and decided there really could be no better cocktail than the classic Espresso Martini. After all, it was invented by El Camion bartender Dick Bradsell when, some time ago, a model came in and asked for a drink that was going to ‘wake me up, and then f**k me up’. Since then, this boozy, caffeinated libation has been keeping drinkers alert (and then getting them sozzled), and is a firm favourite.

So our London Fashion Week cocktail is going to be an Espresso Martini made with Absolut vodka. We’re going to be selling them for £7 during the week and then we’ll be having a party on Friday, where we’ll be selling them for merely £5 to anyone with a London Fashion Week pass. To tempt you a little more, here’s a picture of our very own Matt modelling the Absolut Espresso…
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So, whether you need waking up, f***ing up, or both – bring your London Fashion Week pass and we’ll see you for drinkies!

A Sneaky Peek at a New Cocktail… the Chilipinarita!

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You may or may not realise, but there are some exciting happenings at El Camion HQ at the moment. One of these things to watch out for is a brand new revamp of our cocktail list, currently being worked on by the lovely Bea Bradsell and her crew of mixology maestros.

Now, we’re not giving too much away just yet, but we can reveal that THIS will be one of the new drinks available. In fact, you can already order it, as it’s been gracing our Specials Board!

Chilli- Burro

 

Here we have Chilipinarita, seen alongside one of our banging burritos. Keep your eyes peeled for its appearance in The Mail online, too! And if you want to know what’s in it… well, you’ll just have to come and taste, won’t you!

The Origin of the Tequila Sunrise

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There are a few tequila cocktails that are famous worldwide, and that we serve diligently and proudly at El Camion. The Paloma, the Margarita and, of course, the TEQUILA SUNRISE!

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So what’s in this gorgeous drink that makes us think of beaches and tropical islands? Well, it’s tequila, orange, and then a drop of grenadine, making that lovely graduated colour effect. This is where the name Tequila Sunrise comes from.

So where did it originate? People might tell you there are two possibilities, but in actuality, there are two versions of the drink.

In either the 1930s or 40s, Gene Sulit invented the ‘Tequila Sunrise’ at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. However, this recipe contained tequila, creme de cassis, lime juice and soda water. Not the delicious version we love and adore!

The more popular version that we serve was created in the early 1970s by Bobby Lazoff and Billy Rice while working as young bartenders at The Trident in Sausalito, California. At the time, this bar-restaurant-music venue was the largest outlet for tequila in the USA. And it also seemed to be the place for parties – in 1972 the Rolling Stones kicked off their American tour at a party there and Mick Jagger had a Tequila Sunrise, developed a taste for it, and then started necking them with his whole entourage. As a result they ordered them all across America. Subsequently, in 1973, Jose Cuervo realised this was an opportunity to sell more bottles and put the recipe on the label.

 

These days they’re still wildly popular, great as a long drink and with a fruity kick. Feel you haven’t had a love affair with the Tequila Sunrise yet? Come in and order one!

 

Spreading the Cocktail Love…

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One of our bartenders has been a busy Bea… not content with whipping up cocktails and shaking up a storm in El Camion , Bea Bradsell has been spreading her cocktail prowess by helping to design drinks on other bar menus!

In between rocking up Soho, making local radio appearances and constructing a brand new libation list that will be live very soon, Bea created The Blanch Bradsell Project that is featured on the menu of amazing bar Hidden in Cala San Vincente, on the North side off Ibiza.

Hidden? More like heaven. We wouldn't mind having a drink in the sun...

Hidden? More like heaven. We wouldn’t mind having a drink in the sun…

Working with her pal India Blanch, Bea created the cocktail that is, of course, tequila based! The ingredients of The Blanch Bradsell Project are:

Reposado Tequila

Chase Elderflower Liqueur

Fresh Mint

Chilli infused Agave syrup

Lime juice
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This is the cocktail, complete with Chris Edwards, who owns the bar with Amanda Blanch

The Tahona Society Competition… we enter!

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If there’s another group as passionate about tequila and cocktails as we are at El Camion, then it has to be the Tahona Society. These wonderful chaps are a global network of passionate bartenders, that “sets out to recognise and celebrate the ancient art of true Tequila production – the Tahona.”

