Food, Days Out and Travel stories from Brighton, London and the Rest of the World

Friday

Something for the weekend by Rosie Davis


Step off the streets of present day Brighton and into the Speakeasies of the 1920s.

It is clear to say that the chic style and risqué origins of the 1920s Speakeasies is becoming ever increasingly popular. Bars, clubs, club nights and music have been evolving into 21st Century versions of a phenomenon that first emerged around 95 years ago and the appeal is obvious. Underground, away from the eyes of the law and your average man, it was dangerous, and who doesn’t love a bit of danger?



Joining the party is a new brand of cider, Blind Pig who are not only bringing with them an interesting selection of drinks but an art collective as well.  Maybe not the most common of combinations, but they are linked together by their love of the prohibition era.

The Blind Pig Collective is made up of six British artists, who have been inspired by the era. Laura Carlin, Shonagh Rae, Adam Simpson; filmmakers Joe Morris and Mark Donne, better known as Brass Moustache and photographer Rebecca Scheinberg. Each of them were asked to express the intrigue, excitement and character of the prohibition era and their responses proved to be eclectic and vibrant.

The drink itself has re-appropriated the slang word used during the 1920’s to describe an outfit that illegally sold alcohol. Now it's the name of a cider that gives a little wink to that era, a time when fruits and exotic flavours were mixed to hide the less than desirable flavour of home-brewed moonshine.

Blind Pig mixes apples, fruit and liquor in three combinations with Rum & Poached Pear, Whiskey Honey & Apple and Bourbon and Blueberry to choose from and can be found gracing a very select few bars in Brighton. 

One of which is The Mesmerist, where it fits in perfectly with the style of the place. My personal favourite is the Rum & Poached pear, with it's slight cinnamon undertone. It’s been my winter warmer, but should be refreshing at a BBQ in the summer too. Some flavoured ciders can be too sweet and lose the flavours of the cider, but here you can taste every flavour, even the Whiskey, which usually ends up being either too harsh or indistinct.

The only other places you can find Blind Pig at the moment are the St James’ Tavern, Bees Mouth and Proud Cabaret and I'm hoping to see it in some more places as it becomes more popular. At the moment Brighton is only one of six cities in the UK to stock Blind Pig.

Visit their website blindpigcider, which keeps the mysteriousness of the Speakeasy alive. You can also follow them on Instagram at @blindpigcider.

Follow Rosie Davis on Twitter @RosieDavisred and @Brightonwrites

and on Facebook at Brighton Writers
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