Blythswood Square: The Loungerati Selection

THE LOUNGERATI provided an exclusive chapter for a new cocktail menu at one of Great Britain's most prestigious hotel bars. The Salon at Blythswood Square, winner of the Scottish Licensed Trade Award (SLTN) for Spirits Bar of the Year, and runner-up to The Bar at The Merchant Hotel in CLASS Magazine's Hotel Bar of the Year, has released an outstanding 42-page Compendium of Vintage & Contemporary Mixed Drinks & Cocktails.

A neoclassical terraced building, constructed in 1823 and envisaged then to be Glasgow's architectural centerpiece, is now the glamorous focal-point for the city's Scotland With Style philosophy. Remodeled in 1926 as headquarters for the Royal Scottish Automobile Club, and famously hosting the start of the 1955 Monte Carlo Rally, the imposing landmark received a £25 MM redevelopment courtesy of boutique hotel group, The Town House Collection, opening in November of 2009.

The Salon at Blythswood Square

When entering this five-star hotel, unless you have a key for one of 100 elegant bedrooms, a table in the fine dining restaurant, an appointment at the luxury spa, or a bathing costume for the rooftop hot tub, ascend a spiral staircase sweeping around a three-story, Art Deco chandelier. On the first floor landing, glide gently across a white marble floor, and on through a pair of Romanesque columns into an historic space lit by two majestic fireplaces and sensuous red shades—at one time the area doubled as a catwalk for ladies of the night—reflecting gilded cornicing and glassy winks from bottled liquors. Aim for the latter, and take a seat on one of the bespoke Harris Tweed Hebrides bar-stools. The feel is old world and yet vibrantly urban. 

This is the city's ultimate destination for cocktails and, although Glaswegians may be too self-deprecating to compare, it's their riposte to other finalists in CLASS Magazine's "Hotel Bar of the Year," including Mayfair trio Artesian Bar at the Langham, Coburg Bar at The Connaught, and Dukes Bar at Dukes. The Head Bartender here is Mal Spence, a slim, handsome, dark-eyed 32-year old that SLTN recognized in November as "Mixologist of the Year." Spence, who was the first Scottish bartender to represent Great Britain at the Havana Club Grand Prix World Final, has worked in this industry for 12 years, honing his craft at Glasgow institutions Bar Soba and Bar Ten, earning recognition at Salty Dog, running the bar program at One Devonshire Gardens and, until 2009, Rick's Bar over in Edinburgh.

Mal Spence

These days, he leaves the competing to his protégés, and their successes—winning or placing at practically every cocktail contest they enter—are (whisper it) testimony to his leadership: Scott Ingram triumphed in The Caledonian Bartenders Cup, and former colleagues, Sam Kershaw and Steve Martin were, respectively, Grand Finalist in the Appleton Bartender of the Year, and first runner-up at the World Class (UK) Finals. Recently, Spence's influence has stretched beyond just his peers, by way of a cocktail column he authors for The Herald, one of the oldest newspapers in the world. Yet as he would agree, any originator needs an oracle.

"I've taken a huge amount of confidence from Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry at The Bar at The Merchant Hotel in Belfast. For me, The Merchant will never be equalled. It has set the standard for how it should be done, without arrogance or pomp, just well-made drinks by nice guys, with no compromise. If it wasn't for Sean Muldoon," he insists, "I would never even have dreamed of doing what I'm doing at Blythswood Square. He's been a major inspiration." Muldoon, who is in Manhattan preparing to open new venture, The Dead Rabbit, is also (with Steven Pattison) co-founder of The Connoisseurs Club, a beverage program-cum-knowledge exchange that's done more for Belfast tourism than its Titanic Dock and Tony Blair combined.

"It has played a big part in that," Spence confirmed. "Until The Connoisseurs Club started bringing guys like DeGroff, Petraske, and Wondrich across for seminars, the influence, connection, and relationship with the New York scene was quite distant." 

That New York-style of cocktail culture was something Spence fell in love with via the reportage of his friend, Graeme Jamieson, on the British bartender forum, Barbore. When Jamieson's drinking buddy, Sam Kershaw, returned from a stint at Death & Co. to take up residence at Rick's Bar in 2008, an idea was planted in Mal's head: "Sam would tell me all about the drinks, bars, and bartenders: their technique sounded so authentic. Thus, the Loungerati collaboration came about while I was at Rick's," he reveals. "After dedications on our cocktail list from Sam and I to Graeme (ask him for a Jamieson's Run or Chevalier Rose), I had the notion to incorporate a list of his and Fredo's choosing."

It was an idea that gained momentum once all three finally got together in the same room. "When I had a chance to visit, I caught up with Graeme and our first port of call was Brooklyn's Clover Club. Everything about it pretty much changed my thinking on bars—the atmosphere, bartender, clientele, lighting, music, service—everything was nailed like I've never seen a bar do before. I also got the chance to meet and talk with Richard Boccato, who was then in the process of opening Dutch Kills, and Graeme introduced me to Fredo, too; I really didn't want to leave."

Mal's work on The Salon bar-book has taken him the best part of a year to realize, and the result of our Glasgow-New York collaboration has brought to his hometown eight of the best contemporary American cocktails. According to Graeme, "Fredo has been curating selections at events here for a while, but I elected for potations that hold a re-emerging memory, whether it was the company, or lasting significance of an evening. They each have a special personality and I'm sure they'll create something magical in the minds and mouths of whomever has the nous to order them."

