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Spirited summer infusions at London Grill
All photos l Felicia D'Ambrosio Infusions in the works
Spirited summer infusions at London Grill
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| All photos l Felicia D'Ambrosio |
| Infusions in the works |
Flavored liquor is not my thing. You can keep your APeach, APear and Cherry Bombs; I like to chew my sugar, not mainline it.� Prejudiced as I am, the words "apricot-peanut bourbon" markered across a homey glass jar behind the bar at Fairmount stalwart London Grill sent my brown-liquor antennae spinning.
London Grill bartender Adrian Cane, former cook at Jos� Ramon Andres' D.C. tapas temple Jaleo, is the man behind the apricot-peanut bourbon, as well as a spicy hibiscus- and cucumber-infused tequila. Other bartenders, as well as bar manager Cristina Tessaro, owner Terry Berch and chef/owner Michael McNally concoct their own infusions, as well � the housemade lineup comprises dozens of choices. "I love how interested everyone is in this," said Berch. "We wanted them to be involved in this process and they have come up with amazing things."
The kitchen is integral to their whole-house approach to developing a cocktail list. "Sous chef Jason Lemon and I have meetings all the time, about what seasonal ingredients I can use for infusions," said Cane. "I talk to him about what liquors to cook with and we share ideas."
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| Infusion Array |
Chef McNally's Italian-style blood orange and grapefruit-cello is intensely floral, with a harmonious balance of sweetness and citrus; the beguiling potion begs to be mixed with a bit of Prosecco for a glam breakfast drink or apertif. Both this infusion and his classic limoncello cannot be rushed � they infuse for at least two months to develop their full flavor. "We don't sell anything until it's ready," said Tessaro. "Everything is tasted throughout its stages and checked."
Though the neutral base of vodka makes it a natural for infusions, the London staff does not limit their creativity. Berch has a violet gin in the works, which will be the base of a Pre-Prohibition classic, the Aviation. Mint and lavender from London's garden are making their way into a new infusion now.
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| Bartender Adrian Cane |
Cane explained the trial-and-error approach to doctoring up booze. "The apricot-peanut bourbon was an experiment. We used dried, un-sulphured apricots and � this is important � dry-roasted unsalted peanuts," he laughed. "That could have gone badly had we forgotten the unsalted part." The mixture was left undisturbed for a few days, until Cane noticed the peanuts had released a significant amount of oil into the alcohol. At that point, he removed the nuts to keep them from from dominating the flavor. After infusing for a few weeks, he decanted the jar in front of me to offer a sample.
The spirit's hard edges had been erased by the softness of the peanut oil, with an underlying sweetness from the apricots. It was lovely, a perfect way to transition brown liquors into the warmer seasons. "I think I'll make a Apricot-Peanut Manhattan with it," said Cane. "With peach bitters, and leave out the vermouth because it's already a little sweet." He also pondered an Apricot Julep, muddled with fresh apricots, the bourbon and a little club soda.
"You don't have to add sugar to these infusions," noted Tessaro. "The flavors are intense and don't need it."
Other summery potions include the James Bond Vesper, a blend of grapefruit-citrus gin, Finlandia grapefruit vodka and Lillet, and the Pink Pepino, a vibrantly hued martini of hibiscus-cucumber tequila, PAMA liqueur and a float of sparkling wine.
"You guys have quite the cocktail program," I marveled to the beaming staff.
"We're a little under the radar," said Tessaro. "It's a speakeasy."
London Grill, 2301 Fairmount Ave., 215-978-4545, londongrill.com
Too bad the service at London is brutal at times...otherwise I'd be in to try some of this great stuff
sounds like Pablo did not get a job at London and is spewing.The service at London is fine and I should know .i operated a restaurant for 30 years and know what service expectations should be .
So glad to see some press on what I view as not only the best bar in town, but also the best and most innovative bartenders around! Adrian and Cristina know their stuff and serve the masses with the utmost class and sophistication without a shred of uppity-ness (is that a word? well, it is now!)! Can't wait to check out their highly anticipated yearly Bastille Day festival on July 11th! Go team!
I've been a patron at London for years now, and Adrian and Cristina are both fantastic. The ideas coming out of their bar are innovative and cutting edge, and they deserve every bit of publicity that comes their way. I encourage everyone to go to London and hang out at the bar, whether you're looking for beer and a burger or some of the most interesting concoctions out there. Enjoy!
the service at london is acceptable, if slow. it certainly isn't "good" and a step behind the service at the other restaurants in the area, imo. The bar is great, and the london lemonade is my go-to-hot-summer-day drink.
I'm the owner of LG! I am on it! (service issues) We are training lots of new people for busy season and I will definetely jump in more to get us on a smooth service track. Thanks for the comments and please come back!
that is one thing i forgot to mention--LG does always respond to complaints well!
i wish it was that I hadn't gotten a job. My last three visits there have been less than wonderful. I'm glad terry is on it. I will give it another try in a couple weeks. But it seems to me there is never a server there when you need one and they can get too busy for their own good...then everyone suffers.
As the GM of London, I appreciate ALL feedback about London's service, drinks, food, etc. Pablo, the times that you came and were not happy with the service, was it during dinner, brunch, inside, outside??? Any information can help us find the root of the problem(s). Also, never hesitate to find a manager or owner. There is almost always a manager on duty (except maybe late night) and Terry is in the building almost every day. Let us know you are not happy, comment cards should always be available when your bill is presented, so we may rectify the problem then and there, rather than loosing you as a customer the minute you walk out the door!
huh, I've never really had any service issues there. the potato pizza takes a while, but they tell you that up front & it's well worth the wait. my go-to drink is also the London Lemonade.
My original comment got deleted, no doubt because I espoused an unpopular opinion that this restaurant is a detriment to YOU in EVERY way if you set foot in there. I was describing how this restaurant is the worst place in the world and about how I would rather die than eat there again. I directly contradicted claims that the barmaids are all cool and nice and knowledgeable and all that garbage and that they weren't "uppity." I provided specific anecdotal evidence. Since some people above praised the barmaids by name, I thought I would tell about my own awful experiences with those very people, but I suppose I must have just imagined having been treated as an invisible piece of trash every time I've been in this bar, according to the "moderator." If you want to know about each of my horrid experiences at London Grill, feel free to contact the moderator of these responses to the article to ask him or her what I originally said before he or she used his or her mighty power to stomp on the throat of a lifelong Philadelphia citizen.
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