Bella and Robot: Cocktail Masterclass at Bar Opus and Afternoon Tea Launch

I haven’t been to Bar Opus since our Dine Birmingham get together a while back where we shared a few nibbles, drinks and also took pictures for the website.

However, I was recently invited to join a cocktail masterclass with a difference. Not only did we get to make cocktails, but we also got to play a game of dares and crown the King or Queen of Bar Opus. There was event a sneaky surprise in the form of… Afternoon Tea! But more on that later.

We were greeted by Sam, the Bar Manager, who took on the role of MC for the afternoon, showing us around two cocktails, a number of dares, crowning a winner and also generally keeping us on track. Tim from Bar Opus was also on hand to demonstrate each drink and help us out.

Taking our places, we were each given a work station, ready set up with everything we needed to make the first cocktail, a Mellow Yellow.

The Mellow Yellow is an existing drink on the menu that takes it's name and colour from Limoncello. I'm partial to a sip of this after a long, Italian meal, but I've never had it in a cocktail before.

Here's the recipe in case you wanted to make this at home:

25ml Limoncello
12.5ml Chase Great British Gin
12.5ml Sugar Syrup
12.5ml Fresh Lemon Juice
Topped with lemonade

I couldn't wait to get tucked into this drink as I have a sweet tooth, and this did not disappoint.

However, there was more to come. Next we made a Chase Me, a cocktail which is soon to be introduced to the cocktail list. Named after the gin, this was similarly sweet, and after following Tim's lead, I took a sip and couldn't believe that this cocktail was even more delicious than the last. Flavoured with rhubarb and vanilla, this tasted like a beautiful vanilla panna cotta with a rhubarb coulis. Delicious!

50ml Chase Rhubarb Vodka
25ml Monin Vanilla Syrup
12.5ml Lemon Juice
75ml Apple Juice
Shaken and strained

Next, Sam judged the King or Queen of the bar based on mixology, knowledge, taste, presentation and free pouring. After a little deliberation, Chloe was crowned Queen of Bar Opus!

Throughout the class, we'd also been playing a version of Ring of Fire, where we had to chase rhymes, act out dares and answer questions. Whoever failed a task had to choose an element to add to our group drink. At the end of the class, the last person left to lose a dare had to drink the drink. In this case, it was Vicky from Brumderland, but us being us, we had actually managed to make a rather nice little cocktail.

Finally, out came a giant martini glass from behind the bar, named a Floozie in the Jacuzzi after our very own local landmark.

Unbeknownst to us, we were also treated to Afternoon Tea, something which Bar Opus has just launched. Including finger sandwiches, cakes, scones, clotted cream and preserve, it's offered with unlimited tea for £15pp, with Juniper, a Spanish style G&T or a Martini for £17.50pp, or for those wishing to really push the boat out, with a glass of prosecco for £18.50pp.