Marshmallow Martinis at Brick & Liquor

When it comes to nightlife, the Junction and High Street parts of Clapham are well represented with a huge choice. However, the Clapham South part of town has been somewhat neglected… until recently. Last summer, the team behind successful Brick & Liquor in Tooting opened a sister bar on Balham Hill. A friend and I went along to check it out just before Christmas for a festive cocktail session.

The bar is styled like a Brooklyn loft, with exposed brick, natural wood and industrial furniture. Brick & Liquor is billed as a neighbourhood bar, giving a more friendly and local vibe than other cocktail bars, which can be guilty of focusing too much on the drinks and not enough on the customers. However, Brick & Liquor certainly delivers on the hospitality, the staff were friendly, approachable and certainly know their stuff when it comes to mixology.

The drinks menu features classic cocktails with a twist, alongside a selection of wines and bubbly. We started off-menu with their festive cocktail – a Marshmallow Martini (Absolut Vodka, Café Cartron, Vanilla Carton, milk and cream, finished with toasted s’mores and a melted hazelnut chocolate garnish). The marshmallow proved messy, but satisfactorily delicious and gooey. The cocktail itself was like drinking a dessert, with the chocolate and hazelnut garnish giving a Ferrero Rocher-esque flavour.

A Salted Caramel Espresso Martini and Californication

After our festive first round, we returned to the main cocktail menu, with my friend opting for one of their most popular concoctions – the Salted Caramel Espresso Martini (Absolut vodka, espresso, cafe liquor, vanilla, salted caramel and a hint of orange). My pal is a regular connoisseur of Espresso Martinis and it certainly met her high standards as she loved it. Meanwhile, I opted for a Californication (Prosecco and homemade strawberry and mint purée), a refreshing and light cocktail which was very easy to drink.

Overall, we were impressed. Brick & Liquor is a great addition to the area, which was crying out for a good drinking destination. The atmosphere was warm and friendly and the cocktails were brilliant, they were certainly a step up from what you would expect from a local cocktail bar. Although we didn’t eat on this occasion, there is a sharing plates food menu, featuring dishes such as arancini, ribs, lamb skewers and sweet potato fries, or a brunch menu on weekends, so I will have to return to check it out.

• Brick & Liquor, 47 Balham Hill, Clapham, SW12 9DR. Nearest station: Clapham South. Open Mon-Thur 5pm-11pm, Fri 3pm-1am, Sat 10am-1am, Sun 10am-11pm. For more information, visit the Brick & Liquor website.

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