Cocktail making in London - there really is something to be said for learning to make a fantastic drink - one that you can actually savor and enjoy rather than toss back before shuddering and making that utterly disgusted "gack" noise. Creating an exemplary beverage amounts to a lot more than sloshing one part cheap vodka, two parts orange juice into a tumbler, but it doesn't have to be incredibly complicated either. One of London's greatest mixologists, Dan Thomson, puts into his own words what makes a cocktail truly great and also shares his most beloved recipe:

A perfect cocktail is something few bartenders would dare to boast about. It should be a thing of beauty, not only in appearance but in its aroma and most importantly - taste. It should be perfectly balanced between its sweet, sour and alcoholic ingredients, whilst being both simple and complex at the same time, and yet I honestly believe it should be a drink that can be made at home without too much trouble.

Cocktails need not be exclusively for the fairer sex. There are some fantastic manly alternatives, like an Old Fashioned (Bourbon Whisky, Angostura Bitters, Sugar), or a Side Car (Cognac, Cointreau, and lemon juice); however, these rely on the quality of spirit chosen to go into them. To prove just how much difference the choice of spirit can make, why not try ordering a Tanqueray Ten Martini, shaken (not stirred) with Noilly Prat, and garnished with a twist.

The ‘Gentleman’s Tipple’ at Zenna Bar in Soho is a perfect example of a perfect cocktail. It combines the delicious, oaky, caramel, complex flavours of Martell XO cognac with Berry Bros & Rudd’s own King’s Ginger Liquer, in equal measure, poured over ice and stirred in the glass with 2 to 3 drops of Angostura Orange Bitters. The sweetness of the ginger liqueur is neutralized by the sharpness of the orange bitters, and since both flavours can be found in the complexity of the Martell XO, no single flavour dominates, leaving a smooth, complex tasting cocktail with very simple ingredients. The drink is garnished with an orange rind which when pinched releases its citrus oils to create a fantastic aroma.

Gentleman’s Tipple

• 50ml Martell XO
• 50ml King’s Ginger Liqueur
• 2-3 drops Angostura Orange Bitters

Build in a short glass over cubed ice and stir. Garnish with an orange rind slice.

- Dan Thomson

Want to come home from a long day at work and pour yourself a satisfying cocktail just like a Mad Men-esque 1960s ad exec? Dan Thomson will teach you himself at one of our half-price (£10), two-hour cocktail making classes at Zenna Bar.