Coupette – a much-loved cocktail den on the Bethnal Green bar stretch – recently launched a new menu called ‘Barely Legal’. We stop by to try some of the new drinks available.
What’s in a name?
The new menu takes its name from the first exhibition of works from iconic street artist, Banksy, with each cocktail inspired by the walls of East London and come paired with a unique artwork from one of six local muralists. The 12 new drinks have been created by Coupette’s team of award-winning bartenders and explore the creative link between graffiti and the Prohibition era, highlighting the relationship between legitimacy and artistic freedom.
The Menu Design
The booklet itself is a swish affair that echoes the dark green of Coupette’s banquettes and wood panelling. The title ‘Barely Legal’ is stamped on the front in a classic graffiti tag font. Inside, we’re relieved to see that six Coupette Classics have remained on the menu, including our decidedly decadent favourites, Chocolate & Red Wine (£10) and Board Room (£11), with guilt-free mocktails on the next page ahead of the newbies.
The rest of the menu is emblazoned with full-colour prints of the artwork the drinks took their inspiration from, with cocktail names and ingredients detailed on ‘Hello my name is…’ stickers.
The Cocktails
We start off with L’Imperatrice (Kiwi switched Havana Club 3-year-old, watermelon consommé, Grand Marnier Louis Alexandre, rhubarb & almond sugar orgeat, D&G Essence; £10) and Lost Path (£11). L’Imperatrice is fresh and fruity with a wonderfully hydrating watermelon and kiwi aftertaste. Rhubarb and almond orgeat lend a sharp tartness that tightens up the other fruit flavours, whilst the rum adds some cane character to complete this elegantly light, tropical cocktail. A lovely palate cleanser to start the evening off with.
Lost Path proves itself to be a blackcurrant sgroppino-style serve with a background of nettles and Douglas fir pine that works with a bright, lightly vegetal spruce soda. A sharp smear of lemon balm gel on the sorbet pricks the taste buds that are further tickled by the addition of sparkling Moet Champagne. The star of this drink however is the calvados that ties everything together with robust and well-structured apple notes and a touch of wood.
Next up is a moreish mezcal treat in the form of Flower Thrower (£10). Montebolos Espadin Joven Mezcal wafts forth with a hint of strawberry and coconut. The palate is powerful and evocative, with the mezcal spiked with coconut tequila and pink coconut water that gives the drink an incredible, robing body. Bar Manager, Andrei, tells us that real, organic, natural coconut water goes pink when it hits air and oxidises. They found a supplier and used this in the cocktail as it gives a much smoother, creamier taste, almost as if the drink has been fat-washed in coconut oil. Fresh, clarified strawberry cordial and reconstituted lime balance the flavours of this stunning new drink.
Ombré (Glenlivet 12-year-old, toasted black sesame, Lillet Rouge, Campari, Punt e Mes, carob, cacao, tonka, balsamic, squid ink; £10) is a unique and unusual serve, with the drink’s black colour evoking the dark flavours present within it. Punt e Mes is instantly apparent alongside Lillet Rouge and Campari, acting together as a trilogy of deep, herbaceous bitterness. The toasted black sesame works alongside the carob, cacao and tonka to up the earthiness, whilst balsamic vinegar brings the umami and balancing acid. The whisky adds a trusty backbone with grain character and barrel spice working with the sesame and spice components of this bold exploration into dark flavour modifiers.
We finish off with CornBread! (£12), curiously boasting ‘Avocado Woodford Rye, Beurre Noisette Distillate, Smoked Grits Lillet Rose, and Lemon’, and the profoundly Instagrammable Nuts for Nuts (Peanut butter Beefeater Gin, Oloroso, nut cream, pistachio, salted peanuts, cashew, whites, walnut soda; £10).
The hazelnut butter and subtly smoked corn come through on the nose of the first with light Lillet Rose and warm lemon notes flirting with the rye’s perfumed character. Nuts for Nuts, served in a Campbell’s style can, is the perfect final drink. Peanut butter is whipped with nut cream and egg whites to give a light and frothy texture to what would have otherwise been a heavy dessert-style serve. Cashews add a rich length whilst oloroso sherry introduces deep dried fruit notes that hint at a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. Beefeater makes itself known largely through citrus and rosemary, with a touch of juniper and anise completing the mix, before the palate returns to salty peanuts. The gin is an unusual but brilliant choice, stepping away from the expected whisky or rum route to balance the creamy, rich and nutty elements with a smack of herbaceousness and a gentle bitter bite. A brilliant example of Coupette once more pulling off the unexpected.
Final Thoughts
As we finish our drinks, we reflect on the fact that the new menu – whilst full of intriguing compounds and lovely drinks – could be quite an alienating experience for someone less familiar with cocktail ingredients. Unlike the previous menu, there is no indication of the style or length of the drinks, nor are there any descriptors of most present flavours. This means that most visitors will have to rely on getting additional information and suggestions from the Coupette team (which is not something that the bar is as well known for as their phenomenal menus), or will just have to wing it and hope for the best. Luckily, Coupette rarely makes a dudd drink, so imbibers will be in safe hands, however this lack of knowledge may prove unsettling to some.
In spite of this, the drinks in the new ‘Barely Legal’ menu have proven to be yet more feather in Coupette’s highly festooned hat. All the cocktails are balanced and creative, with some absolute beauties and new favourites that Coupette regulars will love.
Coupette, 423 Bethnal Green Rd, London E2 0AN