A Cool Foodie’s Bar Essentials
My at-home bar can be described in three words: small but sweet. It’s a little corner nook within the shelving unit in our tiny cottage kitchen. The shelving unit was custom-built by our joiner Alistair and is very much inspired by period properties (the cottage was built in 1890). It’s painted in ‘Bath Stone’ by Little Greene, which is the most soothing colour. Only the good stuff makes this shelf.
One of my most prized bar possessions is the Futtle organic spiced rum that my friends Lucy and Stephen made over in the East Neuk of Fife. They do lots of foraging along the coastline, so they flavour the rum with seaweed, dulse and hogwood, as well as pineapple and ginger – it’s delicious. They also make beer, as well as spirits, and have this really fun bar that you can hang out at on a Saturday afternoon.
My friends bought me vintage champagne coupes for my 21st birthday, so they come out on very special occasions – sadly, not very often with two small children around. I have a few vintage glasses that I picked up at Drum Farm, which is a great antiques centre just outside of Edinburgh, and the rest of my glassware is from the French brand Duralex. They are utilitarian in style and make me feel like I’m at a chic Parisian bar. It’s really affordable and practical, so I’m not heartbroken if a glass gets smashed.
I always keep my bar stocked with the aforementioned Futtle’s rum and Gordon’s gin as my granny Mary always had a bottle nearby. You’ll always find Armagnac in there too – not only do I enjoy drinking it, it’s also great for soaking prunes ahead of serving with clafoutis and flourless chocolate cakes. My current obsession is Campari though – it’s timeless and I’ll never not be in love with its bitter notes.
I’m obsessed with all of Somerset Cider Brandy Company’s fruit liqueurs. The brand's Kingston Black Apple apéritif is the gift I give away on repeat and we have a stash of its quince liquor, blackcurrant liquor and jars of its morello cherries in apple eau de vie on the shelf at all times. We rotate Gimlet cordials throughout the year too; the brand's hedgerow harvest or spiced lemon hits the spot with a splash of Barra Hebridean vodka and some soda water.
My secret weapon to elevate a cocktail at home? Big cubes of square ice that you make with a silicone tray rather than shop-bought ice. Another way to make your drinks look more professional is to add a garnish. I always do a scorched lemon peel – I love citrus.
For mixers, I like to go homemade if I have the time. I find soda water and fresh lemon juice work really well or my mum’s fermented ginger always hits the spot.
A fermented tomato Bloody Mary, with lashings of Tabasco, always used to go down very well in my restaurant. Nowadays, it’s a concoction of lemon, elderflower, gin and prosecco – so refreshing and summery.
My drink of choice to unwind is a Negroni. Sometimes it’s a glass of red wine. Then I bang on Ali Hewson’s playlist. She’s a brilliant potter and shares the coolest music via Spotify.
A pickle juice martini is an impressive but easy cocktail that anyone can master. It’s a great way to use the end-of-the-jar pickle juice that’s been sitting in the fridge door forever. Freeze a small Duralex Picardie tumbler (or martini glass) until super chilled, then stir together 50ml of dry gin (I like The Botanist Islay gin), 10ml of white vermouth (I go classic) and 10ml of leftover pickle juice (or The Pickle House do a good one if you’ve not got any in the fridge).
People often overcomplicate things when making drinks at home. As with cooking, keep it simple and crowd-pleasing. Stick with classics like a Negroni or really good frozen slushie rather than recipes with too many obscure ingredients. Your friends don’t want a whole evening of lavender-based cocktails, trust me.
I do switch up my drinks depending on the season. In the winter, I love a mulled cider – not too sweet and with lots of fresh ginger grated in. Summer is a grown-up slushie with frozen cucumber (leftover from scooping out the inside seeds when making tzatziki) and plenty of gin.
Professionally, I host big groups at my studio for seasonal cookery demonstrations. At home, it tends to be cosy nights in at our cottage – it’s pretty small so only a couple of friends at a time. Fire on, mulled cider, roast chicken, followed by crumble… that sort of evening.
I always look to Ryan Chetiyawardana – Mr Lyan – for inspiration, after an unforgettable night at Lyaness at Sea Containers in London, overlooking the Thames. Closer to home, Bramble and Lucky Liquor in Edinburgh's New Town never disappoint.
My dream guest at my home bar? Marie who runs the micro-clothing company Old Town. I would serve her endless Negronis and get all of her tales from working in the fashion industry. I reckon she would be hilarious.
Visit ELLIOTTSEDINBURGH.COM & follow @JESS_ELLIOTT_DENNISON
DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at info@sheerluxe.com.
/https%3A%2F%2Fsw18.sheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Fwebsite-images%2F2025%2F03%2Fsign-up-pop-up.jpg?itok=TZtXX_xL)
