Out of this world Halloween fashion!

World Space Week (4th – 10th October) has come to an end, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t take inspiration from it for your Halloween costume. Golden Bee has detailed below all the latest ‘out there’ space age fashion trends that guarantee you make a meteorite entrance to any party.

Metallic

Metallics are a key trend this season, seen on the likes of Christina Aguilera and Lucy Liu. Pairing a metallic dress with black leggings and knee-high boots will ensure your shooting star status.

Colour pairings

The downside to this fashion trend can be the lack of colour. Silver, gold, black, white and grey are the dominant colours. However, pairing with a neon (blue, green or yellow) bag or belt can add a touch of galactic glamour.

Structure

This trend is all about structure around the arms, shoulders and waist. The trend is powerful and masculine, and creating a silhouette perfects the look. Structured overcoats, shoulder pads and structured skirts will produce an out of this world style. A tailored maxi dress will have the same affect. Add a mask to honor the Halloween pastime.

Go with the flow

If you want to add a touch of femininity to your look, try pairing a tailored overcoat with a pleated maxi skirt or flowing palazzo trousers. This will add a new dimension to the trend. Try adding sequins or mesh netting to add layers and a night sky impact.

Leather

Leather trousers with an overcoat or structured dress, or a leather bag and boots will ensure that you are noticed on a Universal level.

On 27th October 2012, Golden Bee is collaborating with Illusions of House to host a Halloween soiree. With Philgood & Ram, Able, Frisky DJ and C Sharp performing, Golden Bee will Put a Spell on You and take you into The Witching Hour ensuring you a Thriller night. 8pm through to 3am, Illusions of House and Golden Bee will be offering a Bad Moon Rising Outdoor Roof Party until 11pm and then we will be Running with the Devil downstairs where the party will continue until the Twilight Zone.

https://www.facebook.com/events/404370606296483/ for further information

Raising a toast to London Cocktail Week

One of the best weeks in a cocktail lovers social diary had its finale yesterday. London Cocktail Week – the biggest drinks festival in the UK- certainly earned its title last week as city goers and drink lovers paraded throughout London looking for the best cocktail bars and events. Visitors to the historic area of Seven Dials in Covent Garden, as well as the tour bus, which stopped in iconic locations around London including Shoreditch, Notting Hill and Soho sipped, shook and shimmied their way through several cocktail menus.

Golden Bee was included on the Shoreditch tour throughout last week and we were offering a bespoke Jack Daniels and orange martini for £4.00 with any London Cocktail Week wristband. Everyone loves a yummy bargain; the martini went down easily, followed by a few more!

London Cocktail Week is about tasting and exploring the ‘golden age’ of cocktails and cocktail bars that London currently seems to be experiencing.  With Londoners seeking new adventures and venues to enjoy their evenings and weekends bespoke cocktails are growing increasingly popular. Golden Bee offers a large selection of innovative and unique cocktails, which were certainly appreciated throughout the week.

50 years of unbreakable Bond

Bollinger is kicking off the Bond season with a limited edition of Bollinger Champagne specially titled “002 for 007”, celebrating fifty years of James Bond and a 39 year old on screen relationship with the Champagne House.

This exciting launch coincides with the much-awaited release of Skyfall, the 23^rd Bond film, this autumn.

“002 for 007”, housed in a gun silencer shaped gift box sporting a co-branded labeling and a unique 50 years of Bond logo on the neck label, offers those looking to stimulate their palate a taste of the unexpected.

What determines a fashionable cocktail? The people drinking it

We have produced a cocktail timeline to see exactly where your martini, and your love for them blossomed.

1942: Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman and a selection of cocktails.

Rick “I’m a drunkard.”

Renault “And that makes Rick a citizen of the world.”

1948: Ernest Hemingway and Marlene Dietrich fell in love with the Mojito and so did Hollywood.

1961: Elvis Presley couldn’t resist the Mai Tais in Blue Hawaii.

1971: Hunter S Thompson became so enthralled by the Singapore Sling; it became a featured drink in his novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

1980: The Blue Lagoon is named after the Brook Shields film of the same name.

1988: A talented New York bartender in the form of Tom Cruise takes a job at a bar in Jamaica and falls in love in Cocktail.

1998: The Cosmopolitan was first made popular by Madonna, then Sex and the City placed it on the cocktail map.

2000: Scrubs character JD made the Appletini famous, then Mark Zuckerberg made it the official drink of Facebook.

2008: Mad Men reinstalled vintage glamour into cocktails and the Old Fashioned was reborn.

(Come and taste the Golden Bee version Re Fashioned – Biscuit infused Woodford Reserve stirred with Apricot and plum-infused Jameson’s whiskey angostura bitters and brown sugar.)

