The 1920s make a roaring return at Tiger Hornsby

CUSTOMERS at one of Tyneside’s newest night spots are raising a glass to a tradition dating back to the 1920s. The decade, famous for Coco Chanel, the Charleston and F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, also saw the introduction of the cocktail hour, when spirit-based tipples became the pre-dinner drinks of choice. Now in homage to the jazz age, Tiger Hornsby, at the Quayside, Newcastle, has brought the cocktail hour back. Every week, until 7pm, from Wednesday to Friday, Tiger Hornsby’s mixologists are serving a selection of classic drinks, such as The Gin Daisy, a Tom Collins and The Dubonnet Fizz after tracking down authentic recipes from the era. “One of the most fashionable places for Bright Young Things at the time was the American bar at The Savoy Hotel and I managed to lay hands on a book of their recipes from the 1920s onwards,” said mixologist Sam Boulton. “Most are fairly simple and actually form the basis of a lot of the cocktails we drink today,” he added. “Unlike us, though, they use very little fruit or fruit juice - as this was shortly after the Great War perhaps it was less easy to come by then.” The Gin Daisy is a blend of Plymouth Gin, lemon juice, grenadine and sugar topped up with soda water, and the Dubonnet Fizz mixes cherry brandy, with Dubonnet, soda water and lemon and orange juices. “The roaring twenties were an age of elegance and that’s what Tiger Hornsby is all about,” said Tiger Hornsby’s owner Rachael Frame. “By re-introducing the cocktail hour, we are offering our guests a memorable and fun way to start their evening.” To celebrate the newly introduced cocktail hour, cocktails will be just £4 and there will also be a 25 per cent discount on selected drinks. Throughout December Tiger Hornsby, which is named after one of Tyneside’s most glamorous ‘It’ girls, is open on Wednesday and Thursday from 5pm to 2am, on Friday and Saturday, from 3pm to 3am and on Sunday from 12pm to 12am and admission is free.  Tiger Hornsby will also be open every day between Christmas and New Year from midday. For more information visit [email protected] or follow Tiger Hornsby on twitter.