How to Drink like Romans in the City of London with Francis Grew, Museum of London

Hidden away under the Bloomberg Building in the City of London lies the remains of the Roman Temple of Mithras, which you can visit. So what does that have to do with drinking? Our guest today is definitely the one to answer that question!

Francis Grew, one of the fantastic curators of the fabulous Museum of London, knows all about the Romans in London and more specifically what the Romans were drinking in London when it was known as Londinium. He’s our guest today on this episode sponsored by the City of London.

Did you know the City of London is just one square mile and forms the oldest part of London and was founded by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago? And already back then, it was a major trading port with goods including wine coming from all over Europe – how little the change! It even has its own mayor, the Lord Mayor, and government and is run independently from London?

The City has so many things to see and do, before and after work, from quirky independent cafes to internationally-renowned cultural institutions, world-class modern architecture to historic heritage sites. From high-end shopping to vintage stalls, from street food to Michelin-star restaurants, and of course, from small boozers to glitzy wine and cocktail bars, there is a little bit of everything for everyone.

The City of London today is a vibrant part of London with its own unique atmosphere, culture, and history just waiting to be re-discovered, but let’s head back in time with Francis to when the Romans ruled the roost!

The “Square Smile '' campaign is designed to raise awareness of the benefits of returning to the City of London and face-to-face interaction as firms increasingly give their staff more flexibility on where they locate through hybrid working. It showcases the City’s vibrant offerings – ranging from world-class culture, heritage, cuisine, entertainment, retail, architecture, BARS, and so much more. Visit www.squaresmile.london for great ideas of places to visit, to see, discover, and drink.

Francis’s favorite cocktail is the Old fashioned, but we’re going to mirror the Romans. They brought wine to London from afar just like The City of London Distillery makes their Old Fashioned by using a Blackpool-born sweet mash and sweets that might be popular here but were created elsewhere first!

Our cocktail of the week is the City of London Distillery’s Werther’s Original Bankhall Old Fashioned:

INGREDIENTS

• 50 ml Bankhall Sweet Mash
• 10 ml Werther’s Original Sugar Syrup
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
• Garnish: Orange Zest

METHOD

• Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass
• Add ice
• Stir, stir, stir
• Strain into rocks glass with one gorgeous piece of ice
• Garnish with the orange zest

To make the Werther’s Original Syrup - you need 100 ml of water and 10 candies. Just add the water and candy to a pot and heat it over the stove. When the candies have melted, you have Werther’s Syrup! I don’t add extra sugar as I find it sweet enough, but you can always add more.

You’ll find this recipe, more City of London Distillery recipes, and all the cocktails of the week at alushlifemanual.com, where you’ll find most of the ingredients in our shop.

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