Lush Life

The Bright Young Things were a group of rich, indulgent aristocrats who between the two wars entertained themselves by dressing up, posing and performing. 

All this gaiety was caught on camera by the incomparable and controversial Cecil Beaton. One thing is for sure, if they were alive now, all their fun would be had at Claridge’s with cocktails conceived by our guest today!

Denis Broci makes you feel like a Bright Young Thing when you step into Claridge’s Bar or The Fumoir Bar - two of the glamorous spots in the world.

Today we are celebrating the release of the cocktail book, Cecil Beaton: Mixing with the Bright Young Things, which Denis, as Manager of both bars at Claridge’s, curated with a list of sixty-four drinks from the 1920’s and 1930’s, the ‘Golden Age’ of cocktails.

But first I had to hear all about Denis and how he found himself at one of the most iconic hotels of all time.

In this episode, I discovered:

• What happened his first week of work that scared him to death
• What it was like working at Michelin Star restaurant
• How he came to curate the new book, Cecil Beaton: Mixing with the Bright Young Things
• His favorite bar in London and outside of London
• His Top Tips for the Home Bartender

Needless to say we began with a Bee’s Knees and ended with our cocktail of the week, the Fumoir Negroni!

This particular version is Claridge’s signature cocktail in the Fumoir Bar and was created to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Negroni cocktail in 2019. 

Ingredients:

• 25ml ( 5⁄6 oz) Hepple Gin 
• 25ml ( 5⁄6 oz) Campari 
• 18ml ( 3⁄5 oz) Martini Rosso 
• 7ml ( 1⁄5 oz) Punt e Mes Carpano 
• 3.5g ( 1⁄8 oz) Camomile 
• 3.5g ( 1⁄8 oz) Coffee beans 

Method:

Infuse the gin with camomile for thirty minutes, and the vermouths and bitter with the coffee separately for the same amount of time. Fine strain the infusions into a mixing glass and stir with ice, ensuring that the flavours are well balanced. Fine strain into an old fashioned glass with an ice block. Garnish with orange twist. 

You can find this recipe and all the cocktails of the week at  ALushLifeManual.com, where you’ll also find all the ingredients in our shop. 

Full Episode Details: https://alushlifemanual.com/how-to-be-a-bright-young-thing

Always remember the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “All things in moderation, including moderation,” and always drink responsibly!

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Until next time, BOTTOMS UP ????