Padennis Club

This cocktail - not one of my favourites - is here as an ode to a colleague by the name of Ross. But before we get to that I need to tell you about one of my favourite bars - a bar by the name of Bar Termini, in Old Compton Street, Soho, UK. If you’ve ever been to Soho you’ll know that you don’t have to step far to get a great cocktail; Shotgun, Opium, Milk & Honey, Bar Américan, the Experimental Cocktail Club, even some fantastic hidden bars like the one behind the bookshelf in Milroys. But none of these have a place in my heart as does Bar Temini. I discovered this place back in 2014 - the limited space is made up for by absolutely perfect cocktails, fantastic cosy atmosphere, friendly staff and wonderful charcuterie. Bar Termini is the home of - in my opinion - the best Espresso Martini in London, an opinion that is often disputed by friends and colleagues right up until their first sip. But this isn’t about the Espresso Martini, this is about the Padennis Club. I’d never heard of the Padennis Club, until I took Ross to Bar Termini to where I sampled my usual repertoire - start with the Espresso Martini, move onto an Old Fashioned, then the (Perfect) Manhattan, followed by a Sazerac, and if you’re still standing then drunkenly discuss the finer points of cocktails with the bartenders until they recommend you something different which you’ll forget the name of by the morning. Looking Ross up an down I thought I’d pinned him as an Old Fashioned drinker, but much to my surprise after sipping through the Espresso Martini Ross ended up picking his now favourite cocktail by the name of Peddenis Club. It’s always fun to take someone to Bar Termini and share the best Espresso Martinis in London, but it’s maybe more fun to take someone there and they discover their new favourite cocktail.

The Padennis is a sweet cocktail. Lifted up by the zing of the lime juice, while balanced by the robustness of the apricot. While the original recipe just calls for 4-2-1 of gin, apricot liquor and lime juice, I prefer to flatten out the citrus by adding one part sugar syrup, or go for a 4-2-2 combo of gin, apricot liquor and sour mix. The double strain method helps filter out any lime pieces, but with a sour mix just straining the ice is good enough.

This recipe might not be as good as the Padennis Club served in Bar Temini, but it’ll do nicely.