Artesian reveals post-lockdown cocktail menu

Acclaimed London-based bar Artesian has unveiled its new cocktail menu inspired by the shared experiences that brought people together in 2020.

Artesian, located in The Langham Hotel, is now accepting reservations for when it reopens its doors on 20 May after Covid-19 restrictions in England are eased on 17 May.

The new menu is named Connections, and comprises 18 drinks divided into five sections, each with its own identity.

The first section, with a ‘Wellness & Mindfulness’ theme, includes drinks with a lower-ABV and some completely free of alcohol. A number of these drinks also feature ingredients CBD and kombucha, described by the bar team as ‘just as delicious’ as the alcoholic cocktails.

Artesian has even included a signature Banana Bread 1933 cocktail as a nod to the 2020 lockdown baking craze. To replicate this taste, the team combined rye whiskey, oloroso Sherry, banana Monin, ground spice, cocoa butter, burnt toast and vanilla.

‘Celebration’ is the second section, giving customers the taste of Champagne and luxury in this indulgent collection of drinks.

The third section, ‘Community’, includes drinks that support the local community around The Langham. The Layer Cake cocktail includes dark rum and stout syrup both from Kernel Brewery – a tribute to the hotel’s own British tavern, The Wigmore.

The fourth section, ‘Sustainability’, looks to present an environmentally friendly approach to the sourcing of ingredients. The team has used produce from within the wider hotel food-and-drink operation which would have otherwise gone to waste, with a goal of up-cycling the unwanted produce into cocktail ingredients.

The highlight cocktail is considered to be Around the Kitchen, which includes gin, banana peel-infused cachaça and avocado pit orgeat. The drink up-cycles the kitchen waste from the hotel’s breakfast service, including spent coffee grains and pineapple peel.

Finally, ‘Happiness’ is a collection of cocktails designed to take guests to the exotic destinations and festivals that were impossible to visit throughout 2020. The bar aimed for an emphasis on fun with this final section, tropical cocktail The Butterfly, made with Michter’s Bourbon, lemon juice, mango, peach and butterfly tea.