Soul of Angostura Queens Park Swizzle Hotel Lounge Pop-up At TT Liquor Review
TT Liquor and Angostura have teamed up to provide a night of 1920s decadence. This event is titled the Soul of Angostura Queens Park Swizzle Hotel Lounge Pop-up.
OnIn.London has previously been to TT Liquor for the Angostura event featuring live butterflies. At first glance it looks like an elegant liquor store, but it also boasts an intimate cellar bar and a couple of event spaces that change depending on the focus of the evening.
This time, we were contained in one room that has been transformed into the 1920s infamous Queens Park Hotel Lounge in the Port of Spain, Trinidad, in the Caribbean. Historically, it is one of the grandest of the golden age of hotel bars. Jazz music helped to set the tone for the evening. One of the guests was dressed for the swinging 20s with her hair styled and a hat, but luckily most like me were in casual clothes.
We were able to enjoy three select Swizzle cocktails featuring the Angostura bitters and Angostura rum. The House of Angostura was established in 1824 by Dr Siegart, whose ‘health tonic’ has become the world famous Angostura bitters.
Swizzle drinks are experiencing a resurgence in popularity due to their ‘rediscovery’ by modern mixologists. Swizzled can be described as sour drinks similar to punch, usually served in a tall Collins or sling glass and served with crushed ice. As they originate from the Caribbean they tend to be rum based. The name comes from how they are made- they are stirred using a Swizzle stick.
The first cocktail was the Queens Park Swizzle. Historically, this was the house cocktail at the Queens Park Hotel and is believed to be the worlds’ first swizzled cocktail. Described as a punchier cousin to the mojito with a British twist, they both feature fresh mint, lime juice and sugar syrup. To make it into this particular Swizzle, simply add Angostura 7 rum and Angostura aromatic bitters with crushed ice and garnish with a mint sprig. As such it had a very tropical, fruity flavour and made it my favourite drink of the evening.
Next was the Classic Rum Swizzle. This comprised of Angostura 7 rum, Angostura bitters, Velvet Falernum, fresh lime juice, fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup. Given the ingredients and that it was garnished with an orange slice, it is not surprising it had a strong citrus taste. 
Last was the Sailor’s Swizzle. Angostura 5 rum, ruby port, allspice dram, freshly squeezed lime juice and sugar syrup are poured into a chilled glass filled with crushed ice. Others likened it to a cold mulled wine given its fruity but spice aromas, and I have to agree with this description.
Angostura 7 is a rum aged for a minimum of seven years in a once-used bourbon cask until it is ready to be packaged. It is packed with flavours including maple, honey, toffee and chocolate which makes for a rich full-bodied flavour.
All in all a lovely night with excellent drinks. I’ll definitely be exploring more of TT Liquor’s events.
TT Liquor hosts cocktail making classes, tasting events and many more. Please check out the below details for further information. To buy tickets to the event click here: http://bit.ly/QUEENSPARK
Address: TT Liquor, 17 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, London, E2 8AA
Website: https://ttliquor.co.uk
Twitter: @ttliquor
