Copper Blossom is the ninth venue to be added to The Speratus Group’s portfolio and what a lovely bar it is! Situated at 107 George Street, Edinburgh and this new place certainly adds something fresh and elegant to the area, and, as a 28 year old female it was right up my street.
Martin Brown, Managing Director of The Speratus Group, told DRAM, “This has been a long process for Garreth Wood (the Owner & Executive Chairman Of The Speratus Group) and I, we have drawn inspiration from a number of places around the world and our main aim was to bring something completely different to George Street and something new to the Edinburgh scene.”
It’s a basement bar that holds up to 275 people and when you first walk down the steps it is truly like walking into a different world! Plants and ivy run up the walls and overhead and there are also a number of round, white lantern style lights hanging from the overhead plants, which gives the entrance area a real garden feel. Even the concrete floor has been hand painted with a floral design by local artist Lynsey Jean Henderson (who was the graffiti artist for The Boozy Cow, another one of The Speratus Group venues).
On walking through the main door the first thing you see is an old school television being used as the hostess desk, very retro. Another large door leads you in to the bar where the décor can only be described as pretty and oh so feminine. Martin said that some customers have described it as being similar to an ‘English country garden’.
A white washed finish on the exposed brick walls creates a really chic look. Large, floor length windows look out on to the colourful entrance way, showing off the plants and also allows the sun to come in adding to that fresh look that Martin and designer Adam Tibbatts were aiming for.
Alongside the windows four high level tables sit comfortably, each with six brightly upholstered stools. The bright, floral material on the stools really helps to create that summer garden feel. Each table has a quirky bird cage light above it which continues the outdoor theme.
The bar also faces out towards the windows and has a beautiful marble top with copper pipes running from top to bottom. The overhead glass racks are also copper and have ivy wound throughout (this really is Copper Blossom!) High, cream coloured, wicker stools sit in front of the bar and provide a great place to sit if you are awaiting a table or simply enjoying a drink.
Situated in front of the main door are three comfortable gold, suede booths. Floral cushions are placed here and throughout the bar to keep the theme going. Each booth sits four people and an old fashioned lampshade, with tassles, completes the picture.
Like the lighting, there are two large feature chairs which also resemble bird cages. Each chair is at a different table, giving the customers the chance to really kick back and relax.
Moving round to the back of the bar, a raised area holds another two large, floral booths, a smaller round table and also a beautiful, black fireplace above a cute oil burning fire, something that will be appreciated in the winter.
The toilets in Copper Blossom are an absolute delight! All the worktops are marble, the flooring features black and white patterned tiles while a large number of decorative mirrors hang on the walls and even the wooden toilets cubicals are finished with a distressed, blue wash. The room really did smell of roses!
Unusually the bar boasts it’s very own mini-laboratory for cocktail preparation and experimentation; it’s not open to the public but you can see through the glass door as you make your way downstairs. I caught up with Chris Baldwin and Shane McDevitt – the people behind the drinks programme – and asked them for their thoughts on the menu, Chris said: “The brief for the drinks menu was: classic, elegant cocktails given a modern-twist using cutting edge technology. We have a few pieces of equipment that are more common-place in a laboratory than a bar and we use these to present products and flavours in a way that our guests may not have seen before. There is a huge focus on minimising waste and on making everything we can from scratch, using locally sourced produce; the Bloody Mary, for example, is made using Scottish tomatoes which we blend and then clarify, the hot sauce is made from scratch and then clarified and the Vodka is infused in-house with herb and spice. It only takes our bartender a couple of minutes to make but – in reality – there are hours of prep and a lot of care taken in the different components of the drink.”
To show what can be done he demonstrated by making a Bloody Mary that was clear in colour. It didn’t have that soup like texture that it normally has. The customer is served this with three choices of spices depending on how they like it. It’s very clear to see that the team take pride in their cocktails, not just the finished result, but the whole process that goes in to it.
Working at DRAM for the last couple of years I have seen many new places and different bars but nothing like Copper Blossom. It truly has ‘blossomed’ on to the scene!
Martin concluded “It was important to create a venue with the most elegant of surroundings which was a female friendly offering with the highest levels of attention to detail throughout all aspects of the product and service. The vision was to fuse cutting edge techniques and technology to create a friendly, vibrant and welcoming environment and an atmosphere that will consistently exceed our guest’s expectations. Copper Blossom is a destination in which you can relax, unwind and enjoy the finest food and drink.”
I am glad they did and look forward to coming back and experiencing it at night, I bet it will look magical.
Copper Blossom
107 George Street, Edinburgh
