Bartender's Choice Tom Houton, Escobar

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Bartender's Choice: Tom Houton, Escobar

"It’s a great indie venue. The only reason I wanted to take a job here is because of the reputation that we had in Wakefield, with all the big bands that we’ve had, and the atmosphere when I used to go there. When I used to live in Wakefield this is the bar that I basically just used to live in, and when I’d just moved back to Leeds and I found out this was opening up, I was like ‘I want a job here, really badly’," enthuses bartender Tom. "Every person in Wakefield always wanted to work in Escobar. In Leeds, there was nowhere else I’d work apart from here."

He’s worked at Escobar since the day it opened in Leeds almost two years ago and it’s here that he learned the cocktail-making craft. "My boss Sean, who’s the owner, he’s one of the best people I know at doing cocktails, so I’ve learnt a lot from him," he says.

When we call in for a chat at the bar, Tom makes us a Raspberry Collins, and you can see he’s certainly mastered this one – it seems like just a matter of seconds have passed before the vibrant red drink is in front of us. "There was one night when we had no strawberries left and we just thought, we’ll try some Raspberry Collins," Tom explains. "This big group of girls on their hen do just had them and that was it, that was how it started off. And then every week we just had this bunch of girls coming in, saying ‘can we have five of them’. It was already on the menu before then, but it was just a case of introducing it to someone else when we were out of strawberries and then that was it, that’s how it started off. And now it’s one of the best-selling cocktails on the menu."

Who does the drink appeal to in particular? "Well it’s a ladies’ favourite and now it’s starting to get to the point where it’s a man’s favourite as well. We’ll have women who’ll order one and their boyfriends will try it and go ‘ah god, I’ll have one of them as well’. We get women and guys now that come in and they’ll just cane them. And especially at the price, £5, people see the cocktails at £5 and they all order them. And if they all order these it’s a lot of raspberries we get through!"

Tom also points out it’s a really accessible drink – you certainly don’t have to be a gin fan to enjoy it, as it just slips down so easily and is very, very refreshing.

Tom tells us Escobar also has a very special Mexican restaurant upstairs. "I do like working on the bar in the restaurant upstairs too," he says. "Up there from 5 until 7 in the evening it’s 30% off the food, wine and cocktails, so we get a lot of people that come in to the restaurant and sit at the bar for about three or four hours drinking cocktails. And the cocktails up there are proper, authentic Mexican. We’ve got the Margaritas, and we put Cosmopolitans on because it’s a favourite for the ladies.

"Cosmopolitans are really strong, you know," he laughs. "You always try your cocktail when you’ve made it to make sure it tastes right, and it’s like… how women can drink them is… it’s like guys who just drink whisky neat, that’s how strong it is!"

Drink: Raspberry Collins

Price: £5

Ingredients: 8 raspberries; ½ shot lemon & lime juice; ¾ shot gomme; topped up with bitter lemonade

Posted on Wednesday 14th September 2011
SO'H

Escobar Cantina

23-25 Great George Street, Leeds, LS1 3BB

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