We recently wrote about the Tahona stone, and the traditional process of managing the agave plants to produce the sweetest and most premium liquid for the spirits. The Tahona society aim to promote knowledge and understanding of that spirit we know and love so much – tequila. 

In fact, they recently held a competition to create a cocktail with Altos Tequila, and a few of our bartenders entered! The competition involved creating not only a cocktail but creating an ingredient as well and this had to be related to your home region. On the day the competition was broken down into a morning of training followed by a quiz and those that passed the quiz got on to the drinks stage. From El Camion, Josh got through to make his drink!

This is Josh and his drink… (loving the shirt)
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We’ll be having an exclusive interview with Josh, all about his exotic looking libation (mmm), so watch this space, and if you see him when you pop in – ask him to make it!

 

Margarita Mayhem

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Our new cocktail menu is ready for your perusal, complete with tasting notes and descriptions of the delights on offer. There’s some old favourites, some exciting new additions, and three different varieties of that cocktail of the tequila gods – the Margarita.

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So who invented the Margarita? Actually, this is lost to history, and no one truly knows who’s responsible for this tangy and punchy drink beloved of so many. The first mention of it in print is in the December 1953 issue of Esquire, where the following description can be found –

‘She’s from Mexico, Señores, and she is lovely to look at, exciting and provocative’.

Yep, that sounds like Miss Margarita. But there’s question about whether it was actually invented  by a Mexican, since there wasn’t initially a huge cocktail culture in the country. And, while it may have been created on Mexican soil, the locals don’t tend to drink them in huge amounts.

Experts believe it to be quite possible that the drink was created at some point during Prohibition, when rich, booze-thirsty Americans went in search of tasty drinks served in public. As well as Cuba, London and Paris, another popular destination was Mexico, especially Tijuana.

Well, we tip our hats to whoever managed to come up with such a fabulous combination of tequila, triple sec and lime. So what are the three El Camion options you can choose from?

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El Camion Classic Margarita

CLASSIC:

The Classic Margarita does just what it says on the tin – it’s a tangy, refreshing and zingy combination of Altos tequila, triple sec and fresh lime juice served on the rocks with, of course, a rim of salt.

TOMMY’S MARGARITA

For those with more of a sugary tooth, this version of the classic swaps triple sec for agave syrup, making for a sweet, citrusy drink that has major notes of agave.

POMEGRANATE MARGARITA 

Favourited by those of a fruity nature, this drink takes the classic margarita and adds the gorgeous ingredient of fresh pomegranate juice. The result is something earthy, sweet and nicely balanced with a fruit kick.

So, what are you waiting for? Come along to El Camion and find your favourite Margarita tonight!

Our Day of the Dead Party Punch Competition

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Our infamous Day of the Dead party is fast approaching on the 1st November and we are working hard to make sure that it is a party to remember! (Or not, as the case may be…)

There is one thing that is certain to kick any party off to a great start – and that is one tasty, juicy, fruity punch. We’ll be serving a punch so special at our Day if the Dead party that our bartenders actually fought over who would be creating it.

Everyone thinks that their punch is the best – that they have a “secret ingredient” that will blow all other punches out of the water. But, to make it a fair fight, we decided to hold an in-house cocktail-making competition – and the winner’s concoction would be the featured punch at Day of the Dead.

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There were many entries from our talented bar team. We had a pink coconut shake garnished with a chilli-salt pineapple slice; we had a creme de cassis fan’s dream, which was fruitier than Carmen Miranda’s headwear. A hot contender was a peach iced tea cocktail, made up with our favourite spirit of all, tequila, mixed with peach liqueur and black tea.

Punch

However, a decision had to be made. Which punch was to be served by the gallon in sharing fish bowls at our Day of the Dead party? We needed something fresh, something spicy, something with a kick, something that would scare the spirits away back to the other world – or something to make them stay and party with us into the night.

Roman’s creation, served up in a cactus-stemmed margarita glass, was crowned the winner. Made with Chartreuse, vanilla and chilli, it was fruity enough for a punch bowl but demonic enough for Halloween weekend. Party-goers you are in for a treat!

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We look forward to seeing you, punch in hand, at Day of the Dead!