The new Quaddie rules at Klute and what they mean for you

The Klute Quaddie has now been dramatically changed in a bid to appease the police and safeguard customers — so what can you order now?

The club has been told it must water down the famous drink or risk losing its licence.

This means the halcyon days of swaggering up to the bar and ordering a quadruple vodka mixer in one half pint and one pint glass are over.

Gone

The new £4.80 Quaddie is made out of four shots of V-Kat at 22 per cent proof, nearly half the alcohol content of the old Russian Standard.

The bar has also put a blanket ban on the sale of all vodka shots – even fancy Belvedere.

But you can still buy two doubles of vodka in two half pint glasses, worth an austerity-busting £5.60.

Outside of Klute, the next best thing you can find is the £4 Johnny Woodgate at Jimmy A’s, consisting of three vodka shots and a WKD mixer.

Quaddie-hating police also forced Klute to make sure at least two door staff are always on duty and to stop eager customers buying multiple drinks just for themselves.

Chief Constable Mike Barton, who attended the club as a student, said: “Klute is part of the culture and history of Durham, I respect that and it is something we’ve taken into consideration.

“The review is not taken lightly at all.”

Sarah Smith, the boss of Klute’s parent company Tokyo Industries, defended the operation of the worst nightclub in Europe.

She told the Chronicle: “There’s nothing to say people are crawling on all fours out of the premises.

“The concept of Quaddies are important to the club, it’s important to us to retain the Quaddies but we are more than happy to literally water the offering down.

“The fact that it’s described as the worst nightclub in Europe does not mean its operated badly.

“We are not the sort of premises and the sort of operator who throws caution to the wind and does not give a damn about the city of Durham and the people we are taking the money from.”

Sergeant Tim Robson on Durham Constabulary added: “Durham Police do not want to close this premises but want it to be safer.

“I am confident that they will fulfil their requirements.

“However, Durham Police wish to point out that this is certainly a shot across the bow and any further undermining, or possible undermining, of licensing and it will lead to a secondary review.”