The Art of Cocktail Creation at The Natural Philosopher

At The Natural Philosopher, we firmly believe that cocktails are more than just drinks—they’re a journey through the landscapes of East London and beyond. Our bar isn’t just about serving drinks; it’s about capturing the essence of nature, using foraged ingredients to create unique and exciting cocktails that surprise and delight our guests.

Crafting the Perfect Cocktail: Starting with a Solid Foundation

When it comes to creating cocktails, we start with a framework. We need to ensure our menu offers something for everyone, which means creating drinks that fit into familiar categories. Whether it’s a Negroni-style drink, a Sour, an Old-Fashioned, or a Collins, we make sure there’s a balanced mix of flavours and styles to appeal to a broad range of palates. Out of our 12 monthly signature cocktails, we aim to have something fruity, something bitter, and everything in between.

But while we start with these classic frameworks, it’s the foraged ingredients that really bring our cocktails to life. These ingredients often inspire new creations and push us to think outside the box. It’s about finding that perfect balance between the familiar and the unexpected.

Ingredient-First Creations: Letting Nature Lead the Way

Sometimes, the creation of a cocktail starts with a single ingredient. Foraging around East London, we come across all sorts of fascinating flavours, from wild herbs to berries. The first question we ask ourselves is: What’s the best way to extract and harness the flavour of this ingredient? Then we think about what it pairs well with and how we can incorporate it into a cocktail.

However, not every foraged find makes the cut. We’ve had our fair share of failures—like the time we tried to make a syrup from a coastal vegetable. The smell it produced when mixed with hot water was... let’s just say it was reminiscent of a public bathroom. Needless to say, that one didn’t make it onto the menu.

Drawing Inspiration from Everywhere: Food, Drinks, and Even Names

Inspiration can come from anywhere—sometimes it’s a dish we’ve tasted, another drink we’ve enjoyed, or even a name that just pops into our heads. Occasionally, we start with the name and work backward to create a cocktail that matches it.

Creating cocktails is my favourite part of working in a bar. I love the research, the experimentation, and the creativity that goes into each drink. Often, I have five books sprawled out in front of me while writing a menu. One of my go-to references is "The Art and Science of Foodpairing" by Bernard Lahousse, Johan Langenbick, and Peter Coucquyt. It’s an incredible resource that dives deep into flavour and aroma compounds, helping us push the boundaries of what’s possible in a cocktail.

The Seasonal Challenge: Working with What Nature Gives Us

Our commitment to using seasonal, foraged ingredients means our menu changes every month. This keeps things exciting and allows us to work with whatever’s fresh and available. But it also means we have to be flexible and creative. Sometimes, an ingredient just doesn’t work out, no matter how hard we try to incorporate it. But when it does, it’s pure magic.

For example, right now, we’re fermenting elderberries we foraged from Hackney Marshes into an elderberry mead. Fermentation is one of our favourite techniques because it adds complexity and depth to our cocktails. It’s a process that takes time, and sometimes we’re creating ingredients months ahead of their use on the menu. But the results are worth it.

Insider Tricks: Elevating Your Cocktails at Home

Here’s a little insider secret: salt is a flavour enhancer, not just in food but in cocktails too. We often add a saline solution to our drinks to round off bitterness, add a touch of saltiness, or even enhance the overall flavour. We use a 10% salt-to-water ratio, and usually, just 2 drops are enough. It also adds a thicker texture to stirred cocktails, allowing them to sit nicely on the palate without feeling too thin or flat.

Another technique we love is working with infusions, syrups, and fermentation to create unique flavours. These techniques can easily be tried at home to elevate your own cocktails. And remember, when you’re making cocktails at home, always use plenty of ice when shaking or stirring. The more ice, the colder the drink, and the less it dilutes—no one likes a watery martini!

The Joy (and Challenge) of Naming Cocktails

Naming cocktails can be one of the most fun but also one of the most challenging parts of the process. Inspiration can strike at the most random times, and often the name comes from what the flavour of the drink evokes. Sometimes, it’s a pop culture reference that just clicks.

Take our current menu’s Passenger Princess, for example. It’s a fruity, pinkish sour made with Cantinero Tequila, Regal Rogue Bold Red Vermouth, Plum Kernel, Hibiscus, Hawthorn, Lemon, and Vegan Foamer. The flavour of the drink is super approachable and can be enjoyed by anyone but especially people who self-identify as a “basic bitch”.

Watching It All Come Together: The Rewarding Part

What I love most about the cocktail creation process is seeing it all come together. There’s something incredibly rewarding about watching a drink go from an idea to a finished product on the menu, and then seeing guests experience it for the first time. Their reactions—whether it’s surprise, joy, or just a satisfied smile—make all the hard work worth it.

So, whether you’re a cocktail enthusiast or just someone who enjoys a good drink, I hope this gives you a little insight into the creative process behind the bar. And maybe even inspires you to try creating something unique at home.