Tequila Cocktail Masterclass – Voltaire Cocktail and Champagne Bar

I woke up on the 9th of August to one of the most gloomy and dreary days this summer; it was cloudy, rainy, cold and absolutely miserable. Sometimes I question why I moved back to London, when I could instead be in the sunny tropics soaking up all that Vitamin D. Anyways, I figured I’d just make the most of it, you know seize the day and all so I rolled out of bed and made my way into work.

Work was good fun, but when I stepped out of the office to my dismay it was still raining and to top it off I managed to step into a puddle, which drenched my shoes. BUT I was not going to let this bring me down; I was absolutely BUZZING for the event and fun evening I had in store! I made my way to Warren Street station, down the escalators and hopped on a train, journeying to Blackfriars where I was meeting my fellow nibbler for a Tequila Cocktail MASTERCLASS!

The event was held at the historical Voltaire Champagne and Cocktail Bar. On arrival, we walked down some windy stairs into the basement and ended up at the outdoor vaults. Voltaire is located on the site of King Henry VIII’s royal Bridewell Palace and used to be a prison, which explained absolutely everything. Voltaire to this very day has retained its original prison cells, which have been converted into little private lairs for friends to hide out, sip on champagne and enjoy some incredibly unique cocktails. The bar has managed to preserve the location’s incredible history, making it one of the most unique and enticing spots in London.

Once entering, we rocked up to the bar where all the cocktail making tools were laid out and ready to be used! We got handed some lovely bubbly house champagne, which we sipped whilst chatting to our lovely bartender/teacher for the night. He told us all about the history of tequila; the agave used, the different kinds, its origin and just so much more – who knew there was so much to tequila? Mezcal vs. Tequila – what a smokey difference! Voltaire uses all homemade liqueurs, syrups and infusions in all drinks. He told us that it takes him 3 days to make the beautiful watermelon, basil and lime syrup used in the watermelon and basil margarita – that’s commitment! We then proceeded to make these. We poured the watermelon base, sugar syrup and tequila into the cocktail shaker, added ice, sealed it and then shook it integrate all the beautiful ingredients to get that one delicious flavour. We then strained the drink into the margarita glass, had a big sip and fell in love – so much that we were given a bottle of the mix to take home to attempt to make some of these ourselves (we did have a go at home and mind you it was rather successful if you ask me!)

We then proceeded to learn how to make a rather spicy drink and chat about his future travels to Greece (4 weeks – I’m JEALOUS). Overall, Voltaire is a richly historical and unique bar and we did enjoy our time there. The cocktail masterclasses are exciting, easy to follow and educational! You really do manage to learn a lot, which is evident as we managed to recreate some of these goods at home successfully! This is why I love and adore London – there’s always something new to see, something exciting to explore or something new to try and Voltaire is exemplary of just that. CHEERS to GREAT times in this magnificent city!