Cocktail Making Class

Day off today and I had nothing much planned until Luke said we should use up the Milano vouchers we got from our Tesco club-card points. We spent the morning looking at some more houses and packing up some of my things that still needed sorting through.
I showered and got dressed just in jeans and a long sleeved top and Luke said did I want to dress up a bit more as it was our last date in Dublin, but I didn't feel like it.

Once we were ready we got into a taxi just as it started raining and drove into town. Luke brought a couple of bags for charity which we went to drop off but he realised that one of the bags was actually my clothes to keep so I had to pop into work and drop off the bag so we wouldn't have to cart it around all day. I also gave Ali a lamb soft toy that I have had for ages as I figured she would appreciated her more than me.

We walked to Milano with a new brolly to keep us dry and once we were there we had a lovely American waitress serve us. She told us about the new summer menu and we chose dough balls and bruschetta to start and we also shared the smoked salmon risotto as an extra starter to see what it was like-the answer was delicious! Then we had our pizzas and Luke chose American and I had the new Emilia which was chestnut mushrooms, goats cheese, rocket and truffle oil. The food was so good! The waitress told me that Emilia is a region in Italy where truffle oil is made. For dessert we had panna cotta and semi freddo with coffee. It was such a tasty late lunch and the service was great.

When we left the restaurant we walked back up through town and past the store to go and collect my bag of clothes. To my amazement when we got to the store Eric, Ciara, Ali and Deborah were all waiting for us. They were taking me out for a surprise leaving celebration and Luke had helped keep it a secret. It was such a wonderful surprise, especially seeing Deborah our old SCM who I haven't properly seen in a while. Luke said he had brought me a bag of clothes in case I had wanted to get changed into something a bit fancier, cutie!

We started walking across town and eventually came to the Westin hotel, which is very posh inside. We went downstairs to the Mint Bar (the basement used to be a bank vault) and there was a reserved table waiting for us. Once we had sat down our barman brought us all a glass of water and a drinks menu and Ali told me that we were all going to have a cocktail making class! The cocktail we were making, of course, was a Cosmopolitan, my favourite!

Before we started we all had a sample glass of the Mint 500 cocktail which came in a mini mason jar and included Hendricks gin, elderflower liqueur, lime juice, pressed apple juice, mint, basil, Bitter Truth peach bitters and vanilla syrup. It was incredibly sugary but deliciously tasty. Then it was shaking time! We each worked in a pair and watched as our barman and teacher made a Cosmo first then Deborah and I went next and mine was a bit of a disaster! I managed to spill most of my alcohol and it didn't taste that great, but it was hilarious fun, especially igniting the orange oil at the end. In this photo of Luke and Ciara you can see the flame so well and it lit up the drink so it looks luminescent.

Once we had each made our own drink the barman made us all two more sample drinks. This time we had a Rasmopolitan which used raspberry vodka, Chambord and cranberry juice, a nice twist on the classic and it was so delicious! We also got to try the 3 Berry Collins which was Absolut Elyx vodka, crème de bois, crème de myrtille, crème de framboise, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and siphon carbonic soda and it was served with a raspberry and blueberry in the bottom.

After that the class was finished but we went back to our table and continued drinking, more Mint 500, Cosmopolitan Daisy, Kopparberg and mysterious glasses that were constantly being refilled! Kevin also joined us just after Deborah left which was nice. And the barman brought me over a mini creamy dessert that said good luck in London in chocolate icing on the plate, a lovely complimentary treat.
On one bathroom trip Ciara and Ali went out another door and came running back in with a tea cup and saucer hidden under their clothes! Apparently it was another leaving gift!

Eventually after last orders we all left the bar and almost left without paying! Ciara got a taxi with me and Luke as she was staying the night at ours and we had a good laugh and catch up before climbing into bed.

Today I am so very grateful for my friends who planned this wonderful surprise leaving treat. I shall miss them all so much in London!