In a fittingly kitted out space in Shoreditch, the Cocktail Trading Company have a flagship bar that does its cocktail menu justice. Located on Bethnal Green Road, a short distance from the top of Brick Lane, the bar lies behind an unassuming exterior that gives way to a lesson in how to set the mood for drinking. Take dark wooden panelled walls, leather buttoned banquet seating, floral carpet and swathes of copper and pink-gold colouring and you get the interior equivalent of a well-balanced, perfectly executed drink.
Two things that the Cocktail Trading Company doesn’t do, is take bookings at its Brick Lane branch or serve food. So, eat first or not at all and turn up and try your luck for one of the cosy tables. Cocktail consultants as well as bar owners, the drinks were always likely to be top notch and we can attest to that. Without taking themselves too seriously – there are edible golf balls, medicine bottles and false teeth to be found – the people behind the menu have struck the right balance in adding a fun twist to serious drinks.
We drink the Handy Nightcap, a rich, bourbon soaked celebration of bitter and sweet which is good enough to send down in one – we won’t ruin the surprise of what you’ll find at the bottom of the glass, just be excited. Classy customers will want to try the Business Brace (yes, we include ourselves in the classy category), which is a delicate mix of cognac, bitters and champagne that will change your life, or at least your evening.
Charming, flirtatious and serious about the drinks, the Cocktail Trading Company is the latest bar to bring a more refined style of drinking to Shoreditch.
