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Jaggers cocktail bar and eatery opens near Rochester Cathedral featuring Charles Dickens themed tipples

A new cocktail bar has opened in a town centre with a fitting theme.

Jaggers in Rochester will be selling tipples with a Dickensian twist in homage to its most famous son the novelist Charles Dickens.

Jaggers cocktail bar in The Precinct by Rochester Cathedral
Jaggers cocktail bar in The Precinct by Rochester Cathedral

Among the drinks on offer is an Ebenezer Scroogedriver, a take on the orange juice and vodka highball screwdriver.

There's a Miss Havisham, a white chocolate and vodka concoction to reflect the jilted spinster who floated around in her wedding dress.

Jaggers, housed in the former Crepes in The Precinct, off the High Street, opened at the beginning of this month and proved a hit with visitors at the Dickensian Christmas festival.

It follows in the footsteps of The Mixologist and Bodega 51 which both opened this year in the town selling cocktails.

And now most pubs have either introduced or expanded their range of exotic mixed drinks to cater for growing demand.

From an Ebeneezer Scroogedriver to a Miss Havisham – the cocktails inspired by Charles Dickens at new Rochester bar Jaggers. Picture: Charles Dickens Museum
From an Ebeneezer Scroogedriver to a Miss Havisham – the cocktails inspired by Charles Dickens at new Rochester bar Jaggers. Picture: Charles Dickens Museum

But Kav Kaur, the owner of Jaggers, said their prime position might give them the edge.

She said: "I don't think you can have too many. It's all about people's choice. And some might like to sit outside sipping a cocktail with a view of the castle and cathedral."

Jaggers takes its name from a fictional character who plays Pip's guardian and Miss Havisham's lawyer in Great Expectations.

Kav said they will be still selling their crepes, tapas, light-bites, beers and wines alongside the new drink offerings.

The opening coincides with the announcement that there is to be a second cocktail week to be held in Rochester in February.

Alex Watson is organiser of the Rochester Cocktail Week, which is hosting a special winter festival in February
Alex Watson is organiser of the Rochester Cocktail Week, which is hosting a special winter festival in February

Already a dozen venues have signed up for the winter version of the summer event which this year celebrated its second anniversary.

Organiser Alex Watson said: "The main aim for this is to help drive footfall to the bars during the first two weeks of February, which are notoriously quiet weeks, following Christmas over spending and the long January.

"We've created this winter edition to help keep people spending in the local bars and restaurants of Rochester."

In August, 40 licensed premises in the towns or within walking distance served up about 50 tipples, many of them specially created for the two-week programme.

The winter event runs from February 1 to February 12 and Jaggers, along with other participating venues, will be serving special £5 cocktails exclusively to wristband holders available via the event website.

There is a limited "early bird" sale currently running.

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