GungHo owner returns with Brighton speakeasy cocktail event

Julien Barnett, owner of GungHo, announced the closure of his bar in Preston Street in February.

However, he confirmed that the business and its much-loved sustainable cocktails would not be disappearing completely, promising a series of pop-up events across Brighton.

Yesterday, April 17, Julien kicked off his first event in style at 1920s-themed speakeasy L’atelier du Vin, hidden underneath Cases Wine Bar in Western Road, Hove.

Julien Barnett behind the bar (Image: IntelligenceMKT) An experimental menu of five different cocktails and three mocktails was on offer specifically for the GungHo event, named Prohibition in Dimension B.

Also available was an extensive range of drinks by L’atelier du Vin.

Our first choice was the reverse bramble – or elbmarb – cocktail, a GungHo twist on the traditional blackberry beverage.

The sharp lemony drink mixed with gin was topped with a blackberry foam, as opposed to the traditional blackberry syrup at the base of the drink and drizzled over ice. 

The reverse bramble cocktail (Image: The Argus) It made for a refreshing and sweet experience that got better and better with each sip. 

Next up, we couldn’t resist the crumble aux pommes, a liquified version of an apple crumble. 

The cocktail consists of distillate of Normandy apples, fermentation of Somerset apples, green apple skins, custard mousse and cinnamon grahams. 

I could not believe how akin it was to the popular pudding – the apple was tart and sweet while the custard foam was the perfect creamy accompaniment. 

The crumble aux pommes cocktails (Image: The Argus) The hint of cinnamon gave the drink its homemade, baked feel, rounding off a completely enjoyable experience. 

While we enjoyed our crumble aux pommes, we dug into a delicious charcuterie and cheese board consisting of brie, charcoal cheddar, goats cheese, blue cheese and more, made by L’atelier du Vin.

Finally, we felt it was only right to finish with the Irish coffee cocktail – Irish whiskey, single origin coffee, demerara, whipped oat cream and shaved nutmeg. 

The Irish coffee cocktails (Image: The Argus) We were surprised to find when the drinks arrived that the beverage was warm, making for a comforting and satisfying last tipple before we departed.

The GungHo cocktails were all unlike anything we had tried before, putting a fun twist on traditional staples or creating a whole new flavour experience. 

Head down to L’atelier du Vin to catch the unique pop-up event by GungHo, which is on from today, April 18, until Sunday, April 20, 6pm until 1am. 

GungHo has accrued a number of awards, including at the Class Bar Awards 2024, South England Prestige Awards Cocktail Bar of the Year 2023 and Bravo Best Cocktails 2023.

It was also a finalist for Bar Sustainability Bar Magazine Awards 2023.

It was named Brighton’s Best Bar in 2018.