“I Am Broke” insists the drinks menu, and I stand to attention. I’ve just rushed into the newly reopened Khao Bird and am feeling hot and flustered and wet from the November rain. Khao Bird is already ridiculously packed due to it being much-loved and in the dead centre of Soho. I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed, and now my drinks menu is talking to me. “I Am Broke.” Girl, me too.
I realise that it’s the name of a cocktail and not the spirit of the tree felled to make the menu trying to communicate something to me. Below, three ingredients printed neatly: lime, soda and Lidl-brand vodka. I think this is the first time I’ve seen something like this. During the time I’ve spent working behind and/or alongside bars, it’s not completely unheard of to rush out to the supermarket to grab emergency supplies if you’re running low on an unexpectedly busy shift. You just don’t print it on the menu.
The Lidl vodka bolsters the indie-sleaze sex appeal of the cocktail, and the cocktail’s cheapness necessitates its inclusion, makes it feel more like a genuine bargain instead of just being told it is. At £7.90, it’s a price founder Mike Palmer can get behind.
“The price came from a chat we all had about how we couldn’t afford to drink as much as we wanted. We’d just been to the pub where we were charged £12 for a vodka, lime and soda and none of us could get over it. So we decided we’d put on an entry-level cocktail for people who also want something that doesn’t break the budget.”
And how does Lidl vodka fit into a premium cocktail menu? Well, as far as vodkas go, I’m completely nonplussed as to the difference between this and something premium, especially with the generous addition of fresh lime juice, which makes it more refreshing than water. Though, if you’re planning on having a few of these, I’d probably have a couple of those as well.
The Drink is a regular column from writer Hannah Crosbie about what she’s drinking in London right now. In her last column, she found a riesling that stands up to the big flavours of Sri Lankan food.
