On a recent trip to London I spent quite a bit of time in Will Foster's Casita Bar (all previous Will posts here), and was pleased to find it as convivial and chill as when I first discovered it in 2007.
An extensive collection of minis.
A Mexican wrestling mask atop the Jagermeister machine that keeps the stuff icy cold and makes it hard to say no to, particularly when Will dispenses rounds. The origins of many bad decisions may be traced to this machine.
"Gazebo'd" is my new favorite term for serious drinking. And speaking of drinks, here are a couple corkers from Will.
INDIAN SUMMER
BASIL GRANDE
There are two speeds at Casita, quiet and lively. There's Will's on the right, casually hosting.
Both speeds are great. Invariably one winds up chatting with a stranger at Casita. It's just got that comfortable feeling that's sort of impossible to create, it just has to happen. A lot of it of course comes from Will and the tone he's set, but there's some Factor X that's hard to put your finger on that gives the place such an intimate feeling. Its tiny size certainly helps. And lots of the crowd are either off-duty bartenders or people in the booze game so that creates its own latticework of connection. On my last night in town I was chatting with someone who turned out to be Dan Priseman of Bitters & Twisted, which was a pleasant surprise. And I got to sample him on the last of my stash of Brooklyn Hemispherical Bitters,
In the English Summer the skylights let light pour in to the bar well past 10.00 p.m, and one drink flows into the next without any sense of time passing, a pleasant sort of twilight zone cocktail hour that just goes on and on.
5 Ravey Street isn't easy to find, but that's part of what makes Casita special--one has to seek it out.
And if you stick it out til it's very late you might get treated to Will and Lee singing along to some Erasure.
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