TT Liquor review: the screwball science of cocktail making
A one-of-a-kind cocktail class at a converted police station in Shoreditch
From the outside, TT Liquor, on East London’s Kingsland Road, may appear to be nothing more than a cosy bottleshop.
However, inside the former police station you’ll find a veritable warren of rooms to explore, with a drinking parlour, a “speakeasy” bar and a space for movie screenings.
It is the “classroom” which has brought us here tonight. TT Liquor hosts a cocktail making class every Friday - and the last class of each month is dedicated to the mysterious artform we are about to learn: “molecular” mixology.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The name might spook chemistry-phobes with visions of blackboards and test tubes, but the class takes a feather-light approach to the science of cocktails.
In fact, the “molecular” component really means fancy gadgets and eye-catching tricks, from blasting your concoction with Earl Grey-infused dry ice or frothing up a cocktail with nitrous oxide.
In fours, we are shown to a mini cocktail counter, stocked with everything we will need, and welcomed by Kay, who proves to be an energetic and - crucially - encouraging teacher.
After a nerve-steadying welcome cocktail, we start off with a simple classic - the Negroni. As you might expect, however, there’s a twist.
Once all the ingredients have been mixed, we pour a pot of freshly-brewed Earl Grey into another teapot containing dry ice pellets. As the combination erupts into tea-scented clouds, we direct the spout over our Negroni, giving it a fragrant final touch.
The dry ice is put to creative use again to create a spiked ice cream float. A handful of pellets are tossed into a bowl of cream and kahlua, and a few seconds of furious churning later, I am looking at a miraculous lump of honest-to-goodness ice cream.
Science also puts a novel spin on the Ramos gin fizz. Its creator, New Orleans landlord Henry Ramos, gave the drink its trademark full-bodied froth by shaking it for 12 minutes back in the 19th century.
However, Kay has an ingenious shortcut - blasting the ingredients through a whipped cream dispenser to ensure the perfect airy texture without the sore arm.
The last of the four drinks on the cocktail curriculum is the Zombie - a potent combination of fruit juice, liqueur and an ungodly quantities of rum, served in a traditional Polynesian tiki glass with a hollowed-out lime full of (more) rum as a garnish.
This is set alight and then sprinkled with cinnamon, igniting into a spectacular finale.
The last event of the class gives us a chance to put our new skills into action. Each team of four gets to concoct their own cocktail, with Kay declaring the winner.
Our melon-heavy rum punch failed take the top spot, but, after five cocktails, who cares?
TT Liquor cocktail making classes cost £70 per person and run every Friday from 7pm-9pm, and Saturdays from 1pm-3pm. The molecular cocktail masterclass takes place on the last Friday of the month.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 timely cartoons about climate change denial
Cartoons Artists take on textbook trouble, bizarre beliefs, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Kris Kristofferson: the free-spirited country music star who studied at Oxford
In the Spotlight The songwriter, singer and film-star has died aged 88
By The Week UK Published
-
The Chagos agreement explained
In Depth Ceding the islands to Mauritius could allow China to gain foothold in the Indo-Pacific, experts have warned
By The Week UK Published
-
8 bars to hunker down in during the fall season
The Week Recommends Where to drink now in Phoenix, New York City and many a point in between
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
7 cocktails for a comforting autumn
The Week Recommends Vodka, rum, brandy, mezcal: The gang's all here
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
The Count of Monte Cristo review: 'indecently spectacular' adaptation
The Week Recommends Dumas's classic 19th-century novel is once again given new life in this 'fast-moving' film
By The Week UK Published
-
Death of England: Closing Time review – 'bold, brash reflection on racism'
The Week Recommends The final part of this trilogy deftly explores rising political tensions across the country
By The Week UK Published
-
Sing Sing review: prison drama bursts with 'charm, energy and optimism'
The Week Recommends Colman Domingo plays a real-life prisoner in a performance likely to be an Oscars shoo-in
By The Week UK Published
-
Kaos review: comic retelling of Greek mythology starring Jeff Goldblum
The Week Recommends The new series captures audiences as it 'never takes itself too seriously'
By The Week UK Published
-
Blink Twice review: a 'stylish and savage' black comedy thriller
The Week Recommends Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie stun in this film on the hedonistic rich directed by Zoë Kravitz
By The Week UK Published
-
Shifters review: 'beautiful' new romantic comedy offers 'bittersweet tenderness'
The Week Recommends The 'inventive, emotionally astute writing' leaves audiences gripped throughout
By The Week UK Published