For the latest in our series of columns with CVH Spirits, SLTN visited The Liquor Store in Glasgow to talk high-end cocktails and ambience with general manager Euan Barker.
How would you describe The Liquor Store?
Euan Barker, general manager: “It’s a classy venue with a focus on cocktails and small plates, and with a lot of different international infusions and influences. It’s highbrow, but with an element of community and being a part of our fold – and that’s not just for general clientele and guests, but for hospitality.”
How would you describe the customer demographic?
Euan: “It tends to be your 25-plus. It’s a dark, candlelit place with a lot of small, quiet tables of two where you can have a nice chilled, romantic evening having a bit of food and sipping away at a cocktail; the couple that wants a nice, upmarket night out without feeling pretentious or without having to pay a pretty penny to be here.
“Equally, we’ve had a lot of groups coming in just wanting to have a nice, classy but still fun time. We’re never blaring music. It’s somewhere you can sit and chill and have a nice conversation.”
How has the drinks list evolved since the venue opened in June?
Euan: “We’re constantly looking to change and adapt, particularly when the place is so new.
“Two of the three cocktail sections we have on our menu are whisky-based. You’ve got your classics, which we’ve put our own spin on. Then we have our Remixes, which are all named after modern classics, so you recognise the names but not necessarily the flavours. So you take a drink that’s not normally a whisky drink and play about with it in a way that no longer tastes like the original product.
“There’s a focus on that, but primarily the focus is just making good drinks for people that want to drink good drinks.”
What makes the Angostura range of rums good to work with?
Euan: “It’s one of the most flexible brands to work with. Not only the support we get from them – they’ll always drop everything to come in and work with you – but their range of products is incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever had a menu without one of their products on it.
“Take the Angostura 3, for example. There’s not a thing I haven’t infused with it at some point. And it also just stands up so well on its own. If I’m happy to sit after my shift and sip on something then I’m happy to recommend it to anyone. And that goes for the whole range, right up to the 1824.
“And the support we get from (brand ambassador Samuel Shekleton) and the rest of the team is unparalleled. I’ve literally had Sam barbacking for me at an event. It’s a really nice, friendly brand to work with.”
Why is The Liquor Store a good fit for the Angostura brand?
Samuel Shekleton, Angostura brand ambassador, UK: “The Liquor Store is a great example of the kind of bars Angostura loves to work with; they have a really creative cocktail and food menu and are pushing innovation while at the same time managing to keep a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere.”
The Poppy’s Luck
• 40ml Angostura 3
• 10ml malic acid-adjusted cranberry cordial
• 15ml poppy seed liqueur
• 30ml lemon juice
• 10ml sugar syrup
• Two dashes plum bitters
Add ingredients to a shaker and dry shake and then wet shake. Strain into a rocks glass and garnish with an orange twist
