Gin and teapots at Cox & Baloney

While everyone who overdid it at Christmas is embracing dry January with aplomb and skirting anything stronger than mouthwash this month, for those of us engaged in the serious business of casual dating, giving up the booze seems nigh-on impossible. The thought of sitting through date after agonising first date – “Do you have any brothers and sisters?” – without a fine lubricating sheen of alcohol almost doesn’t bear thinking about.

Luckily for me and my date Ben (6”5, most of his own teeth), we’d picked a date from DateMakers (www.datemakers.co.uk) that was going to put all other ‘grab a cheeky pint’ dates to shame. With our tea-inspired teapot cocktail-tasting date (from £16) booked at Cox & Baloney on Cheltenham Road, we cleared our schedules on Saturday night. I poured myself into the tightest dress I dared (it wasn’t this tight in December), vowed again to start that no-carb-running-three-times-a-week regime I’d said I would back in the innocent days of 2017, and I was ready for anything.

A selection of the teas available at Cox & Baloney

A tearoom during the day, Cox & Baloney had a really cozy vibe in the evening as we were shown to our table, laid with vintage teacups and saucers, adorable little water glasses and cake forks. We said our pleasantries while sinking into the wicker chairs and then perused the teapot cocktail menu while Stone Roses played in the background. “My favourite band,” said Ben. Ten points.

With four tea-inspired cocktails on the menu – two gin, one rum and one vodka – there was plenty that sounded good. I went for the Lady Amy (vodka with peach and apricot white loose tea, fresh lemon and ginger ale) while my date selected Granny’s Secret Tipple (gin, fruit tea, elderflower and lemon). There were chintzy teapots, cups and saucers everywhere, but it avoided being too much like your nan’s living room with bold graphic wallpaper, vintage wine crates on the walls and The Smiths’ angst playing over the speakers.

There are four tea-inspired cocktails on the menu, which come served in teapots

Our drinks arrived, and we poured our bright cocktails out of the cutest little teapots (“I think I could get into collecting teapots,” said Ben. Minus five points for potentially being a hoarder). I realised this was probably the first time I’d drunk booze from a cup since I was at uni, predrinking before Oceana in a room that smelled of Lynx Africa.

This was a far more civilised experience: almost without thinking, I was picking up my cup with my little finger stretched out, although the effect was slightly ruined by the fact that the tiny dainty handle was too small for me to get my chunky finger through, and I almost dropped the whole thing and threw ice and lemon all over Ben’s lap (minus 20 points to me for revealing my chronic clumsiness so early on).

One cocktail down, the nerves were gone and things were looking good, so we ordered another, plus a couple of pieces of Cox & Baloney’s delicious cake to share (plus five points for him encouraging my gluttony). Ben hit the jackpot with The Lord Earl – the best gin and tonic either of us had ever tasted, made with gin infused with Earl Grey tea – and we knew it was meant to be. As the waitress collected our empty teacups, I realised my saucer said ‘golden wedding’ on it. If it happens, you’re all invited.

To book this date, plus more than 55 others in and around Bristol, from magic shows to saxophone lessons, clay pigeon shooting to gin tasting, visit www.datemakers.co.uk.