Three summer cocktails from Little Bat perfect for the hot weather

Tucked just off Upper Street in Islington, Little Bat is a low-lit cocktail bar with eclectic décor and a quietly confident charm. Run by the team behind Callooh Callay, it balances playful interiors—books on the ceiling, vintage prints—with a focus on well-crafted drinks and considered small plates. Below, bar manager Lee Shephard shares three of his favourite cocktails on the menu, all ideal for a drink in the sun.

Loosen Mai Tai

(Lateef)

Ingredients

Method

1. Combine all ingredients into a ceramic cup or tumbler glass. Add crushed ice to halfway mark, churn with a spoon to dilute and top with more crushed iced. Garnish with 2 mint sprigs, an orange wedge and a liberal amount of Peychaud’s bitters.

Southside Highball

(Lateef Photography)

Ingredients

Method

1. Combine all except ginger ale into your cocktail shaker, with ice.
2. Shake hard and double strain into a highball glass over fresh cubed ice.
3. Top up with ginger ale.
4. Garnish with a large mint sprig, lemon wedge and a biodegradable straw.

Flutter By

(Lateef Photography)

Ingredients

Method

1. Stir all ingredients over cubed ice, then decant into a whisky tumbler over fresh cubed ice.
2. Spray mezcal over the top. In the bar we have little edible butterflies we add, sticking them to the glass with honey. If you can find one, go for it!