Spencer James doesn’t work in the drinks industry, he’s not a minor celebrity or an influencer sharing his bar favourites with followers and he doesn’t even have an Instagram feed.
For 44 years, James worked in building and construction, starting as an apprentice, qualifying as a quantity surveyor before spending 20 happy years as a senior director for Gleeds, a property firm headquartered in London.
But when it comes to London’s cocktail scene, this recently retired 60-year-old knows more than most.
He’s on first-name terms with some of London’s best mixologists. And three of the capital’s top hotel cocktail bars — the Goring hotel, Refuel at the Soho hotel and the Green Bar at the hotel Café Royal — have created drinks with his name on them.
James has got to know lots or bartenders over the years
CIRCE HAMILTON FOR THE TIMES
“I’m absolutely nothing special,” James says. “I’ve owned a modest townhouse in Bow for 30 years. Most of my relatives were born in the East End. I used to duck when I passed my local and pray that none of the furniture would come flying out the window. Now, you can go into the Morgan Arms and enjoy a piece of turbot and a glass of Puligny-Montrachet.”
He adds: “My only standout quality is I’m a frequent flyer. I go to cocktail bars four or five nights a week, sit at the bar, order a Last Word and a club sandwich and chat to the staff. So, Bow is a great location for me because it’s only 30 minutes from my door to the door of the Ritz.”
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“Over the years, I’ve also got to know a lot of talented bartenders and they’ve got to know me,” he says. “And that rapport has led to some fantastic drinks being named after me, which I’m secretly very pleased about.”
So good they named him thrice Mister Spencer (The Goring Hotel) Nicholson gin, Lillet Blanc, juniper, wild berries, grapefruit and ginger
James’s love of cocktails began 25 years ago. “My first proper cocktail experience was at Aurora, which was the bar and restaurant within the Great Eastern hotel. I was looking for a posh venue for my mum’s birthday. I had always walked past and wanted to venture in and Mum’s 60th was the perfect excuse for a test drive.
“I’ve never been a glugger. I don’t like the volumes of beer, so I was cocktail curious.”
He had quite the host. At the time, the Aurora’s bar manager was Alessandro Palazzi, who has found fame as the finest martini maker in London, at Dukes.
“He crafted me a perfect French 75, and I was hooked. From then on, I visited regularly. Alessandro and his team introduced me to all the classics,” he says. “I loved the theatricality that went into preparing each drink, the clink-clink of the cocktail shaker and the obvious care and attention.
“Plus,” he adds, “cocktails are made to be sipped. And because they’re handcrafted, they’re all slightly different. It sounds trite, but if a mixologist is any good, they’ll add an extra ingredient and that’s love.”
“When I first started drinking cocktails, it was more unusual for a man to order one because they came in fancy glasses with fancy ingredients,” says James
CIRCE HAMILTON FOR THE TIMES
If he’s trying somewhere new, instead of ordering his regular Last Word, Spencer will test a bartender’s skill by asking for a Corpse Reviver No 2.
“It was created by Harry Craddock, the dean of cocktail shakers,” James says. “It’s supposed to be drunk before 11am, because it’ll wake the dead. If the bartender is grounded in the classics, they’ll grab a bottle of absinthe. You’re in trouble if they reach for their phones to search for it.”
James often visits bars solo. “I’m alone, but I’m never lonely. I’ll do some work, dine or snack, play on my phone and people watch. The scene is ever changing,” he says.
“When I first started drinking cocktails, it was more unusual for a man to order one because they came in fancy glasses with fancy ingredients. Now, bars are more inclusive and drinking cocktails is more commonplace, plus people have disposable income and are happy to pay for premium ingredients and innovative experiences.”
So where is this cocktail barfly’s favourite?
“For luxury, I’d go to the Rivoli Bar at the Ritz hotel,” he says. “Amazing drinks curated by the head mixologist Michele Saladino, and the bartenders Massimo, Bruno, Jurgan and Marcin. Their Biodynamic Forces cocktail menu is hugely innovative, and four of the cocktails are alcohol-free. My personal favourite is named after the planet Uranus. It’s made with silver tequila, prickly pear water and liqueur, caramelised yoghurt and saline solution. It tastes sublime and is served in bespoke glassware.
“For funky, go to Refuel at the Soho hotel. It’s a discreet hangout for A-list celebrities and has fantastic cocktails crafted by the head bartender Lucas and bartender Chai. My cocktail of choice here is a French 75.
“For a hidden gem, go to Bar Termini, in Soho. It’s small, so if you can’t get in, you can’t get in. If you’re lucky, order negroni. With Marco Mussi’s team, there is no lalala — they pick up the bottles, add a slice of orange and serve you a perfect drink.
“And if none of the cocktails takes your fancy,” James says, “tell the bartender what you like. It’s a conversation starter, you might try some wonderful drinks, and if you alternate them with a glass of water, you’ll still walk in a straight line home.”