insideKENT Magazine Issue 65 - August 2017 | Page 138

SUMMER
COOL OFF THIS SUMMER cont.
COCKTAILS
If you want something a little more grown up
when it comes to great ways to cool down in
the hot weather, why not indulge in a cocktail
or two? Cocktails are classy, and in Kent there
are loads of bars and pubs that will make you
the perfect margarita or cosmopolitan – or
pretty much anything else you can imagine.
A fabulous cocktail sipped in the sun is an
elegant and luxurious way to keep cool.
The Beckenham (in Beckenham,
unsurprisingly) is where award-winning
bartender Tony Adams plies his trade. Once
named world champion in cocktail making,
if you want the good stuff, this is the place to
come to. The Kent in Gravesend is a cocktail
bar and nothing else – it’s cocktails all the way
here, which means they definitely know what
they are doing. And they do it very well indeed.
The Mu Mu Cocktail Bar in Maidstone is a
quirky place to enjoy a unique tipple – with
throne sofas, works of art, and opulence at
every turn, you can treat yourself to a
refreshing drink here and really feel special.
Other great bars include Olivers in Rochester,
Teatros in Canterbury and Zingara in
Bexleyheath.
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Chilling alcohol brings out its flavour, so the
colder the drink is, the better it will taste. And
as for what the coldest cocktail is, you might
want to opt for a good old martini – this can
be chilled down nicely...whether it’s shaken
or stirred.
LIDO
pool could also be called a lido, and there is
Faversham pool as well. Just up the road in
London, we have Charlton Lido, and in Sussex
you’ll find Pells Pool. We’re surrounded, so
keeping cool is easy.
ICE
The lido…is it a peculiarly British thing? An
outside swimming pool with facilities, or part
of a beach that’s specially roped off, the lido
is the place to go for a refreshing dip. It’s also
the place to go to relax, laze about in the
sunshine, and generally do nothing much at
all except have one of those incredible days
that seem to fill up with lovely, luscious
memories that stick around long after the
summer’s gone and your sun tan has faded. If there is anything guaranteed to make you
feel chilly in the height of summer it’s ice
skating. Silver Blades in Gillingham is open all
year round, and whether you’re a novice or
an expert, you can enjoy a day out here. All
equipment can be hired, all information will
be given, and you can also hire an instructor
for a little while to really get you going. Practice
makes perfect when it comes to ice skating
and at Silver Blades you can book an intensive
course to teach you how to glide along the
ice in no time this summer.
In Kent we have a number of excellent lidos,
which is good news if you want to cool down
somewhere a bit more regulated than the sea,
but still outdoors. Gillingham Strand Leisure
Pool is problem the best known of them all –
it’s certainly the one that draws the biggest
crowds. Back in 1994, the old pool (which was
over 100 years old) was refurbished and new
life was given to this superb place. Tonbridge If ice skating isn’t your thing, have you
considered curling? At Fenton’s Rink in
Tunbridge Wells you can learn the art of the
sport and watch matches take place. You can
even book a curling party – let your friends
and family come in from the heat and cool
off for a while too!