The Cocktail Ponders of Miss Bella Rouge Pt1

The Cocktail Ponders of Miss Bella Rouge 

pt1

Hello one and all!

So im extrreeemly new to blogging but thought it may be a fun thing to do. There is always so much going on my side of the Cocktail Bar and sometimes its good to get the view and opinion of others. Weather that be an opinion on a new tipple for the bar, or thoughts on the popularity of craft beer in the UK (i am generalising somewhat!)

A little about myself.....

My name is Isabella Newman.... 'Bella-Rouge'.... known primarily for my theatrical passion for cocktail creation and design but also my crazy red hair, and one fo the first of many of my Cocktail creations...The Bella Rouge(25ml Plymouth Sloe Gin, 25ml Absolut Vanilla, 15ml Disarrono, 25ml Cranberry, 5ml Lime Juice shaken and served straight up in a Martini glass.).

 I am the Bar Manager at Circo Bar and Lounge in Bath, UK and have been here for almost 2 years now. The has bar turned from an intimate semi circular 60 covers lounge to a booming 300 capacity Bar and late night lounge (sometimes with added dancing!) Our menu currently consists of around 40 in house cocktails and patrons are encouraged to book master classes to learn how to make them...by the people who created them in the first place. We have the added bonus of an incredible hotel to our name too... The Halcyon, that's situated directly above us.( yes we do extremely good night caps!) So all in all its a place for those who enjoy a little decadance, loathe the samy nature of most cocktail lounges, and love great music. We also have an amazing array of foody delights including Stone Baked Pizzas, Hoi Sin duck pancakes, Superfood salads and much more, served Tuesday to Saturday.

Enough of the ins and outs ..if you do want to know more please visit www.circobar.co.uk or www.thehalcyon.com.

Whats new this week:

Our brand new menu is almost ready for print and i'm itching for it to be finished!!! 

We have just got a cracking new champagne in: Cattier NV Premier Cru Brut Saphir. Now ill admit that im not the best champagne connoisseur, however the taste and aesthetics of this Champagne are amazing. The bottle comes in a cracking deep blue colour laden with pewter labels....stunning! Lucking our friends at Cellar Trends UK are coming for the afternoon of 25th September to do a little tasting with the staff to get everyone up to speed on their fabulous range. The Cattier champagne family also produce the infamous "Armand De Brignac" who many rappers and wealthy patrons know as 'Ace of Spades' due to its bottle symbol.... Whilst also a cracking Champagne its a shame that the two nearest nightclubs in our vicinity both stock it...otherwise i may be tempted. I personally not only love the Cattier style for the taste and craft that goes into making their champagne, but the design of the bottles themselves, even the bright pink ones...(no wonder some places charge £380  bottle!) Thankfully our Saphir is going to cost you a mere £120 a bottle...trust me its well worth it.

I've just received a little sample of Rhuby( a new Swedish Rhubarb Liqueur) as im entering a cocktail competition they are doing next month in London. The sample is great...little to no scent on the nose but a super super sweet rhubarb and custard kind of taste (YUM!) my head is currently buzzing with ideas for delicious fun things to create with it...watch this space..i may even get the blowtorch out!! Myself, my assistant Andy and our general Manager Simon are all booked in for the Boutique Bar Show in a couple of weeks time so i may find some creativity there too.

I will try to post weekly around the time we update our cocktail of the week and try to give you an insight into the brains of our bartenders too... :)

Any whoooo...  its my Birthday in two days and i am a firm believer that any celebration is the prime opportunity to sample as many delights as possible...whilst not feeling guilty about your friends paying for them!

Toodles for now

I've got cocktails to try!

Bella-Rouge xx


A sneaky picture of the Lavender Ice Cubes ive been making for select Gin and Tonic Lovers! To die for :)