A little bit of Paris came to Rathbone Place last Saturday as Bourne and Hollingsworth hosted 'Dance with the Green Fairy', a belle époque themed night that brought the absinthe aficionados out of the (worm)wood-work. The bar had been transformed for the evening into an artists' drinking den from a bygone era, complete with easel and extracts of Baudelaire. Guests were treated to a master-class on the finer points of absinthe appreciation by barman Dino Koletsas, covering the history of the oft-maligned drink and learning about the various ways we might enjoy the green stuff.
Tasting over, the artists and muses started to party like it's 1899, trying their hand at the easel and charcoals, or dancing along to the vintage French music. Sadly it was over all too soon and we were sent back up the stairs to the modern day. There's an absinthe style or cocktail to suit anyone's taste, and 'dancing with the green fairy' is a great excuse (if you need one!) to don top-hat or corset.
If this sounds up your 'ruelle' and you wish you could have been there, don't go cutting your ear off just yet. Similar events will be returning to Bourne and Hollingsworth. Contact Andria (as at bandhgroup dot com) and ask to be notified of future absinthe functions.
