The story goes that the black velvet, a moderately rare mix of stout and champagne in equal parts, was invented by a bartender at the Brook’s Club in 1861 to mourn the death of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s prince consort. The grandiose location makes sense given the club was long popular with Anglo-Irish peers. Everyday punters can order one at old-time joints like Rules and Sweetings, where it’s a signature, and at newer ventures such as Daffodil Mulligan, Richard Corrigan’s place in Old Street; we’re seeing the beginning of a renaissance.
Just down the road from Old Street roundabout is The Prince, the latest purveyor, heralding the black velvet as one of three “hero serves” alongside a classic martini, natch, and a Guinness punch. As is customary, the black velvet is served in a metal tankard, redolent of days gone by when battered old regulars would have their own vessel hanging from a hook in the gantry.
