Going Loco For Coco | Coco's Beach Bar Trinity Leeds

Hey everyone!

Having a good day? Yes? No? Let me know down below! Today, I thought that I would talk to you all about an amazing event at a beautiful new bar that I went to a couple of weeks ago.

A dark pink cocktail with clear pieces of crushed ice in a large clear cylindrical glass in the middle of a light pink blow up Flamingo float on a light wooden table on a light background.

Coco's Beach Bar is the even more fruitier little sibling of Cabana (which if you haven't been to then click here and here to read my two posts about them) as the bar focuses more on tropical cocktails with a twist whereas Cabana focuses on giving amazing authentic Brazillian dishes and drinks. As you can tell by the name, the bar bases itself on a tropical beach. The best bit about Coco's is that all of the cocktails are £6, all of the shooters are £3 and most of the sharers are £10 from what I remember.

An overview of the bar including bright lights from above, rectnagular tables and light wooden chairs on a dark background. 

A long rectangular counter containing decorations including pink blow up flamingos with pictures of flamingos and green palm leaves danging off the side on a dark background. 

We walked through Trinity Leeds to find the beautiful beach which you can't miss as it has a bright white jetski outside it. Myself and Luke then entered the bar and sat down. After a couple of minutes, a bartender brought over Sprinkles Margaritas. I love Sprinkles and I love a good Margarita, every now and again, so I didn't see any downsides to enjoying this amazing drink. I mean I did instantly think of Ross Geller from Friends and the speech whilst everyone is drinking Margaritas whilst drinking them but ah well. This drink contains a normal Frozen Margarita with a rim of bright Sprinkles.

Two clear glasses filled with a clear frozen margarita with a rim of different coloured sprinkles with a black bowl of crackling in front on a light wooden table on a light background. 

A close up of a clear margarita in a clear glass with a rim of different coloured sprinkles with a black straw on a light background. 

When the Sprinkled Margarita's arrived, we also enjoyed some amazing Pork Scratchings. Yes, I know that Pork Scratchings aren't normally served on the beach but these were filled with spice and were super crispy so they went well with the coolness of the Margarita.

After the magical Margarita and nibbles, Cheeky Chilli Martini arrived at our table. This cocktail contains Gin, Grand Marnier, Apple Juice, Coconut Syrup and Chilli which is on the rim of the glass to look like devil horns. I'm not the biggest fan of Gin or Chilli so I wasn't that keen on the drink but I could see this being a favourite for someone who wants something different than a G&T this year but still wants to drink a little bit of Gin. I think that Gin and Apple Juice was quite a nice but different combination.

A bright orange cocktail in a clear glass with two slices of red chilli on the rim on a light wooden table on a light background. 

Carrying on from the 'Hot, Hot, Hot' theme, next up on the cocktail train was Flaming Passion. This cocktail contains Apple Juice, Vanilla Syrup, Lime Juice, Ginger, Mint, Vodka and Ginger Beer. I love anything that has Ginger Beer in so I was already sold on this but what I loved even more was the fact that it was topped off with half a Passion Fruit with a Brown Sugar Cube set on fire on top of it. I loved the fact that this drink was fresh from the Apple & Lime Juices but had a spicy kick to it due to the Ginger and Ginger Beer. Definitely one that I would drink again and again!

A tall hi-ball glass filled with a bright orange cocktail with a dark puple pasion fruit on top with a black straw next to a bowl of nachos in a bright silver metal bowl on a light wooden table on a light background. 

A close up of a bubbly cocktail with a purple skinned and orange interior passion fruit with a black straw in a tall clear glass on a light wooden table on a light background. 

We enjoyed this drink with some Nachos which I adored. I'm always a fan of Nachos as they're the perfect snack to pick apart with friends or family. I did take a few of the Jalapeno's off as I'm weird with spice but overall I loved these and they went well with the refreshing Flaming Passion drink.

Golden triangular Tortilla Chips with bright red Salsa, white Sour Cream and bright green Jalapenos in a silver metal bowl on a light brown table on a light background. 

