Going The Extra Mile at Southsider

 What a line up!!!

Southsider Cocktail Club, Battersea Rise, SW11

Without doubt Southsider is one of the most exciting new cocktail bars to open in South London in recent times.  Close to Clapham Junction railway station, the younger sibling of the popular 64^th & Social provides the same high quality drinks and service but with its own distinct personality.  But this isn't a bar review, there's quite enough of those out there already!  What I want to discuss here is how the drinks were presented. 

I tried to take a photo of the freshly produced cocktails, but by the time I had my camera out there was only ice and dregs remaining, the delicious presentation, including a brandy snap garnish in the blueberry pancake mule, inducing our salivating group to devour them all almost instantly. So I had to go back and take another photo to show them in their full glory, which was no bad thing! 

The Masquerade Old Fashioned glass and highball glass in the center are my favourite at the moment, keeping with the vintage trend towards cut crystal.  You won't need to take out a mortgage to buy these however, with most distributors selling them for under £5 per piece.  The Mason Jar with handle is pretty common these days, but there's a new version with a retro embossment [currently only available [here], and they're still fun, especially with a brandy snap in it.

Also refreshing was the beer... the way they served the beer that is!  Drinking from a quality pewter tankard made right here in the UK is a real treat.  There's something almost medieval about it, and drinking from this would surely help you pluck up the dutch courage to rescue the damsel in distress, whether she's locked away in the castle or being pestered at the bar by a lesser knight!

My favourite cocktail of the evening was the deservedly award winning “Grandma Sloane's Teatime Tipple” served in authentic vintage tea cups. If you're gran wont let you borrow her set, have a scout down at you're local market or car boot sale for a set of these.

The little stemmed glass next to the jar in this photo is a real gem. It's simple, has a vintage feel about it, and somehow manages to give the cocktail more of a presence.  If you want the cocktail to be the focus rather than some kind of elaborate garnish, then this is the perfect vessel.

The guys at Southsider certainly know their stuff and the drinks were top notch. But the care in the presentation was what really put the experience on to the next level.  Every drink was served in a unique vessel, with a lot of thought put into getting it right.  Pop down and have a look for yourselves!

Items discussed in the above article: 

MasqueradeHiball Glass

MasqueradeRocks Glass 
Mason Jar with handle 
Pewter Tankard

www.thesouthsidercocktailclub.co.uk/

  

By Thom Robertson