Alan Sherwood.

I’m currently working at Bar Three with Max and Noel Venning, after helping them out at Three Sheets for the previous six months.

Before working with the Venning brothers I worked with Matt Whiley for 2 years. I started with Matt at Peg + Patriot as a bar back. Within the first month, I was managing the lab and in charge of all prep, including working on several consultancy projects and the development of at least three menus. Including the one that won us Timeouts Most Creative Menu award.

While we were at Peg + Patriot, Matt decided on the next venue he wanted to open, and together we planned Scout. After securing the site, I opened it as Bar Manager and we went on to win multiple awards and entered the top 100 bars within 6 months.

The two Max’s asked me to work on this drink, using Victory Bitter as the base. I wanted to do something in the style I’ve come to love, that Max and Noel have managed to perfect over the past few years.

Essentially this is just an Americano, but with a house made vermouth, built from several components. The base is a fermented Fig wine, made in August last year, then I’ve added a sugar syrup made from clarified fresh figs, and a fig leaf tincture to give it depth.

For the Fig Vermouth:

500ml Fermented Fig Wine

200ml Clarified Fig Syrup

15ml Fig Leaf Tincture

For the Fig Wine:

4kg 2nd Class Figs

1Kg Caster Sugar

4Kg Water

10ml White Labs Yeast

Blend the figs with Pectinex S-PL until smooth, add these, the sugar and water to a fermenting bucket. Whisk vigorously to incorporate oxygen, add a yeast nutrition supplement if you have one. Once the yeast and mixture are at similar temperatures then pitch the yeast and whisk again. Seal and add an airlock, and allow 2 weeks fermentation time. Clarify the final ferment in a centrifuge for best yield.

For the Fig Syrup:

500g Clarified Fig Juice

500g Caster Sugar

Blend fresh figs with Pectinex S-PL in a thermomix, spin in a centrifuge and collect the clarified juice. Weigh this and add equal parts caster sugar.

For the Fig Leaf Tincture:

7.5g Freeze dried Figleaves

250ml Neutral Grain Spirit 80%

Combine in a sous vide bag and cook for 30min at 60°. Chill and strain through a coffee filter.