Coconuts were the theme next/ We enjoyed the Bounty Hunter which if you love Bounty Chocolate Bars then you will definitely love this cocktail. It contains Vodka, Chocolate, Vanilla, Coconut and Cream. This drink is also served with a little Bounty Chocolate on the side of the drink which is served in a cute Coconut Cup. I love Coconut and Bounty's so this drink was definitely up my street. Even though the chocolate on the side would melt instantly, I'd definitely drink this at the beach on a holiday. I also think that this drink is great for the Christmas period as Bounty's are enjoyed at Christmas via the Celebrations Tub.

A creamy white cocktail with clear square pieces of ice with a black straw in a brown Coconut Shell inspired cup with a small Bounty Chocolate on the side of the cup on a light brown table on a light background. 

The next drink that we enjoyed was Pink Flamingo. The fun thing about Pink Flamingo is that it comes in a little Flamingo float which you expect on a beach and as Flamingos are such an Instagram trend, its a great drink to snap and share. This cocktail consists of Rum, Coconut Syrup and Orange Juice. This may sound simple but it is a delicious drink as the mix of Rum and Orange Juice creates a a slightly sour taste but then Coconut Syrup comes through and makes it a bit sweeter. We enjoyed Sweet Potato Fries with this drink and they were delicious. Honestly, I can eat Sweet Potato Fries all day!

A dark pink cocktail with clear pieces of crushed ice in a large clear cylindrical glass in the middle of a light pink blow up Flamingo float on a light wooden table on a light background.

Sadly, we were filled with enough drink and food to last a lifetime but myself and Michelle rceieved a voucher for an amazing cocktail from Coco's so we went the week after to enjoy it. We both had an Island Life. which contains Vodka, Agave Syrup, Apple Juice, Grenadine, Raspberry & Passion Fruit Puree's. I love anything Passion Fruit but also I thought adding Agave Syrup was an interesting thing to do as I know a lot of cocktails contain a general sugar syrup. Raspberries in a Cocktail are always a fab thing as you get to find and eat the Raspberry itself.

A dark red liquid containing red Raspberries and dark Purple Passion Fruit with a clear straw in a brown Coconut Shell inspired cup on a light wooden table on a light background. 

We were also given a free Caipirinha due ti the staff training to make them. This contain wonderful Cachaca and Lime to create a refreshing cocktail. I loved it as it was bright, zingy and something great to drink before some amazing food to eat with great friends.

A tall clear glass containing a clear cocktail with clear crushed ice and green bits of Lime Zest at the bottom on a wooden table on a light background. 

Have you checked out Coco's Beach Bar? Let me know down below! 

Click here to find out more about Coco's.

Thanks to the wonderful staff at Coco's for having us and the wonderful staff at Trinity Leeds for inviting myself and Luke to the launch event.

I hope that you come back next time for another interesting blog post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

Leeds Loves Cocktails 2017 Press Event

Hey!

Welcome to another blog post! The wonderful guys over at Leeds Loves Cocktails invited me to their pre-launch event so I thought that today I would talk to you all about what happened at the event.

Leeds Loves Cocktails is a 7 day festival bringing together 36 of Leeds finest venues (including places like Almost Famous, The Pit, Meatliquor, The Wardrobe and many more) for a week of events (with great brands such as Jack Daniels, Absolut Vodka and many more), parties, masterclasses, tastings & £5.00 cocktails. The festival starts on 5th June and finishes on the 11th of June.

Myself and Luke were already in Leeds to do some shopping beforehand the event so we went to a few shops and had a good browse to kill some time. I love browsing sometimes as in your head it means that you're not looking for anything exactly but instead you're just seeing what catches your eye.

We made our way around to Headrow House which I love due to it looking amazing but we decided to take the steps and honestly I instantly regretted doing that with Luke but ah well. We arrived at Redondo Beach Leeds which is also known for being the Roof Terrace Bar within Headrow House and was greeted by the lovely Hayley who gave us two goodie bags and two wristbands to the week long festival. If you want to grab a wristband to ensure that you enjoy the festival and £5 cocktails then click here.

We then wandered over to the bar where there was a member of staff with a big tray of cocktails. He asked us if we wanted a Rumbullion Rum Punch cocktail or a Bathtub Gin cocktail. I love Rum so I already knew that I wanted to try the Rum Punch! This particular cocktail contained Rumbullion Rum, Lime Juice, Lemon Juice and Tropical Sours. I absolutely loved it! So tropical but a great cocktail for Spring/Summer.

