Experimental gastronomy group Bompas & Parr has unveiled a selection of cocktails available at the “world’s first” Christmas cavern bar, made with ingredients such as sea cucumber vermouth and gunpowder rum.

Beyond The Waterfall at Westfield Stratford, London

Located at The Village in Westfield Stratford, London, multi-sensory activity Beyond The Waterfall is inspired by the “literary tales of mermen”, and features nautical cocktails containing distillates made from undersea botanicals, real gunpowder and rare ambergris.

Guests will navigate a small boat across a 20 metre lagoon – called the Whispering Waters – before passing through a waterfall to explore an ‘Aladdin’s cave’ filled with gemstones.

The journey ends at the ‘hidden cavern’, where shell tokens can be exchanged for cocktails such as Sea Air, which comprises ‘deep sea sake’, sea cucumber vermouth, Fino Manzanilla, samphire, olive, and ‘sea air’; and Floating Gold, which contains Ambergris, Cognac, gold leaf flake sugar crystal, and Crémant.

Guests will be entertained by mermen, who will explain the story behind each unique serve.

“Creating a watery world founded on millennia-old cultural beliefs, myths and fantasies at this Westfield London experience has allowed us to channel an unlikely but enchanting Christmas experience that avoids all the usual cliches of the season,” said Harry Parr, partner of Bompas & Parr.

“By drawing together folklore and mysticism with the amazing and untapped potential of the deep blue sea we’re setting a new precedent for bringing people together at Christmas.”‎

Beyond the Waterfall is open to the public at Westfield London until Friday 23 December 2016. Tickets are £15 and include the experience and two cocktails.

Click through the following pages to discover a selection of the cocktails on offer at Beyond The Waterfall.

Message In A Bottle

Served upon arrival on the Whispering Waters Lake
Gunpowder rum, pearlescent spiced Port, spiced grenadine, gingerbread absinthe
“The age-old rescue message returns to shore in the form of a swashbuckling concoction made with real gunpowder, guaranteed to warm the hearts of marooned mariners.

“Earlier this year a 108 year-old message in a bottle was discovered off the coast of Germany, having been thrown into the North Sea by Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom (MBA) in November 1906.”

Floating Gold

Ambergris, Cognac, gold leaf flake sugar crystal, Crémant
“The flecks of gold lost from Tritan’s own trident give this drink a majestic, dazzling iridescence. It is blended with rare ambergris which is sourced from the bellies of sperm whales and cured on the open wave; prized for its fragrancy, it is a treasure equal to gold.”

Sea Air

Deep sea sake, sea cucumber vermouth, Fino Manzanilla, samphire, olive, sea air
“The last life-giving gasp of sea air that sea god Glaucus inhaled before he became fully Merman, rendered into a deliciously dry cocktail finished with the samphire that provoked his profound metamorphosis.”

The Old Man & The Sea

Rum, rye, sweet vermouth, Maraschino, Benedictine, bitters
“A nod to Ernest Hemingway’s supreme ordeal between aging fisherman Santiago and his struggle to land a giant marlin. His epic battle lasted three days – referenced by our mix of three types of bitters – while the heady mix of rum and rye is a fitting tonic following your own adventures on the high seas. Served with a tiny bit of ‘age’ – imbuing the drinker with instant wisdom.”

Shipwreck Sour

Shipwreck cider brandy, Coral Calvados, Creme de Peche, lemon juice, shipwreck bitters, egg white
“A cocktail inspired by the oldest shipwreck in British waters – a 17th century ship discovered in the Swash Channel off the south coast, where two wooden Mermen were found amongst the bounty.

“Our delicious Shipwreck Sour blends the taste of the sea in a robust mix that emulates the hardy grog beloved by sailors.”

Cthulhu Margarita

Giant squid ink Tequila, Mezcal, lime, mandarin and petitgrain agave syrup, seaweed salt rim
“A tribute to Marqillor the Merman, the protagonist in Douglas Nile’s epic trilogy The Coral Kingdom, who killed an evil giant – ‘a monster too huge, too mighty too be vanquished by a man’ – with his trident.

“Perhaps his face was Cthulhu himself, the mythical sea creature that blends characteristics of cephalopods, dragons and humans.”