Shebeen, Kentish Town

I think I must be right in saying that Shebeen is unique in being the only cocktail bar in London, and perhaps the world, to specialise in poitín (pronounced ‘potcheen’). For the uninitiated, poitín is an Irish potato-based spirit that was illegal to buy until recently. The only way to get it was to know someone who knew someone in the mountainous regions of the west, where it was surreptitiously distilled by old farmers looking to supplement their income. Its main characteristic was its huge alcohol content, and the ability, if you had too much of the bad stuff, to make you go blind. That’s what the police said, anyhow. But for £5 a bottle you couldn’t go wrong and its medicinal applications were legendary. Even greyhounds had it massaged into their legs to make them run faster. Anyway, I digress…

Shebeen is found below the excellent Kentish Canteen, a short hop from Kentish Town tube station. It really is a most unexpected and delightful find, the sort of speakeasy-type bar you’d think was confined to the West End or the beardier parts of east London. The look is all dark drapes, candles, intimate dark spaces and secluded corners. Apparently the space used to be police cells, and in fact you can curtain off a little alcove for a bit of privacy. You feel decadent and sophisticated just being there.

The staff are super friendly and knowledgeable, and Davide the manager will make you feel welcome and guide you through the huge cocktail list. Poitín-based cocktails of course dominate, and a look at the list of ingredients they have sourced makes the mind boggle at the sheer inventiveness and knowledge that must have gone into concocting them. Herbes de provences cordial, umeshu, gewurztraminer wine, suze, chambéryzette, cinnamon bark syrup, stout syrup…these aren’t items you see every day, or indeed any day, on a cocktail menu.

I tried a ‘Michael Collins’; basically a Tom Collins with Bán Poitín rather than gin. A simple enough drink to make (and get wrong!), but it was really well done, both tart and sweet with the flavour of the poitín accentuated by the other ingredients. Other highlights include ‘Irish Coffee #2’, with TWC poitín, Galliano Ristretto, tawny port, stout syrup and egg, and ‘A Brew for your Head’ (genever, bergamote liqueur, lemon juice, orgeat, coriander bitters, egg white and Hoegaarden beer). At £8.50 for the poitín cocktails and £8 for the others, the value is really good for the quality you get.

If cocktails aren’t your thing, the menu has a large choice of Irish whiskeys (from £4), and a (short) wine list starts at £5 for a glass, or they also have Camden Town bottled beers at £4.50.

Shebeen
300 Kentish Town Road
Kentish Town
NW5 2TG

Tel: 020 7485 7331