We then said hi to the other bloggers who were sat down in the leather and wood furniture and sat down next to them. We chatted for a while and then the bartender came over and suggested that we tried the Gin based cocktail. This one contained Bathtub Gin, Lemon Juice, Thyme Syrup, Cloudy Apple Juice and Soda Water. I liked this one due to the Apple Juice and Thyme Syrup which meant that the Gin wasn't as strong as expected.

We were then split up into two different teams. One stayed where they were and got a Q&A about the event and the other team had a Bathtub Gin Tasting Session. We stayed where we were and got a Q&A about the event which included things about the events and parties, the brands taking part and what it has been like in previous years.

We then went over to the Bathtub Gin tasting where we found out more about the brand of Gin and got to senses with the notes of the alcohol. It contained Orange Flower as one of it's main notes We then tasted the gin and I quite liked it for a gin but I thought that it would be great in a cocktail and not on it's own.

We all then got split up into smaller teams and was given a mystery box containing certain ingredients to create a cocktail. The mystery box that we had contained Rumbullion and included other things such as Rosemary, Pineapple Juice and Mixed Spice. Our team tried Rumbullion with and without water to see the difference then we went around creating our cocktail and in the end decided to create a spin on the Dark & Stormy cocktail but include Ginger Syrup, Lime and Pineapple Juice instead of the general Rum, Lime and Ginger Beer. We also had a Mixed Spice rim on the cold glass of the cocktail and garnished it with a plump juicy Raspberry that was dunked into Mixed Spice. We then served it to the judges and whichever cocktail won went onto the menu at Jakes Bar during the festival but sadly ours didn't win.

Photo by Culture Bean (http://culturebean.co.uk/)

We drank up, said our goodbyes, got the lift back down to the ground floor and headed to the train station.

What's your favourite cocktail? Let me know down below. 

Thank you to the guys at Leeds Loves Cocktails and Headrow House for putting on and inviting myself to an amazing pre-launch/press event.

If you want to buy wristbands to the festival then click here. (There's also a student discounted wristband. 

I hope that you found this post informative and entertaining and I hope that you come back next time for another blog post.

Thanks for reading! 

Jamie x

Sniffing The Scent Of Baking | Library Of Fragrance Review

Hey!

Welcome to another blog post! The Library Of Fragrance kindly sent me some fragrances to sniff and try out so I thought that I would tell you what I thought of them.

The Library Of Fragrance originate from New York City and started out as a company within 1995. Tje company first released the scents Dirt, Grass and Tomato which are still enjoyed today by customers. They then released fragrances such as Gin and Tonic, Sex On The Beach and Paperback. They are sold via their website which you can check out via clicking here or Boots (within the UK) so if you want to check out some of the scents then I urge you to go to your local Boots!

The team from The Library Of Fragrance sent me three lovely scents to review, The fragrances that I got sent were Pina Colada, Pumpkin Pie and Cinnamon Bun.

Pina Colada

Do you like Pina Coladas? Do you like getting caught in the rain? This fragrance is the epitome of the song and definitely smells of Pina Colada! This fragrance contains Pineapple Juice, Coconut Cream and Light Rum which makes an amazing cocktail for the skin. It is a very strong fragrance but I would prefer a strong fragrance that you only need to spray twice instead of a weak fragrance that you'd have to spray 5 times to get the same strength as the 2. It's a great scent to wear within Summer or for when you going out for drinks. The only problem with this scent is that it makes you want a Pina Colada quite badly! I would give this a 9.5/10 but if you don't like Pineapple or Coconut then it might not be for you!

Pumpkin Pie

This is such an Autumnal scent. If you love Pumpkin Spice Latte's or Pumpkin Pie then you will definitely love this scent! This fragrance mainly consists of Pumpkin, Sugar, Cinnamon, Ginger and Cloves, I love all things Pumpkin and spice so this fragrance is a winner in my eyes, This would be a great fragrance to wear on a coffee date and as Thanksgiving is on Thursday, its a great time to buy it! I would give this a 9.5/10 again but if you're not a big fan of Pumpkin Spiced things then it's definitely not for you but there is many other fragrances on tbeir website so have a look and hopefully you'll find something that you love!

