EAST 8 HOLD UP

A fresh, fruity vodka cocktail, with a hilarious back-story you’ll love telling your guests.

This cocktail was created in 2010 by a bartender called Kevin Armstrong, for London’s original speakeasy bar, ‘Milk & Honey’. The name was inspired by the part of London where Kevin lived, East 8, which was pretty rough and where muggings were pretty common.

Late one night, Kevin dropped his mate Sam off in a taxi near his place in East 8. Having had a big night, Sam decided to stop for a “toilet break”. He dropped his trousers, and mid-business a guy came up behind him and told him to hand over his wallet.

What ensued was Sam chasing the would-be mugger through the streets of East 8, with his trousers still around his ankles! According to Kevin, it was “premium funny and also a vintage East 8 Hold Up – hence the name”.

EAST 8 HOLD UP RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

  • 45ml vodka

  • 15ml Aperol (if you don’t have Aperol, substitute orange juice)

  • 20ml pineapple juice

  • 15ml lime juice (fresh is always best)

  • 15ml sugar syrup (easy to make! Just mix the same amount of sugar with the same amount of hot water; stir until the sugar has dissolved)

  • Pulp from ½ a passionfruit (save the skin for garnishing) 

 METHOD

  1. Combine all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker

  2. Shake shake shake!

  3. Double strain into a glass (a rocks glass or short glass is best)

  4. Add some ice cubes (this reacts with the pineapple juice to create the ‘fluffy’ top )

  5. Garnish with your passionfruit shell (and a mint sprig to be fancy). Just make sure your passionfruit shell isn’t too big for the beverage - if it is, cut it in half again