It’s no secret that I love a good cocktail. Look through my insta feed and you will see many pictures of these delish creations, me holding these delish creations, cheersing these delish creations – you get the picture. So when I was given the chance to be among the first to taste some of the new and exclusive Tanqueray No. TEN cocktails on offer at Gaucho, on the Summer Citrus Terrace in Canary Wharf, I jumped at it.
Let’s be honest for a moment here – we are in England, the weather cannot be relied upon, so of course to celebrate summer, we have been treated to torrential rains. Sadly, this launch was victim to these as well. However, the staff at Gaucho did a great job at bringing the sun inside. The terrace is lovely – it is bordered by orange and lemon trees, on the banks of the Thames and when it is sunny, the terrace will be the perfect place to catch the sun either after work or on a lazy weekend day. I look forward to heading back soon!
The atmosphere at Gaucho is the right mix of fun, elegance and class. This mix flows through into the cocktails. They were perfectly balanced. Dan Munt, who is the Director of Bars at Gaucho has created this menu exclusively for this location. They are summery, light and tasty.
The cocktail of the night as voted by a team of experts (aka the people at my table!) was the Peach and Green Tea. It comes with a twirl of cucumber, which plays off the delicate peach flavours perfectly. The flavours of green tea and lemon are all present, making it refreshing and light. With all the fruit and antioxidants present, this cocktail is practically good for you!
If that is not your cup of tea (or bucket of cocktail), then you might like to try the Cotton Candy Fizz. This is made with homemade cotton candy syrup – we were gifted a small shot of the syrup on its own and what a delight! The syrup plays beautifully on the tongue and brings to mind toffee apples, reminding us of days at fairgrounds when we were kids. The drink as a whole with its flavours of fresh apple, lemon juice and Chandon sparkling wine, will be a hit this summer. They are very moreish and just the right level of sweetness, that could see you drinking these all night.
For those who shy away from the sweet there is the brilliantly named Still a Shame. This creation is perfect for those who like something a little different. Orange and Rosemary are flavours that I did not expect in a cocktail, but absolutely loved. And if you are cocktail adverse (we will not be able to be friends), then there is the Official Gaucho Tanqueray No. TEN cocktail made with grapefruit, orange and line, mellowed by floral chamomile, juniper and a hint of white pepper. This drink is so clear, it looks like filtered water with a delish slice of grapefruit. Do not be fooled though, these are very grown up flavours which makes for the perfect drink for those that enjoy their gin in a more classic way.
All of these delish drinks perfectly compliment the food menu at Gaucho that is predominantly high quality meat. The steak here is amazing. The chimichurri was incredible, eaten with the bread rolls and cold cuts, a perfect precursor to the steak. THE STEAK. I once had a friend who bemoaned the fact that we all ate so much salad in London. She routinely looked at us and said ‘Eat a steak.’ Now I understand. Please do eat the steak and you will not be disappointed.
The weather in London is set to fine up over the next week. My advice to you, to get over the political woes, the sadness over world events, the post Glasto blues and the sunshine envy that is present at the moment, is to get yourself to Gaucho in Canary Wharf, order a steak and one of each of these cocktails. You will be happier! You can book a table here.
See you there!