Cinnamon Bun

If you love baking then you will love this scent! This fragrance is sweet which evokes the smell of baking but is spicy from the Cinnamon which I think is such a good combination. I love anything Cinnamon so this fragrance is a winner in my opinion. It's just so nice! I think that this would be the ultimate fragrance to wear on Christmas Day! I would give this a 9.6/10 but if you hate Cinnamon then this isn't the fragrance for you.

There's my thoughts on the three scents that I was sent, What do you think of them? Have you ever tried any Library Of Fragrance scents? Let me know down below.

I hope that you have enkoyed this beauty based blogger. Don't forget to go and give them a whiff when you're next in Boots.Come back next time for another post!

Thanks!
Jamie x

Going To Some Of The Best Bars In Leeds With Michelle

Hey! I'm in Leeds a lot and being a blogger means that you go to quite a few bars and restaurants so I thought that I would drag Michelle along to a few of the best bars within Leeds (as you always need a friend to have a good natter to when it comes to bars) and write about it as I want to share the best bars with you just in case you haven't been to them so get some food, get a drink and be prepared to learn about Leeds' finest bars!

The first bar that I think is one of the best bars in Leeds is Turtle Bay. Why? I love the Caribbean vibe of the whole restaurant which is shown in ways such as the paintings on the walls, the music that is played within the restaurant, the food and drinks that are on offer and much more. The Caribbean vibe means that you feel like you can be relaxed instead of feeling stuffy and awkward like you would in a quite expensive eating establishment. I also love how they have a two for one offer which is 12-7 and 10pm until close which means that you can go in any day and get two drinks for the price of one during the day for a casual lunch or a good evening out.

 

We arrived and perused the menu which included things such as Run Down (v), Street Burger, Jamacian Browned Chicken and Rum Cake for several minutes until we both decided on what we wanted. Myself and Michelle decided to just stick to cocktails. We decided to take part in the 2 for 1 offer and ordered Beachcombers Zombie (4 Rums, Absinthe, Bitters and Tropical Fruits) and Vanilla and Passion Fruit Mojito (Cockspur Gold Rum, Vanilla, Fresh Passion Fruit, Lime and Mint.) The Zombie was fresh, fruity and naughty due to not being able to taste the alcohol so you could definitely have more than one and the Mojito tasted like the epitome of Summer due to all of the freshness thar was within the glass.

 

 

 

 

The next stop on the best bar train after Turtle Bay was Cabana. I honestly think Cabana is one of the best bars/restaurants ever for several reasons. There's the friendly staff who make you feel welcome in the establishment, the great street food inspired cuisine thats on offer, the crisp drinks that they serve, the quirky furniture... I could go on! Just like Turtle Bay, they offer 2 for one on certain drinks but they also have many other offers such as a lunch deal where you can get your own Latin inspired lunchbox for £6.95, a 2 course set meal on weekdays for £9.95 which is on until 5pm and theres an early bird special meal which involves a main course, two sides and a drink for £9.95 which is on everyday from 5-6:30pm.

 

 

