Drinking with Gridiron
From its open-flame, live-fire grill, to its seasonally-minded, ethically-sourced food menu, there’s a lot to love about Gridiron by Como. The bar’s cocktail offerings are no exception. Balancing lofty sophistication with offhanded cool, drinking with Gridiron offers an experience far beyond your garden variety hotel tipple.
Words by Will HALBERT
The Ace in the Hole
The Wine Menus
Under the watchful eye of celebrated wine expert, Fiona Beckett, the Gridiron wine menu is a veritable who’s who of venerable vino. With a selection that ranges from big, bold, new world wines to more familiar European favourites, the Gridiron wine selection boasts breadth and depth in equal measure (and does a great job of highlighting the woefully under-quaffed Chablis and Grenache in the process). Likewise, the ‘Under the Counter’ menu – expertly elaborated by in-house sommelier, Lucy Ward (formerly of Noble Rot and Dinner by Heston) – is a similarly terroir-forward tour de force. Boasting an artful and confident balance
of stoic traditionalism and contemporary accessibility, Lucy’s menu makes for a compelling and carefully-curated drinking experience that caters for all. EJ
Featured Libation
White Russian
A far cry from the creamy, calorie heavy, and sure-to-curdle excess of the traditional White Russian, the Gridiron variant offers equal measures of the bar’s signature poise and sophistication. Pairing Absolut Elyx with cold brew coffee makes for a silky smooth and nuanced experience that eschews the White Russian’s typical syrup-ridden sweetness, while the addition of miso and clarified milk adds a touch of mixological magic to the whole affair. The result is a dialled-down cocktail that retains the richness and mouthfeel of the original without submitting to its former garishness. And the best part? No milk moustache. EJ
Get the Round in Liam Davy
Quickfire questions answered in the time it takes Gridiron’s bar manager to finish his Seedlip & Tonic
How would you describe the ethos behind your cocktails?
We wanted a menu that was both an ode to the cocktails of yesteryear and one that stood on its own two feet. More importantly still, the menu had to complement our food offerings. It’s no good having a fancy cocktail menu if all it wants to do is spar with your food! That kind of self-restrained minimalism takes real skill. Luckily Max, Noel, and our bartenders have that skill in spades.
Speaking of minimal, your glassware has a pretty elegant simplicity to it. Who’s behind that?
Our glassware is the work of Italian glassmakers, Luigi Bormioli. We wanted a range of glassware that matched the style and sophistication of our menu, but also hinted at its simplicity, its lack of pretence. The Luigi Bormioli range does that job perfectly.
I notice you’re drinking a Seedlip & Tonic. What are your thoughts on Dry January?
I know it scares a lot of bars, but it’s a good opportunity for bars to up the ante on their booze-free options. For the longest time, non alcoholic options were no more than an afterthought on menus.
As demand for alcohol-free options rises, it’s nice to see the likes of [Seedlip founder] Ben Branson
do his part to come up with an option that actually tastes of something.
What are your thoughts on sustainability in the food and drinks industry?
It’s a topic that has gained some real traction of late, and rightly so. It’s nice to see that we’re moving towards a stage where sustainability is no longer a novelty issue, but an industry standard. It’s not something we need to shout about, necessarily, as it should be constantly at work in the background.
And finally, what’s your house shot?
Given that I’m partaking in Dry January myself, I’d have to say it’s shots of Seedlip all round!
The Secret Ingredient
The Venning Brothers
Playing fast and loose with the term ‘secret ingredient’, perhaps, but Noel and Max Venning are an all-important element of Gridiron’s cocktails. Veteran brothers of the food and drinks sector, Noel and Max had already made quite a name for themselves before opening their very own Dalston cocktail bar, Three Sheets. Specialising in weekly, rotating, seasonal menus with an experimental twist, they were the obvious choice to help develop Gridiron’s cocktail offerings. From pandan-infused Old Fashioneds to tequila highballs, Noel and Max’s carefully-curated cocktail menu boasts an exciting roster of elevated classics, all of which are designed to compliment Gridiron’s food menu. Quietly confident, forward-thinking and refreshingly free of pretence, Gridiron’s menu is both a celebration of cocktail culture’s rich history and an exciting glimpse into its promising future. EJ
