The Cocktail Trading Company

Last Friday, I *finally* got a chance to go to a bar that I have been very keen to visit ever since I first heard about it opening- The Cocktail Trading Co. Now, I’d tried to go to the Cocktail Trading Co. twice previously but, first time I made the mistake of not standing in the (at the time, rather short) queue, and the second time I just got there far too late- the queue was out the door! However, this time, luck was on my side!

In a tiny basement pretty much bang opposite Liberty, down a narrow, slightly rickety staircase The Cocktail Trading Co resides with its truly remarkable menu.

It comes in a tiny book and each cocktail listed is accompanied by a detailed illustration of what to expect. I looked through it slightly incredulously- some of the drinks just looked impossibly fabulous!

I started with a ‘Sauvignon Private Ryan,’ which, consisting of sherry and apple brandy, turned out to be totally and utterly delicious. It came dressed with some micro basil, mint and another purple herb I didn’t recognise, as well as a surprising sprinkle of a kind of fruit a fibre mix and a pair of smoking matchsticks!

My friend Immy went for a Tu-Whit-Tu-Whoo-Woo which tuned out to be a bubbly concoction in an owl tumbler, garnished with a healthy dose of candyfloss…

James tried a Scouts Honour, which much to our delight, came with a skewer of toasted marshmallows which were melted in front of us by a chatty (and rather entertaining) barman. Not only that, there was a small flat tin stuck in the ice on top. I won’t tell you what was inside as it would ruin the surprise, but it had us giggling into our cocktails to say the least!

Unable to avoid the lure of that little illustrated menu (and of course, because the company was too much fun to leave) we decided it was perhaps time for seconds.

After much umm-ing and ahh-ing I finally settled on a ‘Welcome to Kentucky, have a nice day.’  This rather extravagantly named tipple turned out to be more of an alcoholic meal than a simple drink as piled on top was a hearty handful of dried, flavoured noodles, dusted with icing sugar!? Somehow, this worked pretty well and I happily munched my way through my drink.

Immy’s second drink was a Violet Fizz which came (I guess kinda unsurprisingly by this point) in a rather tasteful shade of lavender. The top was decorated with more mystery herb, broken meringue and an edible flower! These drinks were seeming more and more edible works of art and I almost felt guilty as I dismantled them to slurp them up!

Needless to say, I really enjoyed my experience at the Cocktail Trading Company. The staff were wonderful (thank you for the extra marshmallows!) and the drinks really quite special (and not too expensive at £9 each!) – the whole experience was definitely worth the wait! So if you find yourself near Oxford Circus, definitely go and if there’s a queue, just wait- this bar is most definitely worth it!