Absinthe tasting in London with LeNell
Published by on May 21st, 2009 6 Comments »
First, thank you to the lovely James for walking me to the tube station after the event. I was very nearly hammered by that last(?) cocktail (Absinthe Pimm’s – Absinthe, Pimm’s, Cinnamon Sugar, Orange Juice, Lemonade) and it was good to not be alone navigating an unfamiliar part of London. Second, thank you to Alan Moss of La Clandestine for twisting my arm into attending. By the end of the evening, I didn’t feel a thing…
The Absinthe in Montgomery event hosted by LeNell and Ales began around 1:30 in the afternoon and was an informative presentation and tasting of absinthe. LeNell – amazing American bartender extraordinaire from New York City – taught a small group of us (maybe ten or so?) about the history, the production, and the drinking of absinthe. We sampled a total of four during the event itself (a few more later in cocktails) and were invited to express our thoughts on the tastes, sensations, and overall experiences of each brand. I think I was the only one there who wasn’t a bartender or industry person, but I’m certain everyone went away from Absinthe in Montgomery with new understanding and appreciation. Some left right after the event, and some of us didn’t leave until much, much later…
Montgomery Place is a gorgeous and impressive little bar in Notting Hill. Great staff, expertly crafted drinks, and excellent food. They also stock several brands of absinthe and have a very impressive collection of other spirits and liquors.
The four absinthes of the event were La Clandestine – Charlotte, Lucid, Delaware Phoenix – Meadow of Love, and Nouvelle-Orléans. I’ll post a photo and a mini review of each over the next few days. In the meantime, please have a look at the full collection of photos on flickr – you’ll find them in my Food and Beverage section, or by the tag lenells.
Update to add: Although my details are few, I believe the event was sponsored by or in part by Liqueurs de France (a fine online absinthe shop), and La Clandestine. I welcome any corrections or additions to that information.
6 Responses to “Absinthe tasting in London with LeNell”
Sounds like it was a great time! I’m surprised they had a gem like Meadow of Love, but that’s awesome that they did! Which did you enjoy the best?
I hate to spoil the surprise, but Meadow of Love was my favourite. Although I already knew I loved La Clandestine…
I try not to compare la bleue and verte; they’re so very different.
[...] on the event (and ticket purchases) can be found by clicking here. We had a fantastic time at her event in London, and definitely recommend you beg, borrow, or steal your way to the NYC [...]
[...] US, Amazon UK, Waterstone’s). I resisted initially but after seeing it in person at the LeNell’s event at Montgomery Place, I knew I needed it on my own bookshelf. I went with the paperback edition (as linked to above) as [...]
MoL IS great stuff. Most people that tried both seemed to like the Walton Waters better, but I tend to side with you and prefer the Lovely Meadow.:) I wish I had more than 2 drinks worth left…
[...] casual review from the tasting event at Montgomery Place last month. This post looks at Lucid, imported by Viridian Spirits LLC, Manhasset [...]