Keystone Crescent, 7th June

Ok, Keystone Crescent on a Sunday night is not exactly the place to be. But if you're really looking to impress someone with your under-the-radar knowledge then the fact no one else seems to be there could actually work in your favour!

I have to say, I kind of enjoyed having the place practically to myself and it didn't spoil our enjoyment. The vibe that I believe they're going for is '70s lounge'. At least, that's what sprang to mind from the stylised furniture and colour palette they have used.

The menu is simple, yet clever. They had about five different cocktails. I ordered the Dash Reviver (cold coffee, rum, vanilla, apricot) but our waiter told us they'd only put the cold press on that day and didn't think it would be at its best yet. I deferred to his advice and instead got an old fashioned. It was a little sweeter than most old fashioneds I've had, but that suits my preferences to a T and I loved it. One of the best I've had. My friend had the El Jimador which was a much lighter drink but just as easy to sip. He was a bit surprised at its potency but I pointed out that every single ingredient in it was alcoholic! The fact they still made it so delicious shows they're good at their craft.

Then, the clever bit. You can mix and match your own drinks to create whatever suits your mood, or favourite flavour profiles. You can have vodka, gin, rum, whisky or tequila and you can then choose sour, spice, fresh, bitter, tart and tiki as your mixer. The bartender is happy to suggest combinations he thinks go well together but it's really up to you to choose whatever you like. I loved this idea - so many permutations! And I could easily have spent the rest of the night working through them all. Instead I started with a bourbon and spice (ginger, cayenne pepper, tincture and sparkling and followed it up with a gin and tart (apple, apricot jam, basil and lemon). I'm happy to say both worked a treat.