For Fredo's part, he chose competition-winning cocktails that showcase the passionate bartenders who invented them, especially their understanding of ingredients. "When we started Loungerati," he explains, "one of the underlying missions was to share our vision of craft cocktail-making by supporting establishments and barkeeps who excel at creating them. To be honored with a chapter in a cocktail tome at a bar with the gravitas of The Salon at Blythswood Square, by a craftsman like Mal Spence, makes me overjoyed and very proud. I want to fly to Glasgow and taste the entire menu!"

This sentiment is understood by well-informed loungers in the west of Scotland: "It's amazing to see the response," Mal says. "So far, we've sold over 80,000 cocktails, averaging around 300 on a Saturday night. Each contains hand-pressed citrus to order, all are made to spec., and every one is devoted the same amount of time, attention, and love as if it were the first or last drink ever made." To meet demand going forward, The Salon is expanding from a two- to a four-station bar manned by a team of five. "The Loungerati selection is the favorite for my team to make," he added. Probably just as well.

The Salon at Blythswood Square. 11 Blythswood Square, Glasgow, G2 4AD, Scotland, UK. Telephone: +44 (0)141 208 2458. Book flights now.

Barfly's Beat: Hotel Bars of West 44th Street

Senator heading into The Algonquin on W 44th Street

For over a decade, New York Loungers have been making the two block stretch of West 44th Street between Broadway and Fifth Avenue a cocktail destination. The midtown hotel row is home to  iconic hotels like the Algonquin Hotel, which gained fame as the weekly meeting place for the literary clique known as the Algonquin Round Table  (aka the "Vicious Circle") from 1919 to 1929. Notable journalists, writers, actors such as Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley held court. In that vein, the Dorothy Parker Society's annual Parkerfest (recently held during the last week of August) features an Algonquin Round Table walking tour that ends with Friday happy hour at the hotel to honor the late poet and satirist. Loungers and Roaring Twenties aficionados dress in their finest attire and drink period cocktails.

West 44th Street has been the site of many hotel bar crawls. In November 2007,  a crew of loungers began the night at the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel on East 55th Street. After a seasonal cocktails, we made our way down to the Iroquois and finally the Algonquin Hotel's Round Table Room.  The Senator seized the opportunity and understanding of the venue's history by issuing the now infamous Lounge Doctrine. Toasts were made with a round of eponymous Algonquin Cocktails (Rye, Noilly Prat dry vermouth, pineapple juice, cherry).

Blue Bar and the Round Table Room
at the Algonquin Hotel
59 West 44th Street
New York, NY 10036-6638

On Wednesday nights, the Emmy winning trombonist J.Walter Hawkes and his jazz trio perform at M Bar in the Mansfield Hotel.  The mixology at the M bar requires customer guidance and drinks are a bit pricey. However, the half-moon shaped bar and library like setting make it a wonderful place to enjoy a drink, especially in the winter. M Bar's intimate setting spawns many conversations and perfect evenings while J Walter Hawkes and surprise guest musicians provide the soundtrack..

M Bar
at The Mansfield Hotel
12 West 44th Street
New York, NY 10036

The Quality Cocktail Returns to Hotel Row

Tradition and classic hotel bar elegance aside, the cocktails served on West 44th Street are poor quality compared to the ridiculously high prices charged. Typically, we resort to drinking beer, wine, or a single spirit neat (bourbon, scotch, etc). Well friends, I have momentous news to report: The fine art of mixing drinks has returned to West 44th Street thanks to a new breed of Hotel bar.

Lambs Club (photo courtesy of Zagat Blog)

The Bar at the Lambs Club just opened at the boutique Chatwal Hotel. What is old is new again, the Lambs Club was America's first theatrical club. The original private society was located at 130 West 44th Street  moved to further north to 51st Street in 1974. The Chatwal Hotel's  restaurant bar is at the same location and hence the name Lambs Club to honor the initial tenants. In this incarnation, the club has a distinct mid-century theme with red leather deco booths, a blazing fireplace, and bartenders in white jackets. Why are we excited about this new bar? Sasha Petraske of Milk & Honey is behind the cocktail menu.

The initial menu is short, sweet, but troppo caro ($18). The drinks include the Goldrush (bourbon, lemon juice, honey), The Southside (gin, lime, sugar, mint), The Old Fashioned (Rye, sugar, bitters, orange peel), Cherry Fix (Vodka or Rum, fresh cherries, lemon, crushed ice) and the St Hilaire (cava and St. Germain). It will be expanding to two dozen drinks in the coming weeks.

The Lambs Club
at The Chatwal Hotel
130 W 44th St
New York, NY 10036

(Currently open for breakfast and lunch, full dinner to be added in mid-September)

In late September, the return of the classic cocktail parade will continue at the Forty Four at the Royalton Hotel. According to Grubstreet, the management behind Brassierie 44 are renovating the space and brought in a veritable All-Star team of mixology talent to come up with the cocktail program to fit the vintage theme. Among the heavy hitters , our friend Richard Boccato (Painkiller - NY), Eric Alperin (The Varnish - LA), Misty Kalkofen (Drink-Boston), John Lemayer (Florida Room - Miami), Willy Shine (Contemporary Cocktails), and Simon Ford (Beefeater/Pernod Ricard). The artisinal cocktails are sure to run the range from classic to creative with an emphasis on quality ingredients. We know going in that cocktails are expensive at any hotel bar, now at least one will get what they pay for.

Forty Four
at The Royalton Hotel
44 West 44th Street
New York, NY 10036

Other worthy landmarks and destinations on the street - City Club Hotel (55 W 44th St) - home of DB Bistro Moderne and the Iroquois Hotel.

So, as the chill returns to the air, the days get shorter, and autumn leaves fall from the heavens, make sure to take a trip to West 44th Street to warm your soul. See you there!