BarChick's cocktail of the week: Nosferatini at the Zetter Townhouse

For Halloween, BarChick suggests you try a devilishly good cocktail at a Clerkenwell hotel — although it might leave a bloody aftertaste...
Not for the squeamish: the Zetter's Nosferatini cocktail
Barchick28 October 2014

The drink: Nosferatini

What’s in it? 50m Beefeater Gin, 15ml Dry Martini, 2 Drops Drink Factory Blood Solution

Why should we try it? This is the Halloween cocktail for the serious drinker; because let’s face it, we expect nothing but the best when it comes to drinks designed by mixology maestro by Tony Conigliaro. This well-balanced classic wet Martini with a citrusy base of Beefeater Gin is smooth to sip and leaves an unusual aftertaste... that’ll be those drops of blood. This is no ordinary Martini. Just before serving, a gloop of blood solution is dropped in which sinks to the bottom and slowly seeps its way through the drink. Feeling squeamish? There’s no real blood in here (trust us, the bartender insisted he’s a veggie) but instead a concoction of sugar, food colouring and crushed iron tablets to give the Martini its unusual blood-like aftertaste.

Where do we get it? If you’re staying at the Zetter you’ll find it bottled up in the mini bar in your room. But for us mere punters it’ll have to be in the hotel's cocktail lounge. This isn’t your average hotel bar — everything has been beautifully thought out, from the stuffed kangaroos in the corner to the apothecary style bar housing the creations of the cocktail chemists. There’s a no standing policy (kinda ruins the laid-back lounge vibe) so it’s best to book ahead, although a few seats up at the bar are kept back for walk-ins, so you might just get lucky.

Who do we ask for? Having spent years working alongside Tony C at 69 Colebrooke Row and Grain Store, Italian charmer Matteo now heads up the team of bartenders at Zetter. If he’s not shaking behind the stick you’ll find him (goggles on) in the lab working on the next show-stopping ingredient.

How much is it? £8.50

Find it: 49-50 St. Johns Square, EC1V 4J, 020 7324 4545, thezettertownhouse.com/cocktail-lounge

BarChick's cocktails of the week

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