Two cocktail heavyweights have teamed up to open a new bar in Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong.
Christened Le Chamber, the speakeasy-classic hybrid is the ambitious project of owner-bartenders Lim Jae-jin and Eom Do-hwan.
Slated to open April 21, Le Chamber will serve signature cocktails concocted by Eom and Lim in a posh, chandelier-laden den with a classic vibe and a speakeasy attitude.
To get in, patrons will need to get past a door masquerading as a bookcase by tugging on a special book, Lim revealed.
Once inside, patrons can watch the masters at work, both of whom gained serious street cred when they competed in the Diageo Reserve World Class competitions in 2009 and 2010.
Often-called “the Olympics of bartending,” this high-profile, international event is where mixologists from various countries converge to compete for the “bartender of the year” title.
Lim nabbed fourth place at the first Diageo Reserve World Global Final in 2009. Eom then made history as the first Korean to nab second place the following year.
Now, the two have joined hands to fuse their talent and know-how into one space.
One might think that three’s a crowd, but Lim and Eom went ahead and enlisted the talent of a third Diageo Reserve World Class veteran, mixologist Park Sung-min, who competed in the Global Final last year and is planning on competing again this year.
Though Park ― a.k.a. Bori ― is acting as Le Chamber’s manager and therefore will not be working behind the bar with Lim and Eom, the cocktail savant is already helping out with the development of the drinks menu, which promises to go heavy on liquid creativity.
Revamped classic cocktails promise to be Le Chamber’s forte, along with the signature drinks that both Lim and Eom created when competing in the Diageo Reserve World Class.
Le Chamber owner-bartenders Eom Do-hwan (left) and Lim Jae-jin (center) and manager Park Sung-min (right) craft the signature cocktails they each showcased at Diageo Reserve World Class competitions.
“I feel like classic cocktails will make a big comeback,” Lim, 32, said of why Le Chamber will feature five signature “retro and chic” cocktails that riff off old school libations like the swizzle and the sazerac.
According to Park, 34, “classic cocktails with a twist” are a hot global trend. “Reinterpreting old cocktails.”
Park himself tried his hand at playing off the classic dark and stormy. The resulting concoction will be on the menu at Le Chamber.
Drawing inspiration from the traditional drink, Park took a subtle and restrained approach to the formula, which essentially consists of rum and ginger beer.
Le Chamber’s neo riffs off the dark and stormy (far back) — which will be crafted from house-made Korean ginger beer — and the Swizzle, which will incorporate honey syrup. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)
Park says the ginger beer at Le Chamber will be made from scratch, with fresh domestically raised ginger and sugar.
The Korean ginger “essence” is then fermented and carbonated, for fizz and pop. Lime will also be featured in the upcoming cocktail.
As for the rum, Park opted to use Ron Zacapa Centenario 23, aiming to give the premium rum plenty of room to take center stage in this concoction and showcase its notes of caramel and vanilla.
Le Chamber will also be tinkering with the sazerac, using Bulleit Bourbon to craft the New Orleans-based drink.
“Bulleit Bourbon has great balance, a weighty heft,” said Lim.
According to Lim, Le Chamber will also be serving 45-milliliter shots of Bulleit Bourbon and for those who so desire, giving out sweet pickle juice chasers.
Le Chamber will only be stocking 70 bottles of the Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey, but Lim says the plans are to follow it up with Bulleit Rye, a straight rye whiskey.
Eom revealed that in addition to Bulleit, Le Chamber will boast an extensive selection of over 200 single malt whiskies.
However, the first thing patrons will see when opening the menu, says Eom, are cocktails, with the top billing going to the bimonthly battle cocktail of choice.
For the battle, a cocktail will be selected, Eom explained. Then Eom and Lim will come up with their own take on it.
Patrons will be served two variations of the battle cocktail and then vote for their version of choice.
First up is the White Lady, which incorporates gin, triple sec and lemon juice.
“We will be doing the White Lady from April through May,” said Lim.
Come June, he revealed, plans are to also debut barrel-aged cocktails.
Le Chamber
B1, 83-4 Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
(02) 6337-2014
Open 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. daily, closed Sundays
10,000 won cover charge, cocktails cost around 23,000 won to 50,000 won
By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)
