DADA and tequila sours

easter bank holiday seemed to have started early in this city of ours (london) to last for a good four and a half days; thursday 5 april, being the last day of work for some folk...

i started mine with my own party, which combined, as it has been on the cards as a natural process for sometime, art and cocktails: the Platform and stav B's liquor bar!


in brief and for the avid reader, there is a good blurb on the group's profile on facebook, i started the Platform two years ago, as an art event, focusing simply and entirely, on photography and performance art... back to basics with theory, debate and manifestation, inspired and referencing movements, such as DADA, which is the current one i am working on and surrealism, where my photography is inspired by...


the first installment went well, it had a good turnout and the work was excellent, including live and sound performance (mine), interactive representations and tailor made music to bind the whole thing together...


but the venue was not appropriate, so i put it to sleep, forever with an eye open for the next opportunity...


at vogue fabrics... an underground club in upper dalston, where queen Bees and so many other nights have been hosted, a place we all love to grace in its sweatness and delightful decadence...


so, to cut the long story short, i decided to combine the Platform with the liquor bar on an thursday night at vogue fabrics and after a fruitful meeting/ invitation from lyall and alex, who own the venue and book the events respectively...


delighted and a step to the right direction...
i deconstructed the Platform group, as it was loaded with theory, quotes and photographs and scattered it around my existing groups and my wall... it felt good to edit and clear and narrow down and focus more and it was good to see the archive for future reference...


i collected the artists, two of the originals, the other two were away and two new ones, who jumped at the idea... after meetings and phonecalls and messages and notes, the program was complete... doug was summoned one more time to design the stupendous flyer and DJ, as i wanted him to have the exclusivity; he is just fitting the bill so well...


i decided to improvise on the cocktail list and keep it simple, with the stock that i already had, but precise and classic... for the ones, who know me and/ or have been reading this blog, they should know how i value my classics, as the base of everything equally beautiful and the limitation of no glass allowed, poured the martinis into teacups and the daiquiris in think plastic rocks, not my favourite, but it's good to adapt...


andre and i made maple syrup old fashioned, dirty vodka martinis, mango and passion fruit daiquiris and a lot of vodka and tequila sours with no egg white!


we witnessed ice and penguins, cold water and mermaids, love manifestos and raw egg swallowing inside a circle made of salt... we had a urinal on the wall and a smiling gioconda and we had sculpture on the bar, with a cup on it...


we listened to wagner and iranian pop, beatnic and psychedelia...

we mingled, we cheered, clapped, laughed, posed happily for the snapper and participated, we engaged happily and differently...


it worked and we are going to do it again...


some of us went to party till the small hours, among very drunk and overbearing folk... i was looking forward to my saturday, so i went with the flow and shared my time between two clubs... o, well...


many thanks to all who supported and got involved: lyall, alex, doug, danielle, justin, season, benjamin, josie, andre, mitch, zbigniew.


see you all here again after the dark room for FRINGE FEST 2012!

flyer designed by DHD





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the italian party

i walked into fabrica last tuesday afternoon before my meeting and a private view later, after eight days absence (too busy), to have a bowl of soup, rebond and regroup, good for my soul...


robi was going to phone me... there was a party this coming friday in the cafe; a friend was organising and DJing for another friend's party and it was all italian: from rafaella carra on the laptop to negronis behind the bar!


i did the stocktake and made a shopping list... i kept the original list, because i had a fair amount of spirits to finish off and i decided to make negronis, when i discovered a lot of campari in the one of the boxes!


the day shift cleared up and gave room to us to set up. we were all super organised and excited. we sent another friend to fetch thirty limes and we had pizza on the quiet cafe before the storm, which started around ten to end in a smashing boom! at three! in the morning!


the galvanised mules totally took the starring role with their fresh spicyness and this time, i used king's ginger liqueur, which is just exquisite, because my supplier had no sirop. 


we replenished the used spirit very quickly, the negronis were literally flying of my nipple trays, the espressotinis had a gorgeous creamy head and when i asked vale to fetch some eggs, well, needless to say, the bourbon and amaretto sours were devoured and the vodka and gin sours were introduced, with curious enthusiasm and... thirst!


we have been blessed with gorgeous weather recently with sunny, bright and warm days, yet and still chilly nights and that reflected on the drinks choices... as we trolled through the night, tequila and vodka were not disregarded and there was always a flexibility for a spirit and mixer: coca cola, mandarine juice, ginger beer and soda...


there was a lot of dancing, wowing, clapping, cheering, singing and... drinking; positive vibes, great energy and good camaraderie among good folk, who were complimenting us, the quality of our work and watching the performance in the making with joy and consistent appreciation! i am glad about that for business and personal reasons!


we worked hard, fast, well, in between snaps and sambuca coffee shots and there was the occasional sing along hands in the air affair! so much fun!


after the smash and the liquid and sparkling smithereens had decorated the pavement, we dutifully turned off the volume and put this lovely little hub back to normal for the next day's service! the croissants had arrived!


fun galore and love plenty at fabrica584 and watch this space for our easter special! 

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VIVA!

VIVA! is a new latin american tapas and cocktail bar, which opened in london's dalston on stoke newington road two weeks ago!


it's warm and fun and colourful and modestly simple and delicious and substantial! vibe full of love and camaraderie and a family effort! of the surrogate multi national/ cultural kind!


it was a flower shop before and the reason, my good friend got involved in making the kitchen and the concept happened, after she happened to pass by on her way home and asking to take some flowers for her house and pop up dinners...


i got a phonecall from her virtually ten days before the place opened and the next day, i attended the meeting, including me liaising with the owner, being asked to put a cocktail list together, price it, train staff and help behind the bar...


of course i said yes! new opportunities with potential are always welcome and some days ago, i had just shut a futile door...


i went away after an enthusiastic talk and me promoting myself and thinking as seeing around me and talking, incessantly; my head, full of ideas!


i got to work
i researched
i thought
i sipped wine
i moved to the music, as i was working in a public place
i wrote down
i invented


and the VIVA! cocktail list was born... 
i kept the classics, adding caramel in the perfect manhattans, pisco in the sours and pickled onions in the martinis...
i made a list of house cocktails, with names to compliment the space and the food, such as mulatta and pina colada primavera and i dedicated a cocktail to my good friend, with coconut water and vodka and calling it elixir with her name before it!
i concluded with a respectful variation of tequila cocktails, including a deluxe margarita, made with orange juice and grand marnier, as well as a small list of non alcoholic cocktails, where frida's garden has become a hit, with or without gin!


s o  m u c h  f u n!


the launch was a super success, where i worked hard and continuously, making sure the drinks were done fast and well and everyone was happy!


i had a fantastic time, seeing my work materialising and gulped down, as well as having my favourite people attending and devouring the liquids with a loyal and passionate delight; from london and somewhere else... in europe; after all, the love and the quality are here, in london, our home!


i took my polka dot tie, my sticky bracelets and my delicious company somewhere else to end the evening/ morning in splendid decadence... sweet!


many thanks to cristine, volkan, eddie, suheyla, benjamin, ludo, christina, georgie, ruben, jessie and doug (DHD) for contributing to this wondrous experience... wishing all the success! 


see you all at VIVA! for an el diablo and a quesadilla! it has caramelised onion in it! sexy yumminess!
the place has been busy ever since...


food by cristine leone
drinks by stav B
menu design by DHD

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jameson irish whiskey

last wednesday, i drove to rural hounslow and parked at space 95, at the back of continental hotel, as arranged...
i was invited to pernod ricard offices, to do a presentation with jameson irish whiskey: to make a drink, talk about it and about the liquid, why i am using it, etc... by the brand's representative, who 'discovered' me at my ex job's bar, where i greeted her and knocked her up a smokey rusty nail, which she adored... on her second visit, she brought me a red breast pot still delight, which i used to mix the ever delicious blood and sand. which i normally add to my valentine's list of delights (rodolfo valentino/ blood and sand premier, 1922) get it? with martini rosso, cherry brandy, orange juice and the whiskey... divine!


as well as the special reserve jameson's, which i made a creamy sour with and earned as a gift for the age of aquarius pop up! (see post 28 feb)


i turned up and on time in white tie and very excited: being recognised for one's talents is a given and in the hub of professional niche, but i know i belonged there deservedly and of course, i was... myself!


i decided to make a perfect caramel manhattan, my way, stirred and not shaken with a subtle amount of gorgeous caramel sirop, to simply compliment the classic...
i introduced myself and spoke of how jameson reflects ireland's history via the war, the famine, prohibition, imperialism, blocked customs and diversity of methodology and has survived spectacularly, like the country with beauty, substance and diversity: 12 yr/ 18yr, etc... and how the americas and the commonwealth countries, especially south africa adore it!


perfect and fabulous job and deep thanks is what i received and the drink: spot on, as always!


very pleased indeed and more to come, as i have been invited to host unruly media summer party for the third time... to be continued...


many thanks to deirdra, radu, evgenia and ed for the invitation and hospitality.

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