We arrived at Cabana, sat down and ordered two drinks just like before as they were on 2 for one. We decided to get an original Caipirihna and a Blueberry & Acai Caipirihna. Myself and Michelle also decided to get some Cheesy Baked Dough Balls and Chocolate Rainbow Doughnuts to share between ourselves. I love a good Caipirihna and I instantly think of warm nights in tropical Brazil when I sip one. The Blueberry and Acai one was really nice. Sweet but slightly tart. It reminded me of Blueberry Jam somehow! Myself and Michelle were somewhat hesitant of getting it as we both thought that it would flush us out but it didnt. The dough balls were so nice. Golden on the outside but melting and gooey on the inside but slightly salty. The Nutella Doughnuts were great. Bitesized but chocolatey. The crispy sugary exterior worked so well with the dark gooey interior and there was more Nutella on the side so great for Nutella lovers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last stop on the best bar adventure was Be At One. Be At One is a cocktail bar that is based within Millenium Square with the likes of Epernay and Revolution that are within Electric Press. BAO also have a Happy Hour on that is on every night which is around 4:30/5-8pm. We went on a Tuesday and the hours for Happy Hour were 4:30-8 which means Be At One is a great place for a student date! We started off by having a Reese's Pieces cocktail but sadly it's not on the site so I can't remember the name but it had Bourbon, Reese's Pieces and Vanilla ice cream in. We got it because I like Bourbon and Michelle loves Peanut Butter. I liked it but the Bourbon was quite strong and when mixed with ice cream it made it quite rich. I was expecting it to be heavily peanut butter but it wasn't. We then had a Maple Margarita and oh my god it was so good. I had never had a Margarita before but this was a good one to represent the whole Margarita clan with. Sweet but slightly tart. Myself and Michelle then finished off the best bar train by drinking our last drink at Be At One. This cocktail was called Stormier Seas and the salty seas never tasted any better. This contained Kraken Rum, Lime and Ginger Beer. It tasted like something that you would want to warm you up when youre on a cold English beach. (The only problem that we had here was that Michelle did see a bartender put a phone number into someone who looked like a customers phone but I was guessing that he was on his break or something?) I hope that you have enjoyed this blog post. Don't forget to check out Michelle's photography! I have also linked the restaurants in case you actually want to go and check them out as I really think that they are some of the best bars within Leeds. I hope that you have enjoyed reading this blog post. Have you ever been to any of these bars? Have you tried any of these drinks? Let me know down below! Thanks! Jamie x This post was in collaboration with Cabana and Be At One. I chose the bars that I wanted to feature within this post therefore all views and ramblings are my own. Myself and Michelle got 14 drinks for £14 in total due to 2 for one etc but do check the places out if you want to know more details of them. 

Bringing The Islands To Leeds | Turtle Bay Leeds Pre-Launch Event

Meow!

I got invited to the preview launch of a new restaurant in Leeds and I thought that I would tell you about it today. If you like spicy food and cocktails then you will love this post that is all about Turtle Bay Leeds.

Turtle Bay is a Caribbean restaurant business that have been going for a few years. The restaurant captures the mind and soul of The Caribbean via serving Caribbean food such as Jerk Chicken, Curried Goat and Rice & Peas, serving cocktails that sum up the exotic and lively atmosphere of The Caribbean and many other things. There is quite a few Turtle Bay's around England ranging from down South in Ealing all the way up to the North with restaurants in York, Huddersfield and now Leeds. 

We started by arriving at the restaurant. As we were invited to a pre-launch event this meant that anyone that was walking past the restaurant probably thought that we were some secret cult setting up shop in Leeds to create a plan and to wreak havoc or something like that whereas the staff at the restaurant awkwardly had to tell passerbys that they could not enter as the establishment was not open yet. We stated that we were bloggers/members of a secret elite cult (I'm joking of course but wouldn't it be fascinating if I was?) and we were allowed into the premises.

A man called Adam and a woman called Bronwyn greeted us and then asked us what we would like to drink. I instantly thought that this could get messy. I mean, free cocktails to drink after 'one of those days' meant I can drink the bar dry in my opinion but anyways back to some relevant information. Adam said there was three to choose from. Tobago Tea. This contains Rum, Tequila, Vodka, Gin, Triple Sec with the addition of fresh Lemon, Mango and Lemonade. Beachcombers Zombie. This contains 4 different Rums, Absinthe, Bitters with the addition of Tropical Juices. Mai Tai. This contains Appleton Special Rum, Orange Rum Liqueur, Apricot Brandy with the addition of Fresh Lime and Pineapple.

Myself and Luke ordered a Tobago Tea. I was tempted to go for the Beachcombers Zombie but I know that I like alcohol and I like mango as I had a phase a few Summers ago where I drank a lot of Mango Juice so it sounded like a good cocktail to go for, You could taste the exotic Mango with a hint of acidity from the Lemon and Lemonade. Myself and Luke slowly made our way around the restaurant and found Kellie who we talked to about many things. We tried a bit of each others drinks. Kellie didn't enjoy the Tobago Tea that much but I loved the Beachcombers Zombie which she was drinking. I loved how you got a hint of the alcohol but it wasn't too overwhelming as the addition of Tropical Juices gave it a sweet edge. (Look at the picture at the top of the post.)

