Joe Saxon

Its pop-up bar The Rum Shack was a summer success and now cocktail pioneer The Hedonist Project has taken up permanent residence in the trendy Lower Briggate area of Leeds with a new, Scotch themed new drinking establishment: The Liquor Store & Whisky Parlour Still, if you’re not a whisky lover, a blended malt man or a single grain gal, fear not – The Hedonist Project will be changing its identity every three months to focus on a different alcoholic beverage. Each transformation will not only see the food and drinks menu change, but also the décor and even the background music. But for now, it’s all about the Scotch. With over 60 fine whiskies, there’s plenty for connoisseurs, with an extensive list of cocktails, too. Here are five concept cocktails you need to try: 1. Rare Old Fashioned Justin Gardner   If a whisky bar can’t get an Old Fashioned right, then something’s gone wrong. This new take on the whisky classic is infused with heritage – quite literally. Made with two single malt whiskies, demerara sugar syrup and spiced bitters, your glass is smoked by torching an old whisky stave to infuse it with the barrel’s oakiness. 2. Blood and Strand  Justin Gardner   The traditional Blood and Sand gets its name after the 1922 silent film, but this zingy cocktail gets its moniker from the beach that its key component – Caol Ila – originates from. The mixologists at The Hedonist Project have removed the orange from the taste, but not from the nose, whipping together an orange

There are few monsters so intrinsically linked with horror as Nosferatu, although the name more often calls to mind cinematic chills rather than literary thrills, thanks to the iconic F.W. Murnau film ‘Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror’ The latest theatrical production of 'Nosferatu', from theatre company Proper Job, may share the same name – but don’t be expecting Max Schreck’s spindle-fingered ghoul of the 1922 film. Instead, the play is based on a scant four pages of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ in which the vampire travels hidden in the cargo of the ship Demeter. However, artistic director James Beale is keen to emphasise that their monster will be its own beast: ‘It’s not Count Dracula and it’s not Count Orlock,' he says. '‘This is our own Nosferatu, the night-stealer, the unseen monster, the person who is effectively fear. We think that journey is incredibly theatrical. Three sailors, something’s in the hold, people are dying around us and the dawn never seems to come.’ From a script by acclaimed poet Ian McMillan, Nosferatu will be the first in a trilogy of monster plays and a peek at the strikingly expressionistic set of Nosferatu reveals just how creepy the production promises to be. ‘It’s very hard to do fear on stage,’ admits James. ‘It’s much easier to scare people with film, because you can suspend your disbelief, but hopefully this play will be scary. You can judge for yourself.’ Richard Mulhearn   Nosferatu. Friday 23 October, 7.30pm. Carriageworks Theatre, Electric

Are you getting bored with the same cuts of beef, displeased with pork or sick of chicken? Then perhaps you need to broaden your carnivorous horizons with some zebra, alpaca or reindeer... Tucked in the basement of the 400 year old Leeds landmark Lambert’s House, RARE Bar and Restaurant is living up to its name with a series of rare meat and alcohol pairings, which continues with an alpaca and rum night on Wednesday October 21. Those who know alpacas only as the llama’s fluffier cousin may be surprised to learn the animal is a popular source of meat in South America, prized for its tenderness and mild, almost sweet flavour. At £30 per person, this four course meal will be served with four rum-based cocktails, their ingredients selected to compliment each dish. All the alpaca meat is sourced from Kezie, a small farm in the Scottish Borders. RARE’s unique food and drink pairings haven proven popular, including a squirrel & gin evenings earlier this summer, but their lead-up to Christmas promises a whole new range of rarities. On November 4, they will be hosting a flat iron & cabernet sauvignon evening, displaying a cut of beef rarely served in the UK, and November 18 will unveil the peculiar pairing of zebra & cognac. Their Christmas dinner, a reindeer evening, will take place on December 16, showcasing one of the most popular traditional meats in Scandinavia, a rich, flavoursome meat similar to venison, accompanied with festive drinks. Adrian Wilson RARE, 163 Lower Briggate,

The craft beer revolution is upon us. Gone are the days where it was cheap lager or cheerful ale – now you’re choosing between IPA infused with elderberry and a saison seasoned with saffron. Little Leeds Beer House is the latest craft beer shop to emerge in Leeds, competing with other hops-hunting punks such as Tall Boys and Latitude, but its focus on UK beer means you’re unlikely to find their produce elsewhere. ‘A lot of microbreweries in London don’t have the capacity for national distribution,’ explains Richard Brownhill who owns the shop with Bryony Brownhill and James Phillips. ‘We’re among the first outlets to sell those beers in the country, never mind the North.' While many view London as the capital of craft beer, Little Leeds Beer House showcases a large selection of local beers, moving beyond the traditional Yorkshire breed of bitter. Bottles from Leeds-based breweries such as Northern Monk, Zapato and Leeds Brewery line their shelves, but it’s the Liverpool-based Mad Hatter that causes the biggest stir. ‘Their flavour profiles are out of this word,’ says Richard. ‘Whether it’s a Carrot Cake Triple or a Tzatziki Sour, you never really know what you’re going to get.’ For those hankering for something a bit stranger, Little Leeds Beer House will be hosting a Meet-the-Brewer evening on October 22 with Mad Hatter. ‘Their styling is crazy but the quality backs up the craziness,’ he adds. Being situated in the iconic Corn Exchange is also important to the independent sp

Although it has been open for a couple of months now, Wino remains one of Leeds’ best-kept secrets – a wine bar featuring an eclectic selection of international wines and a small, but unique, array of charcuterie platters. Tucked away in the business district, Wino may be off the beaten path for Leeds’ wine-drinking crowd, but those willing to explore may well find their taste buds rewarded. Bella Jordan Photography   ‘Wine can be a stuffy man’s game,’ says owner Sakina Fotheringham, who runs Wino with her husband Ben. ‘We wanted to create an environment where guests could feel comfortable asking about wine. 'Our wine list offers alternatives to what guests might usually choose – we don’t have a Merlot or a Shiraz – but our wines offer a talking point. A bar is often judged on its house wine and thankfully ours are excellent.’ Bella Jordan Photography   Wino also features somewhat quirky charcuterie platters. Alongside the traditional meat and cheese boards, there is the Mediterranean board which hosts marinated silver-skinned anchovies and sliced octopus sourced from Salanort, a family that have been farming octopuses for three hundred years.  Wino is also a merchant off licence, meaning all platters and drinks are available for takeaway, and there are numerous in-house deals, such as a free meat platter for every bottle of wine ordered. For those who aren’t geared towards the grape, there are wine-sized bottles of Peroni, too. While in one of the less lively areas of Le