Earlier this year, we decided it was time to flip out drinks menu on it’s head and create something exceptional.
Many of our favourite tipples had become, what we’d consider, Blacklock classics and we knew it was time to shake things up. After plenty of meetings, conversations across the restaurants and, most importantly, listening to our bartenders, we concluded that come Autumn 2026, we’d set out to curate the ultimate Blacklock cocktail menu.
The brief was to double down on what we do what we do best. Offer deliciously good drinks, at exceptionally good value, with a healthy dose of our pip-to-peel philosophy behind the bar.
Nothing too fussy, nothing for the sake of it, and plenty of thought going into every ingredient, from the first pour to the last sip.
With a Chop House Martini served near enough frozen and a Manhattan that’s rather difficult to order just one of, we’ve been quietly watching which drinks you like best.
What we didn’t realise was that someone else had been watching too.
The Classic Cocktail Competition
On Monday 28 September, our very own George Pugsley was called up to compete in the Classic Cocktail Competition in London. As it turns out, every drink we’d created for the new menu happened to fit the competition criteria rather nicely.
Over the course of just 45 minutes, we watched George stir, shake and pour his way through a snapshot of our new Blacklock cocktail menu, with a couple of wildcard serves thrown in for good measure.
And, much to our surprise, we took home Negroni of the Year.
George’s winning Negroni started with a gin we’d been slowly infusing in the days leading up to the competition, a touch of Pedro Ximénez for a little extra richness, and what can only be described as George’s vermouth blend – made with his favourite Beesou alongside a few other carefully chosen ingredients.
The result was, in our entirely unbiased opinion, rather good.
We couldn’t be prouder of George and the whole bar team, but the timing made the win particularly special. After serving more than 1,000 Negronis during Negroni Week, with 50p from every one going to Slow Food, taking home Best Negroni felt like the perfect way to bring the week to a close.
A very big thank you to all our industry friends we stood alongside on Monday, and to everyone who joined us for a Negroni (or several) last week.
Chop Love,
Blacklock