2010: The first London Cocktail Week is created!

2012: The Aperol Spritz is taking centre stage – Aperol topped with soave white wine and soda water.

In the cocktail hour

With London Cocktail Week starting on 8^th October, Golden Bee is presenting a new selection of cocktails, which will be propping up the bar. And we have detailed a run down on the perfect cocktails and what to look out for when ordering a cocktail.

Ibiza and a pitcher of Sex on the Beach back in 1996 shows how elegant and sophisticated cocktails and mixology have become. Cocktail lovers are requesting more from their after work indulgence. Just as we demand organic, free-range food products, we are also requesting expertly distilled spirits and fresh fruit and garnishes.

Gone are the concentrated juices, plastic cocktail stirrers and a paper umbrella, this showmanship is now only acceptable in the Tom Cruise’s Cocktail.

Cocktails are now considered an art form, and bespoke cocktails are becoming extremely popular throughout London, with Golden Bee creating a selection of unique, innovative and delicious cocktails, and we continuously try and test new infusions and rare ingredients.

Mixology is a complex craft, and cocktail bars are no longer tacky venues with sticky carpets, instead they are Friday night destinations for people who respect the fine art of a well construed cocktail.

With cocktails, the quality of the drink relies solely on the quality of the spirit.

Tequila is renowned for horrible hangovers, but that is due to unnecessary ingredients in the bottle. Good quality tequila will contain 100% agave making it all natural, meaning that there are no packed in chemicals, which are the reason for those pounding headaches the following morning.

Rum is no longer only found in Pina Coladas. Using dark rum adds depth to a drink, and the older the spirit, the more intense the taste.

Gin shouldn’t be paired with overbearing ingredients. Dry gin has the highest juniper content and adding lemon juice and one shot of raspberry syrup creates the perfect martini.

Putting the perfect drink together is a skill, and rules are involved. Watch how your drink is mixed. If the cocktail consists of only alcoholic ingredients, it should be stirred and served in a short glass. There should be enough ice to dilute the spirits so the burn isn’t as strong if you drank them neat.

Any drinks with fruit juices or dairy products will need to be shaken. Shaking introduces air bubbles, giving it a cloudy experience when poured.

And finally, have you ever wondered the role of an olive in a Naked Martini?

Bitters for example are used to season a drink and can add complexity to a drink. The same goes for garnishes. For the avid martini drinker, an olive is vital. Olives should be pitted, preserved and always green. But a grapefruit twist in a martini or gin and tonic can have exactly the same affect.

London Cocktail Week

Now in its third year, London Cocktail Week, comprising of several events is a unique celebration of London’s unrivalled cocktail culture. Playing host to a selection of seminars, pop up bars, tastings, parties and master classes, aimed at novices and experienced mixologists and professionals, London Cocktail Week will inspire, educate and unite cocktail lovers. This year, the festival’s events will be held in the Seven Dials Area, which will provide an eclectic and absorbing street party atmosphere.

Events running throughout the week include Rum and Ice Cream Shack and a Botanical Bicycle, a Mini Ginstitute, Cocktail Bootcamp, a Punch and Judy Bar and a Mad Hatter Tea Party, proving that LCW really is showcasing the best in British cocktails and mixology.

London Cocktail Week would not be complete without the London Cocktail Tours, taking place in various locations throughout the capital including Shoreditch, and if you have a wristband, you can travel on the vintage route master buses for free!

Golden Bee is part of the tour, so come and enjoy selected cocktails for £4.00 everyday between 9pm and 10pm!

London Cocktail Week runs from 8-14^th October. Follow Golden Bee on Twitter @GoldenBeeEC1 to discover news and trends throughout the week.

Jurançon Sweet White Wine Grape Harvest begins.

The annual Jurançon Sweet White Wine Grape Harvest destined for the Cave des Producteurs de Jurançon commences this week.

The wine of the southwest France is the produce of the sun-drenched slopes of Jurançon, lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The area is one of natural beauty and its abundant rainfall assures its farmlands a sparkling emerald hue. It shares with these coasts a favourable southerly location, assuring plenty of humid heat throughout the summer months. This combination of factors operating on Jurançon’s ‘petit manseng’ and ‘gros manseng’ grapes enables the creation of the tasty wine in which the region is celebrated.

Jurançon wine first found fame when it was used by Henry II of Navarre to baptise his son, the future Henry IV of France. Thanks to Henry IV’s role as the founder of the Bourbon Dynasty, Jurançon became the wine of choice for the Royal Household and its popularity spread throughout Europe. However, after an epidemic of the phylloxera plague that ravaged French vineyards and resulted in French wine production falling by two thirds, determined wine growers, along with the Cave des Producteurs de Jurançon, managed to overcome this setback and, through their efforts, raised the wine to the prestigious position it holds today, with a mean annual production of 35,000 hecto litres (approx. 777,000 gallons).

