Cocktail experience goes with a bang!

Jun 5 2008 By Phil Vinter

COCKTAILS... the sports cars of the drinks world. Sexy, powerful and dangerous.

Guys love to make them and girls love to drink them!

With this in mind I headed down to Vodka Revolution on Broad Street with some friends to learn how to mix, shake and slurp cocktails like a professional.

The night began with a bang as host Exle showed us how to make a Mudslide (a chocolate and cream cocktail).

That vital bit of cocktail pizzazz came as he poured chocolate powder over a lighted match to send a fire-ball blazing out of the cocktail.

Apparently the flame can be created only by using Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate because that is the only chocolate which flames up - it's the unique additives which make it flammable.

After Exle's demonstration it was our turn to try our hand at making a Mudslide and also a Mojito (a sour vodka and rum based drink made famous by the 80s cop show Miami Vice).

I'm not sure I'd land a job at Tom Cruise's famous Cocktails and Dreams cocktail bar just yet as I nearly burned my face off trying to flame my Mudslide. Not exactly smooth!

There's no doubt about it though getting the chance to play at being a cocktail barman is pretty good fun.

While I was behind the bar I took the opportunity to practise catching a cocktail glass (the floor is made of rubber so they bounce). To make the grade as a cocktail barman you have to be able to catch a glass. You also have to be able throw limes over your should into a glass, and pull a 'sex face' when you shake it all up! Hmmm!

After the Mudslide and the Mojito came the Martini. Turns out that silky-smooth, killing lothario James Bond was a bit of a wusser when it came to drinking. By having his Martini 'schaken, not schtirred, please Mish', he was knocking back less alcohol. You see when you shake the drink bits of ice chip off and that waters down the drink.

Following the masterclass it was time to put our knowledge to the test by trying to create our own cocktail.

I created Phil's Fruit Fondle - consisting of banana schnapps, raspberry schnapps, Kraknik, honey vodka, apple juice and pineapple juice. It tasted - well -fruity and on the night seemed to go down pretty well with our host but was just pipped at the post in the final 'cocktail off' by a friend's raspberry cream ripple.

By the end of the night we were all pretty drunk, having knocked back quite a few cocktails but it had been great fun and it's certainly a different way to spend a night with a few friends whether it be a special celebration or just for a night out!

* A Cocktail Experience Night is for groups of between five and 20 people. They can also be adapted for larger groups. The length of the session is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cost per head is £15 per person which includes a welcome shot and three cocktails. For more information or to book an evening ring: 0800 6300 860.