New Dandelyan menu explores ‘guilty pleasures’

Dandelyan at Mondrian London has delved into “the shadier side of the plant world” with the launch of its fourth cocktail menu, The Vices of Botany.

London’s Dandelyan bar has launched its fourth cocktail menu, inspired by “the shadier side of the plant world”

Launching on Friday, 17 February, the fourth chapter in botany-inspired series focuses on “exploitation, escapism and guilty pleasures”.

The menu, developed by bar founder Ryan ‘Mr Lyan’ Chetiyawardana and his team, is split into four sections: Faith, Lust, $£¥€ and Rock n Roll, with each section investigating the role of botany in human vices.

The drinks explore new flavour profiles, featuring fermented ingredients such as pink garum, a fermented fish sauce; tepache, fermented pineapple juice; house-made dry banana and tomato wines; as well as coconut fibre, tonka, guava, bitter hibiscus and pineapple sherbet.

Featured cocktails include Beaune Wine, based on ‘faith’, combining sunshine-washed Martell Cognac, saffron, ginger and dry banana wine; Arsenic Waltz, inspired by ‘lust’, featuring Tapatio Blanco, sour pear, long pepper and cucumber honey; Jail Bucks, focused on ‘currency’, Yaguara Cachaca, black pepper, Manzanilla, pink garum and tonic; and Velvet Brew, challenging ‘rock ‘n’ roll’, comprising Piña, Tepache, Olmeca Altos, and Del Maguey Vida.

For the first time every Dandelyan team member, from prep to host, has been involved in the development of every drink. The menu is largely focused on sustainability, with the team working on ‘closed loop’ cocktails – making use of waste ingredients.

Alcohol-free libations include Million Dollar Smile, containing Seedlip Spice, roasted sweet potato, off-cut cordial and grass; and Silk Road Gimlet, mixing Salt-baked pomegranate, mulberry leaf, white tea and cardamom.

The menu is completed with ‘Dandelyan Classics’, listing the most popular serves from previous lists – including Koji Handshake and Pinnacle Point Fizz.