During the harvests, the grapes of the members of the Cave des Producteurs de Jurançon, as well as the propriety grapes of the Cave itself, are brought to the Cave’s facilities in Gan. Here, they are separated from the vines and put through the wine press. The resulting juice is allowed to sit for a night in a vat to allow any solid residues to settle at the bottom where it can be easily removed. The liquid is then sent to the fermentation vats to allow the sugar to transform into alcohol. After this, the wine is put into stainless steel or oak vats to allow it to mature. This process of ageing can last anything from three months to four years.

This year’s weather has had an adverse affect on the production of some varieties of wine in France, and the Southwest has not been immune to it. As a result, the wine harvest is later this year than last. However, the output of the Cave des Producteurs de Jurançon is expected to hold up despite these difficulties.

Why has the rum always gone?…

With winter looming, we look at the top five trends set to ensure that you continue to enjoy your favourite cocktails throughout the cold weather.

1. Rum is the new ‘must have’ spirit. In 2011, Whiskey was the belle of the bar, but rum has taken the crown this year, and is set to become even more popular throughout winter and over the Christmas period.
2. Gin is also a sought after spirit, and new mixers and garnishes beyond tonic and lemon are being added to the spirit. New gins are also being developed; for example, Hoxton Gin created by mixologist and entrepreneur Gerry Calabrese hosts a juniper driven character and is distilled with exotic tones. The new selection of gins offers a multitude of flavours and ingredients, which presents many cocktail opportunities.
3. The Naked Martini springs from the gin trend. Many gin distillers are creating a fusion of flavours, challenging the status quo of the traditional drink, and opening the drinker to an unexpected palate of flavours. This is allowing gin lovers to enjoy the spirit completely on its own with no mixer or garnish.
4. Cocktail books are becoming e-books. Cocktail recipe books are going digital with the rise of the Kindle and the Tablet, ensuring that you can take your cocktail creating tips to every party.
5. Water! Flavoured water, tonic water, still water, sparking water, sculptured ice cubes, soda water, whiskey and water. Bars and clubs worldwide are hosting water events to promote the versatility of water.

Tea-Total

“I don’t drink coffee, I drink tea my dear” – Sting pronounced whilst explaining to New Yorkers his love for an afternoon tea.

Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world, and so are cocktails, so why not infuse the two together.

Tea infused cocktails has positioned itself to be the single biggest cocktail trend in bars right now. There is even a science behind why it is proving to be so popular. One of the reasons tea works well in cocktails is because of the tannins naturally found in tea. Cocktails can sometimes be sour or bitter, but the tea’s tannins cut through the acidity.

The appeal for tea infused cocktails also stems from its difference to other cocktails. Whether you prefer herbs, spices or a fruit tinge this is a versatile option that is inclined to arouse your sense of smell and taste buds. Both therapeutic and packed with flavour, tea infused cocktails can be enjoyed any time throughout the day.

On the good ship lollipop

If the rumours are true, we are in for an Indian summer, so what better excuse to enjoy that refreshing ice-lolly out in the sun. But we are not talking about a Strawberry Split or a Calippo (even though these are extremely good, nostalgic choices that made us reminisce about Solero Shots), mixologists have discovered the optimum solution to add a grown up twist to the original summer treat – cocktail popsicles!

 

Cocktail ice-lollies are the perfect excuse to enjoy the adult only sweet. The secret to ensure the strong sprits freeze is to add enough non-alcoholic liquids. This new craze leaves open great scope for creativeness in terms of flavours and strengths from mild wines to cheeky mojitos. These treats make ideal delicacies to be enjoyed in a bar, club or even in your garden so are well worth a try.

 

Cherry Apple Whiskey Sour

 

3 cups of cherries

1 large green apple

1 lime

1-cup whiskey

½ cup of sweet and sour mix

 

1. Pit cherries and peel away apple and lime skin and cut fruit into quarters.

2. Place all ingredients in a blender and process until mixture is pureed.

3. Pour mixture into Popsicle moulds and place in freezer for 2 hours. Insert Popsicle sticks and finish freezing popsicles overnight.

To release popsicles run hot water on the outside of Popsicle molds for a 2-3 seconds.

 

Sweet and Sour Mix

½ cup water

½ cup sugar

1 cup lemon juice

1. Place sugar and water in a saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice and stir. Set aside to cool.

 

Endless Poptails: Cherry Apple Whiskey Sour