I slowly wandered around the establishment taking pictures and then I found a good spot for Luke to sit down as I felt like it would be better to sit him somewhere and if needed to I could either drag him somewhere or I could bring it over to him. As soon as I sat him down, Adam and Bronwyn asked all of us to come over so I left to him and his own devices whilst I listened and embraced everything that Adam and Bronwyn were saying. Adam is the companies Bar Manager and Trainer from what I remember and Bronwyn does the same but swap the bar for the food. Adam then went on to talk about the Rum's that Turtle Bay served which was very interesting and made me learn a bit more about Rum which is a good thing in my eyes as I can appreciate it a bit more when I'm drinking it.

We were then escorted to a grand elongated table where we told that Colin would be talking to us about the food at Turtlebay and then we would get the chance to try out the delicious food that is on offer at Turtle Bay. We sat down and was offered some Reggae Rum Punch which consists of 126 proof Wray and Nephew Rum, Strawberry Liqueur, Fresh Orange, Lime and Pineapple. I think this was to cleanse the palate per se but was an awesome drink to drink whilst Colin was telling us everything.

He told us about how Turtle Bay made their Curried Goat, what spices were in the dish and then we got to try the dish. It was succulent and delicious and something that I have never tried before. It reminded me of a hearty dish that you would eat at this time of the year.

He also told us about Scotch Bonnets and Plantain. He told us about the Heat Intensity of a Scotch Bonnet and also told us that to make sure the heat intensity is level within the Restaurant, the chefs at Turtle Bay blend up Scotch Bonnets and then use a small amount to ensure that it is the right heat for the dish which is pretty genius in my opinion as it doesn't mean that you have that risk of chopping up and then burning your skin by touching it after touching a Chilli when cooking a dish. He also told us about the Plantain which is similar to a Banana but isn't at the same time. It comes from the same family and whereas Bananas are sweet, Plantains aren't. We got told many things about Plantain including the best tips to cooking them which including making sure the exterior of it is brown before cooking as it makes sure it is ripe enough to cook, I tried it in its cooked version and the best way to describe is a cross between a Banana and a Roast Potato making it savoury but slightly sweet and moreish at the same time.

Colin then told us about the Jerk Chicken, how to cook the Chicken, what spices went into the Jerk Chicken and many other details about Jerk Chicken. We were also served a Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie which contains Smooth Peanut Butter, Banana, Condensed Milk and Cream. I'm a bit of a weird one with Peanut Butter. I can only eat it if it is smooth. The smoothie was sweet but salty at the same time which made it quite delicious but also the addition of condensed milk and cream gave it a luxurious/slightly decadent feel. Colin explained that it was to cool down the heat of the Jerk Chicken as dairy helps a lot better than water when it comes to cooling down your mouth. We then went to go watch the Jerk Chicken being made which was an interesting experience.

I went to go sit back down and realised that there was a drink waiting for me. This one was a Bahama Mama. Koko Kanu Rum, Banana Liqueur with Pineapple and Grenadine. I couldn't really taste the Rum but I could taste the liqueur and the pineapple which made for a fresh Banana taste when drinking the cocktail. The Jerk Chicken arrived at our table. The dish comes with Caribbean Coleslaw and Sweet Potato Fries so we served ourselves them and then made sure that we had a good helping of Chicken each. The coleslaw was refreshing yet had a slight kick, the Sweet Potato fries were crispy and soft. They were just amazing in summary.

We were then told to answer a few questions to see if we had been listening on the night. We had and this resulted in us receiving some Caymana's Rum Cake which was with some Rum influenced caramel sauce. The sponge was light and delicious with Rum running all the way through it which made it that little bit more delicious. We said goodbye and left with a goodie bag which contained some sauces and other things which ended up smashed due to the bag ripping in Trinity Leeds on the way back to the train station. Things like that happen sometimes.

If you live in Leeds and love Caribbean food then wander up to The Light Leeds where you'll be able to find Turtle Bay as you can not miss it with its vibrant lights outside. Happy Hour is also on 90% of the time therefore all cocktails are 2 for 1 so if you were still hesitating whether to go or not then that should have twisted your arm to go as soon as you can.

I cannot thank Turtle Bay, their PR and the staff at the new Leeds branch for inviting me to the pre-launch of the restaurant. If you want to know anything more about Turtle Bay then you can click here. I hope that you have enjoyed this blog post and I hope to see you next time for another blog post. If you have checked out Turtle Bay then let me know down below.

Meow!
Jamie x