This is one First Aid Box you’ll want to dip into repeatedly.
“A stiff drink to calm the nerves”. “A tonic for what ails you”. Most of us turn to a drop of the good stuff every now and then for a ‘restorative’ drink, but one bar in Herne Hill has taken it a step further. Handily named First Aid Box, this cocktail bar serves concoctions that are as healthy as they are delicious. They’re offering a cure by cocktails, which is definitely something we can get on board with.
First Aid Box present ‘cure-all’ cocktails, infused with syrups, tinctures, and cordials to make you feel as right as rain. The addition of ‘shrubs’, which are alcohol-infused fruits and veg, makes for a rather delicious way to get your five a day in. The bar steers pretty heavily into the pharmacy theme, with syringes, drip bags, and pipettes aplenty. At First Aid Box, the fun is in getting the drinks down you in the most inventive, pseudo-medical way.
Let’s make one thing clear: First Aid Box is in no way related to or endorsed by the NHS. Sadly, you can’t prescribe a round of daiquiris to cure a common cold (although if it ever transpires you can, sign me up for a prolonged cold). Still, the focus on botanical ingredients means the drinks come with some minor health benefits. And, more importantly, the warm glow of quaffing cocktails with friends.
The menu at First Aid Box is split into five sections, all prescribing a different cure. The cocktails themselves feature an intriguing blend of ingredients, polished off with a suitably witty name. Witness the ‘Man’s Not Hot’, a potion of tequila, chipotle, mango, passion fruit shrub, lime, and pickled mango. For £9, you can order the ‘Doctor’s Prescription’, which involves you telling the bartender your symptoms and letting them whip you up a restorative brew. Thirst aid has never been better.
First Aid Box isn’t just about the cocktails, as they serve a variety of small plates and snacks too. The team behind it also run Shrub & Shutter in Brixton, so you can expect a similar focus on fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Additionally, hidden in the back of First Aid Box is a tiny backroom bar called Blinder. Opening only on Friday and Saturday nights, it’s a theme bar inspired by Peaky Blinders. I’m not sure about you, but this makes me glad there’s a First Aid Box nearby.
Location: 119 Dulwich Road, Herne Hill, SE24 0NG. Nearest station is Brixton (Tube) or Herne Hill (Thameslink). See it on Google Maps.
Opening hours: 5-11pm (Tuesday to Thursday), 5pm-midnight (Friday), 9am-midnight (Saturday), 11am-5pm (Sunday). Closed on Mondays.
Price: cocktails run between £9-12.
More information: visit their website.
Featured image: @firstaidboxhh
Four more corking cocktail bars:
? The Bloomsbury Spot That’s Ravishing In Red
? Deptford’s Tiny Bar With 100 Gins To Try
? The Cocktail Bar Hiding Inside An Old Suit Shop
? Waterloo’s Pretty-In-Pink Basement Is Perfect For A Girl’s Night Out