I’m a big fan of cocktails and I have to say I’m never let down when I visit Fire for an after work cocktail. Great location, great service and great choice. The most recent visit for pre dinner cocktails included the following.

Toast and Jam. Chivas Regal, Martini and homemade strawberry shrub.  It had quite a kick. Buried inside that glass is a booze soaked cherry that will make your eyes widen.

I like gin based cocktails and was recommended the Rubicon as a light and refreshing pre dinner drink. Green Chartreuse, Beefeater 24 Gin, lemon juice, maraschino (comes from cherries) and a sprig of Rosemary. It didn’t last long in the glass and I think it would be a great post dinner cocktail too.

This creamy looking snack is the Monks Milkshake. Vanilla ice-cream and raspberry sorbet with frangelico and Havana rum topped with an Oreo. Perfect alternative to cookies and milk before bed!

This one was a heavy hitter in terms of alcohol kick. The Fashioned by Fire. Rum, Hennessey Cognac, Makers Mark Bourbon, Angostura bitters, orange bitters and bourbon syrup. Lets just say it was strong!

You can never go wrong with a glass of Prosecco with a plump fresh strawberry bathing in it.

We also got chatting to Amy and Stuart, two of the staff from Fire.  Staurt looks after all things beverage related.  They are actually in the middle of redoing their cocktail menu with some interesting choices coming up.

I have to say after talking to Stuart I have a new found appreciation for the behind the scenes work that goes into creating a cocktail and sourcing the right ingredients for it.  It’s not just a case of popping down to the wholesalers and picking up various bottles of booze and some mixers.

Stuart was telling me all about visiting some of London’s top hotels and working with world renowned cocktail makers to get their new cocktail menu just right.

The unassuming looking cocktail below is actually Fire’s new take on the classic Bloody Mary.  As you can see not a stick of celery in sight. The celery element is that wonderful frothy head of celery foam which ensures you get a kick of celery with every mouthful.  The tomato juice I’m told (if I remember correctly) is sourced from an Austrian company who in turn get it from Italy. Now that’s a lot of effort gone into creating a bloody mary. I’m told that will be on the new cocktail menu they are launching soon.

I managed to get a quick sneak peak at the listing and I look forward to trying some (all) of them. The new menu also has pictures of their actual bar staff shaking and stirring things up which is nice to see and adds a personal touch.

I walked by their newly refurbished cocktail lounge many times always with the intention of calling in. On a boozy Saturday afternoon myself and a buddy decided to drop in and try out their cocktail menu.

Fire Lounge takes up prime position along the front of the Mansion House with floor to ceiling windows offering the perfect spot for a bit of people watching on Dawson Street.  It was relatively early in the afternoon so it was pretty quiet.

The interior was a bit bright for my liking, but again it was earlyish.  Rather than feeling funky and cosy it felt more high class hotel lobby, which I suppose is no bad thing.

We claimed a few seats by the window and go stuck into the cocktail menu with a view to sampling a couple of rounds. Price wise they were fairly standard for Dawson Street, coming in at about €12 each.

First up was a classic Mojito. I love them and they just shout refreshing, if made correctly that is. Credit where its due, Fire done a stellar job making it. Lots of really fresh mint and lime and just the right amount of alcohol to make it hit the mouth with a bite.

Next came a Razmopolitan and an Envy.  Both looked stunning and tasted great.  To be honest I was far too bleary eyed to remember much more about them but at the time I do remember rolling my eyes and whispering ‘devine’.

A round of these bad boys came next and I have no idea what they were. They were alochol loaded ‘manly’ red drinks with a little fruit allotment on top of them. DELISH!

Although we weren’t actually there that long, just over an hour or so I think, they even fed us! A slap up meal of mixed nuts which were promptly washed down by the aforementioned assortment of cocktails. I’d happily go back, but perhaps later in the evening when it’s in full swing.