For the first in a new series of columns with CVH Spirits, SLTN visited Devil of Brooklyn in Glasgow to talk quality rums and high concept cocktails with GM Alfonso Sanchez-Cruz.
How would you describe the offer at Devil of Brooklyn?
Alfonso Sanchez-Cruz, general manager: “We like to say that our signature cocktails are as unique as possible. We get customers coming in and asking for a French Martini, for example. We don’t do a French Martini, but I can tell that they like vodka, they like something sweet, something that’s a bit light, and we very much have cocktails that are light, refreshing, sweeter. Or if someone likes a particular spirit we have cocktails with this or that in it.
“One of our big attractions is we have what we call our Infinity Barrels. We blend our own rum and whisky in-house and it changes every week. Sometimes we’ll make the whisky a bit more smoky or a bit sweeter, and the same with the rum. It also allows us to play around with different flavour profiles. And with the rum we’re using Angostura as a nice base for it.
“We offer certain cocktails specifically with those barrels, so an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan with the whisky, a rum Old Fashioned, Daiquiris and Mai Tais. We’ve become quite known for it.”
What can you tell us about the bar’s cocktail list?
Alfonso: “We like to have a theme for the menus. When I started here the menu was Dante’s Inferno and the circles of Hell. After that we went onto the Greek gods and then we went onto Norse mythology.
“This one is Witchcraft and Folklore from around the world. I think this menu in particular is the one we’re most proud of.”
What is the customer demographic at the bar?
Alfonso: “Students will come for that one round before they go out, and I quite like that they come here to start the night.
“We’re also very heavy on date-nights. We get a lot of first dates in here. A lot of regulars too. The age range is just as broad. We’ve got students to people older than myself. There’s not really any one demographic we hit. It’s more about the vibe people are wanting. You can come in, sit down and actually talk with the people you’re with. It’s all table service, so you come in and sit down and we do the rest.”
Why do you like working with the Angostura range?
Alfonso: “Everyone knows Angostura primarily from their bitters. It’s a trusted brand globally. It’s the first bitters everyone hears of and it’s the one that’s always on the bar.
“When I first tried Angostura rum I found it stands on its own very well. You can enjoy it neat, on the rocks, but it’s so well structured that it can cut through in a cocktail even when it’s being mixed with your citrus or your mixers or whatever.
“I feel like Angostura is becoming a real contender in the cocktail world.”
Why is Devil of Brooklyn a good fit for the Angostura brand?
Samuel Shekleton, Angostura brand ambassador, UK: “I think it’s because it’s one of those bars that has a very innovative menu but is still quite approachable in terms of anyone can go there and find something they’re going to like.
“I think that links in a lot to Angostura and Trinidad; everyone is welcome. As much as we’re positioned as a more premium spirit, we very much want everyone to feel that they can drink Angostura’s rums. In Trinidad Angostura is everywhere. So a bar that is upmarket but is welcoming to all sorts of different folk is a great fit for us.”
La Diablesse
• 40ml Angostura 3
• 15ml peach liqueur
• 20ml peach and nectarine syrup
• Lime acid
Build in a rocks glass over block ice and stir down.
