Tucked away off of Mare Street, time travellers are meeting up for a brand new cocktail experience that proves it’s always happy hour somewhere.
The Cocktail Time Machine takes guests to the invention of some of the most iconic cocktails, such as the Mojito and the Espresso Martini, in an immersive trip back in time. It’s a production by Funicular, the award-winning company behind The Murdér Express, an immersive murder mystery dining experience in Bethnal Green. They’re legends of the game, which gives Cocktail Time Machine an edge over many of the other drinks experiences London has to offer.
Timeless Bar is spacious with an industrial-chic aesthetic; exposed brick and pipes, distressed wood tables and a large neon sign filling almost an entire wall. Before the experience begins, a woman in a retro stewardesses outfit (named Lorraine, in what can only be assumed as a nod to Back to the Future) circles the space, dropping by the guests’ tables to give ominous warnings about how our time travel experience could go wrong.
After a little while of waiting, Lorraine leads us back to a stark white room where she takes us through the rules of our trip. An instructional video is intercut with a message from an unknown man, who introduces the escape room puzzle element by telling us that some mysterious forces are trying to erase cocktails from history.
Lorraine gives us a ‘lubricant’ to prepare us for our journey which we all knock back from the test tube. It’s sweet but bitter, and I’ve yet to work out what was in it, but it started a very boozy hour off well.
Our first stop is 1930s Cuba, where our bartender gives us a taste of his brand new invention – the mojito. Despite my years-long shunning of rum, it is the nicest cocktail of the evening and tastes incredibly refreshing. The room is well dressed with light flooding in from behind shutters and posters written in Spanish. This really brings the experience to life.
It’s in the 1940s workshop that I come to regret turning up in a faux leopard print coat. It got a fair amount of attention from the ranch owner who came in to serve us our Long Island iced teas. Nevertheless, the drink goes down smoothly before we duck behind some barrels and head into 1985.
In the final space, a nightclub in Soho complete with light-up floor and disco ball, we’re introduced to our bartender, Dick. He cracks a dirty joke before introducing us to the Espresso Martini. As we all sip at the drink, members of the group put together some of the clues and props for the escape room ending. It doesn’t seem to make much difference, only serving as a gimmick to wrap up the experience.
The slightly dissatisfying ending is quickly washed away with a taste of Timeless’ extensive cocktail menu from across the decades. The 2020, their brand-new creation, is a minty delight that will knock you right back to the future.
If you’re looking for a fun and good value night out with your mates, hop into the Cocktail Time Machine for one of the happiest (and booziest) night in Hackney.
Cocktail Time Machine is at Timeless Bar and Restaurant on Sidworth Street. You can book the experience from Wednesday – Saturday at www.cocktail-time-machine.com. Prices start at £36 per person.
