SKY GARDEN'S SUMMER SOUNDS

Sometimes I accept an invitation to something that I know will take me out of my comfort zone. I say yes to a concept, an idea or an event without thinking through much more of the detail, and then find myself in The London Dungeons (somewhere I'm not particularly keen on but end up having one of the best Monday nights I've had in a while), or on the gazillionth floor of a building when one of my biggest fears is heights. But on all these occasions I try not to be completely pathetic and to get on with it, and actually have a really good time.

The most recent of these events was Sky Garden's Summer Sounds which is a great evening of live music.... 155 metres up in the air!! Ignoring that little nugget of info, I met Georgie downstairs where we were whisked up in to the sky to the stunning Sky Garden for some rose wine, delicious snacks and excellent live music. Every Thursday and Friday from 6pm, and every Saturday from 9pm, until 30th September you can go up to the Sky Garden for free to enjoy a mix of live bands and DJs courtesy of acclaimed ALR Music. It's not only one of the best views in London (if that's your thing) but the music when we went was really, really good. If you want to make an evening of it then book an exclusive sofa area for £450 for up to 9 people, or you can get a larger area for groups of 10+ for a minimum spend of £50pp, which is not tricky to rack up once you've had a few drinks and some food each. I don't think there's anywhere as high up, with such stunning views as this that's offering such a great deal, so highly recommend you check it out!

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WIN DINNER & DRINKS AT BURY COURT

I've got a real treat for you today.... Earlier this week I popped down to the newly refurbished Balls Brothers venue - Bury Court, next to Liverpool Street, to sample their new food and cocktail menu, and they've very kindly given me a meal and drinks for 4 people to win on my blog - just enter below using the Rafflecopter widget. You can gain up to 3 entries by following the instructions below. Let me tempt you by telling you about our visit there and the delicious cocktails and food we tried.

Bury Court is right at the foot of The Gherkin building in The City. Despite its location there was quite a mix of people in there when we went on a Tuesday evening - not just the suits you'd expect, but groups of girls drinking cocktails, couples and mates out for a bite to eat. Bury Court has a great cocktail menu so we were convinced to try a few of these. I didn't know until now that Balls Brothers was born in the 19th century and started life as the Old George Public House on Bethnal Green Road, not far from the Bury Court site. They became renowned for the quality of port, brandy and sherry they served and the business grew into speciality booze shops that were known for their top quality produce. It's with this in mind that the new cocktail menu was created. If you really want, you can have a mojito or a Bloody Mary at Bury Court, but it was these old fashioned cocktails inspired by the spirits that The Balls Brothers built their empire on that had me interested.

We started with Shaky Pete's Ginger Brew, made from Beefeater gin, London Pride, lemon and gingery syrup. I think this was my favourite of the 3 we tried - it was light but fiery from the ginger, and I don't think I've tried a cocktail made with ale before, though I definitely would again. Next up was a Sherry Cobler, made with Hidalgo Amontillado Napoleon (a fino sherry), Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7 year Bourbon, Cointreau, gomme and orange bitters. It's an old drink that was said to be the most popular mixed drink of the 19th century and is apparently the reason the straw was invented, as previous mixed drinks had all been served in short glasses, whereas this is served in a long glass. It's strong and boozy, and not one for the faint hearted. While I enjoyed it, it was my least preferred of the 3 we tried. Both drinks look similar in colour, but tasted very different - Shaky Pete on the left; Sherry Cobler on the right.
 

 

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