Blog 135
Asian Elephants & Ceylon Arrack
Posted By Tom
Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) Overview: Recent population estimates of the Asian Elephant suggest there are approximately 50,000 of these beautiful animals left in the wild. Once widespread across the continent, the species can now be found in fragmented populations from India to Indonesia, with over 50% of the surviving population...
Pink Pigeon Conservation and Mauritian Rum
Posted By Tom
Pink Pigeon (Nesoenas mayeri) Pink Pigeons are endemic to Mauritius and were once found widely distributed across the island. In recent times populations of Pink Pigeons have been confined to the upland forests and as a result fragmented. This was caused primarily by sugar cane plantations and the resulting habitat destruction, alongside...
The Snow Leopard
Posted By Tom
Snow Leopards (Panthera uncia) IUCN Red List Category: Endangered Overview: The last IUCN population estimate showed there are only between 4,080-6,590 snow leopards remaining in the wild. Populations of snow leopards are scattered throughout the mountainous regions of Central and Southern Asia, typically between 3,000-5,200m above sea level,...
Save the African Elephant
Posted By Tom
Overview: The African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) IUCN Red List Category: Vulnerable The population of African Elephants has decreased from a total of 1.3 million in 1979 to 400,00 today. Over the past 5 years it is estimated that 150,000 elephants have been killed in the illegal ivory trade. This has resulted in the virtual...
Cocktails for Conservation Menu Launch
Posted By Tom
This blog is to celebrate the release of our Cocktails for Conservation menu available now at Bar 135. For every cocktail purchased from this menu, £1 will go towards conservation charities worldwide. The menu has been designed to utilise those spirits that give something back to wildlife conservation and where we’ve had to use other...
Cocktails for Conservation
Posted By Tom
There has been a rising awareness of the impact the drinks industry is making on the environment. Over the past few years more and more distilleries, breweries and drink factories are becoming more conscious of their impact and thankfully are making changes to their methods. Years ago the idea of an organic wine, beer or spirit might have...
Whisky or Whiskey?
Posted By
So what is the real difference between whisky and whiskey? If you’re like me, and before writing this blog, had a limited knowledge of whisky, or had an understanding but was confused by the different spellings, then you’re in the right place! Although that pesky little ‘e’ may seem insignificant, there are a few key differences...
Distillation Part 3 - Maturation & Oxidation
Posted By Ben
All spirits when they come off the still are colourless. The ageing process for spirits originated by mistake when it was noticed that barrels of spirits tasted smoother and more complex after long sea voyages. The barrel is the most common vessel used for maturing spirits, usually 500-litre size. Smaller sizes can also be used, but these restrict...
Distillation Part 2 - Pot & Column Stills
Posted By Ben
Pot Still This is sometimes referred to as an alembic or alembic still. It looks like a large copper kettle and is heated by direct heat. The vapours collect in the head and are led off through a narrow tube at the top, called the swan’s neck or lyne arm, from where they go to the condenser. Here they are liquefied. Such a still is not very...
Distillation Part 1 - Introduction
Posted By Ben
What is it? Simple Explanation – Distillation is simply the separation of alcohol from an alcohol containing liquid. Alcohol evaporates at a lower temperature than water, therefore distillation simply heats the liquid to the required heat to vaporise the alcohol and not the water. Then, when the vapour comes into contact with a...
Home Mixing 2 - How to make an Apple Orchard
Posted By Ben
Apple Orchard The key to making a nice cocktail is to balance the four factors: strong, weak, sweet & sour. The spirit provides the strong The weak is created by shaking/stirring/churning which dilutes the ice (normally a third to a quarter of all cocktails is actually water) and also the addition of mixers The sweet is derived by...
Open Mic Night
Posted By Ben
There are not many more ideal locations and environments for live music in Bristol than Bar 135. The bar is almost made for it. After a highly successful open mic night in July we will be running one on the 20th of August. The atmosphere is intimate yet not overwhelming – with great people and a light-hearted approach to the night. What’s...
A Bitter Twist on an Old Fashioned
Posted By Ben
So… On our journey to discover more about the Old Fashioned and its multifaceted combination of very few ingredients we must start somewhere. And so we start with two tentative steps into the world of Old Fashioned twists with a couple that I have enjoyed for some time. They are extremely easy first steps and of which...
Why Whiteladies Road for the location of our Bar
Posted By Ben
A lot of guests who visit us in the bar often ask the question, why this bar? Why here? Well, in short the answer is simple, when we were growing up you had one of two choices for a night out, Whiteladies Road or Park Street, so why not now? Back then, Whiteladies was one of Bristol’s premier shopping areas, bustling with people during...
Homemade Bitters
Posted By Ben
If like us you’ve spent a bit of time experimenting with various bitters available, you’ve probably caught the ‘bitter bug’ and are itching to delve deeper into this wonderful world. You could of course continue to scour the marketplace for all sorts of weird and wonderful options. Or, if you have the patience and...
Why do people cook at home and not make cocktails?
Posted By Ben
Introduction to Home Mixing Why do people cook at home and not make cocktails at home? Everyone uses the internet nowadays to look up recipes for their dinner but very few look up cocktail recipes to make at home. I think there are two key differences between cooking and making cocktails that discourage people from trying it at home: You...
How to make an Old Fashioned Cocktail
Posted By Ben
The Old Fashioned Introduction What is it about an Old Fashioned? Why is it so revered by bartenders and cocktails lovers around the world? Is it because it is so simple yet so complex, or because it changes with every sip you take, or is it just its incredible ability to stay. For years it has been there. On every cocktail...
About our blog
From Aviation highs all the way down to a Dark and Stormy, the Bar 135 blog will guide you through the cocktail world and make sure you end up with the perfect drink in your hand.
Keep coming back for the latest food and drink fashions as well as expert advice on recreating your favourite drinks at home.
