It's high time, some would say, that the team behind Shaker opened their own bar, considering how many years they've been consulting, training and running events.

That experience has paid off, with the new Shaker & Company bar only taking between 8 and 10 weeks to set up. Located near Warren Street, replacing Positively 4th Street, the New Orleans-style bar will be used for training during the day, opening to the public in the evenings.

'New Orleans is the home of the cocktail,' Shaker founder Adam Freeth explained at this week's opening. 'We're paying homage to that.'

That said, Freeth isn't planning to specialise in any particular spirit, as this is ultimately a training bar. The back bar is suitably extensive (reportedly in the region of 500 spirits), and cocktails (priced between £6 and £8) are said to be inspired by the mid-19th and early 20th centuries. Drinks will make use of various home-made ingredients, including Shaker's own bitters, for sale at the bar.

In keeping with the theme, 'soul food' is on the menu - think crayfish and pork 'n' beans.

The bar also includes a small downstairs tasting room, a themed area that will transform every month. It is currently styled as a Benedictine monastery, a collaboration with the liqueur brand for London Cocktail Week.

News item from Imbibe.com, 25-10-2011