FANCY a mushroom or kale cocktail?

Gung Ho owner Julien Barnett would not blame you for turning your nose up at the offer, but so far not a single one of his wacky concoctions has been sent back in the three months his bar has been open.

The retro place in Preston Street, Brighton, offers drinks made with ingredients that are in season, and people are slowly buying into his concept.

Currently on the menu are rhubarb, mushroom, kale, celery and cucumber cocktails.

Julien, at the age of just 23, opened the bar with his right-hand man, Chris Popeley, taking the reins as manager.

“Our aim is to combine food with drinks,” said Julien.

“I’ve always been creative, so I learnt by just playing around with different flavours.

“With the mushroom drink we use a flat cap mushroom.

“I steamed them and found the taste was slightly floral, so decided to put lavender in, which adds bitterness.

“Then we fully carbonate the drink with our carbonator.”

They typically have six cocktails on the menu, though they are working on another to add at the moment.

Each drink is garnished with its main ingredient.

The ingredients are sourced from Sussex-based outlets, as are many of the draft beers and wines.

All of Julien’s skills are self-taught thanks to his five years working in Brighton’s bar scene.

Originally from Horsham, he came to the city to learn the trade and was bar manager at Bohemia in The Lanes before moving to Plateau wine bar in Brighton to further his knowledge of the industry.

“I originally wanted to be a chef,” Julien said.

“But working in a bar is much more fun.

“I am a big fan of going to restaurants and bars to see what they have to offer.

“It’s good to see their ideas, for example a lot of places now use sweet and savoury flavours in desserts.

“If you can do that with a dessert, you can do it with a cocktail.”

The selling technique for such outlandish drinks has to be pretty cunning, you would think.

But once a customer tastes it, they are hooked, says Julien.

“I tell them to just try it out,” he said.

“We haven’t had anyone send one back yet.”

Few bars scream Brighton like Gung Ho, either.

Julien and Chris aim to use as much organic and fairtrade produce as possible and re-use whatever they can.

They even throw any unused lemon or lime peel to infuse into their drinks when making their own liquor.

Julien said there is a space downstairs for a kitchen franchise, and the offer is on the table to those willing to take it on.

Whoever does take it on should probably aim to have a bit of fun as Julien is, too.

“I think bars should be fun,” said Julien.

“Some places take themselves too seriously.

“That’s how I came up with the name Gung Ho – I wanted something really cheesy, along with the neon lights outside.

“It’s a place I would like to come to.

“Also, opening your own business is a bit gung ho.”

Julien and Chris, who met working at Bohemia, have not had an easy ride since opening.

They have experienced the ups and downs of running a business, including the headache of all the paperwork that comes with it for Julien.

But he would not have it any other way.

“It still feels weird that this place is mine,” he said.

“The 80-hour working weeks are intense, but I feel like I’m living the dream. I just want to make sure it’s a place where drinks are affordable and